Three New Hits from OMC

What's that you ask? I'm sorry, there must be a bad connection or something, as I can't hear you clearly. What are you asking?

Are there any new hits from OMD?

Hmm......

I didn't think OMD was even still performing together, but—no—I don't think there are any new tracks to get excited about. Even if there were, do you honestly think they could do any better than the theme song from Pretty in Pink: "If You Leave"? That's about as good as it gets, in my opinion. That song pretty much somes up my melodramatic eighties nostalgia in one neat little package.

I mean, it's so romantic in so many ways! Picture the high school prom. Molly Ringwald is alone and dismayed, but not undetermined. She and Duckie roll in as a duo, hell bent on showing the rich kids a thing or two. No matter how shallow she thinks Andrew McCarthy and James Spader are, she's not going to let them get to her. By the way, is it just me or is James Spader simply playing a young Donald Trump in that movie? He's got the comb-over, the sneer, the wardrobe, and he's totally......wait....what?

What's that?

Oh...you said OMC. I thought you said OMD, as in Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark. You meant to ask do we have any new OMC hits, as in new selections from Old Malt Cask. As in single malt whisky.

Yeah, sorry. I did think that was a rather weird thing to ask, but I was so excited about the potential of being asked about OMD, one of the quintessential new wave romantics of the decade. Yes....we do have some new things to talk about:

Fresh off the boat! Three new outstanding and well-priced superstars at 100 proof on the nose. Check it out:

1996 Allt-a-Bhainne 19 Year Old "Old Malt Cask" Single Sherry Barrel Single Malt Whisky $79.99 - While the market for mature, sherry-aged single malt whiskies continue to soar, we're using our wits to secure outstanding under-the-radar single cask selections and save our customers some serious dough. Allt-a-Bhaine is a Speyside distillery that's part of the Chivas Blended empire and the whisky rarely sees the spotlight as a single malt release. It's never been released by Chivas as an official brand, but it does pop up every now and again on the independent market. While the malt itself is classically Speyside in character with vanilla, fruit, and a sweet malty note, this particular sherry butt from the Old Malt Cask series drinks more like a Macallan or Glenfarclas release with its dark caramel and toffee flavors. At 100 proof, the spice is dialed up and pronounced, but it's no match for the supple and unctuous character of the sherry that coats the palate in a wave of decadence. Our pricing continues to blow away anything comparable on the market and we're confident that malt lovers everywhere will find the quality their looking for in this selection, even if the distillery name itself is unfamiliar.

2009 Talisker 6 Year Old "Old Malt Cask" Single Sherry Barrel Single Malt Whisky $49.99 - Of the few young Talisker casks we're been able to procure over the years, this one tastes the most like what we expect from the Skye producer. It's loaded with equal parts salt, smoke, fruit, and sweet malt character with a spray of sea water on the finish, reminiscent of the rugged island terrain. Finding independent editions of Talisker is not an easy task in this market, so we're keen to jump on any opportunity that arises, but when the cask itself is a refill sherry hogshead rather than just a standard oak cask, our enthusiasm rises even further. While the sherry character isn't overtly pronounced, it melds softly into the blend and adds a lovely accent of stone fruit to that maritime influence. Fans of the distillery should be excited to taste something new and flavorful from one of Scotland's truly legendary producers. (I just tasted this again, by the way, and it's damn fine stuff).

2009 Caol Ila 6 Year Old "Old Malt Cask" Single Sherry Barrel Single Malt Whisky $49.99 - While the market for mature casks of single malt Islay whisky has dried up over the last year, there are a number of value barrels like this 6 year sherry hogshead release from Old Malt Cask that emphasizes the youthful fruit and smoke of the famed island stalwart rather than richness of age. The refill sherry hogshead accents the inherent roundness of Caol Ila quite splendidly and at 100 proof there's enough potency to push the peat and the salt through all that creaminess. Those looking for a concentrated and unique single barrel experience will be pleased by how different the 6 year tastes next to the standard 12 year edition, but loyalists to Caol Ila will recognize instantly its trademark character of fruit and smoke. 

-David Driscoll