October Spirits: Meet Our NorCal Buyer, K&L Barrel Picks, a Treasure at Auction

October’s Spirits Newsletter is loaded: the long-awaited Every Drop 16-Year “Dawning Era” lands in stock, we welcome Josh Gelfand to the buying team, and we’ve lined up a showcase of exclusive barrel picks spanning bourbon and agave. Don’t miss Old Particular & Signatory standouts—from savvy daily drinkers to blue-chip rarities—and a preview of our Ardbeg Abyss auction with a $1 reserve.

• In Stock: K&L Liquors' Every Drop 16 Year Old "Dawning Era"
• Meet Our New NorCal Spirits Buyer: Josh Gelfand
• A K&L Barrel Pick Roundup: Unbeatable Bourbon & Agave Values
• Old Particular & Signatory Scotch Highlights
• Launching 10/1: Ardbeg: The Abyss Auction - Bidding Starts at $1

"Our second batch of K&L Liquors is here and WOW it's so special I can't even believe it. I will always refer to this label as the "Every Drop," but this batch is called "Dawning Era," in reference to the new phase in our relationship with Kentucky bourbon - buying, blending, and bottling our own juice.

This batch was much more nerve-wracking and complex than the previous batch. It consists of 3 different lots of this famous liquid distilled contractually in Frankfort, Kentucky, and aged near Lawrenceburg for over 16 years. While the tendency in the industry is to not want to waste any of this wildly rare juice, I insisted on tasting every barrel in advance of blending. Having an idea of the volumes - which were, incidentally, ridiculously low - I made a proportional blend of the various casks to mimic the final blend using barrel samples.

But one sample stuck out like a sore thumb, changing the sweet & spicy red fruit-forward old bourbon into a wood-driven monolith. When we removed that barrel - its total volume fewer than 14 liters, so just a few drops in my desk blend - the package came together perfectly. Another barrel, which was so unique and delicious and yielded only 19 liters, seemed to add none of its unique exotic character, so that was held back as well.

The resulting bourbon is delicious beyond my wildest expectations. Now that the final blend is here, let's evaluate this incredible bourbon." Keep reading here.

-David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

Any spirits lover can attest that our spirits selection runs as deep and as wonkish as you any out there. We’re thrilled to bring on a second Spirits Buyer, Josh Gelfand, who can help build on the wonderful work David Othenin-Girard has been doing. Josh is based in Northern California, so he’ll be a great counterpoint to David in SoCal. We’ve seen so much enthusiasm from our customers and growth in this category, and it’s extremely exciting to watch how it will continue to grow in the years to come.

Without further ado, meet Josh!

Tell us about your journey with spirits... How did you get into them? Was there an a-ha moment? How did you get to K&L?

"My journey with spirits may have begun when my parents would rub Chivas on my gums during teething, but that probably just primed me for what was to come. I started bartending right after college when I was a ski bum in Tahoe, and while I was trying to make it as a musician. I later left pursuing music and the bar professionally, and it took a little while and a few other career paths to come back. I was working in sustainability and environmental business and moved to San Francisco to pursue an MBA in Sustainable Management. After a stint in corporate PR, I started doing sales for a line of fair trade certified organic spirits, which engulfed me into the burgeoning craft cocktail scene here." Keep reading On the Trail.

From Kentucky rickhouses to the hills of Oaxaca, this roundup showcases our latest K&L barrel selections—high-character, straight-from-the-cask bottles chosen for purity, pedigree, and price. On the whiskey side, you’ll find private-select and single-barrel gems—from Bottled-in-Bond stalwarts to full-proof, warehouse- and floor-specific picks—priced to outperform the broader market. Our agave lineup spans carefully sourced single barrels and small batches from benchmark producers and mezcaleros, delivering depth and authenticity rarely seen at these numbers. Quantities are limited across the board; if you collect for flavor, value, or both, these are the buys.

We have so many amazing Scotch bottlings on their way to us. Here are some of the pre-arrival highlights you definitely should not miss:

2014 Bowmore 11 Year Old "Old Particular" K&L Exclusive Refill Bourbon Barrel Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml):

"Nestled in the heart of Islay’s capital on the shores of Loch Indaal, Bowmore is the oldest licensed distillery on the island. Known for rich, complex whiskies with a lower peat level than their neighbors in Port Ellen, Bowmore possess a more balanced profile while still expressing a beautiful maritime character; in fact, some of their warehouses are at or below sea level. Bottled at cask strength in refilled bourbon barrels, this 11-year-old is an excellent marriage of honeyed peat, baking spice, and subtle cacao."

1997 Dailuaine 27 Year Old "Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection" Single Hogshead #7240 Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml):

"Scots Gaelic for “green valley,” Dailuaine is one of those distilleries shrouded in mystery. With no flagship releases of their own and a Speyside distillery closed to the public, finding a bottle in the states can be difficult. Although the distillery produces huge amounts of whisky for Diageo blends, only 2% of Dailuaine’s production becomes single malt— but when it does, the result is something very special indeed. Medium-bodied with a classic Speyside fruitiness, Dailuaine whiskies have what I can only describe as a “meatiness;” a robust, funky character rife with layers of flavor."

Keep reading On the Trail or shop our full Signatory and Old Particular offerings below!

Imagine strapping yourself into a Victorian diving suit, lowering into the inky Atlantic, and finding—rather than shipwrecks and squid—an old Ardbeg cask still breathing with smoke and sea. That’s the feel of Ardbeg: The Abyss, a 34-year-old Islay single malt Scotch surfacing this October at K&L’s spirits auction… with a $1 reserve. Yes, one dollar. Try not to hyperventilate through your regulator.

So what’s in the bottle? Ardbeg distilled this whisky back in 1989 and tucked it away in “ultra-active” French oak; heavily toasted casks that once gave the flagship release of Corryvreckan its dark heart. Three decades later, they’ve cracked open the last remnants of those legendary barrels, and out comes The Abyss. Only 400 bottles exist worldwide, with an average retail price of $27,500. That kind of scarcity for a liquid with this provenance and personality brings The Abyss close to mythic status. Learn more about this treasure On the Trail.