Malt Messenger Bulletin
Exciting Waterford Tasting Update
& Arran Whiskies Back In-Stock
We received some exciting news, two of our friends from the Waterford Distillery will be joining us for our What’s All the Fuss About Waterford Whisky?!” virtual tasting. We did have to tweak the start time though. Ireland is 7 hours ahead of us after all… so we will be starting the tasting at 6PM; 1AM the next day in Waterford.
We are so thrilled that Head Distiller Ned Gahan and Head of Marketing Megan Kiely have decided to join us, that we have also opened up 20 more spots for this sold out tasting. Megan & Ned are ‘good craic’ as they say in the old country.
We’ll sample 6 Waterford Whiskies including the Organic Gaia 1.1 and 1.2. I’ve held back a few bottles of the Organic Gaia 1.1, just for participants in the tastings. We’ll also sample all four of the Single Farm Origin Releases that have come to Canada, as well as a 7th surprise dram.
I really enjoyed my time at Waterford Distillery last March. They have definitely found their own recipe for success, and I think they are a innovative distillery to keep your eye on. If you’re not already, I hope you’ll consider joining us. Details below!
There are a number of other tastings coming up in the days and weeks ahead, including:
· Hunter’s Final Ride: A Retrospective – Tomorrow
· Valinch & Mallet with Davide Romano – Only 3 Spots Left!
· GlenDronach Batch 18+ with Stewart Buchanan – 15 Spots Left
· Independents Day: Signatory Vintage
Details on all of these can be found below.
We also just received a top of of whiskies from the Arran Distillery, including the 10, 18 & 21 Years, as well as the Sauternes Cask. Our exclusive Finlaggan Old Islay Reserve Cask Strength is also back in stock.
Last but not least, I’ve refreshed our list of deals below, adding a few new ones!
As always, please let me know if you have any comments or questions.
If you are able to, please order online. Most days I receive more emails than I am able to reasonably reply to in a timely fashion.
In the event of a discrepancy in price, the Point of Sale at KWM will be taken as correct.
Sincerely,
Andrew Ferguson
Kensington Wine Market
IN THIS EDITION
1. Exciting Waterford Tasting Update!
2. Waterford Whiskies at KWM
3. Other Upcoming Virtual Whisky Tastings
4. Arran Whiskies Back In-Stock
5. Big Savings on Select Whiskies
!!EXCITING WATERFORD TASTING UPDATE!!
We have changed the time of Friday’s tasting to 6PM, and added 20 additional spots, because we will be joined by a pair of special guests, live from Waterford, Ireland. Head Distiller Ned Gahan and Marketing Manager Megan Kiely are going to stay up late.
What’s All the Fuss About Waterford Whisky?!
· Date: Friday, April 16
· Time: 6 PM
· Cost: $45
· Pick-Up Date: Available Now
Mark Reynier’s Waterford Distillery has been making waves in the Whisk(e)y world over the last year. The Irish distillery’s first whisky releases have received acclaim from critics and members of the trade, including your friends here at KWM! Waterford’s focus is on the barley, paying very close attention to what they call Teireoir. But that is just a part of their recipe for the quality of their young whiskies. Long fermentation times, yeast selection, very precise distillation and rigorous cask management all play an important role. We’ll sample our way through the first 6 Waterford Whiskies to come to Canada, as well as a surprise 7th whisky, with our special guests Megan and Ned. The tasting will consist of 7 15ml samples. A zoom code will be emailed a day before the tasting. Andrew & Curt will take a back seat and only offer colour commentary as we our special guest host Megan Kiely & Ned Gahan lead this one. Sample are ready for pick-up now. A Zoom link will be emailed out a day or so before the tasting.
Register Online
WATERFORD WHISKIES AVAILABLE AT KWM!
The following Waterford Whiskies are still available from KWM, and will be sampled on Friday!
1. Waterford Arcadian Sr. Organic Gaia 1.2 – 50% – The Deets: Overture barley, grown in 3 distinct soil types, from a number of different farms. Mauri Distiller’s Yeast was used for the 136 hour fermentation with the spirit matured in a mix of 35% First Fill ex-Bourbon, 29% Virgin American Oak, 17% ex-French Wine & 19% Vin Doux Naturel Casks. The whisky was bottled at 50% after 3 years, 9 months and 20 days of maturation. Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: a rose bed after a summer shower, white pepper, rhubarb tart, salted caramel, popcorn, fudge, marshmallows, cherries, vine tomatoes. Taste: white pepper, orange zest, almond, dates, lemon sherbet, liquorice, gentle maltiness and warm chocolate brownie. Finish: warm spices that gently goes to leave a cherry biscuit note.” – $110
2. Waterford Single Farm Ballymorgan 1.2 – 50% – The Deets: “Distilled in 2016 and bottled in 2020, this 4 year old Irish single malt whisky was bottled at 50% after maturing in a typical Waterford mix of casks: 34% First Fill ex-Bourbon, 20% Virgin American Oak, 23% ex-Wine French Oak and 23% Vin Doux Naturel. The barley for the whisky was grown by Robert Milne in County Wexford. Produced from Overture barley, and fermented with Mauri Distiller’s Yeast for 136 hours.” – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Dried herbs, malt, red apple, plums, milk chocolate, vanilla, fennel seeds and custard. Taste: Apple crumble with toffee, milk chocolate, slight fudge, cloves, a green apple collated in caramel, with pepper heat and aniseed. Finish: Lingering spice heat with a mouth-watering oiliness that turns mouth puckering.” – $102 – 87pts Whisky Fun
3. Waterford Single Farm Sheestown 1.2 – 50% – The Deets: “This single farm origin single malt was produced from barley grown by Philip O’Brien at Sheestown Farm in County Kilkenny. Distilled in 2016 and bottled at 2020 after 4 years at 50%. Matured in a a mix of 33% ex-Bourbon, 19% Virgin American Oak, 25% ex-French Wine & 23% Vin Doux Naturel casks. Produced from the Irina barley variety, and fermented with Mauri Distiller’s Yeast for an impressive 131.5 hours.” – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Malty, honey, fruit cake, pears, sherry trifle, cookie dough, a summer hay note, orange peel and an earthy note. Taste: Spices and clove that gently warms then dries; blood oranges, honeycomb, barley sugar and ginger. Finish: Long with a gentle spice and citrus that tingles.” – $102 – 87pts Whisky Fun
OTHER UP-COMING
VIRTUAL WHISKY TASTINGS!
Hunter’s Final Ride: A Retrospective
· Date: Thursday, April 15
· Time: 8 PM
· Cost: $40
· Pick-Up Date: Available Now
One of our beloved alumni, Hunter Sullivan, Andrew’s “work son”, is once again moving on. Hunter has left KWM once before but it didn’t stick – this time he swears it’s for good… To celebrate (or mourn) the end of an era, he asked us if he could do one last tasting of “intriguing things!” This may well be your last chance to follow Hunter down one of his rabbit holes. Hunter has carefully curated a eccentric retinue of bottles that reflect his eclectic and wide ranging interest in whisky and spirits. Join us for one (possibly) final ride through the depths of Hunter’s mind and palate! Thurs, April 15th @ 8 PM
Valinch & Mallet with Davide Romano
· Date: Saturday, May 1
· Time: 5 PM
· Cost: $75
· Pick-Up Date: Available April 7!
We received some very rare and curious new whiskies from Valinch & Mallet recently. Most of them were limited to just 4 bottles each. We could have just sold them all off to those quick with their mouse. But that’s not how we like to handle things. So we reserved the stock of the most sought-after whiskies for a special tasting to be hosted by Valinch & Mallet co-founder Davide Romano. We will sample the: Bruichladdich 19 Year, Caperdonich 20 Year, a “waxy” Highland Malt (cough Clynelish) 24 Year, Imperial 24 Year, Ledaig 10 Year, Ledaig 25 Year and one other whisky. Best of all, participants in the tasting will get first crack at buying the whiskies. Includes seven 15ml samples. A zoom code will be emailed 24-48 hours before the tasting.
*SAMPLES READY FOR PICK-UP APRIL 7.
GlenDronach Batch 18+ with Stewart Buchanan
· Date: Saturday, May 8
· Time: 5 PM
· Cost: $125
· Pick-Up Date: Available April 7!
GlenDronach Brand Ambassador Stewart Buchanan will be your guide as we sample through a range of 8 GlenDronach single malts. We were lucky to receive one case for each of six different Batch 18 GlenDronach vintages, and they sold out almost immediately. We love GlenDronach whisky, and we’re just as curious as anyone as to what they are like. So we held back a bottle of each for a tasting. We are rounding out the lineup with the new GlenDronach Port Wood and the GlenDronach 21 Year Parliament. It is a range of whiskies that would set you back more than $5K, should you even be able to track them down…
*SAMPLES READY FOR PICK-UP APRIL 7.
Independents Day: Signatory Vintage
· Date: Thursday, May 20
· Time: 8 PM
· Cost: $60
· Pick-Up Date: Available April 9
We’ve just received our latest shipment of whisky from Signatory Vintage, nestled in the hills above Pitlochry, Scotland. Signatory has been one of our favourite independent bottlers for years because they offer excellent value and reliably good quality whiskies. It is very rare that we find a bottling that disappoints. For this tasting, we will sampling: Ben Nevis 2011, Benrinnes 1996, Bunnahabhain 2009, Caol Ila 2010, Clynelish 1995, Edradour 10 Year (Heavy Sherry) and GlenAllachie 2007. Seven 15ml samples included.
*SAMPLES READY FOR PICK-UP APRIL 9.
ARRAN WHISKIES BACK IN-STOCK!
We love our Arran whisky, there was a time when we seemingly had it to ourselves. But that time has passed, the world has discovered Arran, and so has our competition locally. Arran seems to disappear almost as fast as we can put our hands on it these days. A few staples have returned in stock, with a price increase… but don’t fret, the 18 and 21 are just ten dollars more than they were. Arran is still offering some of the best value in Scotch whisky, and have we mentioned how much we love that it is bottled at 46%!
1. Arran 10 Year – 46% – The Arran 10 Year has been a staple at KWM for more than a decade. We love the fact that it un-chill filtered and bottled without colouring at 46%. It is a great whisky for those just cutting their teeth or those in search of a great quality whisky that doesn’t break the bank. – More Details & Tasting Note on the Website – $66
2. Arran 18 Year – 46% – The 18 year old Arran was added to the distillery’s core range in 2016 for its 21st anniversary. Bottled at 46%, un-Chillfiltered and with no colouring added, the Arran 18 year old is created predominantly from carefully selected first and second-fill Ex-Sherry casks. Rich, fruity with some soft spices in style, the 18 year year old Arran represents a great value for its age. – More Details & Tasting Note on the Website – $140
3. Arran 21 Year – 46% – This is the old 18 year we knew and loved, 3 years older still. Matured exclusively in ex-Sherry casks, and bottled at 46% without added colouring or chill-filtering. Only around 6,000 bottles released per year, sourced exclusively from first fill ex-Sherry casks. Exceptionally good value for a whisky of it’s age and quality! – More Details & Tasting Note on the Website – $195
4. Arran Sauternes Cask Finish – 46% – Part of the Arran Cask Finish line, this whisky started in ex-Bourbon casks, and was finished in ex-Sauternes Wine Bariques. 50% – More Details & Tasting Note on the Website – $80
BIG SAVINGS ON SELECT WHISKIES
When we get a deal, you get a deal… simple as that. These whiskies are on sale, but only while stocks last!
We have some cool Irish single malts, all probably from the Cooley Distillery, and the Craigellachie 13 Year is back on sale, 30% off!
The Talisker Distiller’s Edition is in the midst of transitioning from the 2018 to the 2019. We have a mix of both.
Other highlights include the Bowmore 15, Old Pulteney Huddart and the Glengloyn Legacy Chapter 2. I’m not sure why that last one was put on sale by the importer, it just arrived, but it is, so take advantage of the savings whily you can!
1. Tomatin Contrast – This is a very interesting two half bottle release from Tomatin Distillery which shows the contrast between ex-bourbon and ex-sherry barrels and their influence on Scotch. The disitllery vatted whiskies from 4 decades, and then further matured it in ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry before bottling at 46%. – Was $209.99 – SAVE 35% – Now $136.49
2. Blackwater Retronaut 17 Year Irish Single Malt Whiskey – This 17 year old single was matured in ex-Bourbon casks before bottling at 46%. Presumably distilled at the Cooley distillery, the whiskey was bottlec by Blackwater Distillery while they wait for their whiskey to reach maturity. – Was $220 – SAVE 35% – Now $142.99
3. Craigellachie 13 Year – Part of the Last Great Malts series from Bacardi/Dewar’s – this 13-year-old from Craigellachie Distillery is bottled at 46% ABV. This 13yr old along with the rest of the Craigellachie official prime-numbered lineup was introduced in 2014.- Was $79.99 – SAVE 30% – Now $55.99
4. Jack Ryan 12 Year Irish Single Malt Whiskey – This whiskey is a tribute to 100 years of the Ryan Family at their famous Beggars Bush pub on Haddington Road, in Dublin’s Ballsbridge. Bottled at 46%, this 12 year old Irish single malt is sourced from casks produced at the Cooley distillery. Matured in Ex-Bourbon barrels. – Was $122.99 – SAVE 30% – Now $86.09
5. Ardbeg 10 Year 1L – The only difference between this and the regular Ardbeg 10 Year, is that this is the Duty Free sized 1L bottling. It is still 46% and matured in American oak. One of Scotland’s most beloved whiskies, this 10 year old highlights the distillery’s peaty provenance. Although technically the most peated full time production whisky in Scotland, the distilleries stills and spirit-purifier gives this malt a softer edge than might be expected. It has been bottled at 46% without colouring or chill-filtering. – Was $115 – SAVE 25% – Now $86.24
6. Basil Hayden Bourbon – Basil Hayden Bourbon is made by Jim Beam Distillery. It is created using the high-rye Old Grand Dad mash bill, which purportedly contains about 27% Rye in the mash. Bottled at 40%. – Was $61 – SAVE 25% – Now $45.74
7. BenRiach Peated Cask Strength Batch 1 – Batch 1 of the BenRiach Peated Cask Strength is bottled at 56% ABV. As the name would suggest – it is peated. It has been aged in a combination of ex-Bourbon barrels and ex-Oloroso Sherry casks. – Was $115 – SAVE 25% – Now $86.24
8. Buffalo Trace Kentucky Bourbon – Like Eagle Rare, George T. Stagg, Stagg Jr, and EH Taylor Bourbons, Buffalo Trace Bourbon is made using the distillery’s #1 Mash Bill, which is a high corn/low rye content mash in style. This means it is a very high corn content and likely at or less than 10% Rye, with 3-5% Malted Barley making up the remainder. It is purportedly aged for 8-10 years before being bottled at 45% ABV. – Was $44 – SAVE 25% – Now $32.99
9. Maker’s Mark 46 – Maker’s Mark is a mellow bourbon, made with wheat in place of rye. The original Maker’s Mark whisky has been finished in the same barrels as the regular but with new French oak staves inserted to add additional flavours of caramel, spice and vanilla. – Was $66.99 – SAVE 25% – Now $50.24
10. Mortlach 12 Year – One of the trio of whiskies in the newly revamped Mortlach range. Nicknamed the Wee Witchie in honour of the distillery’s smallest still. The 12 year old was matured in Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry and was crafted to showcase the distillery’s meaty-sulphury character. 43.4%. – Was $98 – SAVE 25% – Now $73.49
11. Mortlach 16 Year – This 16 year old Mortlach was inspired by the distillery’s long lost, but beloved, “Flora & Fauna” bottling from the 90’s & 2000s. Part of the newly revamped Mortlach range released in 2018 after the disasterous prior range. Matured exclusively in ex-sherry and bottled at 43.4%. – Was $140 – SAVE 25% – Now $104.99
12. Pike Creek 10 Year Rum Barrel Finish – Pike Creek is part of a trifecta of higher end and Canadian Whiskies released by Corby Distillers. The others in the series being Lot 40 and Gooderham & Worts. Originally released as a Port Cask Finish – this new release is finished in Rum Casks. – Was $41.99 – SAVE 25% – Now $31.49
13. Basil Hayden Two by Two Rye – A blend of 80% Rye and 20% Bourbon from Jim Beam, bottled under the Basil Hayden’s label. – Was $61 – SAVE 20% – Now $48.79
14. Bowmore 15 Year – The 15 Year Bowmore is finished 3 years in Oloroso Sherry before bottling at 43%. Bowmore Distillery, est. 1779 is the oldest distillery on Islay and one of the oldest in Scotland. The whisky is moderately peated by the standards of most other Islay whiskies, and malts 40% of their own barley. – Was $97.99 – SAVE 20% – Now $78.39
15. Glenfiddich 14 Year Bourbon Barrel Reserve – What sets this apart from the 15 Year Old Solera is the ex-Bourbon cask focus. The whisky spends most of its life maturing in ex-Bourbon casks before being finished charred virgin American oak barrels and then bottled at 43%. – Was $76 – SAVE 20% – Now $60.79
16. Glengoyne Legacy Series: Chapter 2 – Bottled at 48% like Chapter 1 – the new bactch of Glengoyne Legacy contains whisky that was aged in first fill ex-Bourbon and refill sherry casks. Chapter 2 was originally released in September of 2020. – Was $110 – SAVE 20% – Now $87.99
17. Glenlivet 18 Year – New Look! Matured in a mix of first and second fill ex-American oak and ex-Sherry casks. Bottled after 18 years at 40%. – Was $165 – SAVE 20% – Now $131.99
18. Laphroaig Lore – The marriage draws from the peaty power of Laphroaig in the same vein as Quarter Cask but with the smoothness of double matured stock finished in European oak hogsheads. To add even further depth and complexity we used our mosy heavily peated whisky matured in ex-Laphroaig barrels along with some fully sherry matured casks. – Was $192 – SAVE 20% – Now $153.59
19. Old Pulteney Huddart – The most curious whisky in the distillery’s new core range, Huddart is bottled at 46% after finishing in casks which previously matured heavily peated single malts. – Was $82.99 – SAVE 20% – Now $66.39
20. Redbreast 12 Year – Complex with great depth. Huskier than Powers but that same robustness, with apple notes. This SIngle Pot Still Irish whiskey is as Irish as it gets. 40%. – Was $100 – SAVE 15% – Now $84.99
But that’s not all, click the link below to browse all in-stock sale items!
BROWSE ALL SALE ITEMS
