Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

Happy Stampede! 

Yes, it’s that time of year again, time to dust off your boots, get your Wranglers out of the closet and don your hat. We’re half way through Canada’s biggest party, the pancakes are flying, the beer is flowing and cowboys are spinning cowgirls around the dance floor (each of them wondering if the other checked their wedding ring at the door…)! Yes, its Stampede time, and I have but one question for you: do you have a hat? If you don’t we may be able to help you rectify that. The importer of the new Don Manuel tequilas is also the owner of Smithbilt Hats, and for a limited time if you buy a bottle, you’ll also get a hat. For more information, see below.

Also, the Whisky Democracy tastings are rapidly approaching.  Whisky Democracy I – BenRiach, was supposed to be last Thursday, but we had to move the tasting to this coming Wednesday when the samples were held up in customs. As a result there are now four spaces open for this tasting which was formerly sold out.  If you don’t have any plans to tromp around the grounds or catch the Chuck Waggons tomorrow night, you should consider moseying down to the Kensington Wine Market to sample a few drams and help us rustle up our next cask. More information on Whisky Democracy I – BenRiach below.

I hope you enjoy this little Malt Messenger Bulletin.  The next full edition of the Malt Messenger should be out soon.

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson

(The paragraph that used to occupy this space was removed by the censor at Whisky Intelligence for talking about a spirit that was not whisky).

Whisky Democracy I – BenRiach – Wednesday July 8th – $40pp

The best thing about Democracy is having the opportunity to make your voice heard; it’s about time that we applied that logic to malt whisky. If you’d like to have the opportunity to help select our next cask of whisky, then this tasting is for you!

BenRiach is not as well known as some of its neighbors in the Speyside, but it is one of the most dynamic of the regions distilleries, and one of but 4 which are independently owned and operated. Though first opened in 1898 the distillery spent most of the last century in an inactive state after closing in 1903. Its malting however remained open to supply its sister distillery Longmorn. The distillery was reopened in 1963 by Glenlivet Distillers and in 1983 then owners Seagrams began producing a heavily peated single malt. The distillery was again closed in 2002 but was quickly reopened by Billy Walker, formerly of Burn Stewart Distillers, in partnership with South African Intra Trading. In 2007 BenRiach was named Distillery of the Year by Malt Advocate Magazine.

At this tasting you will sample 6 cask samples of BenRiach single malt—3 of them produced from peated barley, and 3 of them unpeated barley—as well as 2 benchmark BenRiach bottlings for comparison: the 15Yr Madeira Finish and 12Yr Herodotus Fumosus. There will be a comprehensive voting on the cask samples, and your feedback will be used to help us select a cask of BenRiach for bottling this fall.

In addition, part of the proceeds from this evening will be going to a worthy cause. Kensington Wine Market alumnus Tom Firth is participating in the Ride to Conquer Cancer later this month, in honour of his late mother.  KWM will be donating up to $300 from this event towards Tom’s fundraising goal. For more information on Tom Firth and his efforts you can visit: http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Alberta2009?px=1867886&pg=personal&fr_id=1282

To register for this event drop by the store, call us at 403-283-8000 or visit our website at http://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/

As it is the day before the Stampede, western wear is optional… but encouraged!

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If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store. Feel free to forward me any whisky news you feel should be included in a future issue of The Malt Messenger; it might just get included.

All of the products mentioned in THE MALT MESSENGER can be purchased in store, over the phone or from our website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com.. All prices quoted in the Malt Messenger are subject to change!

Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger!

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson
KWM Scotchguy

403-283-8000
888-283-9004
1257 Kensington Rd. NW
Calgary, AB, Canada
T2N 3P8

scotchguy@kensingtonwinemarket.com