Malt Messenger Bulletin

We have been taking pre-orders for the KWM 2021 Whisky Calendar for a little over a week, and it is already more than 3/5 sold out… It might help that we are offering our most generous early bird offer ever. If you purchase the Pre-Pay Early Bird option, by end of day September 22nd, you will save $60 on the KWM 2021 Whisky Calendar. On September 23 the price will increase to $435+gst.

We will be revealing the design of our 2021 Whisky Calendar in a week or so.

We also have a new Glenfarclas Family Cask offer, including 18 new single casks. We weren’t expecting a release this year, so this is a pleasant surprise. And there is another Glenfarclas expected soon, the Glenfarclas 185th Anniversary bottling!

I also have included info on some up-coming virtual tastings, and there are also another half dozen tasting notes I’ve managed to write up over the last few days.

As always, in the event of a discrepancy in price, the point of sale at KWM will be taken as correct. Please don’t hesitate to email me with any questions, comments, or requests.

Sincerely,

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

 

GLENFARCLAS FAMILY CASK OFFER 2021

At long last we have a new Glenfarclas Family Cask offer, and it includes 18 new “Summer 2021” bottlings. Vintages 2005 and 2006 have been bottled for the first time as Family Casks. I’ve done a little digging on them and the vintages I’m most curious about are 2004, 2001, 1996, 1992 and 1991…

Please see the PDF linked below for pricing.

ETA is Winter/Spring 2022.

Dowload the Glenfarclas Family Cask List

If you would like to order any of the vintages please advise me by email, by Friday, September 24.

COMING SOON:

GLENFARCLAS 185th ANNIVERSARY

To celebrate their 185th Anniversary, the Glenfarclas Distillery has created a special multi-vintage bottling, just as they did for their 175th Anniversary. Only 6000 bottles have been released globally, bottled at 46%. It has an 88.8pt score on Whisky Base!

Glenfarclas 185th Anniversary – 46% – Producer Description: “To mark the occasion, Callum Fraser (Distillery Manager) and Douglas Belford (Managing Director) were given the enviable task of going out in to the warehouses to hunt for casks from across the decades that they felt best represented our 185 year history. This was a long process, but after almost 2 years of adding a few casks at a time, they are more than delighted with the final result. This well layered dram with a phenomenal finish showcases the true Glenfarclas character. It was bottled at 46% and will be available soon from specialist whisky shops via our network of international distributors.” – $170 – Limit 1 Per Customer!

Early Bird Pricing on the KWM 2021 Whisky Calendar Ends in 48 Hours!

“25 Days of Dram Fine Whisky”, aka the KWM Whisky Calendar is back for the 8th straight year. Once again the calendar will have a fresh new look, which we will be revealing in late September. This year’s calendar includes 24 50ml premium whiskies, a custom logo Glencairn glass, and a 100ml Scotch Malt Whisky Society whisky for Christmas Day. You can follow along on the KWM Blog starting December 1, or one of our various social media channels, as we introduce and discuss each day’s whisky. And there is more…

Last year, inspired by Covid and the rise of Zoom events, we held 5 Whisky Calendar Recap Tastings throughout the month of December. They were such a big hit that we knew we’d have to bring them back again this year. Accordingly, we will hold tastings for participants in this year’s Calendar on December 5, 10, 15, 20, and after Christmas on 29th. Each of them will cover the 5 prior day’s whiskies in the Calendar.

The whiskies this year include 3 KWM exclusive casks, a number of whiskies in their 20s, and more than a dozen distilleries and producers never before featured in any of our prior Whisky Calendars. We also worked hard to keep the pricing as reasonable as we possibly could this year, which wasn’t easy. Prices have been rising across the board, and supply chain issues have affected everything from the availability of glass and cardboard to delays in shipping and bottling. Never the less we are confident that we have put together another amazing product this year, and we know you are going to love it!

Best of all, if you select the pre-pay pre-order option, you will save $60. This option was very popular last year, and completely sold out 2020’s original production in just 2 weeks!

We anticipate the KWM 2021 Whisky Advent Calendars should be ready for pick up in early November. That is, as long as everything goes as planned (which, in the Covid Era, you can never be 100% sure of). But we’ve planned accordingly, and ordered early from all of our suppliers!

Two Options to Order the KWM 2021 Whisky Calendar

1. Pre-Pay Early Bird Special Offer– Select this option if you wish to save $60 on the regular price of $435, by prepaying now in full (please note this cannot be combined with other offers or discounts). You will be charged $375+gst when we receive your order. This offer will expire at 11:59:59PM on September 22nd.
2. Pay Later Pre-Order– If you want to reserve a KWM 2021 Whisky Calendar and pay thefull price of $435+gst later, please select this option to submit your order, and you will not be charged until a few days before it is ready for pick-up.

UP-COMING VIRTUAL WHISKY TASTINGS

Adelphi & Ardnamurchan with Connal Mackenzie

·     Date: Friday, September 24

·     Time: 5 PM

·     Cost: $55

·     Pick-Up Date: Available Now

·     Only 12 spots left!

Adelphi Distillery Sales Director Connal Mackenzie will be our guest as we sample a range of whiskies from Adelphi Distillery Ltd. We have five independent bottlings from their Adelphi range, including bottlings of BenRiach, Breath of Speyside, Caol Ila, Glenborrodale, and Springbank. We also have a pair of single malts, from Adelphi’s Ardnamurchan Distillery to sample, including a peated single cask. We held back stock of all of these releases, so participants will get first crack at the bottles! 5 PM, Friday, September 24.

Independent’s Day: Boutique-y Whisky with Dave Worthington Round 1

·     Date: Saturday, September 25

·     Time: 5 PM

·     Cost: $80

·     Pick-Up Date: Available Now

·     Only 6 spots left!

We’ve just received a boatload of exciting new whiskies from the That Boutique-y Whisky Company, so we’ve cajoled our friend and Boutique-y Global Brand Ambassador Dave Worthington into joining us for a couple of tastings. Dave always puts on a good show, and just might be joined by Sam Simmons, aka Dr. Whisky… we never can be sure! Round I will include a mature range of malts including a closed distillery bottling. Specifically: Ben Nevis 22 Year, Caperdonich 22 Year, Glengoyne 19 Year, Inchgower 14 Year, Inchmurrin 20 Year, Irish Single Malt #1 14 Year and Tobermory 24 Year. 5 PM, Saturday, September 25

Bourbon: Learning About New Riff

·     Date: Tuesday, September 28

·     Time: 6 PM

·     Cost: $30

·     Pick-Up Date: Target September 17

New Riff is coming to Kensington Wine Market (virtually)! We can finally showcase this Newport, Kentucky Distillery that has a big focus on Bottled in Bond and Single Barrel Bourbon and Rye Whiskey. Join Evan and special guest Jay Erisman – Distiller at New Riff – for an online guided tour through 6 samples of New Riff Bourbon and Rye Whiskey.

*Please note that this stating starts at 6 PM Calgary Time instead of our usual tasting time to accommodate our special guest, who will be joining us virtually from Kentucky.*

Independent’s Day: Feis Ile Take 2

·     Date: Thursday, September 30

·     Time: 8 PM

·     Cost: $100

·     Pick-Up Date: Available now!

Our last virtual Feis Ile tasting in the Spring/Summer was a bit of a fiasco… we had to postpone it for months due to global shipping problems. And in the end, we were never able to feature a couple of the whiskies we had hoped to showcase. So we’re doing it again, but we’re taking our range up a notch. On the tasting docket this time: Boutique-y Bunnahabhain 14 Year, Boutique-y Bruichladdich 27 Year, Grace Ile 25 Year, Peat’s Beast PX, Peat’s Beast 27 Year, Signatory Caol Ila 2010 & Signatory Unnamed 1992 Islay Single Malt. 8 PM, Thursday, September 30.

SMWS October 2021 Virtual Outturn – 10th Anniversary Edition

• Date: Wednesday, October 6
• Time:8 PM
• Cost: $40
• Pick-Up Date:Available September 20

It is hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since we helped launch the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Canada. Over the last decade, the Society has released over 800 whiskies to its Canadian members, and we’ve hosted well over 200 Outturn tastings at KWM. It has been quite a ride, to say the least… We hope you’ll join us for the Society’s 10th Anniversary Outturn tasting on Wednesday, October 6, 2021, at 8 PM. As always your purchase limit is 2.We will sample 7 new releases, including a special bottling. *Tasting samples will be available for pick-up on Monday, September 20.

Independent’s Day: Boutique-y Whisky with Dave Worthington Round 2

·     Date: Friday, October 15

·     Time: 5 PM

·     Cost: $65

·     Pick-Up Date: Available now!

·     Only 8 spots left!

We’ve just received a boatload of exciting new whiskies from the That Boutique-y Whisky Company, so we’ve cajoled our friend and Boutique-y Global Brand Ambassador Dave Worthington into joining us for a couple of tastings. Dave always puts on a good show, and just might be joined by Sam Simmons, aka Dr. Whisky… we never can be sure! Round 2 will include a pair of teaspooned “Blended Malts” believed to be 25-year-old Balvenie and 24-year-old Glen Scotia. In addition to that we’ll sample Bunnahabhain 10 Year, Glen Elgin 22 Year, Glen Garioch 29 Year, Tobermory 12 Year and an unnamed 10 Year Islay Single Malt. 5 PM, Friday, October 15

Wine vs Whisky with Abi & Evan

·     Date: Friday, October 22

·     Time: 8 PM

·     Cost: $55

·     Pick-Up Date: Day of the tasting! Friday, October 22

Abi knows Wine.

Evan knows Whisky.

What would happen if they switched roles?

For this tasting, Evan will select and talk about samples of wine while Abi will take charge on the whisky side, choosing three samples as well. Worlds will collide on this wine and whisky tasting. Which choices will come on top?

Included in the tasting kit:

– 3x 1.7 oz / 50 ml samples of wine

– 3x 0.5 oz / 15 ml samples of whisky

– A few small Halloween-themed snacks for pairing.

This offers enough of a sample size for all the singles out there. Those of you making a date night out of it might want to purchase two kits.

*Because the wine is a bit more perishable than the whisky, we will not be pouring it into sample bottles until the day of the tasting. Samples will not be ready for pickup until the day of the tasting*

Cooper’s Choice Curiosities

Date: Tuesday, October 26

Time:8 PM

Cost: $40

Pick-Up Date:Available September 14

Having recently received a curious parcel of bottlings from Cooper’s Choice, we knew we’d have to build a tasting around them. For one, there are a pair of Secret bottlings, one each from the Lowlands and Islay, and the Ileach is believed to come from a distillery that rhymes with Lardbeg! Also from the Lowlands, a region we rarely talk about, there is the first bottling we’ve ever seen from the new (established 2015) InchDairnie Distillery… and adding to the intrigue it is a peated Lowland single malt! We’ll also be sampling a 25 year old Old Rhosdhu, an intriguing Blended Malt, a Caol Ila and a late teens Ardmore. Expectations are high for this rag tag bag of drams! 8PM Tuesday October, 26.

Rare Malts: Single Casks & Small Batch Bottlings

Date: Tuesday, November 2

Time:8 PM

Cost: $60

Pick-Up Date: September 15

The allure of this tasting should be almost self-explanatory… It is a range of Rare and Limited Edition malts, that we are dying to share with you. We will be sampling the Daftmill 2009, Ardnamurchan Paul Lanois, Compass Box Menagerie, and Macallan 18 Year Sherry Oak as well as three brand spanking new KWM exclusive casks from Berry Bros. & Rudd: Orkney 2003 (Highland Park), Blended Malt 1999 (who knows what this is… and who cares? it’s awesome!), and Tormore 1995. None of the whiskies in this range have ever appeared in a prior KWM tasting, save perhaps the Macallan 18 Year Sherry Oak, and I’d wager it’s been at least 10-12 years since we’ve cracked a bottle of that! 8PM Tuesday, November 2.

The Ultimate Bunnahabhain Tasting 271 Years

Date: Thursday, November 25

Time:8 PM

Cost: $300

Pick-Up Date:Available September 24

A few of our team here, independently noted that we have a lot of old Bunnahabhains right now, and I mean a lot. There are the 43 and 44-year-old Director’s Special bottlings, 40 and 42-year-old Signatory Vintage bottlings and the Port Askaig 45 Year (also a Bunna) is returning this Fall. Add to that a Boutique-y Bunnahabhain 27 Year and a Bunnahabhain 30 Year OB I tucked away for a tasting, because there wasn’t enough to sell, and we had 271 years of Bunnahabhain just begging to be tasted… we couldn’t let this opportunity slip by without having an Ultimate Bunnahabhain Tasting! 8 PM, Thursday, November 25.

The Kinship Collection 2020 – 178 Years

Date: Tuesday, November 30

Time:8 PM

Cost: $200

Pick-Up Date:Available September 30

It is likely someone will eventually purchase a full set of the Kinship Collection 2020 from us… but we won’t be selling two! That’s because one of those sets is going to get cracked for a tasting. How can it not?! The set is comprised of a 28-year-old Ardbeg and 30-year-old whiskies from Bowmore, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Highland Park and Laphroaig. In all, it is 178 years of Islay malts & Highland Park. Reviews of the range are not so shabby either, averaging 90+pts on Whisky Base.

MY TASTING NOTES:

ON SOME RECENT NEW ARRIVALS

A lot of the old and rare whiskies we get in need a bit of extra love, and deserve bespoke tasting notes written by what I hope is seen as a trusted source… me! Here are my own thoughts on a half dozen recent arrivals, all of them lovely in their own unique ways!

Compass Box Menagerie – 46% – Predominantly Mortlach (42.7%) with Deanston, Glen Elgin, Laphroaig & Highland Malt Blended Malt – My Tasting Note: “Nose: soft, fruity and spicy with a hint of smoke; perfumed floral top notes; a faint meatiness with leather and waxy tones; baked apple, poached pear, and over-ripe banana. Palate: soft and fruity with chewy malt that melts into silky oak tones; a touch of subtle ashy peat upfront before the fruits take over; more baked white fruits, uber ripe banana, apricot jam, and marmalade; the oak adds waxy-honey, soft leather, and decadent spices; late earthy tones, chocolate, and darker fruits. Finish: soft, elegant and complex; cream, fruits, and clean smoke… then more fruits. Comment: a very pretty dram from start to finish, this is another fine example of Compass Box’s mastery of Whisky Making! – $155 

Grace Ile 25 Year – 48% – American Oak – My Tasting Note: “Nose: soft, fruity and floral with clean smoke; clotted cream, salted caramel, and seaweed wafers; ashy peat, seaweed crisps, langoustines dipped in butter and seared scallops; moving into melons, apricot jam, and Strawberry Twizzlers. Palate: soft, creamy and floral with ashy smoke; lush with more clotted cream and salted caramel, but also creme brule and dulce de leche; chewy malt, toasted almonds, and toasted oak; a burst of citrus with melons and apricot jam; faintly medicinal with more seaweed crisps, langoustines, and scallops. Finish: long, coating, creamy and medicinal with soft fruits, toasted oak, and spice; warming and lush with layers. Comment: this is a lovely older Ileach with fading medicinal peat, soft fruits, and chewy malt; based on the profile, I’d guess Laphroaig.” – $550

Signatory Caol Ila 2010 – 58.9% – 10 Year – Refill Sherry Butt #316650 – My Tasting Note: “Nose: thick, oily and peaty with chewy malt, earthy dunnage tones and beef jerky; figs, dates and stewed prunes; dark chocolate, leather, and tobacco. Palate: big and oily, woof… it starts big and only gets bigger; maple syrup, treacle sauce and Dutch licorice; chewy malt, dark bakers chocolate firm leather and fruity tobacco; more dried dark fruits and teriyaki beef jerky; coal smoke and a touch of gunpowder; medicinal with bacon-wrapped scallops. Finish: long, coating, and fruity with loads of dried fruits and Dutch licorice; oily and medicinal. Comment: classic sherried Caol Ila, this is a muscular dram loaded with chocolate, leather, spice and medicinal tones.” – $215

Signatory Caperdonich 2000 – 56.4% – 20 Year – Hogshead #29481 – My Tasting Note: “Nose: fruity and nutty with soft toasted oak; coconut icing, creme brule, and marzipan; bright citrus fruits and peaches n’ cream. Palate: nutty and toasty with decadent spices and soft fruit; the oak is dominating the palate, but in the best possible way; more creme brule, coconut icing, and marzipan; silky with Demerara sugars, candied nuts, and decadent spices; pecan pie; on the fruit side of things more citrus, apricot jam and canned peaches. Finish: warming and spicy with more creamy oak tones, decadent deserts and bright fruits; the finish is on the short side of things, but leaves you wanting more. Comment: decadent and very drinkable with a nice complexity; this is without question the best priced Caperdonich we have at the moment; an increasingly rare whisky, from a closed distillery! – $535

Signatory 30th Annv Glenlivet 1973 – 43.1% – 45 Year – a Sherry Hogshead & a Sherry Butt – My Tasting Note: “Nose: hot damn… this is something; antique-y; swirling old Armagnac in a brandy sifter while sitting in a leather armchair in an oak-paneled cigar lounge; fruity pipe tobacco, strawberries dipped in dark chocolate and maraschino cherries; syrupy and then into the tropical fruits: mango, papaya, and guava; rosewater. Palate: big, rich and deep… oh boy this is good; super old-school, more Armagnac, leather, tobacco, and polished oak; maple syrup, chocolate fudge, and quince paste; then we step into the tropical fruits again mango, papaya, and guava… a bit of Kiwi too; the spices build along with a waft of cool mint and something reminiscent of old Jamaican rum; sweet funk and more rosewater. Finish: long, layered and elegant; waves of Armagnac, fruit, chocolate, tobacco, and more. Comment: surprisingly balanced at 45 years of age, with a good synergy between the nose and palate; while I’m not suggesting this is the General or the Black Bowmore, it is trending in that direction… superb stuff!” – $2400

Signatory Jura 1992 – 52.2% – 29 Year – Bourbon Barrel (#2495) – My Tasting Note: “Nose: honeyed and floral with a waxy tone and dried fruits; honeydew melons, dried apricot, and dehydrated apple slices; dunnage warehouse notes; a touch cheesy, powdered sugar, and French bakery aromas. Palate: silky delivery into more French bakery tones, dried fruits, and dunnage warehouse notes; aged cheddar on oatcakes with chutney; more dried apricot and dehydrated apple slices with barley sugars and building decadent spice; floral and waxy with powdered sugar on pain au chocolate. Finish: floral, toasty, and fruity with firm decadent spices; long and warming. Comment: this is a lush, floral and fruity Jura with a pleasant cheesy funk; thinking long ferms before a long oxidative maturation; good recipe for success that! – $515

CURBSIDE PICKUP

Physical distancing is made easy with curbside pickup. Order online or by phone, wait for confirmation your order is ready then call us when you are out front.

FREE DELIVERY

We are proud to offer Free City Wide Delivery on all orders over $100 Monday-Friday! Orders under $100 are subject to a flat rate $10 deliver fee. We are expecting high demand for delivery after the sale so please be patient!

403-283-8000

Store Hours

Mon – Wed 10AM – 8PM

Thurs & Fri 10AM – 9PM

Sat 10AM – 8 PM

Sun 11PM to 6PM

*All Prices Quoted here are subject to change and do not include GST. In the case of pricing discrepancies, the price at our point of sale will be taken as correct.*

An Embarrassment of Riches: The State of American Whiskey

The American whiskey renaissance is still hurtling forward at full steam and shows no signs of slowing down. Just a few short years ago, there were three distinct categories in American Whiskey. The big boys (stalwart producers who were pumping out large quantities of excellent quality hooch), the outsourcers (those who were sourcing well-aged but often overlooked stocks), and the upstarts (young distilleries trying to shake up the game by making their own awesome whiskeys). The upstarts of a few years back are beginning to enter their teenage years, and those who have made it through the long hard slog of starting a whiskey distillery are really starting to shine and strut their stuff with interesting and respectably aged whiskeys that are every bit as good or better than what you find from the big guys. We’re fortunate enough to have secured a number of choice barrels from luminaries that you’ll see below.

Item Name	Retail	Link
Old Pepper K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Barrel Proof Straight Indiana Rye Whiskey (750ml)	$49.99	View
Stellum “Lyra A6” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Single Barrel Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)	$54.99	View
Heaven’s Door 6 Year Old K&L Exclusive Barrel #75 Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)	$59.99	View
Deadwood “Tumbling Dice” K&L Exclusive 5 Year Old Cask #58A Cask Strength MGP Indiana Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)	$59.99	View
Wyoming Whiskey “Private Stock” K&L Exclusive Barrel Strength Single Barrel #6113 Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)	$59.99	View
Sonoma Distilling Co. “K&L Exclusive” Barrel #16-3022 Straight Cherrywood Smoked Cask Strength Bourbon (750ml)	$59.99	View
LAWS Whisky House “Barrel Select” K&L Exclusive Barrel #504 Cask Strength Single Barrel San Luis Valley Straight Rye Whiskey (750ml)	$74.99	View
Balcones K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Single Barrel #16584 Texas Single Malt Whisky (750ml)	$79.99	View
Westward ” K&L Exclusive” Single Barrel #277 Cask Strength Single Barrel American Single Malt Whiskey (750ml)	$99.99	View
Hillrock Estate Solera Aged Single Barrel K&L Exclusive Shea Vineyards “Homer Vineyard” Oregon Pinot Noir Finished Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)	$139.99	View

8 – 10 OCTOBER 2021

Our Whisky Colours Festival is going ahead in 2021, subject to any change in restrictions.  It will have a reduced programme and there will be no specific distillery trips so may be not so intimate but we think it will bring you some exciting drams to enjoy in Speyside’s Autumn colours.

Tickets will go on sale on this website at 6pm on Monday 30 August (UK Time).

Whisky Tasting Programme

Each tasting will be no more than 1 hour and 30 minutes and cost £27.  The tastings will be held in the Royal British Legion Dufftown (50 Balvenie Street, Dufftown  AB55 4AS).

Friday 8th October @ 2pm – Douglas Laing:  This tasting hosted, by an ambassador from Douglas Laing, with be a range of single malts from the last 2 releases from this Independent Bottler.

Friday 8th October @ 5pm – GlenAllachie with Ben Chambers: Ben, the UK Sales Manager for The GlenAllachie Distillers Co. Ltd, will present a range of whiskies from the GlenAllachie distillery including some of their newer releases.

Saturday 9th October 1pm to 3pm – Free In-Store Barrel top Tasting of the Berry Bros & Rudd Classic Blended Malt Range with Andy Stewart of BB&R.

Saturday 9th October @ 2pm – Glen Moray with Emma Ware:  Emma, the Visitor Centre Assistant Manager for Glen Moray, will host a tasting of Glen Moray whiskies including some of their newer releases and may be an exclusive.

Saturday 9th October @ 5pm – Benriach-Glendronach-Glenglassaugh, Capturing the Nuances of the North East with Stewart Buchanan:  With 3 Scottish distilleries in the Brown Forman stable to choose from for this tasting,  Stewart, Brand Ambassador, has decided to include all 3 in this tasting.

Sunday 10th October @ 2pm – Watt Whisky with Kate and Mark Watt:  The owners of The Campbeltown Whisky Company, Mark and Kate Watt, will be returning to Dufftown to host this tasting from their latest release.

Sunday 10 October @ 5pm – Vicky and Mike’s Malt Whisky Mayhem:  We would not want you to miss out on some quality time with Vicky and Mike from The Whisky Shop Dufftown so here is a tasting of some of the whiskies that they have enjoyed recently.

Other Things to Do

Seven Stills – Historic Pub, Scottish Restaurant and Malt Whisky Bar: The Seven Stills is a small, family-run French restaurant and malt whisky bar.  The Seven Stills is gaining a reputation as an inviting place to escape to, and enjoy a carefully selected whisky in the lounge, patio garden or to savour a menu prepared with passion and flair by Chef Patrick. Patrick combines the best traditions of Scottish cuisine with fine old recipes from his native France, the result being a memorable dining experience.  Open for food from 4pm each day of the festival.  Booking required.  Telephone: 01340 820880 / Email: dine@sevenstills.co.uk

Dufftown Craft – Saturday 9 October 10am to 4pm: Dufftown’s monthly craft fair at The Dufftown Glassworks with lots of different items for sale.  They are also great for coffee.

Linkwood 39 Years

1981 vintage Private Collection cask #4958. Only 102 bottled April 2021 at 52.3%. Linkwood 39 Year Old 1981 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Single refill American hogshead #4958. Distilled November 1981 & bottled April 2021 by Gordon & MacPhail for the Private Collection series. Just 102 hand-blown crystal decanters have been produced.

Spiced apple aromas initially, giving way to toasted almonds and tropical fruit. Subtle black pepper comes to the fore alongside vibrant grapefruit and lime zest.

Sweet pineapple and ripe green apple flavours combine with watermelon undertones. Citrus peel and pear chutney combine with honeycomb.

A full bodied finish with lingering mixed nuts and fruit.

Shop Linkwood 39yo »

Linkwood Distillery was established in 1821 by Peter Brown in the Speyside whisky region. This is a malt whisky distillery equipped with six stills and whilst a large percentage of Linkwood whisky flows into blends an increasing volume is appearing as single malt whisky. There are some excellent independent releases including vintages such as Linkwood 1969 and Linkwood 1972 from Gordon & MacPhail.

1991 Caol Ila 30 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Hogshead Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

(750ml) (Pre-Arrival)

$379.99 View

Back when we started scouring Scotland 10+ years ago for great single barrels, we felt pretty good about bottling 30 year old Caol Ila for between $300 and 400. It was rare even then to find these barrels, but the distillery is making such high quality juice and old Islay we knew our customers would appreciate and value those incredible barrels. Fast-forward to 2021, most of the stocks in this age range have quadrupled in price. We don’t blame our suppliers. There’s a been an explosion in interest in single cask single malt worldwide over the last decade and can’t blame them for trying to make the most of dwindling stocks It does mean while they may be available, we simply can’t justify bringing in entire barrels, since there’s so few people who can actually afford to spend $1500+ on a bottle of Scotch. And then something like this pops up and nothing seems to make sense suddenly. Why is this supplier able to offer such a special and delicious example at this rarified age for prices that might have been normal a decade ago? We just don’t know, but we won’t ask too many questions beyond how it tastes. In this case, it’s as exceptional as you’d expect. The clean smoldering peat of Caol Ila tempered by 3 decades of maturation.

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 404: Deanston 13 Year Old 2007 Signatory for Belgium & Luxembourg

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries his 19^th Deanston. ‘I’m somewhat surprised that this is only my 19^th Deanston so far’, he muses. It’s a bottling from Signatory for the Belgian and Luxemburg market. No less than 851 bottles were drawn from this first fill sherry butt, albeit at 46% ABV.

https://youtu.be/qx1s4KPouys

Buffalo Trace Distillery Warns Fans

Of Potential Online Scams

 Online Sites Taking Money, No Bourbon in Return

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Sept. 16, 2021) Buffalo Trace Distillery is warning fans of an increasing number of consumer frauds that are making their way across social media and the internet.

Several disappointed fans have contacted the Distillery letting them know they ordered some of Buffalo Trace’s premium whiskies online from various sites, were charged for the transaction, and then received nothing, or in some cases empty bourbon bottles, many of which were counterfeit and included plastic toppers on the bottle instead of the metal toppers used on legitimate bottles.  Although various brands from Buffalo Trace’s portfolio have been targeted, its Blanton’s and Double Eagle Very Rare Bourbons are being attacked particularly hard by these scam artists.

Many fans see ads on social media promising them Buffalo Trace Distillery whiskeys at low prices, but are disappointed when nothing arrives, or the bottles are empty and not legitimate. “We’ve had fans from across the U.S. contact us to tell us they’ve been duped.  We’ve taken legal action to have the sites shut down and also sent notices to the social media companies asking them to take action, but unfortunately the situation persists,” said Mary Tortorice, general counsel, Sazerac Company.  “In all but six states plus the district of Columbia, it is illegal to ship alcohol directly to consumers,” continued Tortorice.  “One of the tip offs is if the website will process your order with shipment to your state, if you are located in one of the 44 states where shipping alcohol directly to your home is illegal.  Another red flag is if the website is located in another country, as the majority of the scams we have seen have been located overseas.”  Tortorice also warns of prices that seem too low, the old adage of “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is,” applies here.  The sale of counterfeit alcohol, which claims the lives of thousands of people a year, has long been a global problem and is now becoming a problem in the United States as the market deregulates the sale of alcoholic beverages.

Fans are advised Buffalo Trace Distillery does not sell its whiskies online, and to check out any site very carefully for its legitimacy if it is legal to receive distilled spirits in your state.  If you feel you have been duped, you can report the site to the Better Business Bureau, your State Attorneys General office and contact your credit card company about its fraud protection policies.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1775 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 35 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Its Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon was named World Whiskey of the Year for 2018 and its William Larue Weller and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac were named 2^nd and 3^rd finest whiskeys in the world for 2020.  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 1,000 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.

We are very excited to announce that we will have a brand new bottling ready very soon.

It will also be our oldest bottling to date!

Keep you eyes open next week for an announcement.  There are only 35 bottles as the cask was found to be low fill.

Teaninich 1975 Aged 45 Years

Single Cask Bottling

Bourbon Hogshead

Cask Strength – 49.5%vol

Natural Colour

Highland Region

70cl

Bartels Whisky
4 The Old Glebe
Loughborough, Lec LE12 8LB
United Kingdom

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The GlenDronach 12 Year Old

£51.95
£36.99
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The GlenDronach 18 Year Old

£115.00
£97.93
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