The last week has been a bit of a blur in the wake of our Burns Supper and Year End Inventory Sale. Our 9th Annual Burns Supper with Peter Currie from Duncan Taylor went off without a hitch. We had a great range of Duncan Taylor whiskies, including the stunning and tropical Black Bull 40 Year ($302.99). We also introduced two new exclusive Duncan Taylor KWM casks due early in the Spring from Mortlach and Deanston, more details below.

We’d also like to thank all of you who checked out our year-end inventory sale this weekend, in store and online. You cleaned us out! We’ll be rebuilding the whisky section over the next few weeks and have a lot of exciting new things on the way, like the Duncan Taylor casks mentioned above.

There are a pair of really exciting events coming up over the next two weeks, beginning with a Compass Box Dinner at Buchanans Chop House on Tuesday February 4 with brand ambassador Chris Maybin. We’ll be sampling a range of 8 Compass Box whiskies including the two new Great King Street Experimental Batches and a very curious new release called, The General. The General $259.99, due this coming Wednesday, is a very old blend made up of whiskies at least 33 years of age (some even older). The dinner includes a three course meal at Buchanans and 8 whiskies for just $90. Frankly it’s a steal.

On Thursday February 13 we have something really exciting in store (no pun intended, it is an offsite event) The Great Macallan Tasting, $225. Two weeks ago a six liter bottle of the Macallan ‘M’ auctioned for charity broke the record for the most expensive bottle of whisky ever sold. When the hammer dropped in Hong Kong, the final price was nearly USD$630,000.00. It was a stunning sale, not only because the whisky had no age statement, but also because it can be had in a 700ml bottle for CAD$4,000.00. I was keen on trying the whisky before the auction, now I’m dying to. Curious? You’ll find more details on the Great Macallan Tasting below.

Finally I am gearing up for another year of Ferguson Whisky Tours adventures with a May 11-17 trip to the Speyside and trips to Islay (September) and Kentucky (October) in the works. Send me a note if you’d like some further details. More to come in the next Malt Messenger and shortly on www.fergusonwhiskytours.com.

Hopefully we’ve peaked your curiosity, and we’ll see you at one of these great events. There are some tasting notes below for a few new whiskies as well and some details on a few others. Until next time, I hope you enjoy this Malt Messenger Bulletin.

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson
Kensington Wine Market

PS- PS – Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/scotch_guy and Facebook: facebook.com/scotch.guy.1 .

Compass Box Dinner with Chris Maybin

Tuesday February 4, 7PM, at Buchanan’s Chop House, $90

Join us at Buchanan’s Chophouse 738 3 Avenue SW, Tuesday February 4, for a whisky dinner/tasting with Chris Maybin, Brand Ambassador for Compass Box Whisky. This boutique blending firm has made a name for itself over the last decade as the first boutique blender of Scotch whisky. Small though they may be, they’ve almost singlehandedly reinvigorated the Blended Scotch whisky category. We’ll be sampling a number of new limited edition releases including the 10th Anniversary Peat Monster special release, two experimental batches of the Great King Street Blend, an exciting new release called “The General”, a blend consisting of whiskies more than 33 years old! In all we’ll sample 8 Compass Box Whiskies while exploring the brand and enjoying a three course meal. 8 whiskies and a three course meal at Buchanans for just $90!

For more information or to register call 403-283-8000 or visit our website: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php.

The Great Macallan Tasting Featuring ‘M’

Your chance to taste the world’s most expensive whisky! February 13, $225

I’d only just seen the news online when a reporter from CBC called me for my thoughts on a bottle of Macallan which had sold at auction for $630,000.00, a new record for the most expensive bottle of whisky ever sold had just been set. I was then and still am a little baffled, because the sale, the proceeds of which went to charity, was a stupendous sum to pay for a whisky with no age statement. The Scotch in question was a 6L version of the Macallan ‘M’ (CAD$3,800.00), the pinnacle whisky of the distillery’s new 1824 Series, all of whose whiskies are without age statements. 1750 of the regular 700-750ml Lalique Crystal Decanters were distributed around the world, including a couple of dozen for Canada. Four six liter Imperial Decanters were also produced, with one going to a private buyer in China, the distillery keeping two for themselves and the fourth put up for auction. The Macallan Brand is the darling of whisky collectors, especially on the super-premium end, but the sale price still caught everyone, including yours truly by surprise.

A little over 5 years ago Kensington Wine Market conducted out first Ancient Malts tasting at KWM with a bottle of the Macallan 50 Year Lalique, the first whisky in a collaborative series of six bottlings with the world famous crystal producer. I opened the whisky on air for the CBC, I was stunned. The following two nights I poured it for 40+ customers at two sold out KWM tastings, it was a hit! The whisky was stunning, and was the oldest and most expensive bottle we had ever opened. So when I heard about the new offering Macallan ‘M’ I knew we had to open one, there would have to be another tasting. I was intrigued by it, sure there was no age statement, but this was clearly rare old whisky. Could it be the successor to the 50 Year?

Kensington Wine Market will be opening the Macallan ‘M’ $3,800.00 (or $630K if you want a large format bottle…) at the Grand Macallan Tasting on Thursday February 13 at the Southern Alberta Pioneers Hall, 3625 4th Street SW. We also be sampling the 1824 Series: Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby as well as a couple of other Macallans to round things out. $225 is a small price to pay for a night of good company, and a chance to taste the world’s most expensive whisky.

Call 403-283-8000 to buy a ticket or do so online at: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php  .

Taking Pre-Orders: New KWM Duncan Taylor Casks

Mortlach 1995 18 Year & Deanston 1994 19 Year
Duncan Taylor has one of the largest privately held collections of Scotch whisky casks in the world. A couple of years ago they launched their innovative and trademarked Octave Program which finishes whiskies in 1/8th size custom sherry casks. These small casks kick the maturation process into overdrive as there a great ratio of surface are to liquid giving more opportunity for interaction. Kensington Wine Market has selected two Octaves to be bottled exclusively for our store, launching them at our Robbie Burns Supper on January 25th in Calgary with brand ambassador Peter Currie. The whiskies will be available from the store in May or June. We are accepting pre-orders on these small casks.

1. Duncan Taylor Mortlach 1995 KWM Octave – 18 Year – 55.4% – My Tasting Note: Nose: meaty like a good Mortlach should be right off the bat; dark fruits, earthy leather and tobacco over a backbone of honey and vanilla; notes of coffee bean and cinnamon stick and cardamom emerge later; Palate: round, fruity, spicy and syrupy; classic Christmas cake and candied fruit notes right off the bat with treacle sauce and maple syrup; layers of chocolate, tobacco and leather develop with dark spices like anise, clove and fennel; Finish: long, fruity and sweet with more Christmas cake and maple syrup and a final flourish of candied fennel. – $169.99 Estimated Retail Price
2. Duncan Taylor Deanston 1994 KWM Octave – 19 Year – 54.7% – My Tasting Note: Nose: “fresh, creamy and fruity with malt and round oak; some nice weight with notes of melons, Creme Anglaise, candied fruits, orange rind and some growing hints of spice; Palate: rich, creamy and layered with lots of tingling spice; the fruits and creamy oak come rapidly to the fore with the malt and spices coming in the second wave; lots of different fruits from soft melons to orange rinds and candied cherries; candied ginger and Cinnamon hearts add a layer of decadent spice; Finish: long, lingering and coating with toasty oak spices and clean earthy oak lingering long while the fruits and cream fade. – $174.99 Estimated Retail Price

A few new drams to tickle your taste buds!

We have four exciting new whiskies from Compass Box in stock or due this coming Wednesday and a trio of new whiskies from a new independent bottler: First Editions. I’ve also included a tasting note on the new Talisker 57 North and Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 3. Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 3 is flying out the door just as its predecessors did. It is a great whisky at a great price, but not for long… The price on this whisky will be going up by about $20 to reflect international demand for it and the reality of a falling Canadian dollar. It will still be a great buy at around $105, but it is a steal while it lasts at $83.99!

1. Compass Box Great King Street Experimental Batch 1 – 43% – The Sherried Blend consisting of 28% Lowland Grain and 72% Malt mainly from the Highlands and Speyside with a trace amount from Islay. – Only 120 bottles have come to Canada! – $39.99
2. Compass Box Great King Street Experimental Batch 2 – 43% – The Peaty Blend consisting of 33% Lowland Grain Whisky and 67% Islay Malt – Only 120 bottles have come to Canada! – $39.99
3. Compass Box Peat Monster 10th Anniversary – 48.9% – The limited edition release exclusive to KWM consists of a blend of malts from Caol Ila, Laphroaig, Clynelish and a few other distilleries, mainly matured in new American oak with about 2% finished in new French oak. – $99.99
4. Compass Box The General – 53.4% – Exclusive to KWM in Calgary – Only 48 Bottles Available with nearly half spoken for. – The General is a blend of two whiskies which were long ago independently blended, married and forgotten in the cask. The youngest whiskies in the blend are 33 years of age! – $259.99

 
5. First Edition Glen Scotia 1991 – 59.6% – 22 Year – Refill Barrel – My Tasting Note: Nose: creamy and fruity, with soft caramel and a hint of salt; vanilla pods and Demerara sugars; Palate: big and spicy with loads of rich toasty oak, white peachy fruits, a hint of clean smoke and salty caramel; there is a hint of something vaguely tarry which along with spices gives some edge to the otherwise very creamy malt; Finish: lots of layers, toasty oak and more clean salty smoke with caramel.” – $141.49
6. First Edition Littlemill 1988 – 55.8% – 24 Year – Refill Hogshead – Exclusive to KWM – My Tasting Note: Nose: “floral and creamy, peaches and apricots with white grapes; the white fruit really starts to come out with apples and pear; Palate: floral and decadent with lots of sugars and some firm toasty oak; French style crepes with powdered sugar and lemon juice; melon, pineapple and some other tropical notes; Finish: long and creamy with lots of soft vanilla, more trop fruits and long lingering floral tones.” – $189.99
7. First Edition Miltonduff 1995 – 58.3% – 18 Year – Refill Hogshead – My Tasting Note: Nose: “raisins and coconut shavings and Scottish cranachan; mango and papaya with some toffee cake and chewy malt; Palate: round and malty with some lovely American oak notes: vanilla, coconut and toasty honey; both white and light tropical fruit notes with some grassy malt; Finish: long, malty and honeyed with some drying toasted oak and more coconut.” – $141.99
8. Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 3 – 54.9% – No Age Statement – Oloroso & PX Sherry – My Tasting Note: “Nose: firm leather, chocolate orange, candied fruits and treacle sauce; Palate: rich, fruity and layered with some late spices; it gently warms the palate with notes of candied fruits, leather and some earthy spices; Finish: long, rich, fruity and sweet with tingling-drying spice.” – $83.99
9. Talisker 57 North – 57% – Originally Duty Free Only – Only 168 bottles came to Alberta – My Tasting Note: “Nose: lovely layers of oily peat, clean salty smoke and hot peppery spices; waxed citrus fruits and floral heather honey; Palate: round and fruity with more oily peat oils, citrussy fruits and a backbone of floral honey; white chocolate sauce, decadent hot spice and some growing dark salty smoke; Finish: long, coating and rich with the soft peat oils, floral honey and spices going the distance.” – $159.99

Thank You for Reading the Malt Messenger!

Contact & Disclaimers

If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store.

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, don’t include GST. In the case of discrepancies in pricing, the price in our in store point of sale will be taken as correct.

Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger.

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson
Manager & Scotchguy
Kensington Wine Market
403-283-8000
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
www.kensingtonwinemarket.com

Owner & Opperator
Ferguson’s Whisky Tours
www.fergusonwhiskytours.com
scotchguide@fergusonwhiskytours.com

Kensington Wine Market
403-283-8000

Diageo Colin Dunn Malt Whisky Masterclass

Gartbreck Distillery will be built in 2014 

Ernie- Ernst J. Scheiner, The Gateway to Distilleries at www.whisky-distilleries.net  

Martine and Jean Donnay are the people behind the distillery project. They run Glann Ar Mor Distillery in Brittany. 

Planning permission was granted to them by the Argyll and Bute Council on Friday 24th, January 2014 to demolish and rebuild Gartbreck in order to build a new gin– and whisky distillery. (Correction – Gartbreck is very much a “whisky distillery” rather than a “gin and whisky distillery”. There will actually be some gin or another white spirit being produced on site which will represent a useful complement during the first years of operation when no whisky will be available. Yet, the relevant volume will be very limited and aimed at being sold locally at the distillery’s visitor centre. This activity will be very marginal in the running of the distillery).

Plans are public, please see HERE:  

Construction of the distillery will start in May 2014 and distilling is planned to start in autumn 2015. 

The new craft distillery on a farm at magic Saltpan Point will certainly revive Scotland’s heritage of farm distilleries and will be a tourist hot spot of the whisky enthusiasts around the world. 

Everybody will admire the still house with a large window facing Loch Indaal as they do when visiting Jean Donnay’s beautiful Glann Ar Mor Distillery in Brittanny. The stillroom with its wide window makes for a rather special charming atmosphere and symbolizes a very close relation to nature and the sea. 

See for more details and particular Gartbreck plans HERE:  

According to the planning application, there will be a malt barn with floor maltings and a kiln with a drying floor, a still house with a pair of pot stills for malt distillation with exterior worm tubs and a still room for gin production, a malt store, six washbacks, filling and bottling room, warehouse, offices and a visitor centre. 

The pot stills will be fire heated and be the only ones oft hat type on the island. According to Jean Donnay the distillery will produce 100% peated single malt. About 20% of the malt required will be malted on their own malting floor and dried in their kiln on site. The whisky distilled will be made by using 20% Barley from Islay and the rest from mainland Scotland. In ist first year they intend to produce about 60,000 LPA. There will be a small dunnage warehouse on site. Gartbreck whisky will primarily mature in Boubon casks but some will also mature in Sherry casks. 

Gin will also be distilled on site. 

There are rumours that the former longtime Distillery Manager of Caol Ila, Billy Stitchell, (this has been proved to be incorrect – Billy Stitchell will not be working with or at Gartbreck Distillery – the distillery will be managed by Jean Donnay) will be involved in setting up Gartbreck Distillery and be overlooking its production.

The hardworking innovative French couple Martine and Jean Donnay will certainly increase the diversity and quality of Islay whiskies from 2018 onwards. 

NOTES

Glan Ar Mor Distillery http://www.glannarmor.com

Gartbrecks‘ people: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ileach/3995999675/

The Gateway to Distilleries www.whisky-distilleries.net

Photos Courtesy of Alex Reid 2013.

About the Author: Ernie – Ernst J. Scheiner M.A. was a director in an adult education centre. Ernie offers courses on whisky distilling, writes for newspapers, magazines and blogs such as www.whiskyexperts.at. He is the editor of The Gateway to Distilleries at www.whisky-distilleries.net which gives an excellent photographic and educational insight into the whisky industry of Scotland, Ireland, Europe and Asia.

Please see also: http://www.whisky-distilleries.net

An epic & gorgeous roadtrip round Scotland, visiting each of the group’s home town/village, interspersed with footage from our live shows on tour in 2013. Filmed & directed by http://www.cherrytree-films.com/.  Jocks Revenge is a registered track with MCPS/PRS Tunecode 135689LW. For more info on Whisky Kiss visit http://www.whiskykiss.com/. Jocks Revenge – the single – is now available to buy on iTunes (exciting!!). We hope you liked it! from all of us at Whisky Kiss http://www.whiskykiss.com/ 

Lovingly sent from ANGELS WHISKY CLUB

http://www.angelswhiskyclub.com/

Teeling Whiskey announces plans for new Dublin whiskey distillery 

Reviving the Spirit of Dublin – €10m Investment to create over 30 new jobs in Dublin’s Liberties 

Wednesday, 29^th January – The Teeling Whiskey Company (TWC) has announced plans for a new whiskey distillery to be located in Dublin’s Newmarket Square in The Liberties, Dublin 8.  This will be the first new distillery in Dublin in over 125 years and brings the Teelings home to their ancestral roots.  The Teeling Whiskey Distillery will start production in the fourth quarter of 2014 with the visitor centre opening its doors in early 2015, investing €10million into The Liberties based location and creating at least 30 full time jobs. The distillery will also see 50 jobs created in the construction phase. 

The Teeling Whiskey brand is already on sale in Ireland and over 18 export markets.  The construction of the new distillery will guarantee future supply for the Teeling Whiskey brands and allow the creation of a range of innovative and authentic Irish whiskeys based on the traditional and unique Dublin style of distillation. The proposed new Pot Still distillery will have the capacity to produce 500,000 litres of whiskey on an annual basis and will consist of three traditional copper Pot Stills reviving the traditional style of the old Dublin distilleries. 

Jack Teeling, Founder and Managing Director of the Teeling Whiskey Company commented; 

“We are proud to be returning to our ancestral distilling roots which trace back to 1782 in The Liberties. This project will bring distilling back to an area of Dublin long associated with world class whiskey which at one stage had 37 different operational distilleries. Building a working distillery is just one part of our plan for the Newmarket site which will also involve the development of an integrated visitor experience to showcase the rich distilling history of Dublin and in particular The Liberties.  Dublin whiskey was at the forefront of the last golden age of Irish whiskey.  We aim to revive the Spirit of Dublin by putting Dublin and Teeling Whiskey firmly back on the map again. 

“It is unquestionable that there has been significant growth in the Irish whiskey market worldwide, particularly in the US, and we want to be the leaders in creating a bright new future for Irish and Dublin whiskey.  The new distillery will guarantee future supply and ensure we control the distilling process from grain to bottle, whilst also giving consumers the opportunity to further interact with the brand, as we revive the old tradition of whiskey distilling in The Liberties.” 

“We are really excited about opening the doors and are looking forward to welcoming Dubliners and tourists alike to learn about the history of Teeling Whiskey, the unique whiskey heritage of The Liberties and experience a full operational Irish whiskey distillery.”  

Plans for the Teeling Whiskey Distillery and visitors centre were welcomed by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, TD. The centre expects to welcome 40,000-50,000 through the doors in year one, increasing to 100,000 thereafter. 

“The food and drinks sector is an area we have targeted for support as part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs and Irish whiskey in particular is an area where there is rapidly-growing international demand, providing huge potential for jobs growth in Ireland. Today’s announcement by Teelings that it will invest €10million in a new distillery in the Liberties with the creation of 30 new jobs and 50 temporary construction jobs is great news and a strong indication of what is possible in this area. This will bring a huge boost to the local community and I wish all involved every success”.

Alan Winchester, Master Distiller of The Glenlivet, will be hosting a live Hangout today (February 1st) with eight members of The Glenlivet’s fanclub, The Guardians of The Glenlivet, which will be streamed live at 6pm UK time on its YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-Zx9XzeNqI 

The Hangout will include a virtual tour of the distillery and a live discussion about all areas of whisky production. Alan will be answering questions so ahead of the Hangout, we’re inviting whisky fans across the world to submit questions for him on Twitter, including @TheGlenlivet and using the hashtag #DiscoverTheGlenlivet. Alan will then answer the best questions during the Hangout.

The live streaming will start at 6PM UK time.

www.ralfy.com explores a form which exceeds flavour with Whisky Review 426 – Bowmore 17yo Malt Whisky (BB&R)

New TWE Exclusives from Ledaig and Glentauchers

Despite mentioning how we of the drinks business like to have a bit of a rest in January in my Burns Night post, it seems that this year there is to be no further rest. Over the last couple of … Continue reading >>

The Friends of the Quaich whisky club, Vancouver Island, Canada, enjoyed a whisky tasting for Burns Night! 

January 2014; The Burns unit team. 

Friends of the Quaich, Robbie Burns supper and tastings, January 28th 2014. 

Our hosts, Martin and Margaret Hill. Hats off to Martin and Margaret for an excellent evening of great drams and excellent cuisine. Also, a big thank-you to all the gang, for the delicious and appetising dishes prepared for our Robbie Burns banquet.

Tasting: Up first, Aberlour 10 yr old, 43% ABV.  Nose: Hints of toffee and vanilla.  Palate: Buttery Sherry with toffee.  Finish: Malt, citrus and spice. 

Next up, The Peat Monster. 46% ABV.  Nose: Big peat. Salty. Sweet.  Palate: Smokey bacon, with hints of papaya.  Finish: More peat, sweet oak. 

Number three: Seagrams Crown Royal Maple. 40% ABV. More a liqueur than a whiskey.  Nose: Sweet Maple syrup hints of vanilla and oak.  Palate: Pancake syrup, some cinnamon, perhaps a little allspice.  Finish: Maple syrup lingers.  

Last up: Benriach Curiositas. 40% ABV.  Nose: Sublimely medicinal, sweet grassy asphalt and heather. Hints of malmsey.  Palate: At once sweet and heavily smoked. Peppery spice tingles, iodine, a warm nuttiness. Finish: Bittersweet, dry wood, creosote and fennel. Cheers, Mike.  

Paul’s note; that final dram finish; who in the group has tasted creosote?  Personally I would have left the Monster to the end. 

See more tasting notes from the friends here; http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/friendsofthequaicwhisky%20club.asp 

Angels Whisky Club is a free, worldwide membership whisky club, Patron Charlie Maclean.

Owned and run by Liz Gillespie & Paul McLean, owners of MCLEANSCOTLAND 

www.angelswhiskyclub.com

www.mcleanscotland.com

facebook; McLean whisky tours 

www.daleyirishtours.com

facebook; daley irish tours

Limited Edition and Hard to Find Single Malt Whiskies

Oban 21 year Old Single Malt Scotch $429.99
Springbank 21 Year Old Lombard Jewels of Scotland Bottling Single Malt Scotch $349.99
Port Ellen 33 Year Old Gordon & MacPhail Rare Old Bottling Single Malt Scotch $1399.99
Lagavulin 37 Year Old Special Release 2013 Single Malt Scotch Bottling $3399.99
Talisker 1985 Maritime Edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky $649.99