The Kensington Wine Market 2018 Whisky Advent Calendars are ready, and started trickling into the shop on Tuesday. If you haven’t bought yours yet, there is still time to get in on 25 Days of Dram Fine Whisky, but it is running out. There are less than a ¼ of them as yet unspoken for. We are really excited about this year’s 5^th annual edition, and feel it may be our best yet. It includes more single casks than any previous edition, and some very exciting never before featured whiskies including our first from Japan. The bulk of the Calendar is as always single malt Scotch whisky, but there are also a pair of enticing Blended malts, whiskies from England and France and two different Canadian single malts. Of this year’s 25 whiskies, none have been featured before in any of the previous 4 KWM Whisky Advent Calendars.

There are also the 12 Whiskies of Christmas and Whisky Regions of Scotland, both also from Master Malt! Limited quantities of all three available, details below.

I hope you enjoy this Malt Messenger Bulletin. If you can’t make it down to the sale in person don’t forget that you can always submit your order online!

Slàinte!

Andrew

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

PS – Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter:

@scotch_guy, Instagram: @thescotch_guy/

or @kwmwhisky and Facebook: facebook.com/scotch.guy.1

!!!KWM 2018 Whisky Advent Calendars Are In!!!  

The 5th Edition is More than 75% Sold 

The 2018 KWM Whisky Advent Calendar, is our 5th annual edition! Whether as a treat for yourself, or as a gift for a whisky lover, there is no finer source of holiday cheer. We like to call it 25 days of Dram Fine Whisky! As with the previous editions, this year’s calendar features 25 all-new whiskies, a custom logo Glencairn glass and a discount card. We have a much higher proportion of single casks and cask strength whiskies in this year’s edition, which is really exciting. We also have whiskies from England, France, Canada and Japan. We ever so desperately want to tell you what’s in the Calendar, but then it wouldn’t be a surprise. What we can tell you is that you will find 24 50ml premium whiskies, one for each day of Advent, a special 100ml Scotch Malt Whisky Society whisky to toast Christmas Day and a custom logo Glencairn glass. Every day of Advent we will post details on the day’s whisky, and it’s producer on the KWM Blog. We encourage comments and feedback through Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. We hope you’ll join us on the journey of whisky discovery!

You can order the Kensington Wine Market 2018 Whisky Advent Calendar in-store, by phone 403-283-8000 and  online.

1. Master of Malt 12 Whiskies of Christmas – We are only expecting 25 of these 12 bottle whisky sets, only 5 left. Not quite a Whisky Advent Calendar, but more than a gift pack! – Producer Description: “Drinks by the Dram have unveiled a the perfect Christmas present for those whisky enthusiasts in your life – The 12 Scotch Whiskies of Christmas! This specially-curated bundle of festive deliciousness features 12 wax-sealed 30ml drams of Scotch whisky, from single malts to single grains, blended malts and more (including whisky worth over £100 per bottle!) – enjoy a different dram each day during the Twelve Days of Christmas (y’know, from Christmas Day onwards).” – $120
2. Master of Malt Whisky Regions of Scotland – If you believe in Whisky Regions, which is a little like believing in Unicorns and fairies, then this is the gift set for you! If you just want to sample 5 very different styles of whisky, or give them away as a wee gift, then this might also be for you… From Drinks by the Dram: “It’s incredible just what a huge range of different styles of whisky that are produced all over Scotland. Drinks by the Dram came up with this tasting set of five 3cl samples to showcase the Regions of Scotland, from the peaty, smoky Islay; to the fruity, malty Highlands; the soft, floral Lowlands; and the honeyed, often Sherried Speyside and more!” – $68

NEW  Kilchoman 100% Islay 10 Year KWM Cask 

Our 7th KWM Exclusive Single Cask 

Our 7th exclusive KWM single cask of Kilchoman is also our most unique, and not because it is 10 years old… we have already had one of those! It is our first KWM exclusive cask of Kilchoman’s 100% Islay. We were touched when Anthony Wills let us have a cask of his 10 year old last year. Cheekily I asked if we could bottle a barrel of 100% Islay this year. I expected the answer to be no, but not only did he agree, but he sent us samples of 10 year old 100% Islay casks… Cue blew my mind meme! Distilled on August 8 2008, the whisky was bottled on August 8 2018 at exactly 10 years of age to the day. Only 209 total bottles at 56.6% after maturing in Ex-Bourbon.

100% Islay is whisky that Kilchoman produces from its own barley, grown, malted, mashed, fermented, distilled, matured and bottled on site. This is farm to bottle whisky, with 100% of the production taking place at Rockside Farm. Kilchoman refers to it as Islay’s only “Single Farm Single Malt”. 100% Islay is peated to approximately 20ppm, though this can vary, considerably lighter than the distillery spec malt at 50ppm.

Kilchoman 100% Islay 10 Year KWM Cask – 56.6% – Ex-Bourbon – Distilled: August 21, 2008 – Bottled: August 21, 2018 – My Tasting Note: “Nose: soft and creamy, delicate smoke, wine gums and white cupcakes with vanilla icing; poached pear and cooked apple, candied lemon and chewy malt; a touch waxy with white chocolate and fresh berries: raspberry and strawberry; so-oh buttery. Palate: still buttery, silky, honeyed and sweet; loads of white chocolate, vanilla and caramel; the soft earthy peat and faintly medicinal smoke build quickly with some seafood-y tones; the mouthfeel is big and oily, delicately coating the palate; more wine gums, berry fruits and candied lemon but also melons and pineapple. Finish: long, coating, buttery and malty with soft earthy peat and bright citrus. Comment: this is confident, elegant and refined; Kilchoman 100% Islay taking full strides and not looking back; a softer take on one of Scotland’s boldest whiskies!” – $195

NEW  Old Malt Cask Mortlach 11 Year KWM Cask 

Not your average, average Mortlach! 

Our first ever exclusive single cask of Mortlach was bottled for us by Hunter Laing, and it is a steal. Bottled at 50% after 11 years maturing in a Refill Hogshead, Ref: HL14889, it is a bargain at just $95! This is only our second Old Malt Cask exclusive single cask in the last few years. The last, a 21 Year Bowmore sold out in just a couple of weeks. The whisky will be in-store on Wednesday October 31, but we have an open bottle in shop for those who just can’t wait that long. We will be tasting it in-store on Saturday with Andrew Laing.

Old Malt Cask Mortlach 11 Year KWM Cask – 50% – Refill Hogshead – My Tasting Note: “Nose: apple-cinnamon pastries, dried pineapple chunks, vanilla extract and white chocolate bars with cocoa nibbs; silky malty, soft citrus and decadent honey. Palate: soft, malty, honeyed and sweet; loads of white fruit, sliced pear and more warm apple-cinnamon pastries; fruity, a touch of melon, more tart pineapple and crisp citrus tones; floral vanilla and white chocolate with cocoa nibbs; warming and toasty. Finish: fresh, malty and honeyed; white and citrus fruits fade slowly along with some spices, warm pastry and raw cocoa. Comment: I remember when we selected the cask, I had very low expectations, they were shattered; for $95 a bottle it is a gem.” – $95

NEW  First Editions Aberlour 1993 KWM Cask 

A Massive, but Smooth 23 Year Old Single Cask!  

This is our 2nd KWM single cask of Aberlour, and our first ever exclusive single cask under the First Editions label. We bottled a very popular Aberlour single cask under the Berry’s Own label about 4-5 years ago. This one is a curiosity for a number of reasons, starting with the fact that we hardly ever see independent bottlings of Aberlour. When we do they are often very light and delicate; the distillery doesn’t seem to trade its more heavily sherried casks. This is a very bold, but balanced and layered single cask of Aberlour, but it isn’t overtly sherried. The term “Refill Hogshead” is rather vague, and could refer to a 2nd or 3rd (or 4th…) fill ex-Sherry or ex-Bourbon hogshead. It also doesn’t stipulate the type of oak, which in the case of sherry casks can be American or European… On the balance of probabilities, and flavours, I would suggest this is probably a refill ex-Bourbon hoggie, which is also not characteristic of Aberlour. Aberlour Distillery’s house style is very much sherry driven. Another reason why this whisky is a little unusual, relates to its age. The oldest official bottling of Aberlour is just 18 years of age, and our single cask was well into its 23 year at the time of bottling. Finally, we think there is something else curious going on here. We think the whisky was made from lightly peated malt, or possibly matured in a barrel which had previously matured a peated whisky. Only 151 bottles were filled from a Refill Hogshead cask reference: HL14881, bottled at 58.8%. This one won’t last long!

First Editions Aberlour 1995 KWM Cask – 58.8% – Refill Hogshead – My Tasting Note: “Nose: old English butterscotch, tarte tatin, pecan pie and candied nuts; the nose is big and oily with candied orange; polished Italian leather shoes, brandy soaked cherries and freshly opened cedar cigar box; is there a slight trace of peat? Palate: sweet, fruity and coating and them boom… wow this packs some power; more old English butterscotch, tarte tatin and candied nuts but also creme brule, ginger-molasses cookies and treacle tarts; leather and tobacco are there too with building spice; as it settles down (and or the palate adjusts) more delicate tropical fruits emerge: mango and papaya; late chocolate and prominent licorice; there is also a delicate thread of smoke?! Finish: long, sweet and very fruity; builds into a crescendo of lovely spices, tobacco, leather and tropical fruits; warming, silky and smooth. Comment: this is a gentle beast of a whisky; the complexity is nearly off the charts including a tantalizing trace of smoke; this is a bold but layered Aberlour, very different from the sherried house style of the Distillery bottlings.” – $180

Thank You for Reading the Malt Messenger! 

Contact & Disclaimers 

If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store.

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 and don’t include GST. In the case of discrepancies in pricing, the price in our in store point of sale will be taken as correct.

Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger.

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson

Owner & Scotchguy

Kensington Wine Market

403-283-8000

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

www.kensingtonwinemarket.com