Brave New Spirits Craigellachie 14 Year
$165.99
From the 'A Cask Noir Production' series with those wicked retro labels, a neat Craigellachie, and one of the most interesting cask types we've seen to date. In fact, we had to look it up. This was matured in a First Fill Pacherenc Barrique, a sweet white wine. Intriguing, to say the least. Only 262 bottles from cask #315065.
Natural colour, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 52.3% abv.
Kavalan Solist Ex-Bourbon 53.2%
$199.99
Kavalan is the belle of the ball no matter what it's wearing, but ex-Bourbon seems to be the most revealing. If you're looking to see what the DNA of this distillery really is, this is the best place to start. Everything else in the range is icing on the cake. This expression almost always has a staff pick sticker on it, as our entire team is smitten with Kavalan.
Only 164 bottles. A handful at KWM. These won't last long.
Natural colour, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 53.2% abv.
Mr. Peat Single Malt Scotch Whisky
$59.99
We weren't looking for Mr. Peat... he found us... and we're glad he did! This heavily peated Scottish single malt is exactly what it promises, nothing more, nothing less... and it is bottled at 46% without colouring or chill-filtration. Best of all, it is very well-priced!
Who is Mr. Peat?
"Mr. Peat is typically Scottish: he is straightforward, he says it as it is, he is pale, relaxed, and exudes self confidence.
"BUT
"Beware the simple brute force of peat will hit you before yo know it so keep the extinguisher ready!"
Claxton`s Tomintoul 2014
$167.99
Distilled in 2014 this 8 year old Tomintoul was bottled at 56.7% after maturing in an Oloroso Sherry Hogshead.
Okayama Japanese Cedar Cask Strength
$949.99
From the Miyashita Sake Brewery, which has been producing a very limited amount of single malt whisky since 2011, comes this mysterious little gem. Matured for 3 years and 9 months in a cask tricked out with Japanese cedar heads, it would seem. Cedar? We're beyond intrigued. This wouldn't fly in Scotland, of course, but Japan is a bit more 'Wild West' (Wild East?) when it comes to their regulations. A high price point, for sure, but is there anything like this out there? This release was from Cask No. 1514, and it is bonified made in Japan single malt whisky.
Natural colour, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 60% abv.
Miyashita Shuzo has been brewing sake since 1915. In 1994 they started brewing beer, becoming one of the pioneers of craft brewing in Japan. They began experimenting with distillation in 2003, putting their hoppy beer through a shochu still. After being granted a license to produce malt whisky in 2011, they began distilling single malt whisky. Since 2015 this has been done in a hybrid copper pot sill.
BenRiach 16 Year
$194.99
There's simply not enough BenRiach on the market anymore. We miss the days when Billy Walker owned the distillery, and this fruit-driven malt was everywhere. Sadly, that's not the case any longer, but the arrival of this 16-year-old has us buzzing. Hopefully, it's a sign of things to come.
Producer Note: "After sixteen years of maturation, Benriach develops a richly balanced evolution of our signature Speyside style. Three cask maturation in bourbon, sherry and virgin oak brings layers of stone fruit, smooth creamy malt, wild honey and nutty oak spice."
From Master Blender, Rachel Barrie: "Our signature Speyside style blossoms at ten years old, finding depth and richer layers of orchard fruit character as it turns sixteen. Our core flavour components of fruit, malt and oak become more concentrated, enriched with age at sixteen years old, bringing layers of stone fruit, smooth creamy malt, wild honey and nutty oak spice."
43%
Whisky Agency Macduff 2011 51.8%
$189.99
A MacDuff (aka Deveron/ Glen Deveron) that spent a decade in ex-Sherry Hoggy #900359. One of only 395 bottles.
Natural colour, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 51.8% abv. 87.00 pts Whiskybase
Macduff Distillery was founded only around 60 years ago back in 1960 and resides near the mouth of the River Deveron near where it empties into the North Sea. That puts it in the Highlands, just north and east of Speyside. It's nearest distillery neighbours include Glenglassaugh Distillery which is about a 20-minute drive to the west along the A98 as well as Knockdhu Distillery which is about a 25-minute drive to the south and west if you start on the A98 and then connect to the A95.
Shelter Point 10 Year Single Malt
$114.99
Big changes going on at Shelter Point. New owners, new management, new vision. While we're a little sad about the changing of the guard, we're also keen to see what comes next for this little island distillery. An infusion of new blood could mean very exciting times ahead.
But in the meantime, let's celebrate a coming of age! 10-year-old single malt that came from the first year of production. We've been patiently waiting for this moment. Well... some of us not so patiently, actually. Hopefully, this 10-year-old becomes the distillery's new flagship expression. Fingers crossed.
Natural colour, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 46% abv.
Macallan Classic Cut 2023
$224.99
The replacement for the beloved Macallan Cask Strength is the Classic Cut. It is released as an annual NAS bottling. 50.3%
Producer Description
"The 2023 Edition explores dynamic, multisensory dimensions inspired by the whisky's unique tasting notes, while the addition of 'one cut' of water opens up a new, sensorial world from pear to almond biscotti. This high strength release demonstrates The Macallan’s ongoing quest to seek out the extraordinary."