This arrived a wee late but is still informative….

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

As many of you know tomorrow night is the official release for our cask of BenRiach 1994 Madeira Finish. This whisky was poured as a teaser at our hugely successful Fall Single Malt Festival on Thursday night and was easily one of the highlights of the show. More than a dozen bottles were pre-ordered that night alone…

The cask was selected by the customers of the Kensington Wine Market with my assistance and direction at the first of three Whisky Democracy Tastings (The other two being Springbank and Jack Daniels). The decision was a tough one with one cask each of peated and unpeated BenRiach showing very well. Ultimately the decision was made to go with Cask 4810 which is a spectacular expression of unpeated BenRiach distilled in 1994 and finished in a single Madeira barrel. I am especially excited about its release and tomorrow night is your first formal opportunity to taste it.

There are still about 15 of the 60 spaces open for tomorrow night’s BenRiach Cask Release Party. I have included below information on the distillery as well as the event. Tomorrow night’s event will include a formal introduction to our cask as well as the opportunity to try the full range of whiskies from BenRiach and Glendronach distilleries. If you have a free evening tomorrow what better way could there be to spend it than with like minded company and some great whiskies? Oh and BenRiach Brand Ambassador Alistair Walker will be there too…

Hope to see you there.

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson

BenRiach Cask Release Party – Tuesday November 17th – $40

Tomorrow night’s BenRiach Cask Release Party is going to be an incredible event. Alistair Walker, Brand Ambassador for  BenRiach and Glendronach distilleries will be on hand to help us celebrate the launch of our 1994 Madeira finished cask of BenRiach. For $40 you will receive, your own Glencairn crystal single malt glass, have access to some incredible “one night only” deals on BenRiach single malts and will also have the opportunity to sample some of the following whiskies:

1.       BenRiach 1994 KMW Cask 4810

2.       BenRiach 10Yr Curiositas

3.       BenRiach 12Yr

4.       BenRiach Arumaticus Fumosus 12Yr

5.       BenRiach Herodotus Fumosus 12Yr

6.       BenRiach Importanticus Fumosus 12Yr

7.       BenRiach 15Yr Jamaican Dark Rum Finish

8.       BenRiach 15Yr Madeira Finish

9.       BenRiach 15Yr Tawny Port Finish

10.   BenRiach 16Yr

11.   BenRiach 20Yr

12.   BenRiach Authenticus 21Yr

13.   BenRiach 25Yr

14.   Glendronach 12Yr

15.   Glendronach 15Yr – Not yet available in Canada!

16.   Glendronach 18Yr – Not yet available in Canada!

All this and Alistair Walker for only $40!

If you would like to register for this event please call the store at 403-283-8000!

A Little About BenRiach Distillery

BenRiach is one of about a dozen independent distillers in Scotland. The distillery was purchased in 2004 by a South African group headed by former Burn Stewart Director Billy Walker. In just a few short years Billy and his son Alistair managed to transform BenRiach from a closed, obscure, Chivas distillery into one of the most innovative and interesting distilleries in Scotland. Before the purchase BenRiach was almost exclusively used in blends like 100 Pipers, Chivas Regal and Queen Ann, with only a small amount directed towards a rather lousy 10 year old expression.

When new buyers purchased the distillery in 2004, they lost little time in rebranding and diversifying their product base. Post purchase the distillery’s focus has changed considerably, they still cask a considerable amount of whisky for blending, but far more of their casks are now directed towards the single malt market. BenRiach’s Core Range now consists of some 16 or more whiskies, both peated and unpeated. In addition to this there have been many special releases.

Benriach was founded in 1897 along the main road between Rothes and Elgin adjacent to its sister distillery Longmorn. Although the distillery itself was closed for a total of 65 years in the 20th C., its warehouses (some of them used by Longmorn) remained in continuous use, and its floor maltings operated until 1999–uninterrupted for more than 100 years.

Located just five minutes south of Elgin along the highway to Rothes, Benriach is nearly impossible to miss. But although it is one of the easiest distilleries in the Speyside to find, it is not yet open to the public for tours. When I was there in September the distillery manager indicated there are many plans in the works for Benriach. One of the short term goals is the construction of a visitor center; the other–more long term–is the desire to reopen their own maltings.

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If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store. Feel free to forward me any whisky news you feel should be included in a future issue of The Malt Messenger; it might just get included.

All of the products mentioned in THE MALT MESSENGER can be purchased in store, over the phone or from our website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com.. All prices quoted in the Malt Messenger are subject to change!

Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger!

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson
KWM Scotchguy

403-283-8000
888-283-9004
1257 Kensington Rd. NW
Calgary, AB, Canada
T2N 3P8

scotchguy@kensingtonwinemarket.com