It has been a month of hustle and bustle down at the ol’ Kensington Wine Market. The team was busy playing an almost month-long game of puzzle tiles, moving pieces around the shop, so we could try and stay open while we underwent some restoration work and renovations. I think you’ll agree when you see it for yourself, that the effort was worth it.
In order to move the whisky wall so we could refinish the concrete – the last piece of restoration work from last year’s Dodge Ramming – it made sense to start a long overdue rejuvenation of the shop, so that we only had to move the whisky once.
Our gorgeous new whisky wall was installed on the east side of the shop, where once US and Canadian wines lived. After refinishing the concrete floors (formerly carpeted), we put most of the old wall back up, but 15″ further into the shop, in order to make the tasting room a little more spacious. This is now our beer section, as well as home to the wine fridge, and I have to say the colourful beer cans are really popping in their new home!
The non-whisky spirits, Sparkling, US, Canadian and some other wines have new homes too, and that isn’t the only change you’ll see. We have been making our way around the shop refreshing the paint, and we have new comfortable chairs in the tasting room.
There is still work to be done, including a bit more painting, and I hope to install more new shelving and replace our nearly 31-year-old wine bins over the next year, but the bottom line is the shop is looking fresher than it has in a long time, and we can’t wait to show it off at our Spring Has Sprung Wine Festival on March 23rd and Feis Ile: KWM Islay Whisky Festival on March 30th!
Speaking of the Feis Ile, we have some exciting whiskies planned for our first Festival of Islay Whiskies and Islayternatives in over 3 years. Earlier this week, we received our first-ever shipment of whiskies from the Lagg Distillery on Arran (see below), and we have held back a bottle each of these heavily peated whiskies to pour for attendees. The whiskies are limited, so we want to make sure as many people get to try the spirit as possible.
We also have new and returned whiskies from Arran, Millstone, Macallan, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Ardbeg, That Boutique-y Whisky Company, and more to fill you in on. There is also a ballot and a couple new tastings to boot.
And finally, the long-awaited Glenfarclas 50 Year, celebrating John Grant’s 50th Anniversary in the Scotch Whisky Industry, has arrived. It isn’t inexpensive, but it does look gorgeous. Hopefully, we’ll be able to squeeze it into a tasting or two!
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, but you can email too.
Sincerely,
Andrew Ferguson
Kensington Wine Market
In This Edition
1. Introducing: Lagg Whisky
2. New & Returned Arran Whiskies
3. New Whiskies from Millstone
4. Macallan 30-Year Sherry Oak 2022 Ed.
5. Evan’s SMWS Canada Corner – The March 2023 Outturn
6. Another Ardballot!
7. Don Julio 1942
8. The Glenfarclas 50 Year is Here!
9. Upcoming Tastings
Introducing Lagg Whisky
Lagg is Arran’s (also called Lochranza) sister distillery, built at the opposite end of the island. I have had the chance to visit a couple of times, once with Evan and once with Shawn, and all three of us have been eagerly awaiting the launch of these whiskies. Shawn and I had a chance to preview them last fall while visiting the island.
While the original Arran Distillery will continue to produce unpeated single malt, Lagg will be primarily producing heavily peated malts. This should mean its whiskies will be more approachable at a younger age than if they had been unpeated. I was impressed by the new make spirit from the outset, and am keen to see it released as it matures in the years ahead. Production at the distillery began in 2019, and they currently produce 500,000 L a year.
1. Lagg Batch 01 Ex-Bourbon Cask – 50% – Producer Description: “For this series of inaugural bottlings, we used Concerto malted barley and water from our own borehole. The malt is peated to 50ppm in the kiln. We receive it, crush it and agitate it in our mash tun to create a cloudy wort which delivers a more oily, robust flavour. Our chosen yeast and fermentation time allows us to create the full-bodied flavour we’re looking for in our distillation. We then distill twice, at nearly twice the speed of Lochranza, in our handmade copper pot stills. The spirit for this release was matured in first-fill, ex-bourbon casks for just over three years prior to release. It was bottled unchill-filtered, without the addition of any colourings and at the higher strength of 50% ABV. A very characterful dram, with notes of citrus, heather and bonfire smoke.” – $120 – Limit 1 Per Customer!
2. Lagg Batch 02 Ex-Oloroso Sherry Cask – 50% – 30 months in First-Fill, Ex-Bourbon Barrel / 6 months in 55 Litre Ex-Oloroso Sherry – Producer Description: “For this series of inaugural bottlings, we used Concerto malted barley and water from our own borehole. The malt is peated to 50ppm in the kiln. We receive it, crush it and agitate it in our mash tun to create a cloudy wort which delivers a more oily, robust flavour. Our chosen yeast and fermentation time allows us to create the full-bodied flavour we’re looking for in our distillation. We then distill twice, at nearly twice the speed of Lochranza, in our handmade copper pot stills. The spirit for this release was matured in first-fill, ex-bourbon casks for 30 months and then finished for 6 months in 55L exOloroso sherry casks prior to release. It was bottled unchill-filtered, without the addition of any colourings and at the higher strength of 50% ABV. A very well-balanced Single Malt, with notes of sultanas, warm spices and smoke.” – $120 – Limit 1 Per Customer!
3. Lagg Batch 03 Ex-Red Wine Charred Cask – 50% – 30 months in First-Fill, Ex-Bourbon Barrel 6 months in 50 Litre Ex-Rioja Red Wine Charred – Producer Description: “For this series of inaugural bottlings, we used Concerto malted barley and water from our own borehole. The malt is peated to 50ppm in the kiln. We receive it, crush it and agitate it in our mash tun to create a cloudy wort which delivers a more oily, robust flavour. Our chosen yeast and fermentation time allows us to create the full-bodied flavour we’re looking for in our distillation. We then distill twice, at nearly twice the speed of Lochranza, in our handmade copper pot stills. The spirit for this release was matured in first-fill, ex-bourbon casks for 30 months and then finished for 6 months in 55L ex-Rioja red wine casks prior to release. It was bottled unchill-filtered, without the addition of any colourings and at the higher strength of 50% ABV. A rich, complex dram, full of notes of dark fruit and toasted oak.” – $120 – Limit 1 Per Customer!
NEW & RETURNED WHISKIES FROM ARRAN
In addition to the ever-popular Arran 18- and 21-year-olds, we have what is surely the oldest full-term calvados cask matured Scotch whisky ever bottled. For much of its life in oak, Calvados casks weren’t even legal. The distillery did a few Calvados cask bottlings in 2003 and 2005, but then the SMWA got its bun in a knot. I’ve been waiting for these to drop for a long time now. Bottled under Arran’s Rare Cask range, the whisky was bottled at 52.5% after 17 years in ex-Calvados casks.
NEW
· Arran 17 Year Rare Batch Calvados Cask – 52.5% – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: A complex nose with dried apple rings, sweet pastries, nutmeg and cocoa powder. Palate: Lovely mouth coating texture; Apple and dark chocolate initially followed by luxurious heather honey. Finish: Long and dry finish, bolstering the orchard fruit flavours found on both nose and palate. Delicious and satisfying.” – $220 – 88.88pts Whiskybase – Limit 1 Per Customer!
RETURNED
1. Arran 18 Year – 46% – Sherry Seasoned Casks – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Orchard fruits with syrup and toasted oak. Palate: Caramelised orange, dark chocolate, baked peaches. Finish: Sweetness, Spice, Citrus, Baked peaches.” – $155
2. Arran 21 Year – 46% – Sherry Seasoned Casks – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Sweet spices and hazelnut. Palate: Ginger and dark chocolate. Finish: Sweetness, Spice, Bitter orange, Citrus, Dark chocolate, Satisfying.” – $220
NEW WHISKIES FROM MILLSTONE
We have 5 exciting new Millstone releases either in-store or arriving next week. I am dying to try the 25-year-old, so I’m sure I’ll have a tasting note coming soon!
1. Millstone Special No. 25 Peated White Port – 46% – 4 Year – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Fresh and fruity with rich and warm undertones. The whisky’s first impression is it feels tremendously mature and combined. The gorgeous fruit aromas of warm stewed peaches are supported by the smokiness of this peated whisky, this develops into a rich and complex whisky that has a definite lemon and citrus character to balance those campfire smokey notes. Taste: Wonderfully balanced. Warm notes of apricots, oranges and various other citrus aroma’s balanced with the deep and interesting smokey notes of the peat. Finish: Long and slightly drying with great complexity.” – $92+gst
2. Millstone 9 Year Single Grain – 46% – Pot Still Mixed Grain Whisky – Matured in a Selection of Casks – Evan’s Tasting Note: “Nose: The virgin oak notes are definitely at the fore. This noses like a combination of 10+-year-old Bourbon mixed with an Arnold Palmer (50% lemonade mixed with 50% iced tea) right off the hop. Hard powder grape-flavoured candies, rye spices, dill, cedar plank, fresh pressed apple juice, and sponge toffee are also in evidence. Palate: Cherry pie, green apple slices, baked potato skins, more sponge toffee, fresh dill, mint leaves, Rooibos tea, orange and lime peel, oatmeal cookies, and a touch of ginger. Finish: Slightly dry with pleasant oak and fruit notes lingering. Comment: This seems to bridge the gap between an older Bourbon and a much older Scottish Grain whisky stylistically, and offers notes from both. If you like either style then you will be happy with this bottle.” – $82+gst
3. Millstone Peated 3 Year Rivesaltes Cask – 46% – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Fresh and fruity with rich and warm undertones. The first impression of the whiskey is that it feels very mature and integrated. The warm aromas of smokiness, chocolate, toasted almonds and vanilla of this peated whiskey are supported by the aromas of warm stewed cherries. This develops into a rich and complex whiskey that has a distinct orange, citrus character to balance those smoky notes from the campfire. Taste: Wonderfully balanced. Warm notes of Amarena cherries and typical millstone notes of oranges and various other citrus flavors balanced with the deep and interesting smoky notes of the peat. Finish: long, almondy, smoky and slightly drying with great complexity.” – $105+gst
4. Millstone Peated PX Canada Cask – 48.02% – 3 Year – Fully matured in a recoopered 140L Pedro Ximénez Sherry Cask – $102+gst
5. Millstone 25 Year Oloroso Canada Cask – 44.92% – Sherry Hogshead Casl – One of the first batches of single malt distilled by Millstone, and one of their oldest ever bottlings! – $535+gst
Macallan 30 Year Sherry Oak 2022 Ed.
Matured exclusively in sherry-seasoned oak casks for at least 30 years, before bottling at 43%. We only get one bottle a year of this whisky… if we are lucky! This is the 2022 edition.
Macallan 30 Year Sherry Oak 2022 Edition – 43% – Producer Description: “The Macallan Sherry Oak 30 Years Old forms part of our Sherry Oak range which features a series of single malt whiskies matured in hand-picked sherry seasoned oak casks from Jerez for richness and complexity. Deliciously smooth with a long, rich finish, the natural dark mahogany colour of the 30 Years Old is the richest in the range.” – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Rich sherry, with orange clove, nutmeg, and wood smoke. Palate: Deliciously smooth, with dried fruits, sherry, orange, and wood smoke. Finish: Long and rich, with orange and spice.” – $8000+gst
Evan’s SMWS Canada Corner
The March 2023 Outturn
No intro. Evan is going straight into the business of things. Those ‘things’ being the 7 latest whisky releases from SMWS Canada. The full descriptions and Panels’ tasting notes for each of the whiskies can be found on our website.
HAZELNUT BUBBLE GUM – This small batch of 18-year-old Glen Garioch was matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks and shows what I feel is the distillery at its best, with a combination of robust, well-structured malt along with soft and well-integrated floral, spice, and fruit notes.
128.19 – PRETTY WACKY! is the first SMWS Canada release of Penderyn Distillery of Wales since 2016. It is a candied, juicy whisky that full-on smells like Maynards Fuzzy Peach Gummy Candy on the nose and even has some of that flavour on the palate.
150.4 – SANDALWOOD OLIVE PRESS is the first SMWS Canada release from West Cork Distillers of Ireland. This is a twist on a triple-distilled Irish Whiskey in that it still has plenty of character, including an intriguing earthy garden note on the nose and palate.
4.312 – OLD-SCHOOL WITH A TWIST – There have been quite a few decent to very good Highland Park SMWS bottles over the past year or two, but I would rank this as one of the best we have seen in that time. Good ex-Bourbon cask HP Sauce is hard to come by, but this bottle has a soft yet spicy peat profile that is hard to beat.
My second favourite behind the G15.14 was 35.310 – Marmalade Matured Cognac from Glen Moray. It is a 20-year-old cask-finished malt with a unique profile, even for a sherry bomb. Big sherry hasn’t been my go-to style for the past few years, but I really enjoyed this one.
G15.14 – ‘FOR PETE’S SAKE’ from Loch Lomond, under the name Rhosdhu, was my personal favourite of the night and given the price we don’t have many bottles left. This is a peated malt that was distilled using a column still, which means it is classified as a Single Grain. This doesn’t come off as a Single Grain at all though since it is made with 100% malted barley. It is rich and smooth with a wonderfully chalky and fruity palate.
93.174 – Fortune Favours The Brave! This is a funky, very cheesy, and well-peated Glen Scotia that smells like you are walking through a dairy farm, with tropical and fruity notes that only Glen Scotia seems to pull off at a young age, showing on the finish.
Another Ardballot & A Couple Odds & Ends
We have just received a handful of bottles of an Ardbeg single cask, so to be fair, we will be selling them by ballot. The cask, a Manzanilla Sherry Butt, has a unique provenance. The first Ardbeg whisky matured in it was used in the creation of Ardbeg Ardbog in 2013. We also have a bottle each of the Bowmore 27 Year Timeless and Laphroaig Ian Hunter 30 Year we’ve decided to toss into the ballot!
The deadline to enter the ballot is midnight, Sunday, March 12. 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 March 1 of 2022.
1. Ardbeg Single Cask 2013 #247 – 60.7% – 8 Year – 2nd Fill Manzanilla Sherry Butt – “Dr. Bill’s Personal Tasting Notes: Colour: Mahogany. Aroma: Dry with a gentle musty note, like damp warehouse floor. A little water releases oily and nutty aromas, entwined with roasted Brazil nuts, fragrant woodsmoke and a distinctive, herbal top note. Taste: Peppery and warming textures bring smoked cashew and pecan nuts, alongside notes of smoky toffee and brown sugar. Cinnamon and clove follow on with ripples of tar. Finish: Long and bittersweet, layering salty, tarry peat smoke, with aniseed, leather and bonfire embers. Rating: Exceptional.” – $925+gst – Available by Ballot!
2. Bowmore 27 Year Timeless – 52.7% – Producer Description: “This 27-year-old single malt has been carefully matured in Sherry and Bourbon casks for 15 years. Then, it was carefully moved to first-fill Oloroso butts. Here it remained for 12 years, only to be released once at its best and considered a worthy legacy.” – Producer Tasting Note: “Breathe In: Fruity cooked plums and prune jam. Corinth raisins and sultana notes with a strong Oloroso influence. Toffee and maple syrup, liquorice, grilled orange peel and smoked seaweed. Sip: Tobacco, rich cocoa and the warming Islay peat smoke. Savour: The finish is long with scented burnt wood notes, dry fruits and a touch of frankincense.” – $2250+gst – Available by Ballot!
3. Laphroaig 30 Year Ian Hunter Book 2 – 48.2% – Producer Description: “Introducing the second release of Ian Hunter’s series: a non-chill filtered whisky with sweet sherry notes underscored by Laphroaig’s characteristic peatiness, aged for 30 years in Spanish Oak Oloroso Sherry oaks. The second release of Ian hunter Series is a tribute to the Icon that Ian Hunter built more than 100 years ago. Because no one thing is more important to the creation of Laphroaig® than the place it comes from—Islay and the ‘hollow by the bay’ where Laphroaig® first came into being. It might seem obvious to state, but our whisky could not be recreated in any other place than this.” – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Dried dates and figs, cigar box with toffee and dark chocolate, liquorice with medicinal notes, pink peppercorns and allspice. Adding water brings out pipe tobacco and orange peel. Palate: Manuka honey; sweet, smoked stone fruit. Finish: Long and mouth drying.” – $2500 – Available by Ballot!
Enter the Ballot
Some of these cool new whiskies were featured in last Saturday’s “Boutique-y 10th Anniversary with Dave Worthington.” Only 6-12 bottles of each came into the market, so they are limited… very limited!
1. Boutique-y 10th Anniversary Aberlour 31 Year – 47.9% – Batch #10 – Producer Description: “Our 10th release from Speyside’s Aberlour distillery is a 31 Year Old, distilled in 1990, and matured in a single barrel. We’ve bottled this at cask strength (naturally). It’s the oldest Aberlour we’ve ever bottled, too!” – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Rich, fruity and floral. Delicate orchard blossom followed by stewed apples, caramelised poached pears. raisins and Medjool dates. A complex, and divine nose. Taste: Complex and beautifully balanced. Notes of cinnamon baked apples and a delicate wood spice. Waxy wood polish, roast nuts, and raisins. Drying, waxy finish. Just beautiful!” – $680 – 87.5pts Whiskybase
2. Boutique-y 10th Anniversary Armorik 8 Year – 59.3% – Batch #3 – Producer Description: “This is our third release from the Armorik Distillery, and this 8 Year Old single malt has been finished in an ex-Chouchen cask, and bottled at natural cask strength.” – Producer Tasting Note “Nose: Rich caramelised orchard fruits, baking spices; nutmeg, black pepper and a hint of cinnamon, with a charred wood, and a honey sweetness. Complexe et intéressant. Palate: Big and bold! A honeyed sweetness, balanced by rich oak spices. Baked apples charred oak, oiled leather, with hints of ginger. Long spicy finish. Très bien! – $125
3. Boutique-y 10th Anniversary Ben Nevis 25 Year – 55.8% – Batch #16 – Producer Description: “One of the few remaining truly “old-style” producers in Scotland, Ben Nevis has arguably never been as fashionable as it is now, with certain vintages (including this 1996 example) earning devout cult followings.” – Producer Tasting Note “Nose: Overripe oranges on the turn, waxy shoe polish, a little sour apple juice too. Hints of rancio, dried fruits, and balsamic. Funky! Taste: Big, and meaty. Balsamic glaze, dried fruits, leather, tobacco, slightly earthy, waxy, and black pepper. Ooh dirty!! Classic ‘96 Nevis!” – $465 – 87.71pts Whiskybase
4. Boutique-y 10th Anniversary Birthday Blend 10 Year – 46% – Batch #1- Producer Description: “Another small batch blended whisky from Dr. Whisky’s lab, this time it’s 100% Scotch whisky, bottled at 46% with a respectable 10 Year Old age statement (it is our 10th birthday after all!)” – Producer Tasting Note “Nose: Sweet, buttery grains, and lemon creams. Green melon, black pepper, and brine, with just a hint of beach campfire smoke drifting through. Taste: Wrigley’s Juicy fruit gum, ripe papaya, lime zest, and more black pepper, and some rye bread spiciness. A lingering gentle smoky finish with a pinch of salt. Smashable!” – $60
5. Boutique-y 10th Anniversary Blended Grain 45 Year – 44.2% – Batch #3 – Producer Description: “Not only is this a 45 Year Old Blended Grain whisky, but it’s a blend of just two distilleries, both of them long closed, and one of the two, only operating for a very short period of around 22 years before it was closed.” – Producer Tasting Note: Nose: Gentle, with vanilla, white chocolate and a touch of coconut,. Fresh sawdust, tinned peaches. Icing sugar. Taste: Fresh and fruity. Kiwis, blood oranges, a touch of mango. Jaffa cakes, vanilla and soft oak tannins. Delicious, like only old grains can be!” – $340 – 89pts Whiskybase
7. Boutique-y 10th Anniversary Clynelish 25 Year – 47.1% – Batch #11 – Producer Description: “Come on now, it’s our 10th birthday, let’s pull out all the stops! Here is a treat we’ve been nurturing in our warehouses for years, a birthday celebration-worthy 25yo Clynelish (Cline-leash)” – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Waxy plasticine notes immediately! Green apples and butterscotch. Salty coastal notes follow, with hints of pineapple too. Taste: Exceptional! Waxy pineapples and tangerines, in brine. Tart apples and a hint of walnut oil. Very classy!” – $685 – 90.64pts Whiskybase
8. Boutique-y 10th Anniversary Elsburn 7 Year – 48.7% – Batch #3- Producer Description: “There’s a focus at Elsburn, for using the highest quality casks available, the vast majority of casks are first fill, and only used once. Our seven year old hails from an ex-Rivesaltes dessert wine cask, and has been bottled at natural cask strength.” – Producer Tasting Note “Nose: Sweet honey and roasted nuts; almonds and pistachio. It reminds me of pink and white, nougat. Dried fruits follow; raisin, prunes, and dried apricot. Stunning! Palate: Rich, and another wonderfully balanced Elsburn. Walnut oil, almond butter, and spicy wood. Leather, cocoa and plenty of dried fruits. Long spicy finish. I love this!” – $225
9. Boutique-y 10th Anniversary Millstone 25 Year – 46.5% – Batch $5 – Producer Description: “This Millstone is a true birthday treat from The Netherlands. A 25 Year Old single malt, distilled in 1996, the very start of their whisky making history. This 25 Year Old has spent its life quietly maturing in an Oloroso Hogshead, and we’ve bottled it at natural cask strength.” – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Big, bold, and powerful. Blackcurrants, Black cherry, leather, figs, stewed fruits, and all manner of sherried fruits. There’s a vintage port note to this too. Palate: This is an exceptionally complex whisky! All of the sherried fruits, with bitter dark chocolate. coffee grounds, a rich dark cherry liqueur. Spectacular!”- $535 – 90pts Whiskybase
10. Boutique-y 10th Anniversary Nantou 5 Year – 52% – Batch #2 – Producer Description: “We’re delighted to bring you this second release, a 5 Year Old, and a cracking example of their peated malt style.From a single cask, distilled in 2016, just 231 bottles have been filled at natural cask strength.” – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Sweet vanilla, apricot and ripe apple, alongside chalky grist, salty seaspray, and some sooty peat smoke. You could be forgiven for thinking this was coastal IslayTaste: Mouth-coating, oily malt leads the way for a hefty hit of spice. Smouldering embers and earthy ash are lifted by a touch of seaweed and lemon zest. A long ashy finish.” – $145 – 88pts Whiskybase
11. Boutique-y 10th Anniversary Tennessee 5 Year Rye – 50% – Batch #4 – Producer Description: “Our fourth batch from this unnamed Tennessee distillery is a 5 Year Old Straight Rye Whisky, marriage from liquids that had spent finishing periods in ex-Oloroso casks and ex-Pedro Ximenez casks. It’s a release of just 230 bottles at 50% abv (100% US Proof) Sadly we’re not able to name this distillery, but you’ll notice it’s definitely labelled as a Tennessee whisky which narrows it down an awful lot!” – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Rich and fruity: Juicy melon, papaya, over-ripe strawberries, black cherry, and plums. Hints of dark chocolate, polished wood and chalk dust. Taste: Rich and well rounded on the palate. A slow build up of cooking spices and rich caramel, joined by cherry, dark chocolate, burnt toast and a hint of wood char.” – $82
The Glenfarclas 50 Year Is Here!
Bottled appropriately at 50%, only 836 bottles are being released, with just 30 coming to Canada. Its age and bottling strength are no coincidence; the whisky has been bottled to celebrate Glenfarclas Chairman John Grant’s 50th Anniversary in the industry.
Producer Description: “We are thrilled to announce the release of a limited-edition 50-year-old Highland single malt Scotch whisky, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of family member and chairman, John Grant first starting in the industry. The exciting new launch comes mere days after being named ‘Scottish Distiller of the Year 2023’ at the Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky Dinner. A stunning copper in colour, reminiscent of the magnificent stills at the distillery, Glenfarclas 50-Year-Old has been bottled at 50% ABV and tells the story of the distillery through its aroma and flavours. Selected for bottling by Distillery Manager, Callum Fraser, and Managing Director, Douglas Belford, the whisky demonstrates the skill of the distillery team 50 years ago, lead at the time by then Distillery Manager, Douglas MacDonald.”
Glenfarclas 50 Year – 50% – Sherry Casks – Producer Tasting Note: “The malt offers marzipan, almond and cedar wood on the nose, with a sweet and smoky hint giving way to stewed apples and dark chocolate. On the palate, the rich velvety dark chocolate notes lead to flavours of treacle toffee, mixed peel and a slightly smoky, sweet taste, surprisingly mellow for a single malt of this age. The flavours coat the mouth and provide a gentle, smooth finish which lingers for a long time. By adding water, the whisky evolves further, creating more of a lightly peated aroma on the nose and a sweeter, woodier taste on the palate.” – $15000.00 – 92pts Whiskybase
Upcoming Tastings
· Date: Tuesday, April 18
· Time: 7 PM
· Cost: $75
· VIRTUAL TASTING
Our friend Bry Simpson, Glenmorangie’s Canadian Brand Ambassador, will be our special guest as we taste our way through 8 Glenmorangie expressions. We’ll tackle the extra matured range, 18 year, Signet, and A Tale of Forest. But the real draw for this tasting will be the Grand Vintage Malts. We’ll be sampling not one, but two of them: the 1996 and 1997.
Tuesday April 18, 7PM
· Date: Tuesday, May 2
· Time: 7 PM
· Cost: $40
· VIRTUAL TASTING
Israel’s Milk & Honey has been turning heads ever since its first whisky was launched in 2017. The Tel Aviv Distillery worked with the late Dr. Jim Swan, a Scotch whisky industry legend, to help shape the profile of its spirit. But while it produces a traditional Scottish-style single malt, M&H is also using innovation to put an Israeli twist on its whisky. We will be joined virtually by Milk & Honey’s Ovid Weiss, for a vertical tasting of 8 M&H whiskies, including both peated and unpeated single malts. You’ll sample whiskies matured in sherry, STR, ex-Pommegranate wine and Ale casks, as well as a whisky matured at the lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea!
Tuesday, May 2, 7PM.
Upcoming Tastings
· Date: Friday, March 17
· Time: 7 PM
· Cost: $50
· IN-STORE TASTING
· Only 6 spots left!
An Irish Whiskey tasting on a Friday which also just happens to be St. Patrick’s Day? This could be dangerous! The last few years have seen a resurgence of interest in Irish whiskey. 7-8 years ago there were just 4 distilleries in the whole of Ireland, today there are at least 20 with plans for many more! We’ll have a look at Irish whiskey’s past, present, and future while sampling some of the finest whiskies from the Emerald Isle. And we will, of course, raise a glass to Saint Paddy!
Friday, March 17 @ 7PM
· Date: Tuesday, March 28
· Time: 7 PM
· Cost: $50
· VIRTUAL TASTING
· Samples ready for pick-up!
Evan loves his Bourbon, and everyone enjoys blind tastings, so we are once again fusing these concepts together. This time around we will be including 8 different samples of American Bourbon and Rye to taste through and talk about. We can’t tell you what’s in the lineup (because it’s a blind tasting!), but even if we wanted to offer a few teasers, we can’t. Evan still has to pull his lineup together. In any case, you can be assured it will be a good one!
Tuesday, March 28 @ 7PM
· Date: Thursday, March 30
· Time: 7-9 PM
· Cost: $60
· IN-STORE FESTIVAL
Sure, we could wait until May, and celebrate our Islay Festival at the same time as the Feis, but who wants to wait another two months?! We’ll be cracking as many Islay malts as we can, as well as some Islayternatives (trademark, the Scotch Guy!), all in the name of peat and Scottish West Coast culture. The price includes a KWM logo glass, a chance to sample from 100 odd whiskies, and some delicious bites from our neighbour Peasant Cheese!
Thursday, March 30 @ 7PM
· Date: Saturday, April 1st
· Time: 5 PM
· Cost: $40
· VIRTUAL TASTING
· Samples ready for pick-up!
To launch the new Glengoyne 15 and Tamdhu 18, our friend Gordon Dundas has agreed to join us live from Scotland for a virtual tasting of 8 whiskies from the Glengoyne and Tamdhu Distilleries. You will sample your way through Glengoyne Cask Strength, Legacy 3, 15- and 18-Year, as well as Tamdhu Batch Strength, 12-, 15- and 18-Year.
Saturday, April 1, 5 PM
· Date: Wednesday, April 5th
· Time: 7 PM
· Cost: $55
· VIRTUAL TASTING
Log in, pour your drams, and join us from home, the cottage, or work for the April 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, April 5 @ 7 PM
· Date: Thursday, April 6
· Time: 8 PM
· Cost: $60
· IN-STORE TASTING
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada’s March 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 18 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, April 6 @ 8 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.
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 10 AM – 8 PM
Thurs & Fri 10 AM – 9 PM
Sat 10 AM – 8 PM
Sun 11 AM to 6 PM
