2014 is off to a roaring start with the MS Calgary and Victoria Whisky Festivals already in the rear view mirror and our Annual Year-End Inventory Sale and Scots Wha Hae: Robbie Burns Supper dead ahead. Our Annual Sale is this weekend, in store and online only (sorry no phone orders). Save at least 15% on all wines and most whiskies, 5% on beers.
Saturday night is our 9th Annual Robbie Burns Supper, featuring whiskies from Duncan Taylor, one of Scotland’s finest independent bottlers. We’ll sample seven whiskies from 12-40 years of age including to future KWM casks. All while enjoying a lovely dinner and a wee bit of Scottish culture. Our guest of honour is Mr. Peter Currie, the first two time guest of honour in our Supper’s history. More details below.
Finally, there are some new whiskies in the store I’d like to briefly plug, and some other great tastings coming up, you’ll find those below as well.
Slainte!
Andrew Ferguson
Kensington Wine Market
PS- PS – Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/scotch_guy and Facebook: facebook.com/scotch.guy.1 .
Scots Wha Hae
$99.00
Caledonians Unite! It’s time to celebrate all things Scottish. Duncan Taylor are the featured producers for this 9th annual Robbie Burns Supper, and Peter Currie is our special guest. The first to host the event twice. We’ll have bagpipes, poetry, haggis with neeps and tatties and six amazing whiskies from Duncan Taylor, including some new exclusives KWM casks which aren’t even here yet!
The most fun you can have with your Sporan on!
Click Here For More Info
Annual Year End Sale!
Save 15% or more on all in-store wine, 15% or more on all in-store whisky* and 5% on all in store beer!
* Excluding Scotch Malt Whisky Society Whiskies
Scots Wha Hae!
Our 9th Annual Burns Supper – Saturday January 25, 2014 – $99
Caledonians Unite! It’s time to celebrate all things Scottish. Duncan Taylor are the featured producers for this 9th annual Robbie Burns Supper, and Peter Currie is our special guest. The first to host the event twice. Peter will do the honour of addressing the haggis, and will guide us through a range of 7 Scotch whiskies from 12 to 40 years of age. We’re featuring two new single casks selected by and bottled exclusively for Kensington Wine Market. Curious what they might be? You’ll have to join us to find out. There will also be bagpipes, poetry, wine with dinner and of course haggis with neeps and tatties! No previous whisky experience required. Location: Fort Calgary 750 9 Avenue, SE 7:00pm start time. Sat Jan 25
Call 403-283-8000 to buy a ticket or do so online at: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php .
Registration closes Thursday January 23rd at 5PM. So don’t hesitate!
New Can’t Miss New Whiskies!
Some whisky news just can’t wait until the next Malt Messenger…
1. Beniach 2001 MS Society Cask 48043 – 54.1% – 12 Year – Bourbon Barrel – From the Distillery: “A classic Speysider – lightly sweet and frey fruity – predominantly pears and pineapple, with a core of delicate vanilla and soft honey.” $10/bottle To the MS Society, Exclusive to KWM in Southern Alberta. – $99.99
2. Compass Box Peat Monster 10th Anniversary – 48.9% – Peated Blended Malt – Released to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Compass Box’s best selling whisky, this edition of the Peat Monster. From the Producer: “For this special bottling, we have produced a special recipe of The Peat Monster, maintaining the smoky, heavy-peated intensity of the classic bottling and adding a bit more malty richness through the use of some very special, quite odd casks of peaty Highland single malt.” – John Glasser, Whisky Maker – Exclusive to KWM in Alberta! – $99.99
3. Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 3 – 54.9% – No Age Statement – Matured in PX and Oloroso Sherry casks – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Fantastic waves of soft golden syrup over dates and rum raisins hold a gentle tangerine and ground almond back note. Toasted oak with a dusting of cocoa adds a rich warmth and depth. Palate: Crisp barley and a fresh sawn oak spice burst through ripe plums and golden sultanas. A delicate note of dried apricots and candied peels adds a fantastic sweet, zesty balance. Subtle touches of milk chocolate soften the long expressive finish.Finish: A perfect harmony of classic Highland characters and elegant sherry influences.” – $83.99
4. Edradour 1999 Sherry Ibisco Decanter – 57.9% – 14 Year – Sherry Butt No. 230 – Yet another big and lovely Edradour single sherry cask. – $125.99
5. Signatory Bunnahabhain 1988 24 Year – 55.9% – 24 Year – Refill Sherry Butt 2800 – One of the finest Bunnahabhain’s I’ve tasted in a while. It’s just gotten here and is nearly sold out! – – Exclusive to KWM in Alberta! – $241.99
6. Signatory Caol Ila 1982 30 Year – 53.0% – 30 Year – Hogshead No. 6487 – A classic older Caol Ila, that only slightly mellowed, retaining the distillery’s classic smoky-salty-fishy character. – Exclusive to KWM in Alberta! – $311.99
7. Talisker 57 North – 57% – Named for the distillery’s latitude and alcohol strength. Tasting note to come! It is so rare that we see something interesting from Talisker in our market, and lets hope this is but the first of many to come. My preliminary tasting note, “YUM!”. – World Whisky Awards 2012 – Best Island Whisky No Age Statement – $159.99
Tasting notes on all these whiskies to come in a future Malt Messenger.
Kensington Wine Market 2014 Whisky Tasting Schedule
Tantalize your taste buds in 2014!
1. Scots Wha Hae – Caledonians Unite! It’s time to celebrate all things Scottish. Duncan Taylor are the featured producers for this 9th annual Robbie Burns Supper, and Peter Currie is our special guest. The first to host the event twice. We’ll have bagpipes, poetry, haggis with neeps and tatties and six amazing whiskies from Duncan Taylor, including some new exclusives to KWM! No previous whisky experience required. Location: Fort Calgary 750 9 Avenue, SE 7:00pm start time. Sat Jan 25 – $99
2. Scotland in 7 Drams – Can you define a country and industry in 7 whiskies? We’ll crisscross the Lowlands, Speyside, Highlands, Islands, Islay and Campbeltown, tasting Scotland in 7 drams. Thr Jan 30 7:00pmb – $40
3. Canada vs. USA: Whisk(e)y Playoffs – Leave your toque or American flag pin at home, all biases will be checked at the door for this blind tasting pitting American and Canadian whiskies against each other… game on! Tue Feb 4 7:00pm – $40
4. Compass Box Whisky Dinner – Join us at Buchanan’s Chophouse 738 3 Avenue SW, for a dinner tasting with Chris Maybin of Compass Box. We’ll be sampling the 10th Anniversary Peat Monster special release, two experimental batches of the Great King Street blend, and more! Tue Feb 4 Start Time 7:00pm – $90
5. Islay: The Whisky Isle – If the Speyside is Scotland’s beating heart, then Islay is its soul! We’ll traverse the isle, sampling some of its finest whiskies. Tue Feb 11 Start Time 7:00pm – $60
6. The Great Macallan Vertical Featuring Macallan ‘M’ – The Macallan 1824 “M” is about to be launched in Alberta. This ultra-premium Macallan has been bottled in a specially designed Lalique Crystal Decanter inspired by the six pillars of the Macallan brand. As soon as we heard about it, we had to open one, so we’ve booked the Southern Alberta Pioneers Hall for a special tasting. We have a grand vertical tasting of Macallans planned, up to and including the “M”. Thr Feb 13, 7PM, $225, 3625 4TH STREET S W – $225
7. Lost In Translation – For nearly 100 years the Japanese have been making whisky in the Scottish style, albeit with their own twist. Their reputation is soaring, as some of their whiskies are among the finest in the world. Tue Feb 18 7:00pm – $40
8. Classic Single Malts – This is our “classic” introduction to the world of single malt Scotch whisky. You’ll discover a little history, how it’s made and sample six distinct styles. Tue Feb 25 Start Time 7:00pm – $30
9. Rare Malts – Only the rarest whiskies, those more than 20 years of age, or from closed distilleries are considered for this very special tasting. Tue Mar 11 Start Time 7:00pm – $80
10. Irish Whiskey Renaissance – The last few years has seen a resurgence of interest in Irish whiskey. During the last two years alone plans for at least 5 new distilleries has been announced. We’ll look at Irish whiskey’s past, present and future while sampling some of its finest whiskies with a glass to Saint Paddy! Mon Mar 17 Start Time 7:00pm – $45
11. Ancient Malts – A tasting so good, we’re doing it twice! We always roll out the big guns for the Ancient Malts tasting, and this one will be no different. We’re opening a bottle of the Glendronach Recherche $4800, the oldest ever bottling of Glendronach. To round out the lineup we’ll sample at least 5 other whiskies between 30 & 40 years old! Register for one or the other! The whiskies will be the same at both tastings. Thr Mar 20 or Fri Mar 21 Start Time 7:00pm – $200
You can register for and view all of our tastings on line at: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php.
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.
Slainte!
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
Kensington Wine Market
403-283-8000
