As many of you will know, this is a special year for Kensington Wine Market. As of the 15th of May – exactly 30 days from today – our humble business will be three decades old. To mark 30 years in business, it seems only fitting to take a full month to celebrate, and we hope you’ll excuse us for this indulgence.
We will be kicking things off with our Annual Birthday Sale, running May 13-15, and as we used to in the pre-Covid era, we will be kicking off our sale with a festival tasting. That’s right, for the first time in more than 2 years, we will be having an in-person event in-store!
Many of you have been asking our team in recent weeks and months when we would begin offering in-store tastings again. Our tasting room became a storage, logistics, and fulfillment space during Covid, and we were beginning the process of converting it back to a tasting room when the break-in occurred in February. This threw a proverbial wrench into those plans. But we have a birthday to celebrate, and nothing can stop that.
Accordingly, we will be marking our 30th Anniversary with both Wine and Whisky Festivals over the month of May, and we can’t wait to welcome all of our friends and neighbours back to celebrate with us. The Festivals will be a little smaller than those we used to hold, but they will still feature tons of great products, delicious food from our neighbour Peasant Cheese, and the smiling faces of the KWM team. There might even be some cake…
In addition to the Sale and Festivals, we are planning several virtual tastings, free drop-in events, and other special promotions in May and the months ahead. You only turn 30 once so we’re going to stretch out the fun as much as we can…
It is also possible that we may be able to reopen our tasting room to events in the months ahead, but we have some work to do before we get to that point.
In this Malt Messenger Bulletin, we have a new KWM Exclusive Cask, a 50-year-old Glenglassaugh, a new vintage GlenDronach 10 Year, and some new independent bottlings from James Eadie. We also have some new tastings, including two in-person in-store Whisky Festivals, an Archives range, and the 30 for 30 on 30, a 30th Anniversary inspired tasting of whiskies aged 30 years or distilled in 1992!
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 (but online ordering works too, in fact, it might be faster…).
Wishing you all a Happy Easter & Passover from your friends at Kensington Wine Market.
Sincerely,
Andrew Ferguson
Kensington Wine Market
In This Edition
1. Introducing: The Berry’s Ardmore 2009 KWM Cask
2. Introducing: The GlenGlassaugh 50 Year – Only 1 Bottle!
3. New: GlenDronach 2011 Aged 10 Years
4. New Whiskies from James Eadie
5. New Tastings – Including a Festival!
6. Other Upcoming Tastings
7. On Sale
Introducing: The Berry’s Ardmore
2009 KWM Cask
This is our 3rd exclusive single cask from Ardmore and our second Ardmore from Berry Bros. & Rudd. But it is our first BBR cask in their sexy new livery… very nice! Matured in an ex-Bourbon Barrel before bottling at 60.1%. We’re working on the assumption it is a 12-year-old… and we think the casks may have been used to mature whisky from a related Islay distillery… just saying! 211 total bottles.
Berry’s Ardmore 2009 KWM Cask – 60.1% – 12 Year – ex-Bourbon (possibly refill, previously used for a related Islay distillery? just spitballing….) – My Tasting Note: “Nose: thick, honeyed, and gooey with juicy malt, firm smoke, and salted caramel; smoked trout, candied salmon and citrus; Graham Crackers, cream cheese and cappers; intriguing. Palate: thick and oily, with juicy malt, creosote soaked logs, tarry peat, and salted caramel; still rather fishy with more smoked trout, candied salmon, and langoustines; lemon and lime citrus tones, firm toasted oak, and barley sugar; sandy with a chalky minerality; espresso bean and German licorice; dabs of vanilla and honey too. Finish: long, warming and coating with more salted caramel, tarry peat, licorice and citrus. Comment: this is a rather Islay-like Ardmore. The nose betrayed fish and salt, notes I don’t often associate with Ardmore… and there was more on the palate; could this be an ex-Islay cask? or might the malt have come from Port Ellen maltings, spec’d for a sister distillery on the south coast of Islay? We don’t know, but it is fun to speculate. In any case, we have a big, bold, and very drinkable Ardmore cask here!” – $125
Introducing: The GlenGlassaugh 50 Year
Only 1 Bottle Available
Bottled at a precariously low cask strength of 40.1%, this 50-year-old single malt was bottled from a single Pedro Ximenez Sherry cask. 264 bottles produced, with just 2 coming to Canada!
Producer Description
“Bottled from a single Pedro Ximénez cask from Andalucía and matured for over 50 years next to the shores of Sandend Bay, this rare and complex expression presents a symphony of exotic fruit, on a gentle ocean breeze.”
GlenGlassaugh 50 Year – 40.1% – Pedro Ximenez Sherry – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Deep, seductive layers of sweet almond frangipane, figs and blackberry, carried on a wave of ocean spice, toasted oak and salted honeycomb. Palate: A complex symphony of cassis and soft exotic fruits with rolling waves of papaya, mango and cherry. Mellow oak and yellow plum add an elegant and memorable sophistication to this exceptional rare single malt. Finish: Savour the soft lingering finish of caramelised pear, pineapple and pomegranate, beautifully intertwined with almond and refined oak, on a gentle ocean breeze.” – $11,500.00
New: GlenDronach 2011 Aged 10 Years
This is the second vintage 10-year-old bottled for Canada by GlenDronach, distilled in 2011, it replaces the 2009 vintage. Bottled at 43%, it was “matured in the finest Pedro Ximenez casks from Spain.” The 2011 vintage is a darker and more stereotypical GlenDronach than the 2009 vintage bottling.
Producer Description
“For this limited edition vintage, a small number of Pedro Ximénez casks were hand-selected by our Master Blender Rachel Barrie to reflect the richness and complexity which The GlenDronach is renowned.”
GlenDronach 2011 Aged 10 Years – 43% – Pedro Ximenez Sherry – My Tasting Note: “Nose: nutty with milk chocolate coated candied orange peel and Caramilk bar; stewed prunes, cigar tobacco and rum raisin. Palate: soft and rich with building decadent baking spices; more milk chocolate, new leather and juicy tobacco; earthy with nutty sherry tones and Dutch licorice. Finish: medium-long and sherried; more leather, spices, chocolate and tobacco. Comment: darker in both colour and taste from the 2011 bottling, but remarkably similar, which is not too surprising as both whiskies are 10-year-olds from PX Sherry, and both filled into cask in the Billy Walker era; a dram for those who love their sherry!” – $98
New Whiskies from James Eadie
A-new-to Canada independent bottler, James Eadie is named for a 19th-century entrepreneur and self-made man who owned a significant brewery and network of pubs. He also sold a Blended whisky called Trade Mark X, which the man himself described as “an ancient Scotch mixture” from a recipe inherited from his father, “dispensed to a favoured few.” By the time Alfred Barnard, the famous 19th Century Beer and Whisky writer, visited it was rather more widely distributed at over 300 James Eadie pubs!
The James Eadie brand was revived by Rupert Patrick, James Eadie’s great-great-grandson. More info on the Trade Mark X Blend.
Our New Range:
1. James Eadie Auchroisk 12 Year – 55.8% – 2009 – First Fill ex-Bourbon – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Fresh and full of summery aromas, with apple, honey and floral notes all apparent. Brioche with light vanilla essence. Taste: Like the nose, the palate is full of orchard fruits – apples, pears and damsons – along with a whisp of wood smoke and a hint of ginger. Finish: Big, long finish of almonds and shortbread with a lingering sweetness.” – $135
2. James Eadie Dailuaine 9 Year – 46%- 2011 – Refill Bourbon & First Fill Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Creamy and full-bodied, as banana and ginger combine with milk chocolate, vanilla and almond butter. Taste: Ripe banana and pears with vanilla ice cream, malty cinnamon bun and a gentle hint of ginger and cracked pepper. Finish: Peppery, spicy and sweet, with cinnamon bun, banana and pear drops.” – $91
3. James Eadie Linkwood 10 Year – 46% – 2010 – Recharred ex-Bourbon Hogsheads – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Full of classic floral and citrus notes, tangy orange peel and honey alongside lemon sherbet and icing sugar, with light touches of cut grass and pear drops. Taste: Fizzy lemon and orange sweets pair nicely with buttery shortbread and icing sugar, developing into a lemon drizzle cake with orange peel. Finish: A medium length finish, buttery pastry with a lingering note of peppery lemon sherbet.” – $92
4. James Eadie Teaninich 10 Year Palo Cortado – 56.9% – 2011 – Finished 20 Months in a Refill European Oak Palo Cortado Sherry Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Rich notes of butterscotch, lavender and honey combine with green apple and a squeezed grapefruit. Taste: Initial notes of toffee, vanilla and honey combine with dried fruit and raisins in the mid palate. Finish: Soft and dry, leaving gentle floral notes.” – $143 – Limit 1 Per Customer
New Tastings – Including a Festival…
Our First In-Person Event in 2+ Years
· Date: Thursday, May 19, 2022
· Time: 7 PM
· Cost: $80
· Pick-Up Date: No pickups… it is in person!
Our Fall and Spring Single Malt Festivals pre-Covid were, to say the least, a hot ticket. Often they would sell out so quickly that we felt compelled to offer a second night. And given that Covid isn’t completely behind us yet, it doesn’t feel right cramming 100 of our whisky friends into the shop just yet. Accordingly, we are offering two more or less identical 30th Anniversary Whisky Festivals, one week apart, for a smaller crowd than usual, to give as many of our whisky friends as possible a chance to attend. As always, our neighbour Peasant Cheese will be lining your stomachs with delicious cheese, charcuterie, sausage rolls, and other treats! Both Festivals are limited to 70 participants and we are asking people to only register for one date or the other, and not both, out of respect for other customers. Thursday, May 19, 7 PM – 9 PM.
· Date: Friday May 20
· Time: 5 PM
· Cost: $75
· Pick-Up Date: TBC – Soon!
We recently received a very cool range of whiskies from our friends at Whiskybase, who are best known for their “Fishes of Samoa” series of Archives bottlings. We’ll be joined in the tasting by CJ and Abby of the Whiskybase team as well as their Canadian importer Igor Kossov. Our range will include: Balcones 2017, Benrinnes 1997, Burnside 1996, Glentauchers 1989, Glentauchers 1996, Irish 1990 and Secret Speyside 1998. Note: the photo was taken before we tweaked the range to add the Irish single malt. This is a truly awesome range, and you don’t want to miss it! Friday, May 20, 5 PM. *Please Note the 5 PM start time!*
· Date: Thursday, May 26, 2022
· Time: 7 PM
· Cost: $80
· Pick-Up Date: No pickups… it is in person!
Our Fall and Spring Single Malt Festivals pre-Covid were, to say the least, a hot ticket. Often they would sell out so quickly that we felt compelled to offer a second night. And given that Covid isn’t completely behind us yet, it doesn’t feel right cramming 100 of our whisky friends into the shop just yet. Accordingly, we are offering two more or less identical 30th Anniversary Whisky Festivals, one week apart, for a smaller crowd than usual, to give as many of our whisky friends as possible a chance to attend. As always, our neighbour Peasant Cheese will be lining your stomachs with delicious cheese, charcuterie, sausage rolls, and other treats! Both Festivals are limited to 70 participants and we are asking people to only register for one date or the other, and not both, out of respect for other customers. Thursday, May 26, 7 PM – 9 PM.
· Date: Monday, May 30, 2022
· Time: 7 PM
· Cost: $215
· Pick-Up Date: TBC!
We wanted to do an epic range of 30-year-old whiskies, and whiskies from 1992, the year we opened to celebrate our 30th Anniversary. We also liked the idea of hosting the tasting on the 30th… just for effect. Our range includes a few bottles we held back just for a special tasting. Our full range is: Archives Secret Speyside 1990, Bowmore 30 Year, GlenAllachie 30 Year, Glenfarclas 30 Year, Peat’s Beast 30 Year, Signatory Jura 1992, Whisky Fassle Aberlour 1990 30 Year and Whisky Fassle Glen Keith 1992. The tasting also includes a special KWM 30th Anniversary Logo glass… provided they arrive in time! Monday, May 30, 7 PM
Deals, deals, deals! Especially on Waterford, and more than what I have highlighted below too. You can browse the full sale list online!
1. Smokehead Rum Rebel Islay Single Malt – 46% – This undisclosed Islay Single Malt is rumoured to come from Ardbeg and has been finished in rum casks. – Was $92 – Save 20% – Now $72.79
2. Smokehead Sherry Bomb Islay Single Malt – This undisclosed Islay Single Malt is rumoured to come from Ardbeg and has been finished in sherry casks. – Was $115 – Save 20% – Now $91.99
3. Lismore The Legend 21 Year – 43% – Undisclosed Speyside single malt from the owners of Glenfarclas, with a soft sherried character. – Was $165 – Save 20% – Now $131.99
4. Jura Seven Wood – 42% – Not content with double wood or triple wood, Jura has gone right to SEVEN WOOD with this bottling. – Was $121.99 – Save 35% – Now $79.29
5. Cragganmore Distillers Edition – 40% (boo) Diageo is still playing catch up, so this is still on sale. – Was $107.99 – Save 25% – Now $80.99
6. Cragganmore Flavour Led – 55.7% – Old NAS Cragganmore with good reviews that is a lot more palatable on sale than at full price! – Was $1199.99 – Save 30% – Now $839.99
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 delivery fee.
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 parked in the back or out front. Be sure to let us know what your vehicle looks like!
403-283-8000
888-283-9004
Regular 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.*
