Kensington Wine Market’s E-Whisky Newsletter

As North America’s first Ardbeg Embassy, we are thrilled to have the privilege of launching the 2023 Ardbeg Day release Heavy Vapours. The KWM whisky team helped kick off this year’s celebrations in-store on June 3 with some Master Classes and the main event at Hayden Block. And we are now excited to announce that the Ardbeg Heavy Vapours is available for sale in-store and online now while supplies last. More on that below… but please read on before jumping ahead.

Before we get to the Ardbeg Heavy Vapours, and the handful of other tidbits in today’s Malt Messenger Bulletin, please be aware of the following. To be the first to hear about future Ardbeg Embassy releases available from Kensington Wine Market, you will need to be a registered Ardbeg Committee member. Future release emails may come direct from Ardbeg and will direct you to an Ardbeg Alberta website for your respective embassy.

If you aren’t already an Ardbeg Committee Member, you can join in just a couple of minutes online

As we are already talking Ardbeg, we’ve highlighted the rest of the Ardbeg core range too, as well as one other limited (online only) release we have a few bottles of…

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 – Ardbeg Embassy

Ardbeg Heavy Vapours Is Here!

The 2023 Ardbeg Day special release, Heavy Vapours, is bottled at 46%, from a parcel of spirit made without Ardbeg’s spirit purifier.

Producer Description

“A missing purifier. A dram forsaken. Who will restore the balance? Something weird has been going down at the Distillery. The legendary purifier on the still – responsible for Ardbeg’s exalted balance – is nowhere to be seen. And this whisky – Ardbeg Heavy Vapours – is the consequence. The familiar harmony between peat and floral fruitiness has been disrupted. What have risen are the untamed darker flavours and notes, gathering and filling the senses. It is an ominous dram of dramatic, aromatic pungency. Heavy Vapours will rise. Non chill-filtered at 46% ABV.”

Ardbeg Heavy Vapours – 46% – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: smoke rises with a cloying sweetness. Intense, pungent and aromatic, a distinctive farmyard scent drifts, along with a crunchy aroma, like creosote or tarry rope. A splash of water disturbs the vapours and dark chocolate cream billows, laced with a ribbon of smoked artichoke. Palate: Ardbeg’s untamed darker flavours and notes have risen. A burst of bittersweetness surges, disturbing ashy coal dust and casting a haze of cardamom, peppermint and coffee grits. Clouds of dark chocolate and mentholic eucalyptus roll in, obscuring the fruit and floral notes usually found at the heart of Ardbeg. Wisps of aniseed twists, cinnamon balls and antiseptic lozenges float on the palate. Finish: The aftertaste lingers long and bold, with an almost anaesthetising sensation.” – $175+gst (no discounts) – Limit 1 Per Customer!

Other Ardbegs Available

Details on all these glorious malts can be found on our website by clicking the links.

The Ardbeg 8 Years old For Discussion is limited to 1 per customer and is available online only on a first come first serve basis.

The core range of Ardbeg Single Malts is on sale, at 15-25% off, but today only…

1. Ardbeg 8 Years Old For Discussion – $108+gst – Limit 1 Per Customer / Online purchases only!
2. Ardbeg 10 Year – Retail: $94 – Save 15% – Today Only: $79.89+gst
3. Ardbeg Corryvreckan – Retail: $148 – Save 15% – Today Only: $125.79+gst
4. Ardbeg Uigeadail – Retail: $133 – Save 15% – Today Only: $113.04+gst

Ardbeg Wee Beastie – Retail: $81 – Save 25% – Today Only: $60.74+gst

A Few Selected Deals

Something Like A Father’s Day Sale…

Want to impress Dad, but looking for a deal? Here are just some of the whiskies we currently have on sale, in no particular order, you can browse the full list online.

Spring Single Malt Festival Spectacular

• 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

SMWS July 2023 Virtual Outturn Tasting

• Date: Wednesday, July 5
• Time:7 PM
• Cost: $55VIRTUAL TASTING

Log in, pour your drams and join us from home, the cottage, another country, or work… for the July 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 SMWS bottlings.

Wednesday, July 5 @ 7 PM

SMWS July 2023 In-Person Outturn Tasting 6PM

• Date: Thursday, July 6
• Time:6 PM
• Cost: $60
• IN-STORE TASTING

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada’s July 2023 Outturn tasting will feature new, never before featured bottlings. The range will be the same as the virtual tasting the night before but will also include nibbles from our friends at Peasant Cheese, and the comradery that can only come from 20 SMWS Members in our tasting room. Please note we will not be holding back stock of the Outturn bottles specifically to purchase for this in-person tasting, though there will likely be bottles of most whiskies still available.

Thursday, July 6 @ 6 PM.

Sipping Signatory in the Summer – 140 Years

• 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

Compass Box New & Old with Scott Ellis

• 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

Daftmill Vertical Tasting

• 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

Nothing but North Star Whiskies

• Date: Tuesday, August 1
• Time:7 PM
• Cost: $90
• VIRTUAL TASTING

You had us at 31-year-old GlenDronach… We recently received some cool new releases from Iain Croucher at North Star Spirits, and we can’t resist the temptation to try them. On the young side of things, there is the new Tarot Blend, a Campbeltown Blended Malt, and only the second-ever bottling from Dalmunach. We love a good Blair Athol, and how often do you see an indie bottle of Dalwhinnie? But the icing on the cake of this tasting will be the GlenDronach 31 Year. You almost never see indie GlenDronach, and this one has some great reviews!

Tuesday, August 1st, 2023 @ 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