Here at K&L we’ve been bringing you exclusive casks of malt whisky since 2008, traveling abroad in search of the rare and unique, and we’ve pulled out some serious gems over the years: sherry butts of the elusive Brora, hogsheads of the prestigious Port Ellen, as well as the only barrels of Karuizawa ever bottled for the U.S. We’ve worked directly with distilleries like Glenfarclas on customized vattings, resurrected the ghosts of Ladyburn and Glenlochy; we’ve even created our own Faultline brand. Yet, with the recent arrival of our highly-anticipated “5th & Harrison” special edition whisky – a tribute to our new San Francisco location – we may have raised the bar to its highest possible rung. It’s taken five years of planning, preparing, and pushing, but we think our collaboration with Compass Box may be our magnum opus. We’re not sure whisky can get much better than this and we’re worried it may be all downhill from here.
Compass Box “5th & Harrison” K&L Exclusive Limited Edition Malt Whisky (750ml) ($179.99)
It’s one thing to purchase an entire cask of Scotch whisky and an entirely different thing to create a customized blend. Whereas tasting one whisky is a fairly straightforward exercise, one we’ve become quite skilled at over the years, blending those individual flavors into something even more majestic requires an expertise beyond our merchant training. That’s why we first approached award-winning blender and industry icon John Glaser from Compass Box about a collaborative project back in 2011, when the idea of a bespoke project seemed not only exciting, but plausible. But creating a special blend of whiskies isn’t just a more difficult process, it’s also a lengthy one. You need a concept, a muse, a vision, and an ideal. We needed to brainstorm and to find the right whiskies for the job. Heck, it took us four years just to get the project onto a physical calendar and another two to get the finished product into the bottle once we even knew what we wanted. It was worth the wait, however, because we haven’t seen anything this good in the K&L whisky department for some time. Utilizing a 19 year old sherry-matured single malt from the Glen Ord distillery and a 31 year old hogshead cask from Caol Ila distillery, John and his team managed to create our ultimate ideal: a mature, rich, textural, complex, smoky, peaty, full-proof symphony of luxurious splendor. It’s a whisky that covers every base, checks every box, dots every “i” and crosses every “t”. The “5th & Harrison” is a wave of richness that begins with supple sherry sweetness and morphs slowly into a seamless sea of endless reward. It has our staff in total awe. It’s arrival has the internet whisky intelligencia buzzing. Compass Box and K&L joining forces? It’s true, we’ve done it – and we’ve done it right. The “5th & Harrison” is everything you hope it will be. It’s a high-quality, limited edition, cask strength, unfiltered dose of Scotch perfection. It took us quite a while to make it happen, but we think you’ll agree: the best things are worth waiting for.
David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 13, 2016
Prepare to be transported back in time; back to an era when old malts of incredible complexity were available 24/7 and four-figure price tags were unthinkable. This project has been in the works for years and the casks have been on reserve for us since John proposed the idea way back when, which is the only reason whiskies of this quality were available for this 5th & Harrison blend. In fact, the whiskies were allowed to marry for an additional year in cask after being blended simply because of all the delays from the logistics involved with doing something like this! You can taste that extra vatting in the whisky. It’s like liquid silk on the palate, accented with peat and smoke from the Caol Ila, and it’s of a quality that I haven’t tasted maybe since we bought two incredibly old casks of Glenfarclas back in 2012. This is the type of whisky you buy now for loved ones, months in advance of the holiday gift giving season. You squirrel extra bottles away for a rainy day. You buy as many of these as you can afford because I can promise you you’ll be looking back on this opportunity years from now wishing you had more of this incredible elixir. If this was the last whisky project I ever worked on for K&L, I would go out happy. I don’t know if we’ll ever top this. I think this is as big of an achievement as we can ever hope to accomplish. I can safely say this is on the level of some of the rarer Port Ellen bottlings we’ve carried and it’s a fraction of the price.
Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 17, 2016
This whiskey is truly a time capsule and a major achievement. It immediately brings me back to a time when scotch was simply meant to be enjoyed. It’s blended to taste good. Remember when whisky was supposed to just taste real good and not try to do anything else? There is just the right amount of smoke, intense, but not over powering. The texture is oily and inviting. The aromas are enticing filled with butterscotch and orange/apricot preserves. There are soft and sweet grain notes. It’s endlessly complex, the sort of dram you can sit with quietly for an evening or pour for a rowdy group of friends who will appreciate it. Most impressive is the finish. It lingers for a very long time allowing you to taste new flavors without having to revisit the glass. All around this is a great bottle, with great pedigree, and most importantly, a great price tag. Don’t miss it.
Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 14, 2016
5th and Harrison is a celebration of taste and enjoyment. It showcases the artistry of blending two mature single malts so that best aspects of both come out. There are very expressive and intense aromas of honey with a back note of smoke. In the mouth, delicate honey is enhanced with a kiss of smoke that is inviting but not dominating. It is refined, round and has a long finish. There is also an extra bonus bottle tag with a wonderful poem.
Gary Westby | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 13, 2016
Wow- it is not too often that I taste something in the $200 price range and think to myself “this is under-priced!”, but what a malt! This has got everything, rich depth, complex smoke, a lift that makes you want more and near infinite length. I thought the days of great old Scotch at under $1000 were over and my chance to own such treasures a thing of the past, but this 5th Harrison has given me another shot. It might be my last…
Kyle Kurani | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 13, 2016
Scotch like this, no longer exists in this world. The only reason we have it, is the fact that it took 5 years to complete, 5 years in which the Scotch market has seen unprecedented growth; with every last corner of every last warehouse laid bare. Those 5 years of limbo now act as a time portal back to a time in whisky long since passed. 30 year old Caol Ila and 20 year old Glen Ord? Those aren’t things that exist in my world for any sort of reasonable price. Compass Box has had simply the best old stores of Scotch, and have been the best at creating blends where the sum is far greater than the parts, even when those parts are practically beyond reach on any mere mortal not deeply plugged into the booze industry. “This is Not a Luxury Whisky” was my malt of the year last year.The 5th and Harrison Blend is now the frontrunner for this year, and it isnt really close. Deep, rich, and luxurious, the synergy between the two malts brings this to euphoric heights. Opening with a nose of rich mahogany and brandy soaked figs, kisses of maple custard, and supple undulating smoke. Intensely complex and opulent on the palate, hickory smoked maple bars, sweet pralines, rich nutty toffee clusters are seamless companions to a weighty, almost oily mouthfeel. Vanilla and spice cake, candied hazelnuts linger on a finish that is close to flawless. We are so excited that this project has come together, and from the first, incredible sip, it is clear that it was worth.
K&L Wine Merchants http://www.klwines.com/ Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637) Email: wine@klwines.com San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA