Whisky truly is the “water of life”, and as many as 60,000 people will benefit from the sale of one very special bottle of whisky this past week. The Macallan in Lalique Cire Perdue Decanter is the largest and heaviest Lalique decanter ever made, and holds the oldest Macallan whisky ever bottled. It sold Monday night at Sotheby’s in New York for the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of whisky: $460,000. There’s complete coverage of the auction in this week’s episode, along with news from the Bonhams whisky auction in Edinburgh, several whisky competitions, and the Holiday Gift Guide has a Vegas flair.

Visit WhiskyCast at www.whiskycast.com

The Travels of Whisky Intelligence

One hour and twenty minutes after arriving at Seattle Tacoma airport, having already checked into the hotel, we were seated at the bar in TASTE Restaurant at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/ Now that’s not a moment wasted.

Why must a moment not be wasted? Well, we were the guests of the Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza which was commencing in a few short hours http://www.singlemaltextravaganza.com/ and hosted by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America http://www.smwsa.com/. So no dawdling please.

But first we had a 2:20PM reservation to see the exhibit of “Master pieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris” October 8th, 2010 to January 17th 2011 featuring a 150 selected works of the legendary artist. (If you go, buy your tickets on-line and print them at home because there is always a line to buy tickets at the SAM).

We had missed visiting the Musée in Paris during our 2004 visit (which nicely coincided with Whisky Live Paris) due to ‘renovations’ but this time we benefited from yet another ‘renovation’ at the Paris Museum and thus the exhibit was at the Seattle Art Museum.  

So with lunch ordered the eye naturally wandered over the very good selection of whiskies and fell upon a Hibiki 12 year old which duly arrived in a large copita style glass with a heavy base. The pour was VERY large. Thanks Tiffany! The burger and fries went very well with the Hibiki and the 2nd Hibiki went even better with the first.

"What's this wire for?"

Next stop was the Picasso exhibit and there were a large number of people wandering around with confused looks on their faces. To be fair many others seemed to being enjoying the exhibit greatly muttering approving comments to themselves with furrowed brows. After 20 minutes defeat was admitted and refuge was sought on the 2nd floor to view scenes from American history like “Mount Rainier, Bay of Tacoma” – (Puget Sound, 1875) by Sanford Robinson Gifford; calming and not jarring, paintings of intact people, not like they had been a wee bit to close to an IED.

Mount Rainier, Bay of Tacoma” - (Puget Sound, 1875) by Sanford Robinson Gifford

Fast forward to 6:30PM…The Extravaganza

The Rainier Club

The Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza is held in the Rainier Club http://www.therainierclub.com/ located in the down town area and it’s a brilliant venue for the Extravaganza. The ambiance is old world London club (with some really good art sprinkled about the place). Check in started at 6:30PM in the lobby with the event commencing at 7PM, due to the club dress code jacket and ties were the order of the day.

The second floor of the club is set aside for the whisky portion of the event and on the third floor there was the Grand Dinner Buffet in the Heritage Room with a good assortment of hot foods (roast turkey, roast pork, roasted potatoes & vegetables and pasta with beef) salads, assorted cheese and bread/crackers followed by dessert; the food was very good. Enough is good as a feast as they say. The Club staff was very attentive and kept the buffet full and the dishes cleared with efficiency so there was no wasted time; back to the drams!

The second floor main event was featured in three rooms with Macallan, Highland Park, Famous Grouse (Blend & malt with age statement), Yamazaki (with Neyah White, Yamazaki Ambassador) and Glenrothes in the Cutter Room.

Ardmore & Laphroaig (with Simon Brookings, Laphroaig Ambassador), Douglas Laing (Big Peat, OMC & Premier Barrel), Loch Chaim, Highland Stag, the SMWS bottlings of 25.51, 123.5, 39.75, 93.37 and 33.83 (with Aron Silverman, Gabby Shayne and Alan Shayne of the Society), The Classic Cask, Glenmorangie & Ardbeg (with Dr. Bill Lumsden, Head of Whisky Distillation & Whisky Creation and David Blackmore, Master Brand Ambassador), The Glenlivet (with Ricky Crawford, The Glenlivet Ambassador), Aberlour, Longmorn, Scapa & Chivas in the Cascade Room. The Cascade Room was the largest of the three rooms in use.

The Rainier Room featured Isle of Jura, Balvenie and Glenfiddich (with Mitch Bechard, Ambassador), a cigar/token exchange/collection point in front of GIANT fireplace (with a big copper top which was reminiscent of the Bowmore mash tun) and then The Classic Malts along with Clynelish and the Singleton of Glendullan which was newly introduced into the Washington market.

The Extravaganza holds a two curiosities; the first is that in attendance are a contingent that make use of unusually large ‘brandy snifters’ in place of the Extravaganza glasses that are supplied as part of the entrance fee. Large is defined as flower vase large. Do NOT ask them about their glasses. Now don’t go off on the wrong track here; they are very nice people and will talk to you all night long; just don’t ask about their choice of glass ware. One poor chap talked about the ‘higher notes’ escaping the the inside of the glass and clinging, spiderman like, to the outside of the glass. C’mon dude, that’s your after shave.  They have some funny beliefs about the magical effects of their flower vases and describe the magical properties with gleaming eyes and an intensity usually sported by….well, enough said. (Some wore black jacket & tie; they may be some form of leadership cadre).

The second curiosity is that some time ago the Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza was told that they were not allowed to advertise the event by the authorities who govern such things in Washington State. Whisky Intelligence is pretty certain that both freedom of association and freedom of speech are being impugned in some fashion. Not to mention common sense being thrown out in the trash with the day old banana skins. However that is the situation and despite this the Extravaganza sells out every time, it seems word of mouth plays a big part in it’s success with many Rainier Club members and local scotch club members buying blocks of tickets (perhaps this is how the flower vase people infiltrated the event).

While the Extravaganza is smaller than some other events it certainly doesn’t lack for quality, it’s an entertaining evening with a good number of drams available in a comfortable venue with excellent food and attentive service. There is always something new to try and the brand ambassadors make sure that there are interesting rarities on hand. Mitch Bechard of William Grant & Sons (Glenfiddich & Balvenie) saved an older Glenfiddich and the Balvenie Peated Cask for late in the evening and worked the crowd into a high state of anticipation; both bottles were poured at light speed however Whisky Intelligence managed to try both!

Whisky Intelligence heartily recommends the Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza and plans to attend in the future. Simply must solve the puzzle of those flower vases…

Tickets may be purchased at http://www.singlemaltextravaganza.com/ and the fall & spring tour schedule includes CHICAGO, BOSTON, WASHINGTON, DC, PHILADELPHIA, SEATTLE, SAN FRANCISCO, LOS ANGELES, and FORT LAUDERDALE. You’ll need to telephone the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America to book your tickets for Seattle.

BALLANTINE’S LEAVES AN IMPRESSION AS CENTENARY YEAR COMES TO A CLOSE
 
Reflecting the global reach of Ballantine’s, almost 100 international guests, from countries such as Poland, Czech Republic and Ukraine, gathered in Scotland this month for a two day event to celebrate the centenary year for Europe’s No 1 Scotch whisky brand, Ballantine’s Finest.
 
Taking place in Edinburgh, the historical home of Ballantine’s, the group which included media from around the world, enjoyed a visit to Dundas Castle and a formal Scottish dinner with a special address to the Haggis by International Brand Ambassador Ken Lindsay.
 
Pictured at the dinner, from left to right, are Ballantine’s Global Brand Director Peter Moore; International Brand Ambassador, Ken Lindsay and Master Blender Sandy Hyslop, who cut the Ballantine’s Finest birthday cake together to commemorate the brand’s landmark year.
 
Speaking at the event, Peter Moore said: “This is a historic occasion for Ballantine’s and we are delighted to be celebrating it with so many of our market guests. Their attendance not only demonstrates their loyalty to the brand but their determination to continue to support it around the world. This event has concluded what has been a year of celebration across all our key markets and we hope it will inspire even greater future success for the brand.”

 
Notes

About Ballantine’s

Ballantine’s, is the No 1 Scotch whisky in Europe, No 1 ultra-premium whisky in Asia Pacific and sells over 70 million bottles a year. The brand has won over 80 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for quality as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the iconic 30 Year Old, is the most comprehensive and innovative in the world of Scotch and is maintained by the latest in a tradition of master blenders that dates back to 1827.
 
About Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.
 
In July 2010 Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.
 
For further information please visit: www.chivasbrothers.com

Hello Fellow ScotchLovers –

They say “size matters”…and we couldn’t agree more.  This weeks Whisky Wednesday offering is all about size…as in size small.

I am thrilled to be able to offer you a bottle of Edradour 1999 Non-Chill Filtered 10 Year Old Whisky.  Produced by Edradour, the smallest distillery in Scotland,
this is a very small production whisky, with only 907 bottles released.

Whisky For Everyone described Edradour 10 YO as “… dull gold and the nose is pungent, with a combination of dried fruits (think of sultanas), some sweetness (imagine slightly burnt caramel) and nuts (especially almonds)… On the palate, this feels thick and oily (almost syrupy) with some interesting elements coming together. There is a sort of malty, grainy yeastiness that gives a creamy flavour and feel, with the dried fruits, nuttiness and sweetness from the nose (a bit more like honey this time) battling with a pronounced smokiness…Edradour 10 years old is a very interesting whisky. It has a slightly odd mixture of characteristics that suggest maturation in both bourbon and sherry casks…”

The ForScotchLovers retail price is $74.95. If you want a bottle, please purchase it ASAP. We have a limited number of bottles available to us, and once they’re gone, they are gone.

Enjoy!

Doug Stone
Founder
ForScotchLovers.com

 
A 1999 vintage of Edradour, bottled by Signatory. This is a single cask bottling from cask number 118. Which was bottled in August of 2009. Part of a release of 907 bottles.

Edradour Distillery

Edradour is the smallest whisky distillery in Scotland; possibly the smallest legal distillery of any kind in the world. John Reid and his two assistants hand-craft Edradour without automation, using skills handed down through generations…

It takes the man-power of just three men to produce Edradour – three men whose expertise and attention to detail produces the most unique malt whisky in the world.

Using skills handed down over the generations, the men of Edradour distillery follow the standards of those who have gone before. John Reid, David Ramsbottom and James Kennedy continue to produce the finest single malt whisky available.
Signatory Bottlers

The company was founded in 1988. It is a family owned and managed company, being one of only three true independent bottlers. They always like to draw a distinction between the independent companies who bottle their own products, and the independent companies whose products are bottled under contract. The other fully independent bottlers are: Gordon & MacPhail and Wm. Cadenhead.

The name of Signatory derived from the fact that their initial intention was to find someone famous to sign the labels for bottles produced from one single cask. The first cask we purchased was a cask of 1968 Glenlivet, which was sold long before we could find a famous person. Until April 1992, when they moved to their current premises in Newhaven (Edinburgh), they operated from a bonded warehouse in Leith. Leith was once a well known port for importing wine from France. As this industry declined, many of the whisky companies began to occupy the old warehouses for cask storage purposes. In recent years, this has also declined, with the larger companies moving to the west of Edinburgh, where transport links are better.

In April 1992, as the company began to grow, they moved to much larger premises. Here, they were granted a licence to bottle their own products on site. They set-up a small line bottling system, primarily geared towards the bottling of single casks. Although the actual bottling of whisky is semi-automated, the emphasis is very much a hands-on operation, with hand labeling and packing of products. To add to the exclusivity of their bottlings, they often declare the cask number, date of distillation,and date of bottling on our labels. In addition,each bottle is individually hand numbered.

It is their aim, as an independent bottler to offer a range of whiskies, some of which are not bottled by the proprietor of a particular distillery, and some at different ages/strengths to those offered as distillery bottlings. The majority of their bottlings are the product of single casks, with the malt whisky enthusiast being given the opportunity to sample the subtle differences which occur with each different cask.

Signatory owns the smallest distillery from Scotland, Edradour since 22 july 2002. (Now what would Kilchoman or Draftmill say about that? – WI)

www.forscotchlovers.com

Scottish Field, the premier lifestyle magazine in Scotland, is back with its 10th edition of the annual Scottish Field Whisky Challenge, the prestigious award for the world’s greatest whiskies.

For the past decade, we at Scottish Field have taken enormous pride in the success our yearly “blind tasting” challenge of the finest drams in the world. The impact of the awards has far outstripped our expectations, becoming somewhat of an institution for the whisky industry, fanatics and occasional drammers.

Every December issue of our magazine includes the renowned Scotch Whisky Challenge, defining the very best whisky in the world by the verdicts of our fabulous panel of world-renowned experts. This year, we have decided to share our Whisky Challenge on the world wide web, so that whisky lovers from around the world are able to enjoy the stellar awards with us, rather than just our magazine’s readers!

We would like to involve you in our annual challenge, by visiting our Whisky Challenge 2010 page, ( http://www.scottishfield.co.uk/statistic/w/ ) where you can find out everything you need to know, from a background of the judges to how the challenge works.

Also, be sure to check out our whisky news section.( http://www.scottishfield.co.uk/article/category/120-Whisky_News/ )

For our whisky reviews, click here. ( http://www.scottishfield.co.uk/review/3-Whisky/ )

A message from Duncan Ralph;

Last week the 10th anniversary Scottish Field Whisky Challenge awards was held in Edinburgh. This event is eagerly awaited by both the whisky industry and occasional drinkers looking for fresh experiences and new expressions to try. Scotland’s leading whisky experts blind tasted a huge selection of the best whiskies currently available on the market. I was part of the judging panel this year, a difficult and dirty job I know but someone has to do it!!!! Single Malts Direct are proud to offer the winners of the three categories: Under £30, £30 – £75 and over £75.00

Under £30

Gold Monkey Shoulder £24.99
Silver Talisker 10yo £29.49
Bronze Glen Elgin 12yo £29.99

£30 – £75

Gold Glengoyne 21yo £74.99
Silver Big Peat £31.98
Bronze Strathisla 30yo £74.99

OVER £75

Gold Miltonduff 1969 £127.99
Silver Ben Nevis 25yo £88.49
Bronze Longmorn 30yo £79.99

A complimentary copy of the Scottish Field Whisky Challenge supplement will be sent with every order. Please visit www.singlemaltsdirect.com to see the full list of available whiskies.

M C L E A N S C O T L A N D
W H I S K Y   T O U R S   T O   R E M E M B E R

MCLEANSCOTLAND are just home from whisky live at Leiden, Holland. Says Paul McLean “We had such a great time there, met so many new contacts in the trade and numerous people wanting to take tours of Scottish distilleries with us.  Overall it was a very worthwhile trip, one we will do again.”

“So many people were also really interested in our new whisky club concept, www.angelswhiskyclub.com the main attraction being our plans for a global whisky tasting, whereby we taste certain whiskies in Scotland, our worldwide members also taste the whisky the same day, sending in their thoughts so we can all compare.  It is a very novel and unique idea, one that we seem to have had praises “heaped” upon us!”

Liz from mcleanscotland with happy drammers!

MCLEANSCOTLAND offer Scottish and Irish whisky tours all year round, for individuals and groups, after Leiden, anyone wishing to book a tour for 2011 better hurry up, they will be BUSY!

www.mcleanscotland.com
www.angelswhiskyclub.com

PIONEERING WHISKY BORN FROM 2010’s “GREAT WAREHOUSE COLLAPSE”

Glenfiddich, the world’s most awarded single malt Scotch whisky, today announced the launch of Snow Phoenix – a unique whisky born of chance and adversity which commemorates a moment of drama in Glenfiddich’s long history.

In January 2010, after weeks of heavy snow and record low temperatures, four feet of densely compacted snow covered the Glenfiddich distillery roofs, which housed hundreds of casks of fine aged whisky, gently maturing in semi-darkness.

On the evening of 7th January, in the most remote part of the distillery estate, a number of warehouse roofs dramatically collapsed under the weight, leaving the maturing oak casks exposed to the night sky.  In wintery conditions and temperatures of -19˚C, distillery staff swung into action, working round the clock to clear the snow.

Glenfiddich Malt Master, Brian Kinsman, commented: “Standing amongst the wreckage and exposed casks, we were working out our next steps and assessing the situation.  I was thinking about how the casks, some of which were very old, contained some beautiful whisky and it occurred to me that they would create a fantastic non-aged single malt. A limited edition bottling from the whiskies in the damaged warehouses would be an appropriate way of celebrating the pioneering spirit of the distillery team at this moment in Glenfiddich’s history. “

“A photographer was shooting the scene and rather fittingly, when we looked at the pictures, the light shining through the warehouse roofs looked like a phoenix rising above us. I suppose this was the moment of conception of Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix.”

Snow Phoenix was created by marrying together natural strength and non-chill filtered casks of different ages and finishes, including American oak and Oloroso sherry.  The result is a single malt, gold in colour with bright copper highlights.  Its nose is creamy vanilla mingling with vibrant notes of apple and pear complemented by the scent of fresh blossom. The taste is reminiscent of apples roasted in the embers of a campfire, sweetened with heather honey and accompanied by a piece of chocolate, rich and complex with a whiff of burned sugar, coffee and woodsmoke.  It has an exceptionally long finish – austere sherry notes mellow into a satisfying sweetness. The distinctive monochrome packaging and amazing photography pays dramatic homage to this exceptional whisky and details this exceptional story.

Shifting snow around the clock gave the Glenfiddich distillery team a deep admiration for those who work in extreme conditions. Glenfiddich has therefore dedicated Snow Phoenix to the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team (CMRT), who battle harsh environments to save lives in the heart of Speyside, and has made a special contribution to their funds.

To celebrate this partnership, Brian Kinsman invited a group of CMRT volunteers to a unique mid-mountain tasting where they developed the Snow Phoenix tasting notes. By conducting the tasting notes at a high altitude, Glenfiddich’s Malt Master was able to explore the difference temperature has on the taste of whisky. 

Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix is a one of a kind, limited edition single malt Scotch whisky which has been bottled in 2010. One thousand bottles will be made available exclusively to members of the online club, Glenfiddich Explorers, www.glenfiddich.com/explorers, with the remainder available in selected markets* from mid-November, ABV 47.6%, priced £49.99 RRP for a 70cl bottle**.

*Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix will be available in UK, Portugal, Netherlands, South Africa, Russia, USA, Taiwan, Cyprus, Lebanon, Spain, Andorra, Canary Islands, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, China, India, South Korea and selected airports around the world.

** Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix 75cl is also available priced $89.99 USD

Notes
 
Tasting Notes

Colour: Gold with bright copper highlights.
Nose: Creamy vanilla aromas mingle with vibrant notes of apple and pear – the whole complemented by the scent of fresh blossom.
Taste: This is Glenfiddich in the wild – apples roasted in the embers of a campfire, sweetened with heather honey and accompanied by a piece of chocolate, rich and complex with a whiff of burned sugar, coffee and woodsmoke.
Finish: An exceptionally long finish – austere sherry notes mellow into a satisfying sweetness.

William Grant & Sons Ltd:

William Grant & Sons is an independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and today still controlled by the fifth generation of his family.  The Company distils some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s favourite single malt Glenfiddich®, the handcrafted range of The Balvenie® single malts and one of the world’s best loved blended Scotches, Grant’s®, as well as selected other spirits, including Hendrick’s® Gin, Sailor Jerry® Spiced Rum and Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey®

Click on www.williamgrant.com for more information on the Company and its brands.

Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky announce special Christmas Octave cask offer

Last year, Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky launched its newest innovation: The Octave Cask range. After years of experimentation, the company found that whiskies which had spent years maturing in full size casks could be decanted and matured for a short period of time in smaller casks, known as Octaves. The result was a spirit which was superior in nose, palate and colour, enhanced and invigorated beyond all expectation.

After a very successful first year, Duncan Taylor are now making the Octave range available to non-trade customers. Order and pay before 31st December to receive the following:

-66 Bottles with accompanying ‘pre’ Octave miniature -Personalised Octave labels -The empty Octave cask for display

Whiskies available include Bowmore, Caol Ila, Glen Grant, Kinclaith, Macallan and many more. For further information and prices, please get in touch using the details below.

(CONTACT) Mark Watt, Duncan Taylor Sales Director
01466 794055
mark@duncantaylor.com

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

Our Fall Single Malt Festival is less than 24 hours away and we have yet another sell out on our hands! If it was hard for any of us to believe we are already half way through November, the snows and cold of the last few days have certainly got us back on pace. Its whisky festival time again, and what a Festival do we have in store! More than 90 whiskies are on offer this year including the first Canadian tasting of the 4 new releases from Arran (14 Year, Amarone, Port and Sauternes), Port Ellen 29 and 30 year olds, Ardbeg Supernova, Highland Park Earl Magnus, Compass Box Hedonism Maxximus, Amrut Double Barrel, Bunnahabhain 25 Year, Cask Strength Rosebank 1991, Auchentoshan 1998, BenRiach Authenticus 21 Year and much, much more. The problem will be deciding what to sample!

Tradition has it that we now have a Friday whisky dinner the night after the festival to give a little extra incentive to those who are visiting us from out of town. This year’s Glenglassaugh Dinner is going to be extra special, not just because we are to sample 21, 29, 30 and 40 year old expressions. Stuart Nickerson, distillery manager has recorded a special message for those attending the dinner. We will have an audio/video presentation on the distillery to enjoy while we sample its whisky! As always the whiskies will be complemented by a three course meal prepared by the chef at Buchanan’s Chophouse, one of our city’s finest restaurants! I’ve more to tell you about the dinner below, which is undoubtedly one of the whisky tasting events of the year in Calgary.

In line with the Fall Single Malt Festival and the Glenglassaugh Dinner there are some incredible new whiskies in town. This information can’t wait until the next full Malt Messenger, so I’ll break it down for you below!

Also we have the 2011 Whisky Bible by Jim Murray and the Malt Whisky Yearbook 2011 now in stock. Just in time for the whisky festival…

One final note, Peat-Heads have reason to rejoice, the next edition in the Octomore series, Octomore 3 will be in next week  $149.99. Kensington Wine Market is getting at least 30 bottles, pre-order yours today!

As always I hope you’ve enjoyed this Malt Messenger Bulletin, stay tuned for the November Malt Messenger sometime next week!

Slainté!

Andrew Ferguson

The Glenglassaugh Dinner – Friday November 19th 7PM @ Buchanan’s Chop House – $170.00

Glenglassaugh distillery was founded two miles west of the town of Portsoy at the east end of Sandend Bay on the Moray Firth in 1875. The distillery was established by James Moir, a local business man, its quickly earned a reputation for making quality whisky and rapidly began to prosper. After James’s death the distillery changed hands a number of times before closing in 1907, a victim of the Pattison Whisky Crash. A new distillery building was installed in 1959 and production ran from 1960 through 1986 when it was closed by its owners Highland Distillers. Highland Distillers also owned Glenrothes, and through the 70’s and 80’s they tried to produce a Glenrothes like spirit at Glenglassaugh. In 1986 these efforts were ceased and the decision was made to close Glenglassaugh and expand production at Glenrothes. And so the distillery remained silent from 1986 until November of 2008 when the distillery was officially reopened by Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond under new ownership. The still ran again for the first time of the 4th of December 2008.

Glenglassaugh is in the unenviable position of having a 22 year production gap. Because there was no spirit distilled between 1986 and late 2008, the distillery has to rely of limited stocks of rare older whisky while its waits for its newly filled casks to mature. This is why Glenglassaugh is the only distillery in Scotland with a core range that begins with a 21 year old! We’ll sample the full core range: 21 year old, 30 year old and 40 year old as well as a 29 year old bottled by A. D. Rattray. We’ll start things off with some examples of the new make Glenglassaugh: The Spirit Drink That Dare Not Speak Its Name and the Spirit Drink That Blushes to Speak Its Name. All in all this lineup of whiskies would set you back $4000.00 or more if you were to buy a bottle of each, making our dinner at $170 a bargain, especially when you look at the menu Buchanan’s has prepared for us:

1st Plate: Tuna Tartar with a Basil Creme Fresh and Wasabi Sauce

2nd Plate: Pan Roasted Bay Scallop Stuffed with Rock Shrimp with Key Lime Aioli

Main Course: AAA Alberta Filet of Beef Medallions with Belle Pepper Mushroom Whisky Sauce and Bacon Parsnip Mashed Potato

Desert: Sticky Toffee Pudding with Toffee Sauce and Chantilly Cream

To register call the Kensington Wine Market at 403-283-8000 or visit our website www.kensingtonwinemarket.com..

New Single Malt Scotch Whiskies:

These are just a few of the new whiskies available at the Kensington Wine Market. I will have a full list in the next Malt Messenger!

1.       Edradour Cask Strength Decanter 1997 – New and exclusive to the Kensington Wine Market. 707 bottles from a single sherry cask at 56.4%, bottled at 12 years of age. Tasting note to come. – $129.99

2.       Edradour 24 Year PX Sherry Finish – Exclusive to KWM, this Pedro Ximenez finished Edradour is very elegant. Distilled in 1985 and bottled after 24 years it is fruity and chocolaty with gentle spices, sweet, sour and musty notes. – $166.99

3.       Edradour SFTC Chateauneuf du Pape Finish – This Edradour was matured in Bourbon casks before finishing in a Chateauneuf du Pape hogshead. 453 bottles have been released at a cask strength of 56.6% after ageing 12 years. Exclusive to KWM! – $99.49

4.       Arran 14 Year – This 14 year old replaces the 12 but is less sherried and more similar to the Peacock release we saw last year. It is getting rave reviews. Distillery Tasting Note: An initial burst of brine leads onto warming toffee apples and hazelnuts. This is followed by dates, chocolate orange and spiced tea cake. The mouthfeel is overwhelmingly rich and weighty.” – $76.49

5.       Arran Amarone Finish – Arran has consolidated and streamlined there cask finish line, I’m not sold on the packaging, but the price is good and rumour has it the quality is there. Try it for yourself! Distillery Tasting Notes: “Dark chocolate, cherry and Turkish delights are evident as are stewed fruits and toffee. Muscular notes of dark plum wrestle with bitter-sweet apricots and a hint of cinnamon.” – $76.99

6.       Arran Port Finish – Distillery Tasting Notes: “Layered fruits and spice combine, with cinnamon baked apple wrestling with raisin and plum pudding. The dram opens out to reveal warming barley and a hint of sweet pear.” – $76.99

7.       Arran Sauternes Cask Finish – Distillery Tasting Notes: “Richly honeyed and backed with a lifting zestiness which slides into spice and zingy salt. Once the dram opens out, vanilla and sultana stand out followed by notes of toasted oak. – $76.99

8.       Bruichladdich 18 Year Bourbon – I haven’t tried them yet, and its near impossible to find info on them on the web, but a trusted customer highly recommended the bourbon and cognac finished 18 year olds so I’ve taken a chance on all three including the rum finish. More details as they come. – $96.99

9.       Bruichladddich 18 Year Cognac Finish – See above.  – $96.99

10.   Bruichladdich 18 Year Rum Finish – See above. – $96.99

11.   Auchentoshan 1998 – This is a very limited edition sherry cask matured Auchentoshan bottled a natural cask strength of 54.6%. – $64.49

12.   Auchentoshan 1977 – Only 240 bottles of this sherry matured whisky are available in the world. 49%, only a dozen or so bottles are available in Canada. – $506.99

New American Whiskies – Buffalo Trace Antique Collection:

1.       Sazerac 18 Year – One of the most rare and hard to find whiskies in the world. This real American Rye Whiskey is rich, deep and full bodied. Usually scored in the high 90’s in the Whisky Bible. KWM received but 6 bottles! – $147.49

2.       Thomas Handy Rye – This whiskey is barrel proof, the American version of cask strength, and has a massive palate and body. 96.5pts Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2011. – $140.49

3.       Eagle Rare 17 Year – Old Boubons are far from common, mainly because the oak—which by law has to be new each and every time in the US—overwhelms the whiskey very quickly. The Eagle Rare 17 skirts the right side of this razor’s edge with notes of “molasses, leather, vanilla and toffee.” KWM only received 6 bottles. – $127.49

This is the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. KWM received all but the William Larue Weller. The George T. Stagg has sold out.

Whiskies Back In Stock:

1.       Edradour Caledonia – Exclusive to the Kensington Wine Market this special bottling of Edradour is a 12 year old finished in Oloroso sherry for at least 4 years. The whisky is chewy and very fruity with figs, sultanas and a hint of clove. 46% NCF and no colouring.- $93.99

2.       Bruichladdich Golder Still – Back and at a greatly reduced price… This is the 3rd bottling in a trilogy of whiskies that included the Blacker Still (2006) and Redder Still (2007). 4,900 very collectible bottles of this 23 year old have been released world-wide! – $212.99

Jim Murray’s 2011 Whisky Bible – $21.95 + GST

The Whisky Bible has a fresh new look for 2011 to go along with the more 900 new and revised reviews. The 2011 Whisky Bible has 3,850 reviews of whisky from the world over. While the bulk of the book is taken up by single malt Scotch whiskies, the book also reviews most of the major American, Canadian, Irish, Japanese and World Whiskies. You may not always agree with his scores, or the distilleries which seem to dominate year after year, but the tasting notes always come in handy when searching for your next dram!

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2011 – $29.99 + GST

Back for a 6th year the Malt Whisky Yearbook is the ideal resource for the whisky aficionado that likes to know every detail about his or her favourite distilleries. Every single malt distillery in Scotland, Ireland, Japan and most of the rest in the world are included with a detailed breakdown on their history and what’s happened in the last year.  The book includes tasting notes on one or two of the distillery’s most common bottlings, interesting articles on the world of whisky and detailed descriptions of the various processes involved in manufacturing malt whisky. No whisky bar or man’s bathroom is complete without one, and if you only buy one whisky book, this should be it.

­­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