There are few professional moments more gratifying than the work I’ve done on the recent releases of our new K&L Every Drop brand. This historic label, which predates the founding of our store by many decades, fell into my lap thanks to a thoughtful customer who won a little mini from the 1940s at auction and passed it my way. So when the opportunity arose to create a new, store-exclusive brand, I knew this magnificent, long-forgotten IP had to be revived. We painstakingly reimagined every detail of the label, staying faithful to the original design. From its classic clean lines to the timeless tag line “Supreme Quality” stretching across each bottle’s shoulders, it perfectly reflects our ethos. The label’s revival was inspired by an exceptional batch of rare bourbon that we had acquired by a stroke of good fortune: a great old whiskey from Frankfort, followed shortly by a second release of the same. But how could we continue producing whiskies that lived up to those extraordinary beginnings? My premise was never that Every Drop must be mythical in rarity, but that every bottle, yes, every drop, should offer our customers an experience of unmistakable quality, unique character and unmatched value. That’s a tall order, especially given that I have no control over the aging or production of the barrels we source. With only tiny samples representing entire lots, I set out with a wing and a prayer to find our third batch. That search led to a parcel of mature bourbons from a certain distillery near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. While I can’t name it on the label, nothing stops me from saying it outright: it’s that ol' Kickin' Chicken in Tyrone. The question then became, how could a seven (nearly eight) year old Turkey compete with the best in class? The answer lay in blending and proofing. I’ve always found immense joy in blending on the small scale that I've been afforded, and this project gave me the chance to shape the final character through careful selection and proof adjustment. When a customer emailed asking if it might be similar to W.B. Saffel, a whiskey twice the price and up to 12 years old, I knew we’d hit the mark. The proof and batch name pay quiet homage to the great blenders behind that legendary bourbon and, indeed, it was a beacon which I hoped would guide me. Now, this is my Tuesday to Sunday whiskey. It’s exuberant, balanced, and endlessly satisfying. It’s unquestionably the best value on the shelf today in this style, which is quite distinct from regular WT or Russell’s Reserve. It just so happens that it’s a style I love. Expect an elegant balance of sweet oak, fragrant fruit, zesty spice, and a rich caramel backbone. It shines in cocktails and stands beautifully on its own. And if you don’t appreciate “Minerva's Purple Wax”, I know a monk in Midway who wants a word.