Malt Messenger Bulletin – 4 Great Deals & Tonight’s Speyside Festival

It has been a busy couple of the weeks since the last Malt Messenger. I won’t have time to put together the next full Malt Messenger until after Easter, but in the meantime I have some timely news to share, so I hope this Malt Messenger Bulletin finds you well!

Firstly, there will be another Malt Messenger Bulletin on Monday March 26th, Announcing our Spring Tasting Schedule. There is a lot to look forward to in the Spring Tasting Schedule, including a pair of whisky festivals and a special Ardbeg 1815 tasting with Brendan McCarron, head of maturing whisky stocks at Glenmorangie and Ardbeg. We will also have a pair of Ancient Malts tastings where we will be cracking some 1968s and a pair of Broras, and there is more… stay tuned!

Secondly, and more pressingly, we have a few available tickets left for tonight’s The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival at KWM. The cost is $50, includes a glass, and the opportunity to sample up to 80 different whiskies! Register online or call 403-283-8000 to register. (WHOA! WI did not receive this int time to publish on the day of the event but keep your eye out for their next festival – they are well worth the visit! ~ WI)

Finally, the main purpose of today’s email, is to promote a couple of time sensitive deals we have. We were offered a price break on the anCnoc 2000 and anCnoc 22 Year to clear out the stock of these two great whiskies. It seems the importer brought in too much, and both products have been discontinued, so they are eager to get rid of them. The anCnoc has dropped in price by $10, from $100+gst to $90+gst. The anCnoc 22 Year has dropped nearly $40, from $192+gst to $155+gst. They are both amazing deals, especially the 22! More details and tasting notes below.

We are also passing on savings on the Auchentoshan 18 Year and Laphroaig Lore. Beam Suntory has put both on sale, and we are passing the savings on, but there is a catch. We can only honour the sale price for bottles of the Auchentoshan 18 (was $118+gst now $108+gst) and Laphroaig Lore (was $190+gst now $175+gst) ordered between today and next Wednesday, March 28… more details below.

I hope you enjoy this Malt Messenger Bulletin. If you have any comments, questions or requests don’t hesitate to send me an email.

Slàinte!

Andrew

In This Edition

1. Spirit of Speyside Festival Tomorrow
2. Save on the anCnoc 2000 and anCnoc 22 Year
3. Save $10 on Auchentoshan 18 Year (Until March 28)
4. Save $15 on Laphroaig Lore (Until March 28)

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

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KWM’s 2nd The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 

$50 for 80+ Speyside Whiskies & a Glass – TONIGHT!

We featured Islay and Islayternative malts last month, this time around it is the Speyside’s turn in our 2nd Annual The Spirit of Speyside Festival. Only the whiskies of distilleries in the Speyside region will be featured in this festival style tasting. Think you know the Speyside? With over 80 whiskies to choose from we’ll guarantee you something new!

Tonight… Thursday March 22, 7PM, just $50, including a glass!

Register in-store, by phone at 403-283-8000 or online: kensingtonwinemarket.com

SAVE on anCnoc 2000 & 22 Year 

Blow out specials on two fine Highland Single Malts!

You gotta love it when people bring the deals

to you… Just before Christmas it was the Mackinlay’s Shackleton(only 10 left), and now it is a pair of anCnocs, from the Knockdhu Distillery. We were given a $10 break on the anCnoc 2000 and close to $40 on the anCnoc 22 Year to help clear out the Alberta inventory. Both are great whiskies, but discontinued, and it seems the importer, under previous ownership, bought too much. The whiskies are both lovely.  My tasting notes are below. Both are bottled at 46%, and matured in a mix of Ex-Sherry and Ex-Bourbon. Here are the details:

anCnoc 2000 – 46% – Matured in a mix of Oloroso Sherry & Ex-Bourbon – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: sweet and fruity with a mix of strawberry and black licorice Twizzlers; the whisky is delicate and floral, there are jujubes, some chewy malt and citrus notes. Palate: creamy with licorice, soft leather, spices and earthy notes; some honey with nutty sherried tones and more strawberry and black licorice Twizzlers; a touch of malt, candied citrus, more jujubes and dark spices: fennel, clove and anise. Finish: long, coating, leathery and spicy with more licorice and candied fruits. Comments: excellent value middle aged vintage whisky.” – Regular $100 – SAVE $10 – Special Price $90+gst

• Producer Description: “anCnoc Vintage 2000 has matured in Spanish oak ex-sherry butts and American oak ex-bourbon barrels and has been bottled in its most natural form, neither chill-filtered nor coloured.  As a result this dram may develop a light haze with the addition of water or if kept at a cold temperature. This haze is a natural characteristic of whisky that is non-chill filtered.”

anCnoc 22 Year – 46% – Matured Ex-Bourbon & Ex-Sherry – Andrew’s Tasting Notes: “Nose: soft damp tobacco in an old leather patch, chocolate shavings on a piping cappuccino; some candied fruits, lemon drops and wine gums; some delicate malty-floral top notes emerge with some soft toasty oak. Palate: rich, fruity and very soft, wow this is really something; lots of chocolate with more soft leather and tobacco; more candied fruit and wine gums with some emerging mango, papaya and honey dew melon. Finish: an absolutely beautiful balance of both sherry and bourbon notes, the finish is long rich and spicy; finishes fruity and floral. Comment: I’m really caught off guard by this, wow it’s good!” – Regular $192 – SAVE $37 – Special Price $155+gst

• Producer Description: “Matured predominantly in American oak, ex-bourbon casks as well as Spanish oak, ex-sherry butts, anCnoc 22 Years Old displays complexity and a wealth of character but its long lasting rich, smoky finish sets this dram apart from the younger offerings.”
• Silver Medal Whisky Magazine – 87 Martin Nouet & 86 Rob Allanson

SAVE $10 on Auchentoshan 18 Year

Regularly $118, Available for $108 through March 28!

Fresh and clean with lots of citrus notes, the Auchentoshan 18 Year is one of the best priced distillery bottled 18 year olds on the market. The importer has put it on sale, so we are passing on the savings through Wednesday March 28. Save $10 on the already low price!

Auchentoshan 18 Year – 43% – Producer Description: “Triple distilled and matured in American bourbon oak for over eighteen years. The result: a refreshing Lowland single malt whisky with the added infusion of ripe citrus and green tea, the warmth of toasted almonds and the signature smooth, delicate, Auchentoshan taste.” – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Aroma: Fresh tobacco leaf – then sweet with a hint of caramelized sugars, green tea and toasted almonds. Taste: A floral freshness with sweet barley sugar at first – this gently ebbs to reveal a tangerine zestiness. The palate is left alive and refreshed. Finish: A long, lingering and well-balanced dram that invigorates the mouth.” – Regular $118+gst – SAVE $10, $108+gst Until March 28!

SAVE $15 on Laphroaig Lore 

Regularly $190, Available for $175 Through March 28!

Laphroaig Lore was created by Distillery Manager John Campbell as a testament to 200 years of whisky making at the Islay Distillery. The whisky is composed of components 7 to 27 years of age from a wide variety of cask types including: virgin oak, Ex-Bourbon, 2nd fill Oloroso hogsheads, and refill ex-Laphroaig Quarter Casks.

From the Distillery: “‘Lore’ is a complex marriage of both classical Lahroaig styles and many ages of Laphroaig. The marriage draws from the peaty power of Laphroaig in the same vein as Quarter Cask but with the smoothness of double matured stock finished in European oak hogsheads. To add even further depth and complexity we used our mosy heavily peated whisky matured in ex-Laphroaig barrels along with some fully sherry matured casks. To ensure none of this amazing flavour was lost we bottled Lore at a full 48% ABV and simply barrier filled before bottling. The result is stunningly complex.”

Laphroaig Lore – 48% – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Rich and smoky with seaside minerals with a hint of ash and bitter chocolate drops. Vanilla follows with oily unroasted chestnuts and a hint of fudge with a malty sweetness. A drop of water adds a creamy clotted cream note with fruit appearing in the form of unripe citrus in a flan glaze. Palate: Richly peaty with a spicy chilli bite. Finish: Short dry finish and a long sweet aftertaste. – Regular $190+gst – SAVE $15 – $175+gst Until March 28

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 and 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
Owner & Scotchguy
Kensington Wine Market
403-283-8000
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
www.kensingtonwinemarket.com
Kensington Wine Market
403-283-8000