Academy Curtain Call June 23rd http://www.bruichladdich.com/
The academy, our hands-on, practical distilling experience will end this autumn.
It was Jim’s long held dream to host whisky enthusiasts and trade members at the distillery, to let them experience all aspects of the traditional whisky-making process.  It started in the spring of 2003, with groups of no more than six at any one time and quickly attracted people from all over the world. Some, notably a brain surgeon from California, enjoyed it so much they came three times. The essence has been on practical participation and dialogue rather than some slick away day, sales-orientated, corporate indoctrination.
But, since the academy was started, our business has grown rapidly.  At 800,000 OLAs we are now distilling four times as much Bruichladdich and we are bottling four times as much whisky. The burden of running the academy along these lines, with the continuing rapid growth of the company and the ever increasing health and safety implications, has simply become too demanding.
Rather than offer a scaled-down version or make it less personal, which would fundamentally undermine the very essence of the concept, Jim has decided to call it a day on the academy.
The last academy session will therefore be week commencing 5th October.

The third in the series to date from Bruichladdich Distillery, a mixture of bourbon and sherry casks and limited to 24,000 bottles world wide. The nose is creamy sweet with layers of wonderful peat smoke and despite the high ABV this does not readily present on the nose. Hints of the sea however not low tide, clean ocean but very slight. Without the addition of water it’s not overly complex but still, very good. The taste is quite strong, the peat and the sweetness jump out immediately and there is a very strong coating mouth feel. Chewy malt and peat smoke, tinned fruits, banana and smoked lychee. The finish is very long and warming, the coating in the mouth persists for a long time. Water open up the whisky and while the above characteristics are still present new notes of acetone, plasticine, peanut butter, Neutrogena sun screen and paint make an appearance. Peat reek continues for a very long while.

C$160

Score 88 Points

Visit http://www.bruichladdich.com/ for further information.

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

Some news just can’t wait to be shared. It is still over a day away, but I can’t resist informing you that there is a new Ardbeg in town! Late last week while perusing the new offerings of wine, beer and spirits in the Province something caught my eye. Could it be, a new bottling of Ardbeg for Albertan’s to drool over? It was, and as I write this, it is winding its way from the Connect Logistics warehouse in St. Albert, to the Kensington Wine Market here in Calgary. I’ve been petitioning Ardbeg and their representatives in Canada, Charton Hobbs, for years to treat us to some of the more rare and limited expressions of this fine dram. I can’t take full credit for the arrival of the Arigh Nam Beist, though I’ve sent countless e-mails about it and other expressions of Ardbeg over the past four years. What I will suggest though, is that persistence pays off. Calvin Coolidge, the 30^th President of the United States once wrote: “Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” When it comes to Ardbeg, persistence is not just a virtue, it’s an obligation… so I will press on… now if only we can get some Supernova around here! More to read about Ardbeg below.

It is also just over a week until the first of two Whisky Democracy tastings. The Whisky Democracy tastings were born out of a desire to share our passion for single malts with all of you, and maybe do a little good along the way. The purpose of these tastings is to select the next two casks of whisky to be bottled for the Kensington Wine Market, and the samples are already enroute from BenRiach and Springbank distilleries for the occasions. Two of the things that makes these tastings so unique, are: firstly, the opportunity to sample whiskies right out of the barrel (Most whiskies are filtered and watered down before bottling, and such experiences can normally only be had at a handful of Scottish distilleries.); and secondly, the opportunity to try verticals of whiskies from the same distillery. Further, we will be donating the proceeds from the evenings to two different cancer charities. For more information on these tastings, and to make your voice heard see below.

I hope you enjoy this little Malt Messenger Bulletin!

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson

Whisky Democracy I – BenRiach – Thursday July 2^nd – $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 www.kensingtonwinemarket.com..

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

Whisky Democracy II – Springbank  – Thursday July 17^th – 45pp

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!

Springbank, established 1828 is Scotland’s oldest family owned distillery, and also the only distillery in Scotland to do the entire process of making malt whisky—from malting to bottling—on site. The distillery is also alone among Scottish distillers in that it malts 100% of its own barley, and also in that it produces 3 distinct styles of whisky: Hazelburn, triple distilled and unpeated; Springbank, 2 ½ distilled and lightly peated; and Longrow, double distilled and heavily peated. Springbank, in the town of Campbeltown, on the Kintyre peninsula is without a doubt the most traditional, most hands-on distillery in Scotland. It is also the distillery which all other independents aspire to be.

Our last cask of Springbank, sampled at the distillery by myself, and 6 customers, was a huge success, and is nearly ¾ sold. We are in need of a follow up bottling, and we are looking at 6 sherry cask samples of Springbank all filled into the cask on the same day in 1996 as our Manzanilla sherry cask. We’ll sample these six Springbank samples, along with the 1996 KWM Manzanilla Sherry Cask and the 11Yr Madeira Wood as benchmarks. As with the BenRiach, there will be a comprehensive voting on the cask samples, and your feedback will be used to help us select a cask of Springbank for bottling this fall.

For this tasting we will be donating part of the proceeds to support our coworker, Lynn Rogers, who is taking part in a fundraising ride from Calgary to San Jose California. 5 teams of 6 riders (pedal bikes), will be taking turns riding the 3,700km trek over the space of 9 days as part of the 2009 Cancervive Peleton Project. Funds raised by CPP support Wellspring Calgary, a local organization that supports those who live with and those who care for those living with cancer. Lynn’s profile can be seen at: http://www.cancervive.ca/riderdetails.asp?rider=6..

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

As this event is post-Stampede, western wear is optional, but strongly discouraged… kidding of course!

 New Ardbeg in Town – Arigh Nam Beist – $93.59

After leaving Loch Uigeadial, Ardbeg’s water flows through two smaller lochs on its way to the distillery. The later of these lochs is Loch Airigh Nam Beist, ancient Scots gaelic for the “shelter of the beast”. It’s an apt name for a whisky which is bold yet restrained, and wild though tame. Nicknamed “the beastie” the whisky is a vintage Ardbeg, distilled in 1990, and bottled without chilfiltering at a cask strength of 46%. Distillers tasting note: “Nose: Smoky, ice cream, fennel, pine nuts and zesty limes. Taste: Peppery, oily mouth-feel. Maple syrup, smoky bacon, antiseptic lozenges, some vanilla, smoked meats and barbecue spices. Finish: Zesty, smoky and intriguing.” Jim Murray gave it 95pts and said: “There is only one distillery on earth that could make something so gigantic, yet so delicate. And mind blowingly complex. Smoky sophistication. 46%”

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

CONTACT:     Angela H. Traver

                        Public Relation Manager

                                    PH: 502-696-5957

                                    atraver@buffalotrace.com

For Immediate Release

 A Legend in Kentucky Bourbon Comes Home

Buffalo Trace Distillery acquires E.H. Taylor Bourbon

FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY— E.H. Taylor is coming back to the distillery where it all began. Buffalo Trace Distillery, located in Frankfort, KY, has purchased the Old Taylor Bourbon label and barrel inventory from Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc., maker of Jim Beam Bourbon.

“We are ecstatic about this transaction,” said Mark Brown, president and CEO of Buffalo Trace Distillery. “Part of our family is returning and we are thrilled to welcome home a true bourbon whiskey pioneer.”

Taylor, the great-nephew of President Zachary Taylor, briefly lived with his great-uncle after the death of his parents. He later moved to Kentucky where he was adopted by his uncle, Col. E.H. Taylor, Sr. Following in his uncle’s footsteps, Taylor went on to be a leader in the Frankfort community. He served as mayor from 1871-1887 as well as a local state representative to the Kentucky General Assembly and a member of the State Senate.

Taylor’s link to Buffalo Trace dates back to 1870 when he first purchased the distillery and took on the daunting task of modernization. He later named the distillery O.F.C. (Old Fire Copper) and continued to invest large sums of money, making it a leader in the industry.

 Taylor over-extended himself financially in an effort to use the most modern equipment to make the finest bourbon whiskey available. The end result of Taylor’s financial difficulties was the sale of O.F.C. to George T. Stagg. However, even with Taylor out of the picture, the new owner moved forward using his name, as it was synonymous with fine bourbon whiskey. The award-winning Buffalo Trace Distillery is proud to carry on the legacy of this great pioneer.

 “It’s an exciting, new opportunity for us,” said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller. “We are very proud of the bourbon we produce at Buffalo Trace and to be able to carry on what E.H. Taylor started more than a century ago is a real honor.”

 For more information about Buffalo Trace Distillery please visit www.buffalotrace.com. To learn more about the other award-winning bourbons of Buffalo Trace please go to http://www.greatbourbon.com/.

About Buffalo Trace

Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Franklin County, Kentucky. The distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and has included such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace is a fully operational distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Buffalo Trace has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Malt Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Buffalo Trace has also garnered more than 170 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. The distillery is part of the Sazerac family of companies, which has operations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Franklin County, Bardstown and Owensboro, Kentucky; Fredericksburg, Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland.

Please visit http://www.buffalotrace.com/

All the very best,

Rusty

Visit http://www.theellensburgdistillery.com/ for more on this new product.

Yet another hotly anticipated new release from Bruichladdich Distillery on the Hebridean Isle of Islay; the first release from bourbon casks bottled at a very high ABV and at a whopping 131 PPM (parts per million). An in a vodka style bottle to boot, what’s the whisky world coming to? Bruichladdich simply don’t care; charge on with the next hotly anticipated bottling and leave the critics bewildered in the dust. The nose deceptively subtle at first, creamy buttery peat, a deep waft up the nose strikingly reveals the alcohol. However the aroma is very pleasant despite the high strength. A little water will help? Most definitely, increased and new aromas of wine coal smoke, roofing tar, iodine and of course peat smoke. The taste is at the same time creamy and filled with loads of peat smoke and honey but still very strong despite the veritable swimming pool of water dumped in. A secondary taste of malt and peat smoke, much like when one breathes in malt dust when shoveling the malt from the kiln. After a few minutes the malt is dominate and the peat smoke is a close second. Perhaps a few more years in the cask will coax out new aspects but at the moment it’s a bit of a bruiser in the mouth that peat heads will love. The finish is very long and is a follow through of the nose and taste, peat smoke, malt and sweetness but the creaminess is sulking in the corner. After a few minutes there is a very slight hint of coal soap however it’s not unpleasant. Perhaps a tad waxy? The finish is long, about as long as Star Trek reruns….surrender is conceded, off to lunch.

Good fun and well worth a try.

C$180

Score 88 Points

Visit http://www.bruichladdich.com/ for more information

John Ramsay has turned over the duties of Master Blender for The Glenrothes and the Edrington Group’s other whiskies to Gordon Motion after 43 years in the whisky business. He’ll share his insights with us in this episode, along with the plans for one final malt that he’s working on. In the news, William Grant & Sons gets a new CEO, a 1919 Springbank sells for nearly $2500 (for a mini!), and Knob Creek runs dry for a few months.

Please visit WhiskyCast at http://www.whiskycast.com/ to listen to Episode 205

The Companions of the Quaich Victoria BC Chapter will be holding a Dinner & Tasting featuring American Whiskies on Tuesday July 7th commencing at 7:30PM.

For pricing, location and further details please visit http://www.thequaich.com/

Jolly Toper Tastings are holding an event in the Toll Booth Tavern on the Royal Mile in Endinburgh this week;

JUNE 25TH THURSDAY £20/17* Islay tasting No. 2
Port Ellen 1983 – 2009 54.0% 316 bottles Golden Cask
Lagavulin 12yo cask strength
Laphroaig (LP1?/18yo 48%?)
Bunnahabhain
Bowmore

For further details please visit http://www.jollytopertastings.co.uk/whisky-tasting-dates/

An update from the Jolly Toper himself;

The Bowmore is a Cadenheads bottling : 1992 – 11/07 15yo Bourbon hogshead 276 bottles 55.2%

The Lagavulin is Diageo’s own from 2007 at 56.4%

The Laphroaig is the Cairdeas 12yo 57.5% 2009 feis Ile bottling

Thw Bunnahabhain is Malt Whisky Buyer’s Helpline 19yo 49% 251 bottles sherry cask

These tastings get written up on the Bladnoch forum and the full program is detailed on

http://www.jollytopertastings.co.uk/whisky-tasting-dates/

Mark Davidson

J Liu’s restaurant in Worthington, OH will be hosting a one off event with Jeffrey Topping of Wild Scotsman and John McDougall of John McDoguall’s Selections.

The Whisky’s to be presented are:

Blend No. 888
Wild Scotsman Black Label Vatted Malt
John McDougall’s Bladnoch 16yr Single Cask
Wild Scotsman Royal Lochnagar Single Cask
Wild Scotsman 15yr Vatted Scotch Malt

RSVP: 614-888-1818
Cost: $30 per person

Top Summer Scotch Event at J Liu’s
July 9, 2009  from 18:31 to 21:31 hrs.

For further details on Jeffery Topping of the Wild Scotsman and John Mcdougall please visit their websites.

http://wildscotsman.com/jeff/top-summer-scotch-event-at-j-lius/

http://www.johncmcdougall.com