Last Call on K&L Exclusives from Ledaig and Clynelish  

2005 Ledaig 17 Year Old "Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur's Choice" K&L Exclusive Cask #18600201 2nd Fill Sherry Hogshead Nonchillfiltered Cask Strength Highlands Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($160.00)

K&L Notes: Ledaig Single Malt is a cherished gem from the Hebridean Isles and comes from one of the oldest distilleries in all of Scotland. Produced on again/off again since its founding in 1798 and licensed since 1823, the Tobermory Distillery on the Isle of Mull is known primarily for its two single malt marks. Tobermory, an unpeated dram and Ledaig, with its heavily peated characteristics. Both are widely regarded as malts of outstanding quality. Both malts owe their rich character to the unusual stills that lie at the heart of the distillery—bulbous stills and curvy lyne arms offer a huge amount of reflux. Ledaig's heavily peated malt offers a rich array of flavors from smoky to fruity to meaty and with just a whiff of green grass. Pair the malt quality with the excellent wood management and exceptional pricing from the legendary Gordon & MacPhail and we have the first entrant for Best Cask of 2024! A very active refill sherry hogshead, Cask No. 18600201 comes in at 17 years old and 54.3% ABV. Yield 310 bottles. Bottled without chill-filtration and no added color.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: January 02, 2024

Liquid amber in color and boasting a nose equally full of fruit, charcuterie meats, and candied smoke. This is a Ledaig like we haven't seen in ages. Active, clean sherry without a trace of sulfur really lets the fullness of the malt shine. First the fruit: crisp apple, dried orange peel, apricots, hoshigaki, and fruit leather—it smells ripe and sweet. The meatiness is intertwined with the fruit and the smoke, an array of cured and smoked meats. Applewood smoked ham hock comes to mind almost immediately. Candied and smoked nuts make the transition into more pronounced peat smoke, which really shines once you get the whisky on your palate. The wood and malt are so evenly matched it is difficult at times to tease apart which component is contributing which flavors. The palate is thick, a blanket of fresh peat and cold ash, saddle leather, and abundant ripe fruit. A blush of cool mint and dewy grass add lift and freshness. It goes on for days, and yet you can't help but go back for more. Salted nuts slowly candied in honey and a kiss of sea spray top it all off. Proof positive that G&M still hold some of the finest whisky stocks in Scotland.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: January 02, 2024

The peated malt from the gorgeous Tobermory distillery is known as Ledaig. It's not just the same whisky with peated barley, but utilizes specific fermentation and distillation times to create one of Scotland's most intensely flavored spirits. It's for that reason and maybe some issues with cask management over the years that Ledaig has a bit of a love/hate relationship for some peat lovers. But when you get a great one, it's absolutely undeniable. This is one of those barrels. Full term in high-quality (and active) refill sherry with some of Mull's finest. Stupendous! Let's taste it. The color is a splendid chestnut! On first nosing it's big, meaty, sooty smoke. With a bit of air—this one needs air—we move distinctly into the old leather, kippers, sweet orange zest, marmite, apricot jam on pumpernickel, and burnt raisins. On the palate, it's perfectly salty, savory, and sweet. Almost no sulfur but so much leathery smoke, it's unbelievable. The long finish offers deep, billowing, ashy smoke along with powerful baking spices and nutty oloroso notes. This is truly a special whisky and highly undervalued thanks to our amazing relationship with Gordon & Macphail. Only rivaled as an exclusive Ledaig by the much more controversial and divisive Chieftain's 21-Year, this one is so much easier to love. An easy slam-dunk for any peat lover and an absolute must-have for Ledaig people.

2007 Clynelish 16 Year Old "Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur's Choice" K&L Exclusive Cask #311259 Single Refill Sherry Hogshead Nonchillfiltered Cask Strength Highlands Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($180.00)

K&L Notes: The historic Clynelish distillery offers some of the most unusual spirit in Scotland. Distinctly waxy, as many old malts were, it is one of the few distilleries to have maintained this characteristic in the modern era. Long ferments and tons of copper contact lead to a surprisingly fruity flavor profile to accompany that mysterious waxy note. The combination is beguiling, and once bitten by the flavors, you’ll join the Cult of Clynelish in a hurry. Pair it with a subtle yet active refill sherry hogshead, as we have here from the legendary Gordon & MacPhail, and you have a surefire winner at 16 years old and 55% ABV natural cask strength. Expect toffee, stewed red fruits, baked apples, dark cherries, and candle wax. Sweet spices and candied citrus peel round out the rich palate and finish.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: January 20, 2024

16-year-old Clynelish from a beautiful, refill sherry hogshead that has transformed the whisky but not overpowered it. My first nosing immediately reminded me of Hawaiian Punch—a veritable fruit salad of red. Further passes yielded toasted granola and honey. A few minutes later the nose is all sweet milk chocolate followed by darker cocoa nibs. Coming back to the whisky after a few more minutes, jolly rancher hard candy in all the red flavors. While Clynelish is well known for its fruit, this one is particularly heavy in the cherry and raspberry realms. Many minutes in the glass will coax it all out. On the palate, soft ripe plums and other stone fruits come through, and the toasty granola of the nose stands out in a big way. It shows off the grain mixed with roasted nuts and fresh-baked shortbread cookies. A little sweet herbaceousness adds a fun twist, as alfalfa and licorice come to mind. Cinnamon makes a big appearance here along with candied citrus peel. The finish shows a little of that appealing Clynelish waxiness mixed in with the spicy cinnamon notes, like a Red Hots candy, all caramelized sugar and paraffin. With water, the nose moves into more crunchy green apple territory, and the palate shows more waxen with a bent towards graham crackers. At 55% ABV, it has lots of room for additions and experimentation. This is a bottle that will be fun to drink to the last drop and another excellent example of Gordon & MacPhail's impeccable wood management.

Will Blakely | K&L Spirits Specialist | Review Date: January 19, 2024

Clynelish remains a favorite and highly sought-after distiller among single malt aficionados, and this bottling gives a compelling case as to why. The refill sherry cask was fairly active here, though you might not think it from the color. Even the nose is fairly restrained, offering only an oxidative, nutty, and yeasty tone on top of the pungent, sweet aromas of white flowers, cut hay, cherry compote, and ripe plum. On the palate is where it really sings—sumptuous, mouth-watering texture delivers wave after wave of dark, dried fruit, Christmas cake, and cocoa, all adorned with juicy blackberry and raspberry and just a hint of singed orange peel. This dram absolutely loves air and needs some healthy, hearty doses of oxygen to reach its full potential. The wealth of fruit and spice that come from sufficient time in the glass perfectly counter the savory, waxy character of Clynelish's distinct malt combined with the rich, nutty sherry. For those missing the magic of our Signatory bottling a few years ago, this may be the closest thing we see for some time. And if you've never experienced the wonder of Clynelish before, you'll definitely want to capitalize on this rare opportunity.