Kensington Wine Market
Established 1992
This newsletter is about 3 weeks in the making, and it’s big. Despite the fact we had some cool new products and tastings to fill you in on, I wanted to wait to send it until after the sale. Too much temptation can be a bad thing, better to spread things out…
But over those three weeks, more and more new whiskies kept arriving, and it seemed to make sense to include as many of them as possible. Nevertheless, a line had to be drawn, and this is where I drew it.
There are a lot of exciting new whiskies in this newsletter, and sadly, I have a feeling some of them will be glossed over when you see that there are a few items available by ballot. FOMO will kick in and everything else here will be skipped over.
That is a shame, we have a stunning new Canadian whisky, the Daftmill 15 Year Cask Strength has landed and there are a trio of new limited edition Compass box bottlings. We also have some exciting new tastings added for June and July, and beyond.
But I get it… I do… Springbank is Springbank and everyone wants it. There may be a lot of releases, but there are not a lot of bottles, so set your expectations accordingly. Most of you will be disappointed again, there is no avoiding that, but there are a lot of other really interesting whiskies in here with which to assuage your disappointment!
As always, in the event of a discrepancy in price, the point of sale at KWM will be taken as correct. Online ordering and in-store purchasing are always our preferences. You can email your requests in… but they won’t be dealt with as quickly as the web orders!
Sincerely,
Andrew Ferguson
Kensington Wine Market
In This Edition
1. New Bridgeland Wheat Whisky KWM Cask
2. The Daftmill 15 Year Cask Strength is Here!
3. New Compass Box Whiskies
4. New Whiskies from Signatory
5. New Whiskies from North Star Spirits
6. New Whiskies from Adelphi & Ardnamurchan
7. Introducing Smokehead Terminado Islay Single Malt
9. Amrut Cask Strengths Are Back
10. Assorted New Arrivals
11. Bourbon Corner with Evan
12. Another Ballot – Mostly Springbank
13. New Tastings
14. Other Upcoming Tastings
New Bridgeland KWM Single Malt!
Our friends at Calgary’s Bridgeland Distillery have offered us up the kind of exclusive bottling we couldn’t possibly say no to… Made from a mash of 80% Red Spring Wheat and 20% Barley from Penhold, Alberta. The spirit was distilled in pot stills before aging in both Virgin American oak and French Limousin Toasted oak, seasoned with Bridgeland’s own ex-Moscato Brandy cask.
There is a lot of young craft whisky out there, some of it better than others. Most of these new whiskies are less than 4-5 years of age, and not overly exciting. They often show promise but need more time… So you can imagine my surprise when my entire whisky team and I got excited about a 42-month-old wheat whisky!
Bridgeland has some impressive spirits maturing in their urban (subterranean) warehouse. Evan and I paid the distillery a visit earlier in the year and sampled through a wide range of bottlings and casks. We with impressed with damn near everything, and so the conversation started about a KWM exclusive bottling.
Bridgeland Wheat Whisky KWM Cask – 500ml – 57% – Virgin American Oak / Finished in ex-Moscato Brandy Seasoned Limousin Oak – My Tasting Note: “Nose: big, rich, spicy, and decadent with soft fruits; ginger molasses cookies, pecan pie, and candied fennel; doughy, with fruit flan; a touch of green grapes and raisins; late dusty grain. Palate: sweet, fruity, and rich, with loads of spice; figs in honey, cooked raisins, and more fruit flan; decadent and nutty, more pecan pie and ginger molasses cookies; boozy cherries, orange rind, and basically the finish from a good Old Fashioned cocktail; the wheat pokes through with a touch of dusty minerality and adds a soft floral touch; more white grapes. Finish: warming, spicy, and nutty, with loads of fruit: Jujubes, fruit flan, and darker fruits; good length, with a soft mouthfeel. Comment: while not our first-ever wheat whisky, this is unlike anything we have ever bottled before; it has the spicy-fruit profile of a barrel-proof American rye; but also the decadent balance of a French oak matured single malt; very drinkable.” – $68
The Datfmill 15 Year Cask Strength is Here!
A bit more than 1 year has passed since I first asked if KWM would be lucky enough to get an allocation of Daftmill 15-Year Cask Strength… 1 year 16 days to be exact. And once more we are the only retailer in Canada to receive it…
Opportunities like this don’t come about by chance, they come about through relationships and partnerships which need to be forged, maintained, and reciprocal. Our relationship with Berry Bros. & Rudd, and Charton Hobbs are the lynchpins here. They helped set up my first visit to Daftmill more than a decade ago, and we have worked closely together over the following years on more than a dozen KWM casks and many other exclusive whiskies.
I am returning to see the distillery again in June and will be taking lots of photos to share for a Daftmill Vertical Tasting we will be hosting in June. More on that below.
In the meantime, I have finally gotten around to writing my own tasting note on the Daftmill 15-Year-Old Cask Strength… available now from your friends at KWM!
Daftmill 15-Year-Old Cask Strength – 55.7% – First Fill Ex-Bourbon – My Tasting Note: “Nose: soft, fruity, and nutty, with a lovely cheesy funk; window putty, parchment paper, and fresh cut spring flowers; macadamias, Starburst fruit candies, and sliced pear with a touch of crumbly blue cheese; quince paste and creamed honey; firm toasted oak and wood spices. Palate: lush, fruity, and spicy, with a backbone of toasted oak and dry nutty tones; floral and honeyed, the oak is firm but balanced; on the fruit side of things, more Starburts, crisp pear, and honeydew melon; chewy malt, silky oils, and a flinty minerality; a touch more cheese, Comte and a touch of Danish blue cheese. Finish: light, fresh, and waxy with good length; more floral and fruity tones with honey, malt, and cheese. Comment: This is another cracking good Daftmill; it is elegant, with nice layers, and a good balance; I haven’t even mentioned the strength yet, dangerously drinkable at 55.7%!” – $280
New Compass Box Whiskies
We are launching 3 new Compass Box expressions this week, and that bounty is not only cause for celebration, but also an excuse to put on a baller Compass Box Whisky Tasting…
We will be joined virtually by Compass Box’s Scott Ellis on Tuesday July 18, for a virtual tasting featuring 3 different Flaming Heart, both releases of The Circle, the new Ultramarine, and Vellichor. More details are below in the tastings section.
The three new releases are all limited to 1 per customer. We will be holding back a handful of each for participants in the tasting.
1. Compass Box Flaming Heart 2022 – 48.9% – The 2022 (7th) Edition of Compass Box Flaming Heart has been built around powerful malts from Laphroaig, Caol Ia, and Talisker, tamed a bit with others from Glen Elgin, Balmenach, and Highland Park, and that’s not all. This Blended Malt consists of a wide range of components including remnants from the 2018 Flaming Heart and Peat Monster Arcana. 48.9%. – Producer Tasting Note: “A high-energy nose with smouldering peat embers, cigar wrapper and candied ginger. The palate is oily, smoky, rich and savoury.” – $205 – Limit 1 Per Customer!
2. Compass Box The Circle No.2 – 46% – The second edition of Compass Box’s The Circle was created with bartender Mannie Monaghan and was inspired by the colour coral. Bottled at 46%, this Blended Scotch whisky is primarily composed of Glen Elgin, and Speyburn, along with Teaninich, Linkwood, Ardmore, and a parcel of Blended Scotch whisky. The whiskies components were matured in a mix of ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks. – Producer Tasting Note: “(FOR NON-SYNAESTHETES) We love the bright pineapple and stewed peach aromas that leap out of the glass. The flavour is of vanilla, honey and sultanas soaked in Cognac.” – $230 – Limit 1 Per Customer!
3. Compass Box Ultramarine – 51% – The first of four whiskies to be released in the Extinct Blends quartet, Ultramarine is inspired by old bottlings of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Composed of Caol Ila, Glendullan, Cameronbridge, Grivan, and much more. The whisky is bottled at 51% and is an homage to the deluxe Blends of the 1980s which were strongly influenced by notes of antique-y sherry and pipe tobacco. – Producer Tasting Note: “Toffee, antique polished oak and complex peatiness are primary aromas, with a palate of roasted pecan, raisins and smoke.” – $440 – Limit 1 Per Customer!
New Whiskies from Signatory
We have some interesting new releases from Signatory, as well as some, returned bottlings from the 30th Anniversary Range…
Sadly, not a lot of tasting notes or reviews here, but there is some serious colour on the young Dailuaine and Linkwood. We’ll get working on some tasting notes over the weeks ahead…
New The Un-Chillfiltered Collection
1. Signatory Benrinnes 2010 – 46% – 12 Year – Finished in First Fill oloroso Sherry Butts – $150
2. Signatory Blair Athol 2011 – 46% – 11 Year – Dechar/Rechar Hogshead – $125
3. Signatory Caol Ila 2012 – 46% – 10 Year – Hogsheads – $130
4. Signatory Dailuaine 2009 – 46% – 13 Year – 4 Hogsheads – $110
5. Signatory Linkwood 2012 – 46% -10 Year – Finished in First Fill oloroso Sherry Butts – $150
New Cask Strength Collection
1. Signatory Benrinnes 1996 – 53.5% – 26 Year – Hogsheads – $385
2. Signatory Dailuaine 1997 – 48.2% – 25 Year – Hogsheads – $385
3. Signatory Glenrothes 1996 – 53.6% – 26 Year – Hogshead – $585
4. Signatory Unnamed Islay 1990 – 51.9% – 31 Year – Bourbon Barrel – $765 – 90pts Whiskybase – 1 Per Customer!
30th Anniversary Releases
1. Signatory 30th Anniversary Bunnahabhain 1968 – 41.8% – 50 Year – Refill Sherry Butt – 91pts Whisky Fun: “Comments: I suppose they have been monitoring this marvellous old cask for decades, wondering if it would have hold until their 30th. It did – mind you, the best casks are smart, they are almost persons! No, really! SGP:561 – 91 points. FULL TASTING NOTE ON OUR SITE” – $4500 – 91pts Whisky Fun
2. Signatory 30th Annv Craigduff 1973 – 45.4% – 45 Year Refill Sherry Butt – 91pts Whisky Fun: “Comments: and yet another 30th anniversary bottling by SigV that’s nothing short of impressive. Could we now have a 31st Anniversary series? SGP:651 – 91 points. FULL TASTING NOTE ON OUR SITE” – $2750
3. Signatory 30th Annv. Mosstowie 1973 – 51.6% – 45 Year – Refill Sherry Butt – 92pts Angus @ Whisky Fun: “Comments: A total stunner. By some distance the best Mosstowie I ever tasted. SGP: 851 – 92 points. FULL TASTING NOTE ON OUR SITE” – $2725
New Whiskies from Adelphi
Five new whiskies from Adelphi and Ardnamurchan!
1. Adelphi Glen Elgin 16 Year – 55.6% – 2006 – Refill Bourbon Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Custard creams, citrus cordial, fruit salad, lemon curd and icing sugar. Sweet, creamy texture with milk chocolate, hazelnuts, and blueberries.” – $195
2. Adelphi Breath of the Highlands 12 Year – 55.2% – 2009 – First Fill Sherry Sherry – Producer Tasting Note: “Allspice, Pimento Dram, Gammel Dansk, eucalyptus, liquorice, bitter dark chocolate, Angostura bitters, Riesen toffee, redcurrant. Camp Coffee, espresso martini, burnt toffee, pine resin, madeira cake. Finish – medium, dry, rich” – $135
3. Adelphi Sandbud Fusion – 58.9% – 6 Year – Mariage of 4 casks from the Ardnamurchan Distillery in Scotland and the High Coast Distillery in Sweden – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Mild smoked mackerel, Arbroath smokies, fisherman’s friends, black currants, ground ginger, Bavarian cheese, flapjacks, Lapsang Souchong tea. Taste: Smoke, licorice twig, salty, ashy, hawthorn berries, the perfect balance of Scottish and Swedish flavour and a great balance between bourbon and sherry.” – $170
4. Ardnamurchan Cask Strength AD/09.22 – 94% peated and 6% unpeated malt, and was matured in 88% Ex-Bourbon Barrels and 12% ex-Sherry Hogsheads – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Orchard fruit,smoked cheese, chippy at the seaside, oystershells, eucalyptus. Palate: Cigar box, bonfire embers, butterscotch, galangal, brine, hay bales.” – $102
5. Ardnamurchan Madeira Cask AD/10:22 – 58.2% – Unpeated Malt – Matured in Bourbon / Madeira Cask Finish – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Burnt caramel and honey coated dates. Hints of bitter walnut oil and blood orange marmalade. Palate: Rich jasmine tea, panna cotta, waxy honey and subtle red fruits. Beautifully balanced with hints of tobacco leaf and spice at the finish. Deliciously elegant.” $135 – Limit 1 Per Customer!
Introducing:
Smokehead Terminado Islay Single Malt
We’re all fans of the Smokehead range, and we really like this new one too!
Producer Description
“Terminado brings together Smokehead Islay single malt with tequila. It’s the meeting of two restless spirits – and the awakening of a mesmerising whisky. There, in this tequila cask finish, fiery peat awakes with wild agave. Smoke mixes with chewy meringue. And citrus spins with sweetness. You ain’t tasted nothing like this before.”
Smokehead Terminado Islay Single Malt – 43% – Tequila Cask Finish – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Peaty smoke struts with vanilla and shortbread. Almonds mix with chewy meringue. Blood orange stirs with burnt sugar. And barbecued pineapple brings a surprise move. Palate: A riot of smoke and citrus. Peat and malt go toe-to-toe with toffee, lime spins with peach, and citrus balances perfectly with burnt corn-on-the-cob. Finish: The finish is long and sweet with gentle heat. With a dash of citrus and sprinkle of pepper. But it’s still not the end. There’s always time for another dance.” – $105
New North Star Whiskies Arriving Next Week
I don’t know if Iain Croucher puffs on a little wacky tobacy before writing his tasting notes… but they have a unique style.
Six cool new releases including only the second Dalmunach we have ever seen, a fund cask strength blend and an IB Dalwhinnie… you don’t see those very often!
Don’t be surprised if we cobble together a North Star virtual rating… I am curious to try all of these, including the 31 year old GlenDronach!
1. North Star Tarot Blend 6 Year – This cool young blend is a 2016 vintage composed of 20% malt from the “Edrington portfolio”, and 80% North British grain, all of which was matured in Refill ex-Oloroso Sherry Butts before bottling at 57.3%. – $55
2. North Star Blair Athol 16 Year – 49.5% – 2006 – Oloroso Sherry Finish – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: blanched almonds on biscotti with marzipan jam. Palate: a cloak of warm dark chocolate & hazelnuts. Finish: Turkish black coffee with cardamom.” – $145
3. North Star Campbeltown 8 Year – 55.1% – Port & Oloroso Sherry Octaves – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: smashed peaches on your fruit crumble with creme anglaise. Palate: spiced cherry tobacco with unicorn tears. Finish: silky brambles straight from the bush.” – $155 – 87.8pts Whiskybase
4. North Star Dalmunach 6 Year – 56.4% – 2016 – Ruby Port Cask Finish – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: white linen tablecloth at the end of a boozy dinner. Palate: rich beyond belief. A 15 tog duvet of fortified wine that will keep you warm. Finish: finish with cheese.” – $135
5. North Star Dalwhinnie 14 Year – 48.9% – Refill Oloroso Sherry Finish – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: aromas of toasted green peppercorns and salted pistachios. Palate: carmalised apricots, porridge, clove custard, milk chocolate and popcorn. Finish: finish with cheese…” – $152
6. North Star GlenDronach 31 Year – 44.4% – 1991 – Refill Oloroso Sherry Butt – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: cold rain on hot tarmac, milled black peppers. Palate: passion fruit curd on hot buttered toast. Finish: morello cherry & a warm chocolate fondant.” – $2800 – 89.67pts Whiskybase
Amrut Cask Strengths Are Back!
The cask strength versions of two popular Amrut malts are back… and if Curt is excited about it… you’ll know a lots of other folks will be too!
1. Intermediate Sherry Cask Strength – 57.1% – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Instead of the usual biscuit aroma, we now get moist cake. And my word: is it fruity and spicy!! Love the freshly waxed oak floor, too. Brain-explodingly complex and multi-layered with one of the most intriguing sherry-style-bourbon-style marriages on the market. Taste: Cracking delivery and entirely unique in form. The structure is decidedly oak-based, but acts as no more than a skeleton from which the juicy sultana and spices drape. Salivating, too, as the barley kicks in powerfully. But the liquorice-orangey-honeycomb bourbon theme quietly shapes the flavour profile; the spices pulse and glow. Finish: Quite a chunk of natural caramel quietens the more exuberant characteristics; long and elegant.” – $140
2. Portonova Cask Strength – 62.1% – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: A Thick pudding of a nose; fruit and caramel have merged into one slightly over-oaked soup; burnt apple pie. Taste: This is essentially a port pipe sandwich…. and it shows. The spicy, jammy fruit is interwoven through any amount of caramel while the oaky saltiness gets the taste buds both salivating and puckering until you run dry. Finish: Long, massive oak with quite evident traces of the virgin barrels now detectable. And more of a cocoa hue as it progresses. At last some muscovado sugars arrive to supplant the berry fruits.” – $140
The Berry’s Perspective 21 Year Blend Is Back!
It is back, and it is $15 cheaper than the last time we had it… Exclusive is KWM in Canada, with only 30 bottles available. Bottled at 43%, the label features a photo of Sandwood Bay in Sutherland, by Scottish photographer Lindsay Robertson. Hard to find a 21-year-old Scotch this good, at this price!
Producer Tasting Note: “Fresh, vibrant fruit is undercut by delicate oak and spice, gracefully interwoven with vanilla and honey. A lingering finish caps the experience.”
About the Series: “The Perspective Series brings together two art forms – whisky-making and photography. The essence of our master blender’s work is captured by photographer Lindsay Robertson’s evocative images.”
Berrys The Perspective 21 Year Blend – 43% – My Tasting Note – Updated May 17, 2023: “Nose: sweet, creamy, fruity, and elegant; Jujubes, caramel apples, dulce de leche, and licorice; a fine balance of chocolate, dried fruits, spices, leather, and tobacco; the grain adds a silky elegance to the richer malts; is that a faint whiff of peat? Palate: soft, fruity, and malty with coating oils, toasted oak, and silky filaments of old grain whisky; floral and herbaceous with loads of honey, more dulce de leche, and gamey goats milk chocolate; savoury and decadent spices: more chewy citrus candies, soft white orchard fruits, and caramel apple; French roast coffee beans, leather, and tobacco, with soft licorice; a touch of dunnage, and another hint of subtle peat; elegant, and smooth with lots of layers. Finish: light, fresh, fruity, and elegant with a decent length; more Jujubes, chocolate, leather, tobacco and spices; delicately coating and oily. Comment: This is lovely stuff, both sessionable, and worthy of a bit closer inspection too; very well blended, it is very easy drinking; but it also has lots of layers; old school blend, and a nice dram.” – $125
Bourbon Corner with Evan
Evan here. We have a TINY amount of two very high-end Bourbon releases coming in soon, so I wanted to highlight these for preorder and mention some other with other notable bottles available. Looking for some good Bourbon, Rye, or other American Whiskey? Check these out:
Doc Swinson’s 16-Year-Old Bourbon – The Forgotten One – ONLY 3 BOTTLES coming to KWM!
Doc Swinson’s has stood out for us at KWM amongst a slew of other NDPs (Non-Distillery Producers) thanks to their consistently strong releases and deft cask finishing. This 16 Year Old Bourbon spent 12 years aging in the typical heavily charred virgin oak barrels. The whisky was then transferred to casks which once held Madeira for another four years. The folks at Doc Swinson’s weren’t planning for this project to become a 16-year-old, but then the Covid hit the fan and production of hand sanitizer pushed all other concerns to the side. That is the reason for this release being called the Forgotten One. Bottled at 49.35%. Only 275 bottles, with 3 coming to KWM!
Lucky Seven The Proprietor – 14-Year-Old Single Barrel – 59.8%
Lucky Seven Spirits has been making a splash over the past few years in the USA, and we are getting a few of their releases in Alberta now as well. The Proprietor a series of older, carefully selected single casks Bourbon have been aged between 12 and 15 Years old. This 14-Year-Old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon is the first and only release to come our way so far. This single barrel release was bottled at 59.80%.
Barrel Craft Gray Label 16 Seagrass Rye
We took a flyer on this one and brought it in without having tasted it beforehand. Fortunately, an opportunity arose a few weeks later, where we were able to put our mouths where Andrew’s money is. Errr…that didn’t come out quite right. Anyway…this is unbelievably good rye, currently wearing a ‘Curt’s Pick’ tag on it. Trust us, this is tropical and beautiful. Grab one before it’s gone. Notice the note below. 16-Year-Old 100% Canadian Rye, at 65.41% ABV. I wonder which Canadian 100% Rye producing distillery this juice could have originated from…
Producer Note: “The foundation of BCS Gray Label Seagrass began with two groups of 16-year-old 100% Canadian Rye barrels – one with bright citrus and crisp green apple notes and the other with earthy spearmint notes. A portion of the first group was finished in Apricot Brandy casks, a portion of the second group was finished in Martinique rhum barrels, and a blend of the first and second groups was finished in Malmsey Madeira barrels. When each set of secondary maturation flavors peaked, those casks were pulled and slowly married into the final blend.”
Other Notable Bottles
SMWS 140.12 – LITTLE DRAM ON THE PRAIRIE
This is the first SMWS release we have seen in Canada from the renowned Balcones Distillery of Waco, Texas. It is also the first bottle of Single Malt Whisky to be sold in Canada from the Distillery that I am aware of. Balcones has a short but relatively tumultuous history, thanks to a dispute between a prior Founder/Distiller and some investors. The drama played out nearly a decade ago and received a good amount of attention from whisky lovers and mainstream media alike. Luckily the whiskey is damn good regardless! This single cask is bold and flavorful yet impressively balanced for a four-year-old. It might just be the best American Single Malt I have tasted to date.
RW 5.3 – EXPLORING NEW FRONTIERS
Another first for the SMWS Canada – the first Rye Whisky we have seen. This bottle comes from the highly respected MGP Distillery of Lawrenceburg, Indiana. It is full of bright citrus notes and is a testament to what good Rye Whisky can be. Only a few bottles remain!
Casey Jones Wheated Bourbon
The whisky staff at KWM recently had a chance to try this bottle when Cody from the distillery was travelling through Alberta. Like the rest of the Casey Jones lineup, this is very well put together and drinks superbly even in relative youth. The Wheated Bourbon is made from a four-grain mash bill that includes 26.5% Bloody Butcher Corn, 26.5% Yellow Dent Corn, 35% Wheat, and 12% Malted Barley. It is aged for at least three years and bottled at 55%.
Looking to dive more into Bourbon? Check out our upcoming Blinded By Bourbon Virtual Tasting!
· Date: Tuesday, May 23
· Time: 7 PM
· Cost: $40
· VIRTUAL TASTING
Evan and Harmony are thirsty for good Bourbon and American Whiskey, so it is time for another virtual tasting. Tune out Evan if you must, but sign up for this selection of mostly Bourbon – and perhaps a Rye or Single Malt as well!
Tuesday, May 23rd, 7 PM
Also available
Kentucky Spirits Ltd. KWM Barrel Bourbon
Distilled in Paris, Kentucky by Kentucky Spirits Limited. Barrel #31 was picked by the KWM Whisky staff. Made from a mash bill of 75% Corn, 21% Rye, and 4% Malted Barley (yeah, the photo does say 10% for the Malted Barley. Shawn pointed out that it would make the mash bill to give 106%. That’s impossible. No mash bill can give more than 100%. By definition that is the most any mash bill can give….), it was filled into a standard charred virgin American White Oak 53-gallon barrel on November 25th, 2018. It was aged for 3 years and 6 months before being bottled exclusively for our shop at a cask strength of 60.4%. 228 bottles total.
Woodford Double Oaked KWM Cask
Our first KWM single barrel Bourbon in a while and our very first ever from the Woodford Distillery of Versailles, Kentucky. This Double Oaked Woodford Reserve Bourbon was finished in a New Heavily Toasted Lightly Charred Barrel before bottling at 45.2%, exclusively for your friends at Kensington Wine Market!
Cadenhead Heaven Hill 12 Year Old
This 12-year-old Bourbon from Heaven Hill Distillery has been bottled from not surprisingly, Barrels, and is bottled at 46%. Exclusive to KWM!
Cadenhead Tennessee Whisky 18 Year Old
Distilled in 2003, this Tennessee Whiskey (similar to Bourbon, but filtered through charcoal before maturation) has been bottled after 18 years at 46%.
Another Ballot Mostly
Springbank, Cadenhead & Kilkerrans
We have just received some in-demand Springbank, Cadenhead, and Kilkerran, and Kilchoman whiskies. As there are just 2-6 bottles of each, and to be fair, we will be selling them by ballot.
The deadline to enter the ballot is noon, Friday, May 25. In order to enter the ballot, you must be in our POS and have made at least one purchase of $0.01 or more since May 23 of 2022. Which means you have approximately 48 hours to rectify that if you haven’t, and if you want to be included in the ballot.
We don’t take any pleasure in having to sell things this way, and it creates a lot of extra work. So please, no bellyaching or moaning… We are doing our best to be fair to everyone!
Finally, don’t be a dick… please do not enter for any items you have already acquired elsewhere, let someone else have a chance!
What’s on Offer:
1. Springbank 10 Year – $100+gst
2. Kilkerran 8 Year Bourbon Finish – $105+gst
3. Kilkerran 8 Year Sherry Finish – $105+gst
4. Springbank 15 Year – $140+gst
5. Kilchoman Loch Gorm – $160+gst
6. Springbank Hazelburn 12 Year Sherry – $160+gst
7. Cadenhead Original Springbank 10 Year – $170+gst
8. Cadenhead 7 Stars Blend 30 Year – $200+gst
9. Springbank Local Barley 11 Year – $240+gst
10. Springbank 25 Year – $1000+gst
Click the button below to enter the ballot!
ENTER THE BALLOT HERE
New Tastings
- Date: Tuesday, July 11
- Time:7 PM
- Cost: $70
- VIRTUAL TASTING
We’re suckers for Signatory, especially the older Cask Strength Collection bottlings, so we’ve put together a selection of recently arrived Signatory Vintage malts with a combined 140 years of maturation. On the younger side, we are diving head first into first-fill sherry with the Edradour 10 Year, Linkwood 2012, and Benrines 2010. On the Cask Strength side, we have Benrinnes 1996, Dailuaine 1997, Glenrothes 1996, and an Unnamed Islay 1990 bottling (*cough Laphroaig*).
Tuesday, July 11th, 2023 @ 7 PM
- Date: Tuesday, July 18
- Time:7 PM
- Cost: $60
- VIRTUAL TASTING
With the arrival of three new limited edition Compass Box whiskies, the time is right for a Compass Box range tasting. So we have recruited Compass Box’s Scott Ellis, and we’ve pulled together a range of 8 whiskies. We’ll sample 3 different bottlings of Flaming Heart, both releases of The Circle, Ultramarine, Vellichor and one other.
Tuesday, July 18, 7PM
- Date: Tuesday, July 25
- Time:7 PM
- Cost: $50
- VIRTUAL TASTING
It has taken us a while, almost 3 years to be precise, but we have finally cobbled together enough bottlings of Daftmill for a range tasting… true, it is only 6, but how many of you can say you’ve done a vertical of Daftmill whiskies? The tasting will consist of 2007, 2009, and a pair of 2008s, as well as our 2008 KWM Cask, and the newly arrived 15-Year Cask Strength. Andrew is visiting the distillery in the weeks before the tasting, and will no doubt have some photos to share.
Tuesday, July 25th, 2023 @ 7 PM
Other UpComing Tastings
- Date: Saturday, May 27
- Time:5PM
- Cost: $30
- IN-STORE TASTING
If the name John Campbell is familiar to you, that would be because he spent nearly three decades at Laphroaig Distillery on Islay, more than half of that as manager. Lochlea Distillery was operating for nearly 3 years when it existence finally became known in 2021… and they already had spirit old enough to be called whisky! It was founded in 2018, on a 17th Century farm on which Robert Burns lived and worked during his formative years. The distillery produces whisky from its own malt, with plans for both peated and unpeated releases. John Campbell will be your guide as you sample your way through a half dozen Lochlea bottlings!
Saturday, May 27, 5 PM
- Date: Wednesday, May 31
- Time:7 PM
- Cost: $55
- VIRTUAL TASTING
Log in, pour your drams and join us from home, the cottage, another country, or work… for the June 2023 Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada Virtual Outturn Tasting. The KWM team will be your guide as you sample through an exciting range of 7 new, never-before-sampled SMWS bottlings.
Wednesday, May 31 @ 7 PM
*Active SMWS Members will Save $10 on the tasting. For the $10 discount, individual SMWS members must register independently. The price will not show online when you submit it but will be adjusted when we review and process the order.
Registration is through a Third Party Site
- Date: Saturday, June 3
- Time:2 PM
- Cost: $15
- HAYDEN BLOCK
For the first time ever at Ardbeg its whisky has been distilled without a purifier – the apparatus on the still responsible for maintaining Ardbeg’s unrivalled balance between extreme peat and floral fruitiness.
Following the distillery’s Planet Ardbeg comic launch last year, a dramatic new storyline in the series will be revealed alongside the new expression that’s inspired by its unusual creation. And so this year, whisky lovers are invited to celebrate the theme of ‘Planet’ Ardbeg Day – where they can expect to be transported into Ardbeg’s mythical, graphic novel universe.
- Location: Hayden Block Smoke & Whiskey
- Time: 2-5PM
- Ticket: $15 includes two drink tickets and food.
- & giveaways and games
Saturday, June 3, 2-5 PM
- Date: Tuesday, June 6
- Time:7 PM
- Cost: $55
- VIRTUAL TASTING
We recently received a quintet of curious new whiskies from the Rest & Be Thankful Co. Four are from Bruichladdich Distillery, 2 each of Port Charlotte and Bruichladdich. The provenance of these Bruichladdich casks is curious, as they are believed to be from Mark Reynier’s personal stash… The 5th whisky is a bottling of Finglassie, only the second time we have had a bottling from the new Inchdarnie Distillery. Those 5 malts make for the start of a tempting lineup, so we’ve added a couple of other Laddies to the range to round things out. Join us for a Rest & Bruichladdich kinda evening!
Tuesday, June 6, 2023, 7 PM
- Date: Thursday, June 8
- Time:5 PM
- Cost: $120
- VIRTUAL TASTING
Angus MacRaild, aka The Whisky Sponge, is joining us for another round of Spongeworthy whiskies. We have selected 7 malts from a recent Decadent Drinks delivery, from the Whisky Sponge, Equinox & Solstice, and NAS (Notable Age Statement) ranges. Angus will guide us through whiskies from Ardmore, Ben Nevis, Glen Grant, Ledaig, Old Rhosdhu, and Springbank, as well as a very unusual 30 year old Blended Malt with a crazy back story.
Thursday, June 8, 5PM * Note the early start time… Angus is in the UK, and has a wee girl!
- Date: Friday, June 9
- Time:5 PM
- Cost: $40
- VIRTUAL TASTING
We have a pair of gorgeous KWM-exclusive single casks on the way and they are expected any day now… So we have asked our friend Richard Urquhart, part of the 4th generation of Urquharts at Gordon & MacPhail, to host a virtual launch tasting for us. In addition to our sherried Balblair 1997 and tropical Glen Scotia 2000 KWM Casks, we will also be pouring whiskies from Dailuaine, Glen Elgin, Highland Park, Macallan, and Tomatin.
Friday, June 9, 5PM
- Date: Saturday, June 10
- Time:5 PM
- Cost: $25
- IN-STORE TASTING
Bob Baxter, one of the founders of Yukon Brewing & Distilling, will be joining us for a Two Brewers Yukon Single Malt vertical tasting. While the brewing started in 1997, Bob and his partner Alan started laying down casks of whisky in 2009. Some of their stocks are now more than 10 years old which is really exciting. We’ve been fans of Two Brewers for years, and truly believe they are making some of the best whisky in Canada. We’ll sample 7 releases of Two Brewers whisky, including the latest batches: 35, 36, 37, 38, and 39!
Saturday, June 10, 5PM
- Date: Thursday, June 15
- Time:7 PM
- Cost: $75
- FESTIVAL
It is hard to believe, but the last Spring Single Malt Festival was way back in June of 2019… So this is our 9th annual (ish) spring festival of all things malt whisky, though it would have been the 12th, if… you know… so we’ve added the word Spectacular for no specific reason because… why not! It will feature at least 100 single malts from Scotland & around the world, and as always it includes a KWM logo tasting glass. This event sells out quickly, so don’t hesitate… when it is sold out, it is sold out!
Thursday, June 15, 7 PM
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.
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.
The Kensington Wine Market | 1257 Kensington Road NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 3P8 Canada
