What I'm Excited About This Week: Day Drinking With David (Staff Edition)
Alright, I guess it's not really day “drinking” if you spit everything that you're sipping on, but honestly doing a spirits staff tasting is a gauntlet unlike any other, so I'm going to say that it counts. Just like at any other staff tasting, we're sampling 20+ spirits, and, yes many of them are higher proof or cask strength. Our preference when possible is to get the products at cask strength, delivering what I feel is a more flexible experience to our customers. You can always proof something down at home either by putting ice in the beverage you're consuming or adding a little bit of water—it's often beneficial when sipping and not mixing. Not only does it make the beverage more sippable, but it brings out different flavors and aromas, so often it's good to gradually add a few drops here and there or a single ice cube to get the full range of experience. It’s also a way to find where your preference lies for that particular spirit. So, while I think a spirits staff tasting is an excellent learning experience, it can be rough on the palate first thing in the morning. I always bring in my water to clear my palate as much as possible between different spirit types, but honestly David does a really good job of arranging it as politely as possible.
My picks for the week highlight the cool factor in what we bring in as well as some great value. We started with a ready-to-drink infused gin drink called Sweet Gwendoline Fig And Wine Infused French Gin $36.99. It was super tasty and a nice start to the whole thing.
It's no secret here at work that I love spirits. All of them. Start to finish. Tequila is something that my dad Dave and I have always been able to agree on. We tasted through a great lineup, including some fantastic ones from Alma de Jaguar. I thought especially that the Alma Del Jaguar Nocturna Tequila $54.99 was great. It was super sippable even at a higher proof than standard with Tequila. The two Tequilas that I've picked down below are both from the same NOM. The NOM stands for the distillery where a Tequila was produced, and, while there are differences from brand to brand even in a distillery, it can be a great indication of a through-line of quality as well. Both the Arette Artesanal K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Añejo Suave Tequila $84.99 and the Paladar Estate Grown K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Single Barrel #A22 Añejo Tequila $84.99 were made at NOM 1109 and bottled at the same 46% ABV, but the Paladar was cut before going into the barrel, so the water aged along with the Tequila. The Arette, on the other hand, was cut after aging. This makes them comparable but also incredibly individual—they were so cool I had to get my dad, Dave, one of each for his birthday so he could side-by-side compare them. He was pretty jazzed by the concept.
We also tasted a truly amazing craft rum coming out of Oaxaca called Alambique Serrano "Comerciante II" K&L Exclusive Single Cask #35 $75.00. Just absolutely outstanding in all the best ways, it's high at 65+% ABV, but most of the staff members were really blown away by the flavor underneath all that heat.
Then David dove into the world of bourbon, pouring some cool stuff including the latest Booker's "“By the Pond Batch" #2025-02 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $89.99 and the latest 2025 Little Book "Chapter 9 - None for Granted" Blended Straight Whiskey $149.99, which sells itself as Kentucky Straight Whiskey, but has a Boureye kind of mix to it. Both were fantastic, of course. Then we went through some new Scotches, including the absolutely fantastic 2014 Edradour 10 Year Old "Signatory Vintage" 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt No. 256 Cask Strength Single Barrel Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky $79.99, which is admittedly a very long name, but the Scotch is amazing. It is sherry driven and decadent. The Glendronach "Ode to the Dark" Pedro Ximinez Sherry Cask Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky $89.99 was also lush and decadent but much more restrained. Glendronach always showcases their spirit by allowing their sherry to take a little bit more of a back seat, but the results are fantastic. We also tried the Laphroaig "Cairdeas Bottled 2023 - White Port & Madeira Cask Aged" $74.99, which definitely divided the room a little bit, but really was approachable for me—the peat just a little but subdued by the casks. After that we tried a couple sweet treats to give our palates a chance. My picks are pretty scattered this time, but all represent products that I have already or am going to buy, despite not having tried most of them before this tasting.
Engine Italian Gin $29.99 You said you're looking for high quality Italian gin... in an old timey oil can? Sure we can do that. Let me introduce you to Engine Italian Gin, the only gin we currently carry that's in an old timey oil can. It's got incredible layers of citrus on the nose that are buoyed by a lovely sage note. At the very edges, there is rose coming through in a powdery, pretty way. This dances a bit of a line: while there's a lot of citrus here, there's also a good amount of floral notes, so it's a little bit of a switch hitter. This definitely feels like a more modern style of London Dry gin, where juniper is less the star of the show and the secondary aromatics come out—and I'm here for it. The palate is very citrus forward: the sage and rose laying back a bit on the palate until the very end of the finish. This is delicious, and I want to have this in a G&T with a slice of cucumber and a healthy squeeze of lime or maybe even lemon to go with all the Sicilian citrus already steeped into this bad boy.
Arette Artesanal K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Añejo Suave Tequila $84.99 There's a really pretty nose, a touch of vanilla and coconut from the barrel, agave that's a bit herbal and really alluring, and then hints of warm spices towards the edges. The palate is punchy and intense in the best of ways, with a good dose of spice at the finish. The mid-palate is lifted and beautiful with how round it is, the mouthfeel is off-the-charts enjoyable, and, while there is higher proof here, it carries it with panache. This is absolutely top notch, and the kind of Tequila that you buy your Dad for his birthday.
Paladar Estate Grown K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Single Barrel #A22 Añejo Tequila $84.99 This Tequila was cut before being barreled, so the water that would have been added anyhow was put in and aged with the spirit instead of being added just before bottling. This is a fairly unique process in part due to the fact that it requires more barrels and more space to hold the same amount of overall proof, and ultimately most businesses are into being more economical—especially with things as expensive as barrels. The result here, whatever the process, is absolutely stunning. The nose feels a little round, with pretty coconut and tropical fruit showing through, accompanied by spiced vanilla and cooked agave. The palate is really tasty, with a good amount of sweet agave, dried pineapple, spiced rice pudding, and a touch of minerality on the finish. I definitely certify this as the kind of Tequila you buy your Dad for his birthday.
Maguey Melate "Papalometl" José Erubíel Mota Martínez Zapotitlan Lagunas La Mixteca Uncertified Mezcal $36.99 (for a 375ml) Alright this is just bonkers in the very best of ways, but it's absolutely an insane product for people who are looking for something unique. The nose has pretty apricot and peach notes, but also there's movie popcorn butter and Cheetos and a kind of melted banana plastic with a little bit of something medicinal. I understand that this sounds bizarre, and it's definitely a little bizarre, but it's also incredibly fun for the adventuresome palate. The palate has tons of dried mango, dried pineapple, lime peel, and a little bit of that medicinal note. This is really an amazing product, there's a kaleidoscopic quality to the whole thing and it's not just a drink this is a whole damn experience.
Wild Turkey 8 Year Old 101 proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey $39.99 You know, can we have a little bit more respect for Wild Turkey? I've seen some of the bourbon bros roll their eyes a little bit when it's suggested, and I get that you feel like you've had it before, that it's not as exciting as the quadruple-cask-finish-cask-strength bottling you managed to get from a buddy for just twice MSRP—but please let's take a closer look at this. This is eight years old and comes in at just $5/year, which is pretty phenomenal when you look at the state of other age-statement whiskies and the price direction they're going. The nose is super inviting, a bit of brown sugar, peppery spice, something creamy, and then a hit of zest and dill. The palate is rich and pretty, with custard, a fair rich bit of barrel spice, more pepper, and then toast on the lingering finish. This is delicious and impeccably done—a bounty of bourbon for your buck.
While we don't have cross-category spirits tastings in the same way that we do wine, due to California laws, we do have a couple really compelling tastings coming up. We have a great little side by side comparison of Chablis vs. Maconnais wines. It's not like one has to be better than the other necessarily; it's more that they are different stylistically thanks to the terroir differences, and it's good to know what you're getting yourself into. After that it's what we've all been waiting for, another Champagne tasting! This time it's all Pinot Noir Blanc de Noirs Champagnes, and it's really a stellar lineup with an incredibly modest price of admission.
And check out the real Day Drinking with David… on Instagram Live @klwines, every Friday at 4PM.