Malt Messenger Bulletin

5 New Virtual Whisky Tastings & More Deals

A polar vortex has gripped the Prairies, but we’ve got some news that should warm you up. We have just dropped 5 new virtual whisky tastings on the KWM website.

One features a new to Alberta independent bottler, one a range of Bourbons and another is our first Japanese whisky tasting in a while.

The last two are possibly the most exciting, and while the price tags might cause some heart palpitations, they are in reality really good value. And they won’t last long… But I’ll let you read up about them.

We have two other virtual tastings coming up this week. Signatory & The Single Cask is Friday, and there are just 3 spots left… On Saturday we have special guest Dave Worthington from The Boutique-y Whisky Co. joining us for Part 1 of our 2 part Boutique-y Whisky Roulette Double Header with Dave Worthington sessions.

Finally, while our Year-End Inventory Sale is behind us, we still have some great deals on whisky. Some of them are leftovers from two weekends back, but there are some new ones too!

I hope this finds you healthy, warm and in good spirits!

Sláinte!

Andrew Ferguson

NEW VIRTUAL WHISKY TASTINGS

We have 5 new virtual tastings to tell you about, and they are very exciting. Some of these will not last long. We quietly put them up on the website on Saturday, and the bottom two are already close to 3/4 and more than 1/2 sold…

All of the tastings will be conducted over Zoom, and feature seven 15m whisk(e)y samples. Register online:

kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/tasting-schedule/

Introducing the Artist Collective Whiskies

·     Date: Thursday, February 18, 8 PM

·     Cost: $50

·     Pick-up Date: Available Now

While ultimately the liquid must always be the star, we do love a pretty label, and the Artist Collective series has very pretty labels. The range has been created by La Maison du Whisky, one of the leading retailers and distributors of whisky in the World. Each label features a bespoke work of art, commissioned by contemporary artists, from a broad range of backgrounds. The range is new to KWM and Canada, and we thought a little quality control was in order. We will be sampling: Ardmore 9 Year, Aultmore 13 Year, Benrinnes 22 Year, Caol Ila 9 Year, Clynelish 10 Year, Glen Grant 23 Year and Linkwood 21 Year. Samples are 15ml and will be ready for pick-up by Tuesday, February 9.

On & Off The Bourbon Trail

·     Date: Tuesday, February 23, 8 PM

·     Cost: $40

·     Pick-up Date: Available Now

Evan’s last Bourbon tasting sold out in no time at all, so he’s heading back to ‘Merica’ (from a social distance), with stops on and off the Bourbon Trail, in search of great Bourbon from distilleries’ new and old. The tasting will consist of seven 15ml samples.

Lost in Translation – Lock Down Edition

·     Date: Thursday, February 25, 8 PM

·     Cost: $40

·     Pick-up Date: Tue, Feb 9

The Japanese whisky industry is approaching the centennial of its birth, and things are finally starting to improve with respect to both pricing and supply. We’ll take you on a virtual whisky tour of the Land of the Rising Sun while sipping on a range of proper Japanese whiskies. This tasting will feature two different single malts each, from Yoichi & Miyagikyo Distilleries, in addition to 4 other interesting Japanese whiskies. This tasting includes eight 15ml samples.

Benromach Rising with Richard Urquhart

·     Date: Saturday, March 6, 5 PM

·     Cost: $100

·     Pick-up Date: Monday, Feb 22 – ESTIMATE

We are honoured to have Richard Urquhart, Gordon & MacPhail Head of Sales Americas, join us live from Scotland to launch the newly revamped Benromach range. Gordon & MacPhail is a 125-year-old family-owned firm and the leading independent bottler of Scotch whisky. Richard Urquhart is part of the 4th generation of Urquhart’s who own Gordon MacPhail. In 1993 Gordon & MacPhail purchased the closed Benromach Distillery, bringing it back to life in 1998. This year is a milestone year for Benromach, with the whisky distilled there by G&M now 21 years of age. Our lineup for Richard’s tasting will not disappoint, it includes the Benromach 10, 15, 21, 35, 40 and 45 Years, as well as the soon to be released Benromach 2007 KWM Cask… In all participants will be sampling their way through more than $4000 worth of whisky. The tasting includes seven 15ml samples of Benromach and also a KWM logo Glencairn Copita Glass.

*Limit 1 Per Customer! – Only 13/40 Spots Left!

Gordon & Macphail 125th Anniversary Tasting with Richard Urquhart

·     Date: Saturday, March 20, 5 PM

·     Cost: $275 ($25 to Charity)

·     Pick-up Date: Friday, Mar 5 – ESTIMATE

We are honoured to have Richard Urquhart, Gordon & MacPhail Head of Sales for the Americas, join us live from Scotland for a very special virtual tasting marking G&M’s 125th Anniversary. The family-owned firm, of which Richard is a 4th generation member, is the world’s leading independent bottler of Scotch whisky. We are pulling out all the stops for this tasting, sampling a range of whiskies with a collective age of nearly 300 years! The tasting will include seven 15ml samples of Jura 1991, Glenburgie 1990, Glenury Royal 1984. Glenlivet 1979, Linkwood 1967, Glen Grant 1962 and Linkwood 1946. In all participants will be sampling their way through more than $15000 worth of whisky. The tasting also includes a KWM logo Glencairn Copita Glass.

*$25 per registration will be donated to the Brenda Strafford Centre, a local women’s shelter.

**Limit 1 Per Customer! – Only 16/40 Spots Left!

OTHER UPCOMING VIRTUAL WHISKY TASTINGS

A limited number of sample sets are left for these two upcoming tastings!

·     A Zoom link for each of the tastings will be emailed 12-48 hours prior to the tasting.

·     A pick-up date for the samples is indicated for each tasting!

·     Tasting samples can be delivered in Calgary city-limits for a $10 fee, which will be waived for orders over $100.

Signatory Vintage & The Single Cask

·     Date: Friday February 12 8PM MT

·     Cost: $60.00

·     Pick-up Date: Available Now!

·     Only 3 Spots Left!

We’ve dragged the legendary Hunter Sullivan out of retirement to be Andrew’s co-host for this vertical range tasting highlighting one of our favourite independent bottlers, Signatory Vintage. We will sample 5 different Signatory whiskies, as well as another two from a new-to-Alberta independent bottler, The Single Cask. The tasting includes 7x15ml samples of whiskies aged 20 to 35 years of age from the following distilleries: Ben Nevis, Cameronbridge, Glen Elgin, Glen Keith, Glenburgie, Glentauchers & Strathclyde.

Boutique-y Whisky Roulette Double Header with Dave Worthington

·     Dates: February 13, 2021 5PM & February 27, 2021 5PM

·     Cost: $160.00 (2 Tastings & 7 Whiskies)

·     Pick-up Date: Available Now!

·     Only 6 Spots Left!

Two Tastings, 14 Whiskies & a Very Special Guest!

The boys are back with another Boutique-y Double Header tasting. This time we will be tackling the “Boutique-y Greatest Hits Collection Vol. 1” in a virtual trans-Atlantic game of spin the bottles (the Greatest Hits Collection Spins). The tasting will take part over 2 nights, Saturday, February 13, 5 PM MT and Saturday, February 27, 5 PM MT. On each night we will sample 5 of the 10 50ml bottles in the Greatest Hits Collection, selected at random. Call it Whisky Roulette or Spin the Bottle… We will also sample two bonus drams each night, 28ml samples filled by KWM of 4 other Boutique-y whiskies. Dave Worthington will be our guide, and with a little luck, Sam Simmons will crash the party. 5 PM Saturday, February 13 & 5 PM Saturday, February 27.

MORE GREAT DEALS

If you missed last weekend’s Year-End Inventory Sale, or if there were a few deals you regret missing out on, I have some good news for you. We have a selection of whiskies still on sale that you can take advantage of.

A few of these deals are carryovers from our Year-End Inventory Sale, like the Talisker Distillers Edition, Bowmore 18 Year, Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or, Craigellachie 13 Year and Aberfeldy 21 Year. We got a really good deal on these whiskies, so we are passing on the savings.

There are also some new ones though, like the BenRiach Cask Strength Batch 2 and Peated Cask Strength Batch 1. BenRiach has retooled their look, and they are clearing out the inventory before launching the new packaging. Then there is the Tomatin 1988 1st Edition, a 25 year old whisky we are able to offer for a whopping 45% off. It is old stock found lingering in a warehouse in the States… We were offered a deal we could not refuse to take some on!

This is not a complete list of everything currently on sale, but rather some highlights. You can find that on our website by scrolling through all of our sale items!

NEW – Tomatin 1988 1st Edition

This is Batch 1 of Tomatin’s 1988 vintage, which was matured in Bourbon and Port Pipes before bottling at 46%. This is old stock, found in a warehouse in the US, and we were offered a very good deal to help clear it out… That’s why it is nearly 50% off! 87.73pts Whisky Base, this is without question one of the best deals we have right now; and you won’t see Tomatin this old at this price, ever again!

Was $490 – SAVE 45% – Now $269.49!

NEW – BenRiach Cask Strength Batch 2

BenRiach has revamped their packaging and image, and accordingly, they are trying to clear out the old packaging in Alberta. So they put it on sale, and when we get a deal, you get a deal… Batch 2 – the current release – is bottled at 60.6% ABV. The whisky within was aged in a combination of ex-Bourbon, ex-Oloroso Sherry, and Virgin Oak Casks. 87-88pts Whisky Base.

Was $115 – SAVE 25% – Now $86.24!

Stock arriving Wednesday!

NEW – 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. New-ish though it is, it is not in line with BenRiach’s newly revamped branding, so the importer put it on sale. And when we get a deal, you get a deal!

Was $115 – SAVE 25% – Now $86.24!

Stock arriving Wednesday!

Bowmore 18 Year

I can’t lie, we stocked up on this when the importer put it on sale. The Bowmore 18 Year is one of the best value sherried Islay malts at full price. When we can offer it at 20% off, it’s a steal. Curt has added a recent tasting note on our website. “Seemingly gone are the lavender-heavy days of distillation; we’re back in full-on fruit mode. And the smoke? Bold enough to provide an unwavering backbone, yet gentle enough to expand the appeal well beyond the peat-addicted masses. “

Was $125 – SAVE 20% – Now $99.99!

Aberfeldy 21 Year

Billed as one of “The Last Great Malts”, Aberfeldy is a hidden gem from the Highlands. Just downstream from Loch Tay the distillery is nestled in the foothills of the Grampian mountains. The bottling strength is only 40%, but the whisky is stunning and very complex. It is one of the best-priced distillery bottled 21-year-olds at full retail, at 20% off, it screams bargain!

Was $180 – SAVE 20% – Now $143.99!

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 disastrous prior range. Matured exclusively in ex-sherry and bottled at 43.4%, at 25% off this is a great value malt.

Was $140 – SAVE 25% – Now $105!

Talisker Distillers Edition 2018

Take that punchy, peppery and peated profile that so perfectly embodies what Talisker is all about, then wrap it in the sweet, creamy and fruity warmth of ex-Amoroso Sherry Butts for another year or so. What you get in the end is exactly what you’d expect, but also something that is so much more than the sum of its parts. Fear not, though. The nippy and beautifully oceanic Talisker we adore is still present and accounted for.

Was $120 – SAVE 25% – Now $90!

Loch Lomond The Open Special Edition

Bottled to mark the partnership between Loch Lomond Distillers and The Open. Matured in three types of American oak and bottled at 46%. The whisky offers a balanced mixture of peat, fruit, vanilla and smoke. A sign of greater things still to come from the Loch Lomond Distillery!

Was $73.99 – SAVE 30% – Now $51.79!

Elements of Islay Peat Pure Islay

This whisky oozes value at $50 (500ml bottle) and is a steal at $37.49. “PEAT Pure Islay is the companion to PEAT, trading its feisty full strength for a more approachable and easy-sipping 45% ABV. Packed with Islay smoke, it’s still a go-to whisky for both cocktails and long drinks, as well as being an excellent dram to sit with long into the night. Created using whiskies from a handful of distilleries from across Islay, PEAT Pure Islay is a well-balanced and easy-drinking everyday whisky to keep all smoky dram fans happy.”

Was $50 – SAVE 25% – Now $37.49!

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 distillery vatted whiskies from 4 decades, and then further matured it in ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry before bottling at 46%.

Was $210 – SAVE 35% – Now $136.49

Jura Seven Wood

Not content with double wood or triple wood, Jura has gone right to SEVEN WOOD with this bottling. Not just a made up golf club, the Jura Seven Wood Single Malt Scotch comes from the Jura distillery on – get this – the Isle of Jura. The Jura Seven Wood is composed mostly of unpeated Jura Single Malt plus a small portion of peated Jura as well. It is aged in a combination of American Oak ex-Bourbon barrels and SIX different French Oak Barrels. Bottled at 42%.

Was $122 – SAVE 35% – Now $79.29

Port Askaig 100 Proof

Port Askaig is a line of mystery Islay single malts. The whiskies are reputed to come from the Caol Ila distillery. The 100 Proof is a no age statement whisky bottled at 57.1% (100 British Proof). It is named for Islay’s ancient ferry and fishing port on the island’s north-east coast.

Was $80 – SAVE 25% – Now $59.99

ONLY 7 BOTTLES LEFT!

Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or

This whisky was born from the memory of entering a pastry shop for the very first time. It’s about that first moment of finding your senses deliciously overwhelmed, breathing in the sweet scents and wishing you could take a bite of every creamy, flaky treat you see. In Nectar D’Or you can taste it all. To create it, we take the delicate, fruity spirit of our giraffe-high stills and age it in American oak bourbon casks along with casks that once held Sauternes sweet white wine.

Was $102 – SAVE 25% – Now $76.49

Only 8 bottles left!

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. The whisky was a hit in our 2020 KWM Whisky Calendar and is a very good value at $80/bottle. At 30% off it is a steal!

Was $80 – SAVE 30% – Now $55.99

STAY HOME… WE’LL DELIVER!

We Are Offering Some Great Deals

&

Free City-Wide Delivery for Orders Over $100

FREE DELIVERY – We are offering free delivery for orders over $100 placed online or over the phone, and will do our best to deliver within 72 hours.

CURBSIDE PICKUP – Place an order, we’ll let you know when it is ready. Call us when you are out front or parked in the back lot and we’ll bring it out. Simple as that!

GIFTING – Want to send someone a care package? All gifting options are still available. Quarantined parents and closed schools qualify as a “wine emergency”. Gift cards are also available and can be used over the phone.

If you are able, please submit your order online. We will answer any questions you might have before finalizing and processing your order. You are not automatically billed when you submit your order.

www.kensingtonwinemarket.com

We will do our best to answer and process as many phone orders as we can. Call us at 403-283-8000.

COVID-19 Precautions at KWM

To protect our staff and customers we have implemented some policies!

Please do not enter the store if:

·     You have returned from Outside of Canada in the last 2 weeks, or you live with someone who has!

·     You are showing symptoms of COVID-19, or if you have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with or suspected to have contracted COVID-19.

If the above applies to you, please order online or by phone and we can deliver!

Precautions we are taking in-store:

·     All of our staff are wearing masks, and we’d appreciate if you would do so too!

·     We are only allowing 6 customers in the store at any given time.

·     We have hand sanitizer throughout the store for the use of customers and staff.

·     We kindly ask that you do not to pick up products unless you intend to purchase them.

·     We are frequently disinfecting commonly touched surfaces and high contact areas within the store.

·     We are also not accepting cash payment at this time.

·     Staff are frequently washing and disinfecting their hands.

·     We have cancelled all in-store tastings.

·     We are monitoring our staff for symptoms.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we all try to navigate this challenging time!

403-283-8000

888-283-9004

Store Hours

Sunday: 11am – 6pm

Mon – Wed: 10am – 8pm

Thu – Fri: 10am – 9pm

Sat: 10am – 8pm

*All Prices Quoted here are subject to change and do not include GST. In the case of pricing discrepancies, the price at our point of sale will be taken as correct.*

Whisky 101:

A Virtual Tasting with The Whisky Shop

February 10th: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Join us at The Whisky Shop for a virtual whisky lesson, presented by Paul, Will, and Brandon! You’ll learn about the key differences in whisky production through five unique whiskies.

Each ticket comes with a sample collection of mystery whiskies, including Single Malt aged in a bourbon cask, Single Malt aged in a sherry cask, Blended Malt, Blended Malt & Grain and a Single Grain.

Click here for more details & ticket purchase

Celebrate Purim with Milk & Honey

Celebrate this year with whiskies & gins from Israel’s first whisky distillery, Milk & Honey! The following bottles are 10% until the end of February with the code ‘M&H2021‘:

Milk & Honey Classic

Whisky In Bloom: Lightly Peated

Whisky In Bloom: Double Cask

Get 10% off with the code ‘M&H2021’ at checkout

VALENTINES OFFER 

Free English Whisky Hipflask

Receive a FREE English Whisky hip flask with its own presentation gift box (worth RRP £9.99) when you spend over £75 online. (Your hip flask will automatically be added to your basket as you checkout. Offer only applies to spend over £75 before postage and packaging.  Promotion ends 19th February 2021. Offer excludes all distillery tours).

OFFER ENDS 19TH FEB 2021

SHOP NOW

Don’t forget that we are offering FREE delivery on all orders over £75 for Mainland UK Delivery.

Looking for a unique and exclusive way to connect with friends, family, or colleagues? Check out one of our private virtual tastings!

Enjoy a custom, guided experience led by one of our whiskey experts, from your own space. Pour lists can be tailored to your budgets and all tasting kits are delivered directly to your door!

For more details and scheduling availability, inquire below!

SCHEDULE YOUR PRIVATE TASTING

 

SCOTLAND’S  BIGGEST WHISKY FESTIVAL GOES VIRTUAL IN APRIL

FULL FESTIVAL MOVED TO NOVEMBER SUBJECT TO COVID CONDITIONS

Spirit of Speyside festival has today (Thursday 28th January) confirmed that it is going to bring together some of the region’s most loved distilleries and whisky makers online instead of in person in April. With a full programme to be announced in the coming weeks, events confirmed so far include a tour of one of Scotland’s newest and most contemporary distilleries, Dalmunach Distillery, from Master Distiller, Alan Winchester; an exploration of Benriach’s World of Flavour and new portfolio with Global Brand Ambassador Stewart Buchanan and a whistle stop virtual tasting tour of Malt Whisky Country with The Malt Whisky Trail.

Festival organisers are hopeful that the event, which would have been celebrating its 21st year in April, will be able to go ahead in person on 3rd – 8th November 2021 providing it is safe for everyone to travel at that time, based on Scottish Government advice.

The decision to postpone original plans for the 2021 Whisky Festival reflects the quickly-evolving situation as a result of the new variant of the Covid-19 virus and current recommendations from the Scottish Government to restrict public gatherings and travel as a preventative measure.

James Campbell, Chairman at The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, said: 
 
“Given whisky lovers won’t be able to come to Speyside for our annual festival this April, we have decided to take the festival to them until it is safe for visitors to return to Malt Whisky Country hopefully later in the year.

We can’t wait to welcome new and returning visitors from the UK and further afield to this beautiful part of the world. In the meantime, we hope that our online programme of events in April will lift everyone’s spirits and give people a taste of what to expect from the festival in November. We will then revert back to our traditional date in 2022.”

The full programme of virtual events will be listed on www.spiritofspeyside.com and will be available for preview on 11th March 2021. Tickets will go on sale online on 16th March 2021.

Notes:

First launched in 1999, the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival’s annual celebration of Scotland’s national drink has developed into one of the largest events of its kind anywhere in the world. With a programme of over hundreds of whisky-inspired events over six days, the Festival is a mecca for the curious beginner and the whisky connoisseur alike. Festival events take place throughout Speyside, the biggest whisky producing region in Scotland, located in the Moray area in the North-East of the county between Aberdeen and Inverness.

Over the years, the Festival has developed close links with many Speyside businesses and communities who help to fund the festival. It is a true team effort to deliver an ever-improving range of events and services to make the six days of the Festival a truly unforgettable experience.

The company is limited by guarantee, it runs the festival with a voluntary board of directors drawn from key areas of the whisky industry along with other local businesses and tourism organisations. For further information please visit:

Website:  www.spiritofspeyside.com 
Facebook: WhiskyFestival
Instagram: spirit_speyside
Twitter:  spirit_speyside

Coming Soon – Society Bottle and Online Tasting

Our new Society exclusive bottling and Society online tasting are coming soon. We will make the Springbank 8yo bottle and the tasting packs – featuring four Springbank 28yo samples – available to members as soon as possible. Also, during the tasting members will have the chance to help us select a future Society release because we will be asking for your feedback to help us make that choice.—

We are unable to confirm a release date for the new bottling and tasting packs at this time as we have been forced to temporarily suspend shipping to Europe as a consequence of the UK’s exit from the EU. We are working very hard behind the scenes to get to grips with the new regulations and will resume as soon as we have everything in place. We will keep you updated over the coming weeks. —

Society Bottle – Springbank 8yo Fresh Oloroso Sherry 57.3%

£55.00

We are launching the new Springbank Society Bottling soon – a Springbank 8yo Fresh Oloroso Sherry bottled at 57.3%. There will be 1,830 bottles available.

Nose: Rich, fruity, sweet and spicy, a true sherry maturation for this Society release. With notes of dried prunes, dates and figs, a dusting of cocoa powder and aromas of warming spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg and clove characteristics with the citrus tang of orange marmalade.

Palate: Sticky ginger cake and zesty orange marmalade. Creamy and jammy but with a peppery, BBQ smoky edge. Enduring rich fruit and spice characteristics.

Finish: Lasting citrus fruit characteristics and sticky glazed gingerbread. There is a touch of delicate peat smoke, soft brown sugar, ripe black cherries and juicy blackberries.

Society Tasting Pack for Society Online Tasting

£35.00

We will be hosting an online tasting with four unique drams, carefully selected from our 1992 stocks. Society members will have the opportunity to watch our online tasting and provide their feedback on which of these casks they would like to be considered for a future Society bottling.

Each pack contains 4 x 2cl samples.

• Springbank 28yo – Bourbon Hogshead – 47.2% ABV
• Springbank 28yo Spirit Drink – Rum Barrel – 38.1% ABV
• Springbank 28yo – Oloroso Sherry Hogshead – 51.3% ABV
• Springbank 28yo – Oloroso Sherry Butt – 46.1% ABV

We will confirm the date and time for the tasting when we launch the Tasting Packs. There will be 600 Society Tasting Packs available for members.

Please Note:

• Both the Society Bottle and the Tasting Pack will be allocated via a ballot – further details will be provided closer to the time.
• Each Society member will be able to enter the ballot for a maximum of one bottle and one tasting pack.
• At the time of writing, we are not currently accepting any entries to the ballot, nor can we accept orders in any other way.
• If you need to contact us for any reason please email society@springbank.scot. Our team are currently working from home and therefore we will not be in the office to answer any phone calls.
• Although we will be able to deliver your order to your home address, due to the current Covid-19 situation throughout Europe, we will not be able to ship items to any Cadenhead’s shop. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

We will be back in touch in due course but if you have any questions in the meantime, please let us know via society@springbank.scot.

Slainte,

Springbank Society

The Springbank Team

To join the Springbank Society please contact them at society@springbank.scot

STAY-AT-HOME WITH CUPID:

CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S DAY WITH THE WORLD’S MOST ENTERTAINING WHISKY CLUB

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society announces popular SMWS Home Dining experience is available for UK mainland delivery this Valentine’s Day

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) is bringing its first-class Home Dining experience to you, wherever you are. With the entire country being asked to stay at home once more, SMWS continue to share the Society experience with all members across the UK this Valentine’s Day.

Home Dining kits are available for delivery across mainland UK on 4^th – 5^th and 11^th – 12^th February, priced at £95 for 2 people or £165 for four. They are also available for click and collect from the 28 Queen Street, Edinburgh or 38 Bath Street, Glasgow Members’ Rooms on 4-6^th and 11-13^th February priced at £85 for 2 people or £155 for 4 people: https://smws.com/home-dining

The Feast of Saint Valentine was established in AD 496, to be celebrated annually on 14^th February in honour of Saint Valentine of Rome. This year, the award-winning SMWS team from Edinburgh’s 28 Queen Street will prepare an exceptional three-course menu, served alongside chef’s own chocolate truffles and a special Cupid’s Whisky Sour cocktail, and of course three expertly paired SMWS drams.

For the true SMWS experience, you will also receive videos from Executive Head Chef James Freeman and SMWS ambassadors, helping you skillfully plate your meal and appreciate your delicious drams.

SMWS have launched dedicated social channels along with the hashtag #smwshomedining to support the growing appreciation of their Home Dining experience:

F: https://www.facebook.com/smwsathome/

T: https://twitter.com/SMWSathome

I: https://www.instagram.com/smwsathome/

Unique whisky experiences that can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home are at the heart of this colourful whisky club, and annual membership starts from just £65: https://smws.com/whisky-club-membership

But being part of its ever-growing community of over 27,000 whisky fans goes beyond the Society’s outstanding single-cask spirits. Membership provides exclusive access to Members’ Rooms in Edinburgh, London and Glasgow as well as a calendar of UK-wide virtual tasting events. 

https://www.smws.com/

f: https://www.facebook.com/thesmwsuk

i: https://www.instagram.com/smws_uk/

t: https://twitter.com/SMWSUK

yt: https://www.youtube.com/user/SMWSsilverscreen/videos

#SMWS 

Notes:

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society 

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and now has more than 27,000 members and branches around the world
• The SMWS bottles rare single cask, single malt whisky, and a range of other spirits
• The Society bottles single malts, unique single casks and exclusive blends
• The Society has bottled whisky from more than 146 distilleries from Scotland and beyond
• The Society offers a new batch of around 20 single cask, single malt whiskies every month
• The Society offers a variety of membership packages which can be tailored. Please see https://bit.ly/2uqKanT
• For more information about the Society, visit https://bit.ly/2HHiNyC
• Twitter: @SMWSUK Facebook: @thesmwsuk Instagram: @smws_uk

Virtual Whisky Show: Old & Rare 2021

It’s that time again. As February rolls around, whisky fans from around the globe usually get ready to head to the UK to find some of the finest drams ever bottled from across whisky history at Whisky Show: Old & Rare. While that’s not going to be possible this year, we’re not going to let the year go unmarked. It’s time for Virtual Whisky Show: Old & Rare 2021.

How does that work?

Whisky Show: Old & Rare is very different to other whisky shows. The hundreds of bottles on offer are pulled from the collections of the world’s best bars and biggest collectors, and the show is all about the conversations and in-person sharing of drams – something that’s almost impossible to replicate online.

So, instead, we’ve decided to focus on one element of the show – the masterclasses. The chance to try some of the world’s finest whiskies, curated by the experts behind the show: The Whisky Exchange co-founder Sukhinder Singh, and whisky experts Angus MacRaild and Jonny McMillan.

This year’s show will run from 25-27 February and feature four masterclasses. Each class will be live-streamed on Facebook for anyone to watch, but we also have a tasting packs available if you’d like to taste along on Zoom with Sukhinder, Angus, Jonny, me and a whole host of guests from around the whisky world.

Find out more on the Virtual Whisky Show: Old & Rare website >

The Line-up

Sukhinder, Jonny and Angus have dug deep into their whisky collections and, after months of (occasionally heated) discussion, have created the four tasting line-ups, each examining something that they are passionate about in whisky – old-fashioned peat, waxy whisky, the wonder of old Longmorn and the overlooked masterpieces of Gordon & MacPhail.

Waxy Whisky
7pm Thursday 25 February 2021

When it comes to the character of old & rare whisky, waxiness is one of the most sought after flavours and textures. While the style is most commonly associated with Brora and Clynelish, there’s much more to the world of waxy whisky. This class looks into other distilleries and expressions distilled in the 1960s and 1970s, and asks ‘why?’ and ‘how?’. Our hosts will be joined by Roe and Co master distiller Lora Hemy, and whiskyfun.com creator and Clyenlish obsessive Serge Valentin to pull apart waxy drams and find out what makes them tick.

The drams:

• Glen Ord 30 Year Old Diageo Special Releases 2005
• Balvenie 1974 15 Year Old Signatory Vintage
• Clynelish 1972 24 Year Old Rare Malts
• Convalmore 1962 31 Year Old Cadenhead’s Authentic Collection
• Balblair 40 Year Old Single Malts of Scotland
• Clynelish 12 Year Old Green & Red Label

Learn more >
Buy the pack >

Longmorn
7pm Friday 26 February 2021

The way that whisky is made in Scotland means that we often don’t get a chance to try spirit from some of the greatest distilleries, other than in blends. Among those is Longmorn – one of Sukhinder’s favourite distilleries. Our hosts will be joined by The Whisky Exchange Old and Rare Spirits Manager Diego Lanza, and Catawiki whisky specialist Jeroen Koetsier for a look at what makes old Longmorn special. Expect old and elegantly fruity whisky with – especially if you ask Sukhinder – a touch of pink grapefruit.

The drams:

• Longmorn 10 Year Old Hill Thompson, bot.1960s
• Longmorn 15 Year Old Cadenhead Dumpy, bot.~1980
• Longmorn 1970 Berry Brothers, bot.1998
• Longmorn 1969 Signatory Vintage 10th Anniversary, bot.1998
• Longmorn 1970 36 Year Old Single Malts of Scotland
• Longmorn 1973 25 Year Old Hart Brothers, Port Wood

Learn more >
Buy the pack >

Gordon & MacPhail Old & Rare
4pm Saturday 27 February 2021

While Gordon & MacPhail is one of the best-known and -loved independent bottlers in the world, not all of its whiskies get the attention they deserve. Hiding in its extensive range of old and rare bottlings are the simply-presented, unassuming vintage bottlings. They are a surprisingly reasonably-priced way of trying long-aged whiskies, matured in excellent casks and distilled in the golden era of whisky production. I will be joined by Diego Lanza and Jason Vaswani from The Whisky Exchange’s Old & Rare spirits team to taste these old drams and look into the history of G&M’s bottlings.

The drams:

• Glen Grant 1966 45 Year Old
• Strathisla 1963 48 Year Old
• Glen Grant 1953 60 Year Old
• Strathisla 1972 40 Year Old
• Glenlivet 1955 56 Year Old
• Longmorn 1964 50 Year Old

Learn more >
Buy the pack >

Old-style Peat
7pm Saturday 27 February 2021

Peat may be one of the longest standing flavours in Scotch whisky, but it hasn’t been constant over the years. Changes in production and peat sources have changed the way that smoky, peaty flavours express themselves in whisky. While modern peat smoke can be wonderful, old-fashioned peat is a very different thing, and something worth examination. Our hosts will be joined by Scotch Whisky Research Institute senior scientist Frances Jack, and photographer, author and smoky whisky expert Marcel van Gils to dig deep into the history of peat and find out how and why things have changed.

The drams:

• Highland Park 1960 17 Year Old
• Port Ellen 1974 22 Year Old, Signatory Silent Stills, cask #6754
• Ardmore 1977 Samaroli 35th Anniversary, bot.2003
• Brora 32 Year Old, Diageo Special Releases 2011
• Glen Garioch 1972 Oddbins, bot.1990s
• Glenlochy 1965 37 Year Old Dun Eideann

Learn more >
Buy now >

See you at the show!

The tastings will all be live-streamed on The Whisky Exchange Facebook page for everyone to watch, but don’t forget that you can grab a pack to join in and taste along with us. You can find all the packs on The Whisky Exchange’s Virtual Whisky Show Old & Rare page.

And don’t worry if you miss a tasting – they’ll be up on Facebook and YouTube to watch again.

We look forward to (virtually) seeing you there!

Tune into the 2021 Icons of Whisky regional awards!

The whisky world is once again preparing to celebrate the best of the global industry’s people and places at the Icons of Whisky awards.

Run by the team at Whisky Magazine, the Icons of Whisky awards aim to celebrate the best people and places in the sector – not just the distilleries and the teams that work in them, but also the individuals and businesses that work to support and promote them and their products.

Although the Covid-19 pandemic means that the awards cannot be presented in person this year, the Icons of Whisky team will be hosting five virtual presentations to announce the regional winners in America, Australia, Ireland, Scotland, and the rest of the world. 

These awards presentations will be broadcast on Facebook and YouTube in the week beginning 1 February, so viewers around the globe can tune in and discover the winners in their region.

The broadcast times for each regional 2021 Icons of Whisky awards presentations are:

• Icons of Whisky America: Monday, 1 February at 12.30pm Central Time (6.30pm GMT)
• Icons of Whisky Australia: Tuesday, 2 February at 7.30pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (8.30am GMT)
• Icons of Whisky Ireland: Wednesday, 3 February at 6.30pm GMT
• Icons of Whisky Rest of World: Thursday, 4 February at 1.30pm Central European Time (12.30pm GMT)
• Icons of Whisky Scotland: Friday, 5 February at 12.30pm GMT

The presentations will also feature the highly commended nominees in each awards category and the shortlisted entrants.

You can join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #WhiskyMagAwards. For more information about the Icons of Whisky awards go to www.iconsofwhisky.com.

Good luck to all nominees – we hope to see you tuning in next week!

Anita Ujszaszi
Awards Director

Malt Messenger Bulletin – Our Year End Inventory Sale Ends Tonight!

I’m sure you won’t mind a little update from our Annual KWM Year-End Inventory Sale, currently still in progress!

You have just 24 hours left, both in-store, and online, to take advantage of the deals.

While a number of things have sold out, there are still some awesome deals, which I have highlighted in the lines below.

I’ve also updated the PDF highlighting the Whiskies Discounted More Than 10%. It is linked below.

In-store shopping is welcome, but if you are planning to do so, be sure to dress for the weather, you may be asked to wait. We continue to welcome just 6 customers in-store at a time. Please be sure to don a mask, and if you’re not feeling well, stay home! Order online!

Demand is high, so please be patient. Please wait until you receive confirmation your order is ready before coming in to pick it up. Plan on giving us at least 4-6 business hours to get it ready.

City-wide delivery is available for a $10 fee but is free for orders over $100. We are expecting a lot of demand for delivery next week though, so please be patient! We are currently booking deliveries well into next week.

One last thing, but it is an important one… we’ve changed the date of the Signatory Vintage & The Single Cask virtual tasting to Friday February 12. One of our beloved alumni, Hunter Sullivan, is back for a while, and we’re pulling him out of retirement to co-host the Signatory Vintage & the SIngle Cask tasting with me. We have an awesome range, more details below.

Happy Hunting!

Andrew Ferguson

A FEW OF THE BEST DEALS

There are some phenomenal deals this weekend. For the list of everything discounted by 15-40% see the PDF linked below. But if you’ll indulge us, there are a few highlights we’ve showcased below!

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 $210 – SAVE 35% – Now $136.49

Jura Seven Wood

Not content with double wood or triple wood, Jura has gone right to SEVEN WOOD with this bottling. Not just a made up golf club, the Jura Seven Wood Single Malt Scotch comes from the Jura distillery on – get this – the Isle of Jura. The Jura Seven Wood is composed mostly of unpeated Jura Single Malt plus a small portion of peated Jura as well. It is aged in a combination of American Oak ex-Bourbon barrels and SIX different French Oak Barrels. Bottled at 42%.

Was $122 – SAVE 35% – Now $79.29

Port Askaig 100 Proof

Port Askaig is a line of mystery Islay single malts. The whiskies are reputed to come from the Caol Ila distillery. The 100 Proof is a no age statement whisky bottled at 57.1% (100 British Proof). It is named for Islay’s ancient ferry and fishing port on the island’s north-east coast.

Was $80 – SAVE 25% – Now $59.99

Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14 Year

The Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban recently evolved from a 12 year old, into a 14 Year. Matured initially in ex-Bourbon, the wine is finished in Port casks before bottling at 46%. This whisky is replete with notes of chocolate and orange, which is derived from its time finishing in port casks.

Was $97 – SAVE 25% – Now $72.74

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. The whisky was a hit in our 2020 KWM Whisky Calendar, and is very good value at $80/bottle. At 30% off it is a steal!

Was $80 – SAVE 30% – Now $55.99

Compass Box GKS Glasgow KWM Cask

Looking for something both sherried and peaty, this ticks both boxes, and it’s really elegant!

This is our third KWM exclusive Compass Box Blend, and it is one for the peat heads! It is also our second marrying cask from the Great King Street line – this time from the Glasgow Blend – which means it has a bit of sherry cask influence and a dash of peat or more as well! Bottled at 49%, the whisky is the 2018 Glasgow Blend, finished for just under 2 years in a second fill Sherry Butt from the Craigellachie Distillery.

Was $94 – SAVE 25% – Now $70.49

Talisker Port Ruighe

Double matured in port casks, this malt is a toast to the Scottish traders who braved the high seas and were instrumental in the foundation of the port wine trade. Port Ruighe, pronounced ‘Portree’ is the Gaelic spelling of the once-bustling trading port on Skye. The port finish combines Talisker’ s powerful maritime character with succulent sweet notes of rich berry fruits for a superb taste experience.

Was $120 – SAVE 30% – Now $83.99

Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or

This whisky was born from the memory of entering a pastry shop for the very first time. It’s about that first moment of finding your senses deliciously overwhelmed, breathing in the sweet scents and wishing you could take a bite of every creamy, flaky treat you see. In Nectar D’Or you can taste it all. To create it, we take the delicate, fruity spirit of our giraffe-high stills and age it in American oak bourbon casks along with casks that once held Sauternes sweet white wine.

Was $102 – SAVE 25% – Now $76.49

SMOS Caol Ila 8 Year KWM Cask

This may only be 15% off, but it has been one of the most popular whiskies over the first few days of the sale. That might be because this 8 year old sherry cask matured Caol Ila is already such a good deal, at just $85. It is big and bold but also balanced for a young malt tipping the scales at well over 60%. Lots of layers given its youth, with the sherry notes building over time to tame the brash young peat and smoke.

Selected by and bottled exclusively for KWM, this 2011 Sherry Butt (Cask 300161) of Caol Ila was bottled after 8 years at a cask strength of 61.2%.

Was $85 – SAVE 15% – Now $72.24

THE YEAR END INVENTORY SALE DETAILS

·     Just about everything that comes in a bottle or can is on sale this weekend only.

·     The Sale is in-store and online only. No phone orders, please!

·     The sale will end promptly at close on Sunday, January 31st, 2021 at 6 PM, both in-store and online.

·     Sale pricing will not be carried forward after 6 PM on Sunday, nor will sale pricing be applied retroactively to prior purchases.

·     We will be CLOSED Monday, February 1st for Inventory.

·     We will re-open as usual on Tuesday, February 2nd at 10 AM.

·     Please place your order online!

Most* in-stock Whisky and Other Spirits are 10-40% off!

Browse Whisky & Spirits Discounted by 15% or More! – Updated Today

BEFORE BROWSING THE DEALS, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:

1. Please order using our website or in person at our store. No phone orders, please!

2. We will likely be busy in the store, so please be patient.

3. If you want your items packed for pickup, note demand will be high and there will be delays of up to a week. To focus on the sale, we will not be packing anything for pickup before February 2nd.

4. There are no additional discounts or promotions and the sale prices do not include GST.

5. In the event of a discrepancy in price, the point of sale at KWM will be taken as correct.

6. No discounts will be applied retroactively or carried forward past the end of the Sale, AT 6 PM Alberta Time, Sunday, January 31 (in-store and online).

7. Kensington Wine Market will be closed on Monday, February 1st, 2021 for inventory. We will be back to regular hours and open on Tuesday, February 2nd.

 

UPCOMING VIRTUAL WHISKY TASTINGS

We are just getting started with the virtual tastings, and we will continue to add tastings to the lineup over the weeks and months ahead.

·     A Zoom link for each of the tastings will be emailed 12-48 hours prior to the tasting.

·     A pick-up date for the samples is indicated for each tasting!

·     Tasting samples can be delivered in Calgary city-limits for a $10 fee, which will be waived for orders over $100.

Signatory Vintage & The Single Cask

·     Date: Friday February 12 8PM MT

·     Cost: $60.00

·     Pick-up Date: Available Now!

We’ve dragged the legendary Hunter Sullivan out of retirement to be Andrew’s co-host for this vertical range tasting highlighting one of our favourite independent bottlers, Signatory Vintage. We will sample 5 different Signatory whiskies, as well as another two from a new-to-Alberta independent bottler, The Single Cask. The tasting includes 7x15ml samples of whiskies aged 20 to 35 years of age from the following distilleries: Ben Nevis, Cameronbridge, Glen Elgin, Glen Keith, Glenburgie, Glentauchers & Strathclyde.

*SAMPLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR PICKUP NOW*

Boutique-y Whisky Roulette Double Header with Dave Worthington

·     Dates: February 13, 2021 5PM & February 27, 2021 5PM

·     Cost: $160.00 (2 Tastings & 7 Whiskies)

·     Pick-up Date: Available Now!

·     Only 6 Spots Left!

The boys are back with another Boutique-y Double Header tasting. This time we will be tackling the “Boutique-y Greatest Hits Collection Vol. 1” in a virtual trans-Atlantic game of spin the bottles (the Greatest Hits Collection Spins). The tasting will take part over 2 nights, Saturday, February 13, 5 PM MT and Saturday, February 27, 5 PM MT. On each night we will sample 5 of the 10 50ml bottles in the Greatest Hits Collection, selected at random. Call it Whisky Roulette or Spin the Bottle… We will also sample two bonus drams each night, 28ml samples filled by KWM of 4 other Boutique-y whiskies. Dave Worthington will be our guide, and with a little luck, Sam Simmons will crash the party. 5 PM Saturday, February 13 & 5 PM Saturday, February 27.

STAY HOME… WE’LL DELIVER!

We Are Offering Some Great Deals

&

Free City-Wide Delivery for Orders Over $100

FREE DELIVERY – We are offering free delivery for orders over $100 placed online or over the phone, and will do our best to deliver within 72 hours.

CURBSIDE PICKUP – Place an order, we’ll let you know when it is ready. Call us when you are out front or parked in the back lot and we’ll bring it out. Simple as that!

GIFTING – Want to send someone a care package? All gifting options are still available. Quarantined parents and closed schools qualify as a “wine emergency”. Gift cards are also available and can be used over the phone.

If you are able, please submit your order online. We will answer any questions you might have before finalizing and processing your order. You are not automatically billed when you submit your order.

www.kensingtonwinemarket.com

We will do our best to answer and process as many phone orders as we can. Call us at 403-283-8000.

COVID-19 Precautions at KWM

To protect our staff and customers we have implemented some policies!

Please do not enter the store if:

·     You have returned from Outside of Canada in the last 2 weeks, or you live with someone who has!

·     You are showing symptoms of COVID-19, or if you have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with or suspected to have contracted COVID-19.

If the above applies to you, please order online or by phone and we can deliver!

Precautions we are taking in-store:

·     All of our staff are wearing masks, and we’d appreciate if you would do so too!

·     We are only allowing 6 customers in the store at any given time.

·     We have hand sanitizer throughout the store for the use of customers and staff.

·     We kindly ask that you do not to pick up products unless you intend to purchase them.

·     We are frequently disinfecting commonly touched surfaces and high contact areas within the store.

·     We are also not accepting cash payment at this time.

·     Staff are frequently washing and disinfecting their hands.

·     We have cancelled all in-store tastings.

·     We are monitoring our staff for symptoms.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we all try to navigate this challenging time!

403-283-8000

888-283-9004

Store Hours

Sunday: 11am – 6pm

Mon – Wed: 10am – 8pm

Thu – Fri: 10am – 9pm

Sat: 10am – 8pm

*All Prices Quoted here are subject to change and do not include GST. In the case of pricing discrepancies, the price at our point of sale will be taken as correct.*