Kensington Wine Market opened its doors for the first time on May 15th 1992, and we are now 28 years & nearly a month young… So, Happy Belated Birthday to Us, and Thank You to all of you who have supported and continue to support our business and team in these challenging times! We know many of you have gone out of your way to support small local businesses like ours. Thank you! We are very grateful for the amazing community which we find ourselves at the heart of and we have been doing our part to give back.
As a quick aside, and because our team is so proud of it, we have raised and donated more than $6,000.00 for local charities over the last 2 months, including the Calgary Food Bank and the Brenda Strafford Center, a local Women’s shelter! We have also assisted many other organizations like Making Changes Association with their fundraising efforts.
We always mark our birthday with our popular Annual Birthday Sale Weekend, but as the Covid-19 pandemic evolved though March & April, we were more than a little concerned about the ethics and optics of tempting people to come down to the store and browse all the deals. When the province announced mid-May that it would begin its easing of Covid-19 restrictions June 1, we finally had the confidence to schedule our Annual Birthday Sale.
The sale started online after close Wednesday, and in-store yesterday morning. Normally we would have sent our newsletters out first thing in the AM the day of the sale, but when we arrived at the store yesterday the online order cue was already enormous, and growing fast. So instead of pouring gasoline on an already roaring fire, we decided to give it 24 hours to settle down before dialing things back up again. For those of you patiently waiting for the sale list, sorry for the delay and inconvenience. The Belated Birthday Sale will run through 11:59PM Sunday June 14, in-store and online. Please be patient while we deal with online orders, there may be a delay getting back to you!
As with other recent Sales, almost everything in-store is on sale. Most in-stock Whisky: Single Malt, Scotch, Bourbon, Irish, Canadian & Other Types are 10-40%! You can browse all whiskies discounted 15% or more in the PDF linked below. .
The Sale pricing is now live on our website, and we encourage you to shop online.
We are welcoming in-store shopping during the Belated Birthday Sale, and we have even expanded our opening hours until 9PM on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to offer added flexibility and help facilitate Social Distancing. But it won’t be business as usual, circa pre-Covid-19. We just can’t have that right now, and don’t believe it is responsible of us to compromise on the safety of our staff and customers. There is a good chance most of our staff will be wearing masks, and we encourage you to consider doing so too!
During the sale we will be limiting entry to just 6 customers at a time, and groups of no more than 2 people. Please leave your children at home. And unlike past sales we will not be offering any wine for tasting or whiskies for sampling. This is both for health and safety, but also to discourage people from hanging around the store. As there may be a line at the door we will be asking people to be considerate about how much time they spend in-store, so that everyone can have the opportunity to shop. Please see our revised Covid-19 Precautions below.
So once again, we strongly encourage you to consider shopping online, and ask you to be patient while we check and process your orders. We will be offering Curb Side Pickup during the Sale, but please give us at least 3-4 hours to process your order and have it pulled. We will also be happy to deliver orders for Free Within Calgary City Limits, subject to availability.
In This Edition:
- Sale Deals & Rules
- Two Lovely New Ben Nevis 22 Year Olds
- A Few of This Weekend’s Best Deals
- Available Glenfarclas Family Casks
- KWM Virtual At Home Tastings
- Current Covid-19 Store Policies
I hope this email finds you well, and that there are a few items to peak you interest during our Belated KWM Birthday Sale… Hope to see you in-store or online!
Sláinte,
Andrew Ferguson
Kensington Wine Market
403-283-8000 / 888-283-9004
www.kensingtonwinemarket.com
PS – Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter: @scotch_guy, Instagram: @thescotch_guy/
or @kwmwhisky and Facebook: facebook.com/scotch.guy.1
Sale Deals & Rules!
Deals Info
Most In-Stock Whisky and Spirits are 10-40% off, excluding most SMWS Whiskies and a few other items. But, roughly 25 Scotch Malt Whisky Society Whiskies and Membership Kits are 15% off!
Browse Whiskies & Spirits discounted 15% or More by Downloading the PDF Linked Here!
Sale Rules
There are always conditions, but we believe ours are fair!
- In the event of a discrepancy in price, the point of sale at KWM will be taken as correct.
- Prices quoted do not include GST.
- Sale pricing will not be applied retroactively or extended beyond the end of the sale Sunday at 11:59PM.
- The sale pricing applies only to in-stock inventory.
- Sale pricing cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions.
- Payment info is required at the time of purchase and or order.
- Sale is in-store, online or by email for Grand Cru Members!
- If you want to shop in-store, please wait until Thursday and please respect our Covid-19 Precautions. (refer below)
- Please avoid ordering by phone if you can.
Two Lovely New 22 Year Old Ben Nevis Bottlings
They Are Only 10% Off, But You Won’t Want To Miss Them…
Ben Nevis has been in vogue and rather high demand in recent years, especially the bottlings from the mid-1990s. There was a time when we had no trouble sourcing them, before people had caught on to how good the whisky is. We were very fortunate to bottle a cask of 1996 22 year old Ben Nevis last fall. It was a hit, with 500 bottles selling out in just a couple of months. Might have had something to do with the fact it was just $180/bottle, and that the juice was excellent. Fingers crossed we see another. These mid-1990s Ben Nevis are stunning, and increasingly hard to put on the shelf for less than $300. Sadly, the Whisky Agency Ben Nevis sold out over the last 24 hours, before we could send the newsletter!
- Old Particular Ben Nevis 22 Year – 51.5% – 1996 – Refill Hogshead – My Tasting Note: “Nose: Treacle sauce, crab apple jelly, firm new leather, dark chocolate and Eatmore; slightly herbaceous, fruit compote with orange peel and frilled pineapple; meaty and a touch musty-dunnage warehouse. Palate: rich, thick, sweet, spicy and fruity with more treacle sauce, soft leather and dark chocolate; maple syrup, fruit compote, glazed beef jerky and juicy orange; a touch of musty-earthy dunnage warehouse notes; lush and layered, some apricot jam and quince paste; increasingly spicy as you dig in to it with candied ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon hearts. Finish: coating, spicy and syrupy with toasted oak and more fruit compote. Comment: not as elegant as the TWA 22 Year, but it is also richer and sherried, so a very different style; meaty, fruity and syrupy with dark chocolate, and even the dark chocolate is spicy!” – $280 – 89pts Whisky Base – Only 18 Bottles Coming!
- The Whisky Agency/Heads & Tails Ben Nevis 1996 (2nd Edition) – 44.1% – 22 Year – Hogshead – My Tasting Note: “Nose: creamy, honeyed and waxy with banana chips, paraffin oil and fresh cut flowers; midori melon liqueur, macadamia nut butter and nougat. Palate: soft, toasty and floral with a honeyed, velvety mouthfeel; honey dew melon, more midori liqueur, juicy bitter orange, toasty banana chips and apricot jam; loads of floral vanilla, waxy oils and macadamia nut butter. Finish: long, toasty and floral with more honey/vanilla and loads of soft fruits; late toasty oak and delicate peppery spices. Comment: this is layered, complex and old school: waves of soft silky fruits, vanilla, toasted oak and spices; a lovely, elegant bottling; pretty sure this is an American oak hoggy, and it is gorgeous… well worth the ticket price!” – $270 – Only 24 Bottles Coming – SOLD OUT!
A Few of This Weekend’s Best Deals
You Don’t Want to Miss Out On These Savings!
We’ve been working semi-exclusively with most of the whiskies below, with some going to a few other retailers, mainly in Edmonton or BC. While we’ve worked through our allocations, there is a little stock left over, and the importers are keen to move it… These prices won’t last. and they won’t come again:
- Elements of Islay Cl12 – 57.5% – Refill Sherry Butts – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Classically maritime. Slate tiles, saltwater, warm tarmac on a sunny day. Sour apple sweets, Pouilly-Fumé wine, aguardiente, rhubarb and custard. Palate: Astringent smoke with salt and liquorice. More orchard fruits, alongside green grass and citrus zest. Lots of cigarette notes, cold smoked meats, chervil and tarragon. Finish: Peaty finish with cloudy lemonade, coal dust, fresh herbs and grapefruit peel.” – Was $88 – SAVE 20% – Now $70.40 – 86pts Whisky Fun / Whisky Base 86.58
- Elements of Islay Pl6 – 55.3% – 7 Year – ex-Bourbon – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Farmyards, burnt grass, camphor, young Jamaican rum and petrol. Underneath the more powerful notes, there’s sweet potato pie, malt loaf and just a hint of peaches. Palate: Oily and briny. Smoked ham, barley husks, Manzanilla sherry, almond oil, green olives. There’s a warmth of Christmas spice towards the end: clove and cinnamon. Finish: Oak chips, sweet white wine, pancetta, rye bread and hot ashes.” – Was $185 – SAVE 25% – Now $138.75 – Whisky Base 87.25
- Port Askaig 8 Year – 45.8% – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Lemon zest and coal smoke with warming barley just turned on the malting floor. Palate: Limestone, sugar snaps and coating of dark peat. Honeysuckle weaved with liquorice sweetness. Finish: Fresh flavours of rock salt and black pepper linger as the smoke slowly fades.” – Was $67 – Save 20% – Now $53.60+gst
- Port Askaig 25 Year – 45.8% – Presumed to be Caol Ila – 90pts Serge @WhiskyFun: “It’s not exactly this label, which used to mention ‘Port Askaig Harbour’, the new one for America rather has ‘Port Askaig Islay’. Let’s try the latter… Colour: white wine. Nose: it’s not huge, and rather on charcoal and graphite, with some delicate coastal notes, beach herbs, wool, old jacket, sea breeze, a nice wee oyster, and whiffs of freshly shredded celeriac and cabbage. Delicate, elegant, subtle, it’s like looking in a mirror (a little tired, S.?) Mouth (neat): naturally. Sauvignon, lemon juice, charcoal ash, oysters, tincture of iodine, then more shredded celeriac as well as a little angelica, and perhaps one drop of yellow chartreuse (per glass). Finish: medium, with this trademark feeling of peated lemons, green apples, then tobacco ashes. Comments: just extremely good, with this faint lightness that’s so engaging in this famous – and supposedly lighter – make. SGP:456 – 90 points.” – Was $375 – SAVE 25% – Now $281
- Port Askaig 28 Year – 45.8% – Presumed to be Laphroaig – Refill American Oak Hogsheads – My Tasting Note is on the KWM Website – 90pts Serge @WhiskyFun: “Will this one be softer? What’s 3 years anyway? Colour: white wine. Nose: well, it is a little more camphory and mentholy, so probably a little more tertiary, with some pine nuts, greengages, these notes of smoked salmon and other fatter fish, smoked hake, touches of pickled onions and capers perhaps, then a fruitier side with pink grapefruits, then whiffs of rainwater… Mouth: ah yes, transmuting peat, with already more tropical fruits (mangos, maracujas) while the rawer, straighter smokiness is still there. Other than that, it’s all wonderful, perfectly balanced, with touches of caraway and star anise leading to a rising gingerbready feeling. This one’s really very interesting, it’s not a 25 anymore, while it’s not a 30 yet. In short, somewhere in between, and that is pretty lovely. Finish: medium, rather soft, with a saltier, brinier ending. Oyster juice! Comments: the 25 and the 28 are actually very different, but please don’t ask me to choose. SGP:555 – 90 points.” – Was $440 – SAVE 25% – Now $330
- SMOS Mortlach 22 Year – 54.2% – 3x ex-Bourbon Hogsheads & 1x ex-Sherry Butt – Tasting Notes by Billy Abbot (The Whisky Exchange): “Nose: Brown sugar, cherries and new leather. Candied lemon and orange segments follow, with a little bit of minty freshness. Dark fruitcake and bittersweet dark chocolate peek in around the edges. Lighter notes float on top: rose petals and freshly cut stems, with a touch of candy necklace sweetness. Palate: Lots of dried fruit and grown-up, not-to-sweet fruitcake to start. Sticky raisins and malt loaf add more weight and sweetness. Spiced, stewed apples with anise, cinnamon and nutmeg develop, with buttered spiced bread, black liquorice and treacle toffee. Finish: The treacle toffee fades to leave freshly-cut apples dusted with cinnamon. Comment: A big and sherried Mortlach with balanced fresh fruit and herbal notes that stops it becoming overpowering. Excellent cask selection.” – Was $270 – SAVE 20% – Now $202.49 – Whisky Base 88.99
Available Glenfarclas Family Casks
All Of Which Are On Sale, 10% Off – Three of the 20% Off!
One of the things that is a little challenging these days, is committing to new releases of the Glenfarclas Family Cask bottlings, before there are reviews, tasting notes or pictures. In the early days of the Family Casks, George Grant wrote up tasting notes on every single cask… the Family Casks though have been a victim of their success in more ways than one, both availability and pricing, but also the volume of releases. This has slowed a bit, and due to Covid-19, there may not be any new bottlings added to the range this year.
We placed a small order for Family Casks in February, mostly special requests from customers, but also a bit of extra stock. It just arrived. The following Glenfarclas Family Casks are currently available at KWM, but are as always rather limited in availability. There are just 1-2 bottles of each available, with a couple exceptions. Many of the 2018 bottlings have been reviewed by Angus at Whisky Fun, and have great scores. No slouches here, everything is looking very good. A couple of them will be going on sale next week, but I’m willing to offer the sale pricing now (both 1980s and the 1993 are 20% off). One other note, is on the reference to 4th Fill Hogsheads below for some of the whiskies. A long time ago George Grant told me that at Glenfarclas everything was first fill, or 2nd fill. Everything else was classified as 4th Fill, or plain cask, because they weren’t always sure of the casks prior history!
We hope to have a new offer from the distillery in a few weeks!
- Glenfarclas 1980 Winter 2018 – 43.3% – 38 Year – Refill Hogshead – No reviews, expect it is similar to the cask below! – $1522.99 – SALE 20% Off – Only 1 Bottle!
- Glenfarclas 1980 Summer 2018 – 47.8% – 37 Year – Refill Hogshead – 89pts Angus Whisky Fun: “A sister cask, this should be interesting. Colour: light yellow. Nose: lots of freshly baked breads, sourdough starter, veg stock and curious things like roast chicken, bay leaf, tarragon and wild mushrooms. A meal in a glass! Goes on with baking soda, cornbread, ginger biscuits and a rather dry and peppery waxiness. Things like wax paper, canvas and old jackets. Freshly rolled oats, savoury flapjack, trail mix and toasted mixed nuts. Fresh, clean and getting increasingly cereal in profile. Mouth: full and syrupy in texture. Lots of toasted almonds, coconut oil, buttered bread, lemon peel, citrus infused darjeeling tea, mint leaf and fir liqueur. Touches of fennel seed, caraway and miso broth. Again this rather delicate waxiness in the background with similar peppery notes. Finish: long, earthy, all on olive oil, mixed shades of pepper, lime zest, white truffle and dried herbs. Comments: cleaner than its sibling and very good. A more technical and textbook early 80s Glenfarclas. I like the dryness, it felt very crisp and appetising. SGP: 561 – 89 points.” – $1522.99 – SALE 20% Off – 89.8 Whisky Base – Only 1 Bottle!
- Glenfarclas 1985 Summer 2018 – 43.6% – 33 Year – Refill Sherry Hogshead – 90pts Angus Whisky Fun: “Colour: white wine. Nose: more mineral and towards things like sunflower oil, toasted seeds, cereals, yellow wildflowers, pollens, honeys, dried mint, buttered toast and olive oil. Fragrant, gentle and very pleasant. Various light and fresh herbal notes such as chopped parsley, marjoram and chives. A very light background note of hessian, mineral oil and beeswax as well. Rather sophisticated and charming – quite out of character for things from 1985. Mouth: olive oil, yellow flowers, chestnuts, sunflower seeds, white bread, asparagus, black pepper, lime zest, gooseberry and lychee. Wee hints of cough medicine and gentian root, then slightly salty liquorice and fresh butter. Finish: good length, lemony, slightly yeasty, sooty, peppery and nicely drying. Comments: The ying to the other 85’s yang. A tad drier and more autolytic and mineral overall but still superbly drinkable and of equal quality. Very happy with these two, not often you find good 85s. SGP: 561 – 90 points.” – $1430 – Only 1 bottle! – 90.5 Whisky Base
- Glenfarclas 1986 Summer 2018 – 47.7% – 32 Year – Refill Butt – 90pts Angus for Whisky Fun: “Colour: orangey amber. Nose: we’re much more on honeys, pollens, various nectars and herbs here. The sherry aspect feels much more restrained on the whole and it delivers a more tertiary and complex profile. Jamaica cake, freshly baked breads, black olive, soot, mushroom powder, bouillon – a rather umami picture emerges. However, there’s also some lovely fruitiness in the form of blood orange, orange bitters, wild strawberry and wee flourishes of things like melon and guava. Excellent stuff! Mouth: gingerbread, mint tea, various red fruit liqueurs, kirsch, blackcurrant, cafe latte, buttery shortbread and a warm seed loaf. More toasty notes, muesli, seed mix, lime zest and hint of earthy petrichor and even a touch of rancio. Really excellent. Finish: long, earthy, raisiny – the sherry aspect becomes a little louder in the aftertaste. Also prunes, lemon peel and more menthol characteristics such as eucalyptus resin and some dried herbs. Comments: I really love this kind of profile of Glenfarclas, some background sherry that quietly elevates the great, weighty distillate and builds an overall very complex and beautiful profile. SGP: 671 – 90 points.” – $1050 – 91.88 Whisky Base
- Glenfarclas 1989 Winter 2018 – 51.4% – 30 Year – Sherry Butt – 89pts Angus for Whisky Fun (on the Summer 2018 sister cask): “Colour: deep bronze. Nose: different territory altogether now. We’re approaching raw sherry bomb here with these notes of light tar, prune juice, strawberry jam, bitter chocolate, espresso, walnut extract, morello cherry and unlit cigars. Big, clean, punchy, powerful and pretty excellent. With a little time it opens up further towards mineral oils and rancio with this slightly saline sherry note. Blood orange, cocktail bitters, soy sauce. Pretty excellent sherry that retains good freshness and complexity. With water: now towards old leather, shoe polish and black olive paste. Some aged game meats and pinot noir as well. Mouth: superb concentration. All on cherry wine, throat sweets, herbal medicines and extracts, eucalyptus, many kinds of tea, strawberry wine, black pepper, bitter herbal oils and earthy turmeric notes. A big swirling sherried cauldron. With water: banana bread with sultanas and cognac, black coffee, miso broth, soot and more bitter herbal notes. Hints of herbal toothpaste as well. Finish: long, increasingly bitter, peppery, more herbal, more medical and wee glimpses of red and dark fruits. Comments: Overall pretty great. Only the increasing bitterness in the finish and aftertaste prevents me from going to 90, but parts were pretty spectacular and sherry heads should only drink this in a secure location, preferably while sitting down. SGP: 572 – 89 points.” – $1190 – 92.0 Whisky Base (higher than the Summer Release)
- Glenfarclas 1990 Winter 2019 – 53.1% – 28 Year – Sherry Hogshead – No Tasting Note/Photo Below – Whisky Base Score 89.5 – $1010
- Glenfarclas 1991 Winter 2019 – 52.6% – 27 Year – Sherry Hogshead – No Tasting Note/Photo Below – Whisky Base Score 90.20 – $550 – Only 4 Left!
- Glenfarclas 1993 Summer 2018 – 53.3% – 25 Year – 4th Fill Butt (but is it?) – 87pts Angus for Whisky Fun: “Colour: amber. Nose: Lovely! A big, easy, leafy and tobacco-scented sherry profile. Interesting that the sherry still has a clear and definable voice on a 4th fill – perhaps the first 3 fills were reasonably short? All very typical on raisins, sultanas, dates and the usual mix of dark fruits. Brown bread, mushrooms, damp earth and some old wine cellar notes. With a little breathing it begins to display notes of cherry blossom and strawberry laces. Very lovely. With water: more toasty notes, more seeds, freshly baked savoury pastries, some cinnamon powder. Mouth: gingerbread with lemon icing, strawberry pipe tobacco, lime leaf, mint julep, some cloves, black pepper and a more developed bready aspect as well. Fresh brown bread and croissants. Getting more and more tertiary and autolytic as time goes on; you can feel that the distillate is starting to have a much more assertive voice over and above the cask. Which, obviously, I rather like. With water: dryer, more towards soft chocolate notes, some walnuts, grist, chamois leather and pollen. Finish: long and on cereals, cocoa, black tea and a few citrus peels. Comments: There’s lots to enjoy here, not least the interplay and changing volumes between cask and distillate. However, I think it’s perhaps not quite a thrilling as some of the older FCs we’re already tried. Quality is still undeniably high though. SGP: 561 – 86 points.” – $525 – SALE 20% Off – 91.94 Whisky Base
- Glenfarclas 1998 Winter 2019 – 54.5% – 21 Year – Sherry Hogshead – No Tasting Note/Photo Below – Whisky Base Score 84.37 – $465
- Glenfarclas 2001 Summer 2018 – 58.3% – 17 Year – Refill Sherry Butt – 87pts Angus for Whisky Fun: “Colour: coppery gold. Nose: a rather striking mix of orange oils and limoncello at first. Lots of cocktail bitters, barley sugars, mixed citrus peel, bitter marmalade, travel sweets and blood orange. Parts of it leaning towards cough syrups and cherry throat sweets as well. Quite different and very enjoyable. With water: a wee touch of lemongrass, olive oil, warm breads and some fresh orange peel. Mouth: orangey, rather nutty and quite sugary. Like curaçao mixed with herbal bitters and marmalade. A good winter dram it would appear. Some soft tobacco notes in the background alongside sultanas and dates With water: winter mulling spices, herbal cough medicine, orange cordial and more barley sugars. Finish: medium and rather herbal, slightly bitter, more orange pith, some aniseed and more notes of cough medicine in the aftertaste. Comments: I didn’t mention refill ‘sherry’ hogshead, but there’s definitely some kind of sherry mystique about this one. Seasonally appropriate wintery ‘mulled’ whisky. SGP: 551 – 87 points.” – $420 – 87.57 Whisky Base
- Glenfarclas 2003 Winter 2018 – 58.3% – 15 Year – 4th Fill Butt – 88pts Angus for Whisky Fun: “Colour: pale gold. Nose: it’s one of these leafier and pleasantly lighter ones again. Lots of cereals, greenery, petrichor, citrus pith, chalk and pebbles. White pepper, hessian, newspaper ink, dried tarragon and a hint of menthol tobacco. This is a style I really enjoy I have to say. With water: dried are more towards fresh fabrics, linens, wool, clay, chalk and green tea with lemon. Also some rather grassy rapeseed oil. It’s very good but probably something you need to be in the mood for. Mouth: a direct and rather punchy arrival. Green pepper, lightly sooty, freshly bailed hay, caramelised oatmeal, runny honey, old shilling ales, melon and lemon curd. Big, quite gutsy and rather grown up malt whisky. With water: fruity museli, baking soda, pastry, dried apricots, bay leaf, moroccan spices. Still rather peppery, warming and lightly earthy. Finish: long, slightly mentholated and full of light wood spices, putty, coal dust, hefty cereals and buttery brown toast. Comments: Technically very good whisky, but probably a tad difficult in many ways. Fun to dissect with whisky pals but maybe not a go to dram of a quiet evening. Still, technically excellent. SGP: 461 – 88 points.” – $407 – 87.57 Whisky Base
KWM Virtual At Home Whisky Tastings
A First Stab at the Temporary New Normal!
For months we’ve been receiving requests about hosting virtual tastings while we live through social distancing. While we liked the idea, frankly the last 8 weeks were just too crazy for us to even wrap our heads around the idea. We are finally settling in to a new groove, and able to start looking at ways to connect with our customers and friends. We are still not sure of any regulations around pouring samples from full bottles for at home tasting, and until we have guidance from the AGLC we can’t look at that, but…
We have a great selection of 50ml bottled whiskies at KWM, and a gift pack ripe for conversion into Virtual At Home Whisky Tastings. To start we have put together 4 tasting lineups, one of which took place last week and two of which still have room, but not much… We will roll out the 4th tasting and maybe some others in the weeks ahead.
These tastings will be sold, much like our traditional tastings, at a set price. You can register in-store, online or by phone. Each tasting includes 5 whiskies. Participants can pick up their whiskies in-store, or request delivery (please don’t wait until the last minute). A few days before the tasting participants will be contacted with details on how to attend the tasting virtually. All are limited to between 20 and 24 people, and available on a first serve basis.
Here are our first, KWM Virtual At Home Whisky Tastings:
- Mature, Rare & Interesting Malts Virtual Tasting – Thursday June 18, 8PM – 5x50ml – You don’t often see older whiskies in 50ml format, but we have put together a range of whiskies 18 to 22 years of age. There is also a curious wild card in the range, a mature NAS whisky at cask strength. Our range: Glenfarclas 21 Year, Glen Scotia Victoriana, Loch Lomond 18 Year, SMOS Ben Nevis 1996 KWM Cask and the Tomatin 18 Year. – $75
- Peat Freaks Virtual Tasting – Thursday June 25, 8PM. – 5x50ml – A celebration of all things peated, just before we head into the hottest months of the year. We will sample 5 whiskies, all from 50ml bottles including: Ardbeg An Oa, Ballechin 10 Year, Black Mountain Fumees, Kilchoman 2011 KWM Cask 770 and the Shelter Point Smoke Point. – $50
Current Covid-19 Store Policies!
For the safety our staff and customers we are continuing to review and modify our Covid-19 Precautions!
Please do not enter the store if:
- You have returned from Outside of Canada in the last 2 weeks, or you live with someone who has!
- You are showing symptoms of COVID-19, or if you have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with or suspected to have contracted COVID-19.
- If any of the above applies, we can come to you… let us deliver!
Precautions we are taking in-store:
- We have increased our hours to offer more flexibility and discourage lineups (see below).
- We are asking customers to sanitize their hands on entering the store, and to consider wearing a mask, especially during the sale.
- We have provided masks for staff.
- We are only allowing a maximum of 6 customers in-store at a time and are asking them to try and respect 2m social distancing with staff and other customers.
- We are not allowing in groups larger than 2 people.
- We have hand sanitizer positioned throughout the store.
- We asking customers not to pick up products unless they want to purchase them.
- We are frequently disinfecting commonly touched surfaces and high contact areas within the store.
- We have stopped accepting cash payments.
- Staff are frequently washing and disinfecting their hands.
- We have marked a place for customers to stand when completing their purchase.
- We have built a sneeze guard around the cash cage.
- We have cancelled all tastings.
- We are monitoring our staff for symptoms and following the lead of AHS.
- We will continue to monitor the situation and update our policies as things develop!
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we all try to navigate this challenging time!
New Store Hours!
For the month of June we have returned to our usual hours on Sunday and extended our hours Thurday-Saturday. Please note we are open an etra hour this week on Thursday, Firday and Saturday during the Sale.
Sunday 11AM – 6PM
Monday 10AM – 6PM
Tuesday 10AM – 6PM
Wednesday 10AM – 6PM
Thursday 10AM – 8PM *9PM This Week for the Sale!
Friday 10AM – 8PM *9PM This Week for the Sale!
Saturday 10AM – 8PM *9PM This Week for the Sale!
Free City-Wide Delivery in Calgary & Other Deals!
Free Delivery in Calgary for Orders Over $50, and Loads of Deals To Be Had!
As with many other small and independent businesses in the city, we are getting creative to continue serving our customers and keeping the business going. We have taken precautions in-store to ensure the health and safety of both our staff and customers. Details on that below! We are also offering options to continue serving those of you in quarantine or who are taking extra precautions with regards to social isolation.
FREE DELIVERY
– We are offering free delivery for orders over $50 placed online or over the phone, and will do our best to deliver within 72 hours.
CURBSIDE PICKUP
– Place an order, we’ll let you know when it is ready. Call us when you are out front or parked in the back lot and we’ll bring it out. Simple as that!
GIFTING
– Want to send someone a care package? All gifting options are still available. Quarantined parents and closed schools qualify as a “wine emergency”. Gift cards are also available and can be used over the phone.
If you are able, please submit your order online. We will answer any questions you might have before finalizing and processing your order. You are not automatically billed when you submit your order.
www.kensingtonwinemarket.com
We will do our best to answer and process as many phone orders as we can. Call us at 403-283-8000. We are offering some great deals too. More on that below, see the bottom of the Malt Messenger!
Customers are still welcome to come in to the store to pick up orders as well as browse and purchase in-store. We are routinely disinfecting commonly touched surfaces and have hand sanitation stations around the store.
Let us know how we can continue to help and serve you in these challenging times!
SAVE 25% on American Rockies & Feed YYC!
$5 from Each Bottle to go to the Calgary Food Bank!
Looking for your next Bourbon, for sipping neat, on the rocks or for an Old Fashioned?
American Rockies Bourbon has been discontinued by the producer, and they are blowing it out. As always, we are passing the Savings on. Not only is this Bourbon 25% off, but we will also donate $5 from every bottled sold to the Calgary Food Bank!
From the people who brought you Canadian Rockies, American Rockies is a Small Batch Bourbon bottled at 44%. We believe the Bourbon is sourced from a Wyoming Whiskey distillery that we happen to be quite fond of.
American Rockies – 44% – My Tasting Note: “Nose: dough, dill-y and woody; smells like a High School woodshop; shelled peanuts, butter tarts and aromatic bitters; peppery with some doughy oatmeal-raisin notes. Palate: sweet, fruity and spicy, with loads of wood-shop tones; fresh, fruity and toasty; more oatmeal-raisin cookie dough, peppery spices and oaky tannins; Demerara sugar and aromatic bitters before warm butter tarts. Finish: fresh, doughy, fruity, sweet and spicy; can’t get over the oatmeal-raisin cookie dough and Demerara mixed with bitters combo… Comment: very fresh for an American whiskey, lots of layers, with the oak restrained nicely.” – Was $70 – SAVE 25% – Now: $52.49 & we’ll donate $5 of that to the Calgary Food Bank!
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
Kensington Wine Market
Macallan – 1937 
