Whisky Enlightenment at The Scotch Whisky Experience This December, The Scotch Whisky Experience is lighting up the Royal Mile by hosting a Whisky Enlightenment tour to coincide with Virgin Money’s Street of Light.

Launching on 30 November and running until Christmas Eve, the Whisky Enlightenment tour and tasting experience is perfectly timed so visitors can either begin or end their visit to Street of Light with an illuminating whisky experience.

Visitors will warm up with a delicious winter toddy on arrival, before taking a light-hearted look at the world of Scotch Whisky, where they can sample a specially selected single malt matched with chocolate. Guests can then enjoy a relaxed viewing of all 3,384 bottles in the World’s Largest Collection of Scotch Whisky.

Susan Morrison, director and general manager of The Scotch Whisky Experience, said: “Christmas is a very special time of year in Edinburgh but much of the buzz is often concentrated in Princes Street Gardens and the annual markets. This year, we’re really excited to bring some attention to the Royal Mile with Street of Light, and being so close to the action, we thought it would be a great idea to welcome people in from the cold and warm them up with a dram!

“Visitors can either join us before their walk through the illuminated arches, or stop by afterwards, as we’ve timed the Whisky Enlightenment tour to coincide with Street of Light’s twice daily performances.”

The Virgin Money Street of Light is a breathtaking new event which is set to light up Edinburgh’s Old Town this Christmas. An architectural installation comprising 26 arches and 60,000 lights, it will run along the Royal Mile, from City Chambers to the Tron Kirk, creating a stunning canopy of light which will rise into the wintery skies.  Running twice per evening, the experience is accompanied by music and songs from a variety of Edinburgh choirs, all of which will be synchronised to the lights.

The Whisky Enlightenment tour lasts for one hour and runs Monday to Saturday at 7:15 p.m. and Sunday at 6:15 p.m. The price is £15.00 and the tour is for adults only.  Tickets can be booked by logging-on to http://www.scotchwhiskyevents.co.uk/

Hi folks. We’re now live with our biggest auction ever, so there’s bound to be something that takes your fancy!

Enjoy.

THE 56th AUCTION 

Kind regards from Glasgow

The SWA Team

Win The Last Great Malts!

Dewar’s have a great selection of distilleries, but other than Aberfeldy, until recently they’ve been quiet about them. No longer! Starting in late 2014, they have been revamping their range under the banner of The Last Great Malts. With Royal Brackla on the market and The Deveron (aka Glen Deveron aka Macduff) coming very soon (after being launched at The Whisky Show in October), the series is complete, and we’re celebrating with a prize draw:

Buy any two different Last Great Malts from Aberfeldy, Aultmore or Craigellachie and we’ll enter you into a draw to win one of each of them.

That’s eight bottles of whisky worth more than £1,000, which is not to be sniffed at.

The three distilleries whose whiskies we’ve chosen to be in the draw are very different. Aberfeldy is well known for their weighty and sherry-heavy style, while Craigellachie produces a meaty spirit but focus on bourbon casks, creating a whisky that’s far from light, but is packed with tropical fruit and a hint of smoke. Aultmore straddles the spectrum, with the light and elegant 12 Year Old and the rich and earthy 25 Year Old. All in all, something for everyone.

Head to the prize draw page now for full details – the draw will close at 11.59pm on 10 January 2016.

Welcome to the first auction Newsletter where we will give you a sneak preview of the wonderful bottles that are coming up in this months record breaking auction.

Record breaking you say? Indeed, this month’s auction is our biggest ever with more than 3400 lots and with that we have a truly wonderful depth of quality of lost distilleries, rare and hard to find drams as well as the usual selection of everyday drinking drams.

Our very own Big Peatrie takes us through the stars and and our favourites and you can see his vLog here (https://www.scotchwhiskyauctions.com/go.php?id=36).

First up this month we have the Johnnie Walker Directors Set which contains six bottles of these incredibly hard to find bottles starting from 2008 to the 2013 release. These were only ever given to the directors of Diageo and never offered for general release.

A one pint bottle of Bourbon hailing from 1914 is next up. Distilled before prohibition and bottled after this bottle contains liquid that is over 100 years old. The is a bottle of Haig that was bottled in the mid 1930s, as well as Macallan and Linkwood, both distilled in the decade of the Great Depression.

Glenfarclas once again brings us some stellar bottles with a 60 year old and one distilled on Christmas Day 1959.

Age is just a number, but here are some wonderful numbers, a Dalmore, two North British and a Talisker that are all 50 years old. A 49 year old Glenlochy, 48 year old Lochside, an Invergordon that is 47 years old, 46 year old bottlings of Lochside and Probably Speyside’s Finest Distillery and 45 year old offerings of Caledonian, Glenglassaugh and Linkwood.

There are also several bottles entered to raise money for one of the mashmen at Glenfarclas who was recently diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. His dream was always to cycle across the USA, so all the staff have banded together to help raise money to send him across to America for a dream holiday. This, along with many of the other bottles, were collected by the man himself as he cycled to each of the distilleries he’s worked at on a specially adapted tricycle.

All the best from us here at SWA HQ!

The Black Friday sale at the Whisky Barrel starts at 10AM TODAY!

BLACK FRIDAY SALE

The sale runs 10AM to Midnight.

A Blog Post will be live at 9:50AM (UK) Today

Old Forester, the Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky, is partnering with The Whisky Shop to offer shoppers a unique opportunity to meet Brand President, Campbell Brown. Through an exclusive tasting, shoppers will have the chance to meet the great great grandson of the brand’s founder – George Garvin Brown – whose signature remains on the bottle today.

Held at The Whisky Shop’s flagship store in Piccadilly on 7th December, guests will be welcomed with the brand’s signature serve, the Whisky Smash. Old Forester’s Master Bourbon Specialist – Jacquelyn Zykan – will join Campbell and, together, they will take guests on a journey of the whisky’s unique history. As the only bourbon to be bottled pre, during and post prohibition, the tasting is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to discover this special whisky and learn about its heritage, which is as rich as its taste.

Date: Monday 7th December

Time: 5.30 – 7pm

Location: 70 Piccadilly, London, W1J 8HP

Cost: Free; to book a place, call The Whisky Shop on 020 7499 6649

NOVEMBER TASTINGS

New Members Tasting – 19 Greville St – Mon 23 Nov  More >

Charles Heidsieck Champagnes Dinner – 28 Queen St – Thu 26 Nov More >

Dundee Exclusive Tasting – Malmaison – Fri 27 Nov  More >

Harrogate Holidays Tasting – Hotel du Vin – Fri 27 Nov  More >

Inverness Exclusive Tasting – Kingsmills Hotel – Fri 27 Nov  More >

Newcastle Exclusive Tasting – The Caledonian Hotel – Fri 27 Nov  More >

Wokingham Exclusive Tasting – Cantley House Hotel – Fri 27 Nov  More >

St Andrews Day – with Robin Laing – The Vaults – Mon 30 Nov  More >

FREE MEMBER ENTERTAINMENT AT THE VAULTS

Free Live Music >  Mon 23 Nov

Browse All Tastings >

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ Contact:mailto:sales@smws.comor call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

We are very excited to invite you to the first annual Vancouver Whisky Festival, which will take place on January 17 & 18, 2016 at the Terminal City Club. As a member of the Companions of the Quaich and West Coast Whisky Society, we are offering you an opportunity to buy advance tickets before we open this event up to the public next week.

Modelled after the renowned Victoria Whisky Festival, this event will feature:

– Sunday afternoon educational masterclasses led by international distillery brand ambassadors and whisky experts including James Robertson, Ashok Chokalingam and more.

– A Monday evening Grand Tasting at which over 200 whiskies can be sampled.

– Many rare whiskies not traditionally available for sampling.

Sample whiskies from Ardbeg and Aberlour to Talisker and Tullibardine. Sample private stocks from Duncan & Taylor, Gordon & Machphail, Blackadder and more. Meet James Robertson, brand ambassador of Tullibardine, Ranald Watson of Springbank and many others. Meet like-minded whisky aficionados.

The Grand Tasting and one masterclass, at $250 per person, will be limited to 250 guests.

A whisky event of this quality is long overdue in Vancouver. By attending this event you will:

– have the rare opportunity to sample whiskies before you buy (yes, there is an on-site liquor store)

– show the greater whisky community that Vancouver has indeed come of age

– be supporting a local and worthy charity, as proceeds will be donated to a local non-profit organization

We welcome your comments. Please feel free to contact us to express your interest in attending this event.

For event details and ticket information, please go to www.vancouverwhiskyfestival.com

Ticket sales for club members starts today, November 18th.

Sincerely,

Dave Mason, Roberto Roberti, Barry Dunner and Thomas Chen

WEMYSS MALTS

10TH ANNIVERSAY TASTING

Date: 10th December 2015

Time: 7pm – 9.30pm

Venue: Anomalous Space, 38 Pentonville Rd,

London, N1 9HF

Ticket: £27

Join award-winning independent bottler, Wemyss Malts, as they celebrate 10 years in the whisky industry. Founder William Wemyss has delved into their archives to select a range of drams that take you from when Wemyss Malts first began, to the present day.

This special 10th anniversary tasting will begin with canapes and welcome drinks. Greg Dillon of Great Drams will then host the main part of the event where William will share his story from the first bottle, to the opening of the family’s own distillery. Along the way you will taste delicious whiskies some of which, will be the last bottles left in the world.

Due to the rare whiskies on offer, we suspect many of you will be very eager to join us for this tasting so please visit Eventbrite to secure your ticket.

MS Calgary Whisky Festival Tickets Now On Sale 

Get em while their hot…    

Tickets are now on sale for the 5th Annual MS Calgary Whisky Festival. The event takes place at the Arts Commons (formerly Epcor Center) in the foyer of the Jack Singer Concert Hall on Thursday January 14, 2016. Last year’s event was a sell out with 500 tickets sold and excellent feedback from suppliers and participants alike. This year’s event is expected to grow to 600 participants, where we will be capping it moving forward. It is very important that we continue to offer the best possible quality of experience for our guests.

This 2016 event is expected to feature more than 200 whiskies from more than 70 distilleries around the world, mostly Scotland. Like the last two years events there will be three Master Classes (details to be announced in December) held during the evening as well as an early entry VIP Master Class with Dan Volway which will feature the full Highland Park Valhalla range: Thor, Loki, Freya and Odin. Participants with the VIP Master Class ticket will also get an extra 50 minutes in the festival room, after the tasting, before the rest of the participants arrive. As the VIP Master Class is limited to 40 participants we have also opened 60 VIP Early Admission Tickets which will give participants a full hour before the rest of the participants arrive. General admission will begin at 6:30PM and the event will run through 9:30PM. Tickets are now on sale on the www.calgarywhiskyfestival.com website, with the following available:

1. 40x         VIP Ticket with Highland Park Valhalla Masterclass – $150 (Master Class Starts at 5PM and will run for 40min)
2. 60X         VIP Ticket with 5:30 Entry – $125
3. 475x       General Admission Ticket – $99

Three 40 minute Master Classes running from 6:00-9:30PM will be announced in early December!

Tickets are available exclusively through www.calgarywhiskyfestival.com.

KWM Whisky Advent Calendar Update 

25 Days of Dram Fine Whisky, Now In-Store…   

Kensington Wine Market’s Whisky Advent Calendar is back! Last year’s calendar, our second and the first one we produced entirely in house, was a huge hit. It sold out  before it hit the shelves. This year’s is even better.  It still includes 24 x 50ml whiskies and a custom Glencarin whisky glass. But, that is not all! We are offering an even wider range of whiskies and we are also including an extra 25th bottle. As a special treat for Christmas morning, there will be a 100ml Scotch Malt Whisky Society single cask bottling. This is a rare treat indeed, and usually only available to Society members. All of this year’s whiskies are different from 2014 and we are really excited about the range. There are 23 single malts from Scotland, Ireland, India and Taiwan, as well as a boutique blend and a boutique blended malt. Whether it is for yourself or to give as a gift, we know it won’t disappoint. Don’t hesitate! This one is sure to sell out fast!

The calendars are now ready for pick and purchase in store. At the time of writing there are fewer that 50 of the 384 calendars produced left in store for purchase!

 Order the 2015 Kensington Wine Market Whisky Advent Calendar $400+GST

OUR EXCLUSIVE NEW KILCHOMAN SINGLE CASK 

The best new peaty whisky in the shop…    

In the 10 years since the distillery opened Kilchoman has made quite a name for itself. The distillery’s nearly flawless spirit and rigorous oak policy have ensured that their young whiskies can compete with the best in the world. Our previous three casks of whisky from this maverick Islay Distillery were all big hits and our 4th has just arrived. Distilled in 2010 and matured in an American Ex-Bourbon Barrel at 5 years of age it is another cracker! Only 221 hand numbered bottles are available at a cask strength of 60.4%.

Kilchoman 2010 KWM Bourbon Cask 440– 60.4% – 5 Year – ExBourbon Barrel – My Tasting Note: “Nose: fresh with big notes of marzipan, orange pith, toasty oak and sea salt caramel; underneath briny coastal notes begin mingling with tar and earthy smoke begin to develop; the are soft fruits too, Asian pear, honey dew melon and mango salsa; Palate: juicy, smoky and fruity there is immediately a lot going on: chewy malt, barley sugars; sea salt caramel, candied salmon and building earthy peat and dark spices; more Asian pear, mango salsa and a touch of melon, bright orange notes all atop a creamy base; the smoke is clean and firm but soft; sticky soft Panda brand licorice comes to the fore; Finish: refreshing, almost minty, with fading fruits, sugars, malt and smoke maritime flourishes; Comment: if you love peat, you are going to adore this one! – $140

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, 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.

Sláinte!

Andrew Ferguson

Manager & Scotchguy

Kensington Wine Market

403-283-8000

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

www.kensingtonwinemarket.com

Owner & Opperator

Ferguson’s Whisky Tours

www.fergusonwhiskytours.com

scotchguide@fergusonwhiskytours.com