Lost in the Shuffle

You know you're busy when your voicemails are backed up two months and you start answering only one out of every ten emails. It's been an absolute tornado around here lately, but I need to remember to take a deep breath now and then so as not to lose focus. There are a lot of fun new products that have come in over the past month (not exclusive to K&L) that have unfortunately been lost in the shuffle a bit. Let's cover a few of those now, shall we?

This first bottle (pictured above) is a total shocker of a whisky. A bold attempt to break out of the norm from one of the most conservative and classic whisky producers in the industry (if not the most). The 10 year old Rye Cask finish blended whisky from Johnnie Walker takes 10 year old Bourbon barrel-aged stocks of Scotch from Diageo's vast supply and sees them aged additionally in barrels formerly used to age American rye whisky. The result is far more intense than anyone would imagine. The rye completely dominates the flavor profile with accents of dill and German bread, but the mouthfeel is still creamy and rich, like one would expect from a 10 year old blended Scotch. With the proof kicked up to 46% (up from the standard Walker 40%), the whisky has punch and power. It's like the flavor of a great American rye with the texture and weight of a Speyside Scotch. Dynamic and surprisingly wonderful! I blind tasted Kyle on this and asked him what he thought it was. He did not guess Scotch.

Johnnie Walker 10 Year Old "Select Casks" Rye Cask Finish Blended Scotch Whisky $49.99

This was another fun little shocker. This is really delicious, affordable, and it comes in a great bottle that looks super old school, American bottled-in-bond style. It's a vatting of rye whiskies from Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Alberta, between four and fifteen years of age, bottled at 100 proof. I love it. It's everything I want from my rye: bold, peppery, sippable, but also punchy enough to stand up in a cocktail. Great job all around here.

Hochstadter's Vatted Straight Rye Whiskey $34.99

My friends at West Cork Distillery in Ireland are also doing a bit of punk rock-inspired packaging. The Shane MacGowan-fronted legends now have their own official whiskey, courtesy of the Cork County-based whisky producers!! It's very West Cork in style, rich and round, but with earthier accents underneath the vanilla. This one even has a coffee bean note to it, which I found intriguing. I love the bottle.

West Cork "Pogues" Edition Irish Whiskey $35.99

I'll try to get back on here again later and pump out a few more posts like this. There's a ton of new inventory thanks to the expanded SF store. You should really get down there and peruse in person. It's taking pretty much every ounce of energy I have left at this point to keep the shelves full!

-David Driscoll