“Scots wha hae?”

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

It is nearly that time of year again, when we unite to celebrate the life of Scotland’s favourite son, Robert Burns. Can you believe this is the 5th annual Kensington Wine Market Burns Supper? We started off small 5 years ago in the tasting room of the store with 20 participants, a haggis, a piper and very little experience. I’d never been to a Burns Supper myself, and wasn’t entirely sure how to conduct one. By good fortune a past President of the Calgary Burns Club just happened to be in attendance, and he took it upon himself to entertain the assembled guests—especially the lasses—with poetry and song. The next year the event grew to over 100 participants, and we’ve never looked back. What started out in a small room in the Kensington Wine Market has grown into one of Calgary’s most respected Burns nights with bag pipes, haggis, poetry, song and of course some excellent whisky.

Each of the last three years our Burns Supper has had a special guest from the whisky industry. First it was the passionate and charming Richard Patterson of Whyte and MacKay who put on a performance that still hasn’t been matched. He is an old fashioned showman, with a larger than life personality that almost overshadowed the brands he represents: Isle of Jura, Dalmore and Whyte and MacKay. Next it was Bruichladdich’s Andrew Gray who is well known to Calgary whisky connoisseurs. Andrew had a more gentlemanly style, and entertained the crowd with anecdotes from Islay’s most eccentric distillery. And last year it was Peter Curry of Springbank, Scotland’s oldest family owned and most traditional distillery. He was here to celebrate the launch of our first Springbank cask. This year we are welcoming Jamie MacKenzie, brand ambassador for Morrison Bowmore Distillers. Jamie will be leading us through a tasting of whiskies from Bowmore, and will be giving a rookie performance of the “Address to a Haggis”. The address is no small undertaking, it is 16 eight line versus of ancient Scottish English accompanied by the appropriate gestures and emotion. He’s been studying hard, and I know he’ll do an excellent job.

There are still plenty of tickets for this year’s Kensinton Wine Market Burns Supper, “Scots Wha Hae!” The event will be taking place Monday January 25th (Burns Day Proper) at Fort Calgary 750 9th Avenue SE, at 7PM. Tickets are $99 and include full dinner, entertainment and a tasting of six whiskies including the following six expressions of Bowmore: 12YR, 15Yr Darkest, 18Yr, 25Yr, 1992 16Yr Wine Cask Matured and the new 10Yr Tempest Cask Strength (which is exclusive to the Kensington Wine Market). The event is a lot of fun and unlike some others is open to both men and women. What good is bawdy and romantic 17th Century verse if there are no lasses around to hear it?

Kensington will be selling tickets to the 5th Annual Burns Supper until noon on Friday January 22nd. Tickets can be purchased in store, over the phone 403-283-8000 or on the web at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com..

Robert Burns – The Man

Robert Burns–AKA Rabbie Burns, Robbie Burns, the Ploughman Poet, Bard of Ayrshire and to Scots, simply The Bard–was born on January 25th 1759 in Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland. Widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, he is without doubt Scotland’s favorite son. Every year the date of his birth is celebrated in Scotland and around the world in the Scottish Diaspora; which incidentally includes all native Scots, descendants of Scots, and those who wish they were!

Poor and little-known during his life time, Robert Burn’s fame has grown steadily since his death. His poetry and other writings are every bit as evocative and relevant today as they were in the late 1700’s. He gave voice to the common man, where there was none before, and was one of the pioneers of the Romantic Movement.

2009 was the 250th Anniversary of Burn’s birth, and was celebrated in Scotland as “Homecoming 2009”.

The Burns Supper

Celebrated for more than 2 centuries, the Burns Supper has changed little since his death in 1796. The dinner opens with a general welcome, followed by the Selkirk Grace. The piping signals the entrance of the Haggis which is ceremonially cut open to the reading of Burns’ famous ode, “Address to a Haggis”. The Immortal memory, a recounting of the life of Robert Burns is given and then a couple of toasts. The dinner concludes with the singing of “Auld Lang Syne”.

But that’s not enough for the KWM Burns Supper. We blend a whisky tasting into the evenings events, along with some traditional highland dancing from the Springbank School of Dance. This even will appeal to both novice and seasoned Burns Supper attendees. And one need not love whisky to attend, but it doesn’t hurt!

Bowmore Distillery

Bowmore is one of Scotland’s oldest and most traditional distilleries. It was established in 1779 in the heart of the island of Islay, along the shores of Loch Indaal. Of Islay’s eight active distilleries Bowmore is the oldest and one of the most iconic. Along with little more than a handful of other distilleries in Scotland, Bowmore still malts by hand approximately 40% of its own barley requirements. I am always struck with a warm feeling when I arrive in town to the sight and smell of peat smoke rising from the distillery’s pagoda roofs. Bowmore’s salty-peaty whiskies are world renowned, and it’s No. 1 Vaults (warehouse)—which sits precariously below sea level along Loch Indaal—is held by many whisky enthusiasts, myself included, to be among the holiest of sites in the world of whisky.

Bowmore distillery was founded in 1779 by John Simpson in the purpose built town of Bowmore. The Laird of Islay, Daniel Campbell the younger, was unhappy with the old town which was obstructing the view of Loch Indall from his manor. So he had it demolished and in 1770 had the people re-settled in the new town of Bowmore (Big Reef). The town was built with unusually wide streets, the main one of which lead down to the water from the only slightly older Kilarrow Parish Church. The church was built round so that there would be no corners in which for the devil to hide.

The second owner of Bowmore was an unusual chap; James Mutter (of German descent) who acquired the distillery in 1837. Mr. Mutter in addition to owning some farming interests was the vice consul of Portugal, Brazil and the Ottoman Empire in Glasgow. Mr. Mutter also had his own iron steamship built to supply the distillery with coal and barley from the mainland and which would then return filled with whisky.

The distillery changed hands a total of six times in its history. It was mothballed during both World Wars, and served as a host to the RAF Coastal Command in WWII. RAF flying boats were operated from Bowmore on Loch Indaal. They were principally employed on anti-submarine warfare missions. The distillery was bought by Stanley Morrison and James Howat in 1951 who formed Stanley P. Morrison Distillers, 12 years later this was changed to Morrison Bowmore Distillers which would eventually come to own Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch distilleries as well. The company has changed little since even though it is now a subsidiary of Suntory Group of Japan. Suntory is a Japanese drinks giant that itself has a 90 plus year history of distilling. It is widely recognized that Suntory’s involvement with Morrison Bowmore has greatly benefited its distilleries which are better capitalized than before while still retain their traditional practices and management.

Bowmore’s core range of whiskies consists of:

Bowmore Legend – The baby in the family, less than 10 years of age it is zesty with notes of lemon, smoke and honey. – $42.99
Bowmore 12Yr – This is the baseline of Bowmore, dark chocolate and peat smoke. – $51.47
Bowmore 15Yr Darkest – This is the rich one, cedar, toffee and treacle with soft peat smoke. – $83.49
Bowmore 18Yr – Soft fruit, more chocolate and light smoke, this whisky is more refined and complex than its younger siblings. – $105.49
Bowmore 25Yr – This is a big, rich, elegant whisky with notes of toffee and hazelnut mingling with sweet peat smoke. – $307.49

There are also some limited special edition bottlings available at the moment including:

Bowmore Tempest 10Yr Cask Strength – Exclusive to Kensington Wine Market in Canada, this new cask strength 10 year old in matured in only 1st fill American oak bourbon barrels giving it a creamy, soft palate with loads of vanilla and tropical fruits balanced by clean peat smoke. – $81.99

Bowmore 1992 16Yr Wine Cask Matured – Matured 9 years in Bordeaux casks after starting out in ex-Bourbon this whisky is huge, big dark chocolate peat, leathery earth and salty smoke. – $98.49

Black Bowmore 1964 42Yr – Hands down my all-time favourite bottling of Bowmore, and easily one of the three best whiskies I’ve ever tasted. Big, chewy and round, soft chocolaty peat that is drowing in sweet, soft tropical fruits. Only a handful left in Canada! 97pts John Hansel Malt Advocate. – $4099.99

White Bowmore 1964 43Yr – Surprisingly this whisky matured only in ex-Bourbon casks has maintained the same tropical fruit notes as its younger brother which matured in Oloroso sherry. The white is creamy with soft vanilla, white chocolate and shades of the same tropical fruits found in the black. 94pts John Hansel Malt Advocate – $4389.99

Gold Bowmore 1964 44Yr – This is the only of the three bottles in the 1964 trilogy, and I have yet to sample it. It was matured in a mix of Sherry and Bourbon casks. John Hansel of Malt Advocate gave it a 96pt score, rating it just below the Black which he felt was more robust and vibrant. – $4389.99

A note on this Bowmore Trilogy: Kensington Wine Market is selling the Gold Bowmore 1964 for $4389.99 and is listing the complete Bowmore 1964 Trilogy for $12,878.97 + GST. This may sound like a lot, but the same trilogy of whiskies recently sold at Christies Auctions in New York for USD $21,600.00. Whisky investors take note!

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