Malt Messenger No. 51
Kensington Wine Market has bottled some spectacular casks over the past 5-6 years. Our 1960 Strathisla is still sought after 5 years after the last bottle was sold. We’ve had incredible single casks from Tullibardine, Springbank, BenRiach, and Glendronach, to name just a few. In selecting such casks, I’ve had the opportunity to sample some pretty incredible whiskies. With every cask and exclusive bottling we purchase for the store I am looking for something unique, something new and fresh that will grip our customers’ imaginations and keep them coming back. We’ve had some amazing exclusive whiskies and single casks come through here over the years, though nothing quite as special as a cask I discovered at Glendronach with some of our customers while on tour this past May.
In the film “Elizabeth”, having vanquishing her enemies the Queen asks Sir Francis Walshingham: “What do I do now?” I often ask myself that question after a successful whisky launch. What do I follow it with? Walshingham’s response is: “to reign supreme. All men need something greater than themselves to look up to and worship. They must be able to touch the divine here on earth.” This quote sums up the never ending quest to find and taste the world’s best whiskies and is the rational for bottling the new Glendronach cask we’ve just received. While touring the distillery, Manager Allan McConnachie gave my party and I the opportunity to sample from a couple of casks. One of these casks was a 1972 vintage, matured in an Oloroso cask. I was first struck by the colour as the vallinch filled the glass with a dark-tawny-brown liquid so dense you could not see through it. Then as the glass made its way around to all those present, a hushed filled the warehouse and all went silent. Moments later the first comment, “You have to bottle this!”, so bottle it we did and you too now will have an opportunity to taste the divine! The only question is, “what do I do now?” More on the Glendronach 1972 KWM Cask 711 below.
Today is an auspicious day; it’s exactly one month until Christmas. October – December are the busiest months for whisky sales and new product launches. In addition to our Glendronach cask we have a new cask of Kilchoman which has just arrived. Our second from the distillery was matured in a sherry butt before being filled into bottle at the relatively (for Kilchoman) mature age of just under 5 years. It is only the second Kilchoman cask to come to Canada (the other was also a KWM exclusive), the oldest Kilchoman launched in Canada to date, and the first exclusively sherry cask matured Kilchoman to be available in North America. In addition to that, we have a number of incredible new exclusives:the Bowmore Laimrig which is already rapidly selling out, Bowmore 1982 29 Year, Glen Garioch 1978 and Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve, as well as new exclusive whiskies from Signatory, Edradour and Douglas Laing. But that’s not all. There are plenty of other new whiskies including the Benromach 25 Year, Benromach 30 Yea, Amrut Herald, Amrut Two Continents, and what is sure to be a big hit this year, The Big Peat Santa. Building on the popularity of the Big Peat Islay Blended Malt Whisky, The Big Peat Santa is a cask strength version which has had a wee makeover. See below for more details on the Santa and all the other whiskies mentioned above.
There is a lot to cover in this Malt Messenger, and I’ve spared no effort. I’ve personally written tasting notes for 28 new whiskies listed herein and provided some details on many others. Lovers of Glenmorangie can read all about a lightly peated special edition called Finealta, and I’ve reproduced the tasting notes for the Forty Creek Confederation Oak which has just come back in stock. I also provided some details on a couple of tastings coming up.
Over the coming month I will have much more to tell you. Next Friday, for example, I will have the latest Outturn of whiskies from the Canadian branch of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society; we’ll be launching another 7 single cask, cask strength single malt whiskies not available anywhere else in Canada! December 1st our Winter Tasting Schedule will go on line with all of our Whisky, Beer and Wine tastings for January, February and March. And, as per tradition, my Malt Messenger Christmas Gift Guide will be out in a couple of weeks so you can find the perfect malt for that special someone or drop a hint to your significant other!
Finally, with Christmas in our sights and the year drawing near to a close, it means it’s time for another Whisky Bible. The 2012 edition, its 9th incarnation, is as always, bigger, better and uncut (to paraphrase another movie). Jim Murray’s picked his favourites for the year again, and I can already hear the phone ringing. Love him, or hate him, and whether or not you agree with his scores, his tasting notes are a valuable resource and his scores sell whisky! Jim Murray’s 2012 Whisky Bible is now available in store, over the phone and online.
I hope you enjoy this edition of the Malt Messenger!
Slainté!
Andrew Ferguson
PS-You can follow me on Twitter when I get around to posting at www.twitter.com/scotch_guy
In This Issue:
1. Our Incredible Glendronach 1972 Cask 711 is Here!
2. Another Kilchoman Cask for KWM – Just in Time for the Cold Weather
3. Introducing the Bowmore Laimrig
4. Intorducing the Glen Garioch 1978
5. Up Coming Tastings
6. Bowmore 1982 29 Year
7. Introducing The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve
8. New Exclusive Whiskies from Douglas Laing
9. New Exclusive Whiskies from Signatory
10. New Exclusive Whiskies from Edradour
11. Two New Benromachs
12. Two New Amruts
13. Glenglassaugh Manager’s Legacy 1967 Walter Grant
14. Introducing the Big Peat Santa
15. New Whiskies from Bruichladdich
16. Introducing the Glenmorangie Finealta
17. New BenRiach Vintages Coming
18. New Glendronach Vintages Coming
19. Writer’s Tears Cask Strength Irish Whiskey Gift Pack
20. Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2012
21. Forty Creek Confederation Oak is Back!
OUR INCREDIBLE GLENDRONACH 1972 CASK IS HERE!
I’ve already alluded to how special this whisky is in the preamble to this Malt Messenger, but in case you didn’t already pick up on my excitement, let me say this: it’s stunning! As many of you already know I guide small group distillery tours in Scotland. One of the highlights of my tours is the opportunity to sample straight from the cask. Only certain distilleries will afford you this opportunity, and even then, you have to be a very special visitor for them to give you the priviledge. While in Scotland on distillery tours in May this year my party and I had a number of such opportunities. The plan was that at one of these distilleries, BenRiach, my group and I would sample BenRiach casks with an eye to selecting a bottling for the store. I really wanted to bottle a peated BenRiach cask, something different. But as Burns once mused: “the best laid plans of mice and men go oft awry!” The day prior to BenRiach we visited its sister distillery Glendronach which is famed for its big, deep, sherried whiskies. Having just bottled and launched a cask of 1995 Glendronach a few months earlier, the distillery wasn’t even on my radar.
While touring the distillery, distillery manager Allan McConnachie opened three casks for my tour participants and I to sample from. The first two were very good, but nothing spectacular. The third was stupendous. As the opaque glass was passed from person to person and back again the warehouse was so silent you could hear a pin drop. We had to have the cask! But buying a nearly 40 year old cask of whisky direct from the distillery is no small or cheap undertaking, not least of which when it’s a sherry butt which could yield as many as 500 or 600 bottles. The tour participants were eager, I assured them that I would look into it and the tour continued. The next day we visited BenRiach where we sampled close to 30 casks in hopes of finding a peated BenRiach cask for KWM. But as good as some of them were, none of them held a candle to the 39 year old Glendronach.
While still in the Speyside the process began, emails were sent, inquiries made and with some pleading the cask was put on hold. I told the tour participants that if they wanted this cask as much as I did, they would have to make a significant commitment to it, which would enable our store to bottle it. 300 bottles at $440 a piece is no small purchase for shop our size. But the 8 of them put their money where their mouths were and between them they committed to nearly 50 bottles! And so the Glendronach 1972 KWM Cask 711 was born.
Matured 39 years in a Oloroso Shery Butt, the whisky has been bottled at its natural cask strength of 49.8%. If you sat through one of my Rare, Master or Ancient Malts tastings you’ll have heard me remark on how rare good older whiskies are. Simply leaving a whisky in the cask for 30 or 40 years is no guarantor of quality. Firstly, there is evaporation, most casks loose 2% to evaporation per annum and there is often less than half the volume left after such a long time; and further the alcohol strength can dip(anything below 40% is no longer legally whisky. Secondly, the influence of the oak can be perilous, and can very easily run roughshod over the whisky if its progress isn’t carefully monitored. An old whisky which tastes like nothing but bitter old oak isn’t a pleasure to drink. Finally, there is the fact that most distilleries never considered there would be a demand for aged whisky, and did not lay down stocks with an eye to keeping some of it for 30, 40, 50 year or more. This makes our Glendronach cask, which is without exageration one of the finest whiskies I’ve ever tasted, let alone been priviledged enough to bottle, a true curiosity. At 39 years of age, cask strength and bottled by the distillery the whisky is a gem at any price and a steal at $439.99! Nearly half of the 300 bottles have already sold…
Glendronach 1972 KWM Cask 711 – 49.8% – 39 Years – Oloroso Sherry Butt – Distilled: 02/03/1972 – Bottled: 09/2011 – Cask# 711 – 300 Bottles – My Tasting Notes: Nose: browned and bruised fruit, melons: cantaloupe and honey dew; brown sugar, Highland toffee, cinnamon butter and tropical fruits; the deepness of the sherry notes and the magnitude and complexity of its fruits is approaching that of the Black Bowmore 1964 42 Year (one of, if not my favourite whisky of all time!); it’s as though a box of Christmas spices and another of cocoa powder have been spilled into a bowl of mixed fruits; Palate: brandy soaked cherries, sticky toffee pudding with treacle sauce; maple syrup, Pedro Ximenez Sherry notes and round Christmas cake notes with marzipan, molasses, and more festive winter spices; layers of nuts: candied almonds and beer nuts with tropical fruits: mango, papaya, melons and figs; rich chocolate notes too including dark goat milk and unsweetened baker’s chocolates; Finish: drying and long with more notes of dark chocolate, melons, sweet spices and liquorice; the drying oak starts to make the whisky’s age felt here but it is restrained by dark fruits and tobacco; Comment: this is truly a magnificent whisky, and one you must try for yourself; drop by the shop for a complimentary sample if you haven’t already been offered one; I wager you’ll love it! –$439.99
ANOTHER KILCHOMAN CASK FOR KWM – JUST IN TIME FOR THE COLD WEATHER
Last year Kensington Wine Market was pleased to offer a single cask of Kilchoman, a Canadian first, and one of only three such casks in North America. Only three years old, nearly 61.9% alcohol and massively flavoured, it was a huge hit, albeit not one for the faint of heart. Our Kilchoman cask was very popular, so much so that I half seriously boasted to the distillery’s managing director Anthony Wills that I’d love another. Kilchoman, Islay first new distillery in more than 100 years, has only been making whisky for about 6 years now, and production is very small, second only to Edradour. I expected he’d politely tell me they didn’t have the stock, or that they had already sold all the casks they could for the year. Well I was pleasantly surprised when I was offered a couple of samples of nearly 5 year old, sherry cask matured Kilchoman, and told I could half of whichever I preferred.
All of our casks are chosen by yours truly and a tasting panel of respected customers and fellow staffers. After reviewing the samples we unanimously chose 322/06 and it has since been bottled for the Kensington Wine Market with our logo on both the bottle and the box. Our new sherry cask matured Kilchoman is quite the contrast from our Fresh Bourbon cask bottling last year. Nearly two years older and close to 2% lighter in strength (60% vs. 61.9%) it is dominated by spice as opposed to the vanilla cream in last year’s bottle. The new packaging is also something; Kilchoman has created its own bespoke bottle and is now bottling the single cask with a distinct red label. It just screams Christmas gift! Our half Butt of Kilchoman is here; open for sampling and available for sale. I hope you love it as much as I do.
Kilchoman KWM Sherry Cask 322 – 60% – First Fill Sherry Butt – Cask# 322/2006 – Distilled: 15/11/2006 – Bottled: 13/9/2011 – My Tasting Note: Nose: Islay malting floors, tun rooms and fireplaces; surprisingly soft for 60% and not as aggressive as our Fresh Bourbon Cask last year; wood shop, smoky barley and steamed mussels in a salty broth; damp liquorice root, dark mint chocolate and earthy spices; Palate: bigger, earthier, sweeter, smokier and spicier than the nose prepared me for; this is more elegant than the Fresh Bourbon cask last year, but it is still full on; sweet barley sugar, Bat Black Liquorice ice cream, and thick salty smoke; the spices are rich and dark, unsweetened bakers chocolate and woody-earthy peat; Finish: huge, long and robust; the dark earthy peak makes its presence felt along with salty smoke, liquorice and more earthy spices; the finish lasts an incredibly long time fading into sweet peated malt; Comment: this is the whisky to warm up with on the coldest days of this coming winter! – $114.99
INTRODUCING THE BOWMORE LAIMRIG
Laimrig is Scots Gaelic for jetty or pier, which is a curious name for a whisky and I’m not 100% clear why the distillery named the whisky thus. What is clear is that it was originally bottled for the Swedish market. The Laimrig is in short a limited edition cask strength version of the 15 Year Old Darkest, but this description doesn’t really do the whisky justice. It is a massively fruity Bowmore with big sherry cask notes colliding with Bowmore’s signature salty peat. Laimrig is exclusive to the Kensington Wine Market in Alberta and is making its mark. The first 60 bottles sold out in just 9 days and I expect it will continue to boom in popularity as more and more people have the opportunity to sample it.
Bowmore Laimrig 15 Year – 54.4% – Sherry Cask Finished – 15,000 Total Bottles Released – My Tasting Note: Nose: Sun-Rype Fruit Source bars, figs, raisins and other dark fruit notes; dark milk chocolate, a newly tarred roof in the distance with a neighbouring camp fire; with patience some classic grassy peat notes start to emerge along with salted fish and briny kelp drying on the beach; the nose has a lot of layers to it with a treacle sauce, Panda brand black liquorice and dense chocolate cake; Palate: sweet, nutty and chocolaty with salty smoke; brunt fruits and a mix of nutty Oloroso and sweet Pedro Ximenez sherry notes; teriyaki beef jerky with cloves, black pepper and sea salt; there is depth to the fruit notes with jujubes, braised strawberries and more Fruit Source; Finish: drying and yet moist with soft dark fruits, leather, tobacco and drying salty smoke; Comment: this whisky has so much depth to it and yet it is all in balance; the nose is deep and enticing, the palate satisfying and the finish rich, long and soothing! – $88.99
INTRODUCING THE GLEN GARIOCH 1978 30 YEAR
Glen Garioch is one of the trio of distilleries which make up Morrison Bowmore Distillers. Not as well known as its siblings Bowmore and Auchentoshan, Glen Garioch has its own rich history and a small but growing following, with sales of the whisky doubling over the last few years. Established in 1797 the distillery is one of the oldest surviving in Scotland located in the Eastern Highlands in the town of Oldmeldrum. Production is relatively small with a total capacity of 1,000,000L, though the annual production has not exceeded much more than half that in a long time. The rebranding of the distillery in 2009 has begun to pay dividends for the brand with a number of limited vintages having been released. Most recently available to Canada is the 1978 vintage, a 30 year old, which is exclusive to Kensington Wine Market in Alberta. This is an interesting Glen Garioch, being a pre-1995 distillation the vintage shows a touch of peat.
Glen Garioch 1978 30 Year – 57.8% – 1320 Total Bottles Released – 18 in Alberta – Exclusive to KWM – No Cask Type Specified – My Tasting Note: Nose: very creamy and round with ripe apricots, peaches and cream with coal smoke and cherries; mandarin oranges, pear drops and honey dew melon; there is a grassy element to the whisky along with soft oily floral notes and pear drops; Palate: very creamy, more peaches and cream and soft clean smoke; powdered ginger, cinnamon sticks and moist toffee cake and maple syrup; Candy Coal, cooked almonds and clove with fruit flan and chocolate covered espresso beans; pear drops, pan seared apples and caramelized honey; Finish: dry-sweet spices and more Candy Coal with creamy oak and gentle smoke; the finish is long creamy and satisfying. – $448.99
UP COMING TASTINGS
1. Master Malt – This coming Tuesday’s Master Malt tasting will be epic, with an incredible line-up of whiskies: Glen Garioch 1978, Glendronach 1972 KWM Cask, Glenglassaugh Manager’s Legacy 1967, Glenfarclas Chairman’s Reserve 175th Anniversary a bottling from Fettercairn and one as yet un-chosen whisky! This line-up of whiskies would set you back no less than $3000.00 if you were to buy a bottle of each. – Tuesday November 30th – $99 – Only a few spots left!
2. Epicurean Scotch Tasting Indulgence by Universal Whisky Experience – David Robertson, Rare Whiskies Manager of Whyte and MacKay, and Mahesh Patel, manager of the Nth Whisky Show in Las Vegas, are coming to Calgary—their first Canadian stop on a North America-wide tour—to put on a super-premium whisky dinner at Buchanan’s Chop House. The event is not cheap, but the line-up of whiskies being sampled is impressive: after starting with a couple of entry level Dalmores the event will move into some of the older expression including the 1981($458.99)vintage, the 40 year old Astrum($1938.99) and 45 year old Aurora($3789.99). Participants will also be able to sample three very old whiskies bottled by Mahesh’s new premium independent bottling line Sirius: 1965 Carsebridge, 1966 Fettercairn and a 44 year old Dalmore. Tickets can be purchased at the following web address: http://universalwhiskyexperience.com/events /tickets for $350USD. I know that the tickets are already roughly half sold, so if you’re interested don’t delay! This is a line-up of whiskies which would set you back close to $10,000.00 to purchase and a couple of grand to sample in a bar. And you’ll be enjoying 4-5 course meal while sampling these whiskies.
BOWMORE 1982 29 YEAR
I am almost afraid to write about this whisky. We received the 1981 earlier in the year as an exclusive, which sold out quickly and this is the follow up to it. It too has gone very quickly; of the 12 bottles we received I only have 2 left. It’s a lovely whisky, and one I wish we’d received a lot more of.
Bowmore 1982 29 Year – 47.3% – Distilled: February 1982 – 501 Individually Numbered Bottles – Only 15 Made it to Alberta – 12 of them to KWM (at the time of writing I only have 2 left) – My Tasting Note: Nose: very creamy, perfumed and fruity; peaches n cream, melons and creamy heather honey; canned pineapples and apricots, spruce sap and white chocolate; the nose is so soft and delicate, but with patience some elements of classic Bowmore can be teased out: salted Scottish bacon and clean floral smoke; Palate: creamy, perfumed and delicate with a silky texture; the smoke is more prominent on the palate than the nose though it remains delicate in nature with floral and Maritime attributes; more peaches n cream with canned pineapples and Almond Mars Bars; rose petals, geraniums and aloe-like-oily floral notes; Finish: very creamy and coating with white chocolate and drying toasted oak; more peaches and canned pineapple with some notes of melon, more floral smoke and late lavender; Comments: like the 1981 we released earlier in the year the 1982 is not an archetypal Bowmore but it is a lovely expression and yet more proof of the incredible range Islay’s oldest distillery can muster! – $496.99
INTRODUCING THE DALMORE CIGAR MALT RESERVE
Long before I began retailing whisky the Dalmore Cigar Malt was a staple whisky in the Canadian and American markets. The original Cigar Malt was a sherry-heavy whisky designed to be paired with bold Cuban cigars. A few years back when the distillery rebranded its malts the Cigar Malt was quietly cut from its stable. But popular demand was more than they could resist, and the distillery has launched the Cigar Malt as a Reserve bottling in the United States. The new bottling is a more premium bottling with a higher strength (44% to the original 40%–why couldn’t they push it to 46%?), a higher sherry content (70% ex-Oloroso Matusalem sherry from 60%) and a price tag to match $120USD (up from the $40’s). When I heard it was being re-launched in the US I knew I had to get some to Canada, and then when I saw some of the reviews I asked for it as an exclusive! For the next two months the new Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve will be exclusively available from the Kensington Wine Market in Alberta. An initial 60 bottles have come in, which should be enough to see us through the Holidays. And note the price, less than the USD list price… My Tasting Note follows below along with a review from the Whisky Advocate website.
The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve – 44% – Mostly Matured in Oloroso Matusalem Sherry Butts – Only 60 Bottles Initially Available in Alberta – Exclusive to KWM – My Tasting Note: Nose: very nutty, with dark chocolate and spices; liquorice, rhubarb crumble, saddle leather and strong-dark-Cuban cigar tobacco; a final pass highlights notes of dark fruits, orange, honey and unpeeled grapefruits; Palate: very soft and creamy with dark fruits, spices and liquorice notes developing very quickly; the whisky is very chocolaty and the sherry notes are sublime: nutty, fruity and with just the right amount of leather and tobacco; dark Christmas cask notes develop along with clove and cinnamon spices; there are a lot of layers to the palate, and plenty of complexity; Finish: nutty and spicy to start, soft candied fruits and Christmas cake notes linger long into the finish fading into leather and tobacco notes; Comment: some people may be turned off by the price, but this is much nicer than the original and will appeal to anyone who loved our Glendronach 1995 KWM PX Sherry Cask! – $116.99
Whisky Advocate Review: The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve, 44% Price: $125.00USD: “Back due to popular demand in the U.S., this new incarnation of the Cigar Malt sees the percentage of ex-oloroso ‘Matusalem’ sherry wood ramped up from 60 to 70 percent. Pass the Partagas! Spicy Christmas cake with rich sherry notes on the nose. Fragrant, with figs, cinnamon, ripe oranges, and glacé cherries. Robust sweet toffee and mango flavors, with oloroso sherry, vanilla, and lively spices. Medium to long in the finish, with ginger, treacle, and licorice.” 91pts Reviewed by: Gavin Smith
NEW EXCLUSIVE WHISKIES FROM DOUGLAS LAING
Douglas Laing is in my opinion one of the finest independent bottlers in Scotland. This family owned company has access to some really interesting whiskies including, reputedly, the world’s largest stocks of maturing Port Ellen; at least next to Diageo! They also have some really old Glenfarclas bottlings and manage to get their hands on some very rare casks of Talisker. Received in exchange for Port Ellen? That’s just speculation… Here are four new whiskies from Douglas Laing exclusively available at KWM:
1. Old & Rare Port Ellen 31 Year – Distilled: December 1979 – Bottled: January 2011 – 52.1% – Refill Hogshead – 253 Total Bottles – On 15 Bottles in Canada! All at KWM! – My Tasting Note: Nose: creamy and oily, grassy and peaty, honeydew melon and canned peaches; lemon furniture oil, seaweed and salty peat and blood orange; Palate: sweet and creamy with briny peat and liquorice root; the peat is oh so soft and brittle with a grassy front and an oily tail; white chocolate sauce, kale, dark bakers chocolate and thick homemade butter on fresh scones; Loch Fyne Kippers with a side of salted Scottish bacon and black pudding; Finish: creamy and oily with grassy-earthy smoke, more salted fish and soft creamy vanilla and white chocolate; Comment: one of the finest independent bottlings of Port Ellen I’ve sampled in a long time. – $732.99
2. OMC Littlemill 19 Year –Distilled: November 1991 – Bottled: November 2010 – 50% – Refill Hogshead – DL Ref #6552 – 340 Total Bottles – Only 30 in Canada, all at KWM! – My Tasting Note: Nose: spicy wood, cherry aquavit, lemon butter and vanilla custard with green grass and stripped poplar suckers; surprisingly for its age you can still taste the barley, with notes of Earl Grey tea and canned cranberries; Palate: very sweet and grassy with a hint of salt; sugary barley, heavily toasted oak and roasted coconut chips; the whisky is light but full of flavour with crisp green apple, oven cooked pear, candied orange and dried ginger candies; Finish: drying and sweet with oils from the toasted oak and more sweet green apple lingering long into the finish; Comments: very vibrant and full of life for a nearly 20 year old whisky from this closed distillery. – $156.49
3. OMC Talisker 10 Year – Distilled: June 2001 – Bottled: June 2011 – 50% – Refill Hogshead – DL Ref #7409 – 245 Bottles – Only 30 in Canada, all at KWM! – My Tasting Note: Nose: French bakery: buttered croissants right out of the over, some filled to bursting with almond paste and glazed brioche with sea salt sprinkled on top; waxy and honeyed with faint smoke that’s drifted over ocean water; sugary barley, a touch of soft earth and the promise of peppery spices; Palate: salty, smoky, peppery and sweet; very round, honeyed and creamy; the peat is chunky and earthy, and the palate moves into savoury notes reminiscent of a New York steak cooked rare sweet balsamic peppercorn sauce; Finish: thick with vanilla, honey and toasted oak which dries fading out into peppered salami before returning to creamy American oak notes, sea salt and soft barley; Comments: an independently bottled Talisker, and one they’re not referring to as Tactical? Me thinks they traded back some precious Port Ellen for some classic malts! – $130.49
4. Premier Barrel Highland Park 13 Year – 46% – 319 Total Bottles – 30 in Canada Exclusive to KWM – My Tasting Note: Nose: barnyard, burnt rubber and chlorinated pool water; there is smoke and honey to be sure, with burnt orange rind, hard leather and tempestuous sea breeze; Palate: nothing like the nose, it is sweeter, softer and more honeyed than expected with no trace of the burnt rubber or barnyard notes found on the nose; the palate is spicy and peppery with sugary barley and dark chocolaty peat (more reminiscent of Islay than Orkney); saddle leather, caramelized honey and more peppery spice; Finish: drying, malty and smoky with more salty sea air; the trademark honey note is the last to fade away; Comment: this is a Highland Park for the Islay drinker seeking a Bowmore or Coal Ila level of smoke and peat! – $127.49
NEW EXCLUSIVE WHISKIES FROM SIGNATORY
Signatory is an independent bottling firm owned by Andrew Symington, easily one of the most hands on owners in the whisky industry. When I was by his distillery in May he was wearing overalls and manning the bottling line. Here are four new Signatory bottlings exclusive to KWM:
1. Signatory Glenlochy 1980 30 Year – 55.9% – Distilled: 04/09/1980 – Bottled: 17/05/2011 – Cask #2824 – 224 Bottles – Hogshead Cask – My Tasting Note: Nose: honeyed, floral and soft; melons, rose petals, wood shop and fresh cut Christmas trees; croissants and pain au chocolate right out of the oven with powdered sugar and almond paste; Palate: very sweet with more confectionary notes and almond paste; the palate is very round, creamy and rich with sweet spices and soft toasted oak; white fruits: apple and pear along with fruit flan and French crepes; Finish: drying with gentle spice and flaky pastries and more white fruits; Comment: a very well balanced whisky with creamy oak and almond paste. – $265.49
2. Signatory Glenisla 1977 32 Year – 50.7% – Distilled: 07/07/1977 – Bottled: 03/12/2009 – Cask # 19599 – 221 Bottles – Hogshead Cask – My Tasting Note: Nose: unusual, very waxy and creamy with minty floral smoke; buttered toast and Sour Cream & Onion potato chips; aloe vera sun burn cream and lavender hand lotion; Palate: very creamy waxy, sweet and perfumed; creamy heather honey, toasted American oak and more minty clean smoke; the whisky is very chewy and coating, coconut shavings and cedar chips; Finish: drying, toasty and sweet with more floral smoke and cedar wood chips; Comment: an interesting and unusual whisky from a now lost distillery. – $264.99
3. Signatory Highland Park 1990 20 Year – 53.4% – Distilled: 13/12/1990 – Bottled: 20/06/2011 – Cask # 15699 – Sherry Butt – My Tasting Note: Nose: honey and chocolaty peat: could this be a Highland Park? Floral and heathery with grassy notes and bright orange citrus; bread pudding, ripe plums and boxed raisins; Palate: very spicy and sweet with liquid honey and more dried fruits: raisins, figs and dates; ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and other sweet spices; more chocolaty peat, liquid honey and candied nuts with some leathery sherry notes; Finish: drying with new leather and caramelized oak; the spices continue to tantalize the palate as the whisky fades into soft oils with dried and candied fruits; Comments: Highland Park 18 Year may be out of stock province wide right now, but this 20 year old will more than fill the gap! – $134.99
4. Signatory Rare Ayrshire 1975 36 Year – An extremely rare whisky from the long lost Ladyburn Distillery – 45.3% – Distilled: 21/02/1975 – Bottled: 20/06/2011 – Cask# 563 – Bourbon Barrel – My Tasting Note: Nose: very unusual: very floral, salt water toffee, linseed oil and thick vanilla-Bourbon notes; as it warms spices emerge: cinnamon, ginger and chilli pepper with beeswax; cooked apples, and glazed white fruits; Palate: very creamy and soft with massive white chocolate and cooked honey; big notes of marzipan and minty milk chocolate with pain au chocolate sprinkled with powdered sugar; there is a lot of depth to this palate which is a magnificent example of an older American oak matured whisky; shredded coconut, ripe cherries and sweet toasted oak; Finish: drying with more honey, vanilla-white-chocolate which continues to coat the palate and big toasted oak; Comment: an interestingand worthy whisky from a very obscure distillery. – $263.99
NEW EXCLUSIVE WHISKIES FROM EDRADOUR DISTILLERY
Edradour Distillery is Scotland’s smallest, located in the Hills above the town of Pitlochry. The distillery was once the spiritual home of the House of Lords blend, but today all of the barely 100,000L of spirit distilled by it each year is destined for bottling as single malt. The distillery is owned by Signatory—see above. The following three new Edradours are available exclusively from Kensington Wine Market:
1. Edradour Bourbon Matured – 57.4% – The First Fully Bourbon Cask Matured Edradour – Distilled: 2003 – Bottled: 2011 – 1820 Total Decanters Filled – 30 Available in Alberta Exclusively at KWM – My Tasting Note: Nose: very toasty with sliced lemons and toasted coconut; floral oil, grassy malt and wood polish; crushed almonds, macadamia nut butter and fresh goat cheese; Palate: very sweet creamy and nutty; Honey Nut Cheerio’s, coconut rum, sugary toasted oak and more green grassy malt; honey dominates the palate with associated American oak notes including cream, cardamom and oil vanilla; Finish: drying but coating with more soft vanilla oils and buttery toasted oak; creamy honey and drying raspberry white chocolate; Comment: excellent for its age and really interesting for the first fully ex-Bourbon cask matured bottling of Edradour. – $106.99
2. Edradour Natural Cask Strength – 57.5% – Distilled: 15/12/97 – Bottled: 17/08/11 – Cask No. 559 – First Fill Shery Butt – 706 Numbered Decanters – 30 Available in Alberta Exclusively at KWM – My Tasting Note: Nose: chocolate, leather, tobacco and shoe polish; dried fruits: raisins, figs and prunes with treacle sauce, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and brandy soaked cherries; Palate: fruity and spicy with leather, tobacco and Christmas cake notes; more raisins, figs and prunes with loads of ginger and cracked pepper; dry old leather, more oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and burnt white sugar; Finish: drying and leather with more peppery spice and cracked old leather; Comments: another interesting Big Sherried cask of Edradour! – $129.99
3. Ballechin #6 Bourbon Cask Matured – 46% – First Fill Bourbon – 6000 Bottles – Only 18 to Alberta Exclusively to KWM – Barley is Peated to 50ppm – My Tasting Notes: Nose: a damp warm barnyard in the morning; burnt honey, earthy peat, old shoe leather and grass fire; Palate: sweet and creamy with lush vanilla tones, floral mint and oily grassy peat; the second sip is very consistent offering more of the same with some bakers chocolate and Five Alive; Finish: youthful and oily with more peat, sweet American oak and grassy smoke; Comment: its young but very pleasant and while not multilayered the complexity it has is full on! – $121.49
TWO NEW BENROMACHS – 25 and 30 Year Olds
Benromach is the Speyside’s smallest distillery, located in the town of Forres to the west of Elgin. The distillery is owned today by Gordon & MacPhail, a company which has played a role in the whisky industry since the late 1900’s. They picked up the distillery in 1993 after it had lain silent for a decade. The distillery was in poor repair and it took them the better part of 5 years to get it back up to snuff and into production. The whisky distilled today and that filled into cask before the closure are different in style but share some similarities. Michael Urquhart Co-managing director of Gordon & MacPhail, owners of Benromach, points to the notes of chocolate and fruit which can be found in both. The major difference in the newer make is that it is lightly peated, what the distillery believes is a more traditional style of Speyside whisky. Sadly, like the 21 year old before them, both of these whiskies are not long for the world; pre-1983 stocks will only last so long!
1. Benromach 25 Year – 43% – 1st Fill American Oak Hogsheads – My Tasting Note: Nose: wow soft fruits; canned peaches, honey dew melon, coconut cream curry and Tommy Bahamas cinnamon butter; there is a savoury side to the nose too with shredded mozzarella cheese and pan-seared salted fish (haven’t even tasted it and my mouth just watered); Palate: honey, coconut cream cream and vanilla pods; the second sip shows some spice, toasted oak and finely ground coffee; the palate is very creamy and buttery with the spice surging, cinnamon, spicy ginger and cracked pepper; as it settles down some mango and honey dew notes emerge from the spice; Finish: drying and sweet with fading spices; the honey dew melon note is the last to flee the scene; Comment: at less than 150 dollars this is a very well priced distillery bottled 25 year old! – $147.99
2. Benromach 30 Year – 43% – 1st Fill and Refill Sherry – My Tasting Note: Nose: there are some similarities on the nose to the 25 year, I am again getting a note of Tommy Bahamas cinnamon butter but this time melted on their signature hot loaf of bread (some sort of subliminal longing for parts warmer?); dried fruits slowly start to emerge with raisins, dried figs and date squares; the nose is a bit subdued and shy but I get traces of cold maple syrup and butter on leftover pancakes (2nd day); Palate: what it lacks in punch it more than makes up for in subtlety and sophistication; more dried fruits with damp jujubes and rich spices; it has this lovely central core with a note of treacle sauce or maple syrup that slowly and methodically rolls down your palate; milk chocolate, candied orange, thick caramel and almond paste filled croissants; Finish: drying and spicy with caramelized oak, orange oils and hints of treacle sauce; Comments: not quite the 1968 but very good for an older Benromach! – $307.99
TWO NEW AMRUTS – Herald and Two Continents
Amrut has made quite the name for itself in just a few short years. Its young, powerful whiskies have won over whisky consumers all over the world and earned impressive scores and reviews from various whisky writers. The two latest Amruts to hit the Alberta Market are Herald and Two Continents. Herald was initially distilled and matured in the Indian city of Bangalore which sits at 12o 9’ North. After a period of maturation in the heat of India the whisky was moved to Helgoland, an archipelago of German islands in the North Sea which sit at 54o10’ North. The contrast between the two locations goes far beyond the heat, the relatively humidity in Helgoland is 82.9% with a much cooler annual temperature. On Helgoland the whisky was also maturing at a much lower elevation, 167ft, as opposed to 3,000 in Bangalore. The whisky was matured in a single cask and bottled at cask strength. The Two Continents, bottled at 50% is similarly unique to the Herald, billed as the first whisky matured on two continents. After maturing in the heat and high altitude of India, the whisky was shipped 9,000km to Europe for a second maturation in a Top Secret location!
1. Amrut Two Continents Limited Second Edition – 50% – Bottled July 2011 – 892 Individually Numbered Bottles – We are getting a dozen and the first half is sold. – My Tasting Note: Nose: soft with melons and faint tropical fruits; tangerines, orange liqueur and sweet malted barley; sliced ripe red apples, browning pear and Fig Newtons; Palate: sweet and spicy with loads of honey, star anise and candied apple; the palate is round and full with Highland toffee and Scottish tablet (sorry don’t know the Indian equivalents) and sugared short bread; this is a very decadent and powerful whisky but with little burn; Finish: drying, sweet, creamy and smooth; the white chocolate/vanilla notes return on the finsh with honey and toasted oak. – $100.99
2. Amrut Herald Cask 2857 – 60.8% – 231 Individually Numbered Bottles – Only 48 bottles in Alberta! – We are getting 12 and the first 7 have sold. – My Tasting Note: Nose: honey and chocolate, right off the bat; reminiscent of Malted Milk and Crunchie candy bars; marzipan, baklava and toasted marshmallows; this nose is very soft for being very nearly 61% alcohol; Palate: very sweet, almost cloyingly so; warm baklava, vanilla extract and toasted American oak with pear drops and green Jolly Ranchers; the palate is nearly as big as the Himalayan mountains from which the distilleries’ water flows; rum soaked cherries, cantaloupe and grassy malt; there is spice aplenty too, mostly confined to light and sweeter ones; Finish: light, soft and smooth with lingering sweet spice! – $130.99
GLENGLASSAUGH MANAGER’S LEGACY 1967 WALTER GRANT
This is the last in a series of four legacy bottlings released by Glenglassaugh (under its new owners) to pay tribute to its past managers. KWM received 3 of these, including this one, and the previous two were terrific. Walter Grant managed the distillery from March 1962 through August 1967. Walter Grant, while at Highland Park in 1984 hired Stuart Nickerson, the man behind Glenglassaugh’s revival, then just 28 years old, to manage the distillery.
Glenglassaugh Manager’s Legacy Walter Grant – 1967 – 43 Year – 40.4% – Refill Sherry Hogshead – 200 Numbered Bottles – My Tasting Note: Nose: soft, creamy and fruity; big time stewed and candied fruits with soft Christmas cake and jujubes; very elegant and round, my palate is watering in anticipation of trying it; peaches n cream, melon liqueur and powdered sugar on Belgian waffles; Palate: doesn’t disappoint, very soft (silky) with more sweet fruits and a honey/vanilla backbone; candied fruits, deft Christmas cake and elegant star anise with candy coated fennel seeds; the sherry oak’s touch is light but has depth to it with some sweet spices developing late and gentle earthy oak; Finish: classic soft sherry cask notes with a touch of leather, tobacco, Christmas cake and more candied fennel; Comment: this dark nectar has been staring at me for a long time, and I’ve desperately wanted to taste it; it hasn’t disappointed! – $828.99
INTRODUCING THE BIG PEAT SANTA
Just in time for Christmas the boys at Douglas Laing have released a cask strength version of the Big Peat Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky. The Big Peat is a “shovelful of Islay Single Malt Scotch Whiskies including malts distilled at Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Bowmore and Port Ellen Distilleries.” Only Douglas Laing could possibly have enough Port Ellen to included it in a blended malt whisky, even if it is just a teaspoon or too (no indication how much Port Ellen is actually added). The Big Peat Santa is bottled exactly like the regular save for its strength, 57.8% as opposed to 46% and the label (see below). And at but $10 more than the original bottling, it’s a very good deal!
Big Peat Santa – 57.8% – Small Batch Natural Cask Strength – My Tasting Notes: Nose: a surge of lemon, saline solution, ozone, clean smoke and grassy peat; there is also some youthful barley, dark bakers chocolate and medicinal notes to this not so subtle, but tempting nose; Palate: surprisingly sweet, very grassy and clean-heavy smoke with some earthy peat to boot; the palate shows more dark unsweetened chocolate and honey with salty peat and newly ground espresso; there is a youngish feel to this whisky with notes of salted fish and smoked meat; Finish: drying and salty with medicinal smoke and more heathery peat; Comments: perfect for those -30C days we know are coming when all you’ll want to do is curl up by the fire; and if you’ve been a bad girl or boy this year perhaps should leave a dram out for Santa with some dark chocolate cookies. – $89.99
NEW WHISKIES FROM BRUICHLADDICH
1. Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2004 – 50% – Ex Bourbon Cask – 6000 Total Bottles – Inaugural Bottling in the Islay Barley Series – My Tasting Note: Nose: fresh lemons, candied ginger, liquid honey, day old cut green grass, Riesling like diesel notes; Palate: surprisingly sweet with a touch of vanilla ice cream, more honey and vanilla extract; lemon rind, a touch of burnt orange and peppery spice; there is a lot of toasted oak for such a young whisky with more day old cut grass, some sea salt and dried ginger candy; Finish: dried ginger is the dominant character with more cut green grass, lemon oil and sea salt. – $59.99
2. Bruichladdich 10 Year Laddie 2011 – 46% – No Cask Type Specified – This is the first 10 year old Bruichladdich, distilled, matured and bottled by the new owners. – My Tasting Note: Nose: subtle but layered with a mix of toasted vanilla American oak notes along with some liquorice notes, figs and a whiff of salty smoke; lemon rinds, creamy honey and Jolly Ranchers candies; Palate: very fresh, rich and toasty with gentle spices, Highland toffee and cream; the palate is light and delicate but complex and well balanced; some candied fruit, gentle spice (cinnamon, ginger, clove and cardamom) and black liquorice; there are also some citrus notes, grassy malt and creamy vanilla which coat and caress the palate; Finish: more toasted oak, light sweet spices and drying grassy malt. – $59.99
3. Bruichladdich 17 Year Rum Cask – 46% – Starting in American Oak this Whisky Finished for 2 years in Caribbean Rum Casks From Enmore and Uitvlught Distilleries – My Tasting Notes: Nose: first impressions are of creamy toffee and tropical fruits; poached pear, candied apple, highland toffee, Tiger Tail ice cream and fresh cream; tropical fruit punch, melons and mint with aloe like floral notes; Palate: very creamy with lovely sweet spices, black liquorice and more Tiger Tail ice cream; cinnamon hearts, candied ginger and Panda brand black liquorice with Scottish tablet and melons; powdered sugar, graham wafers and ginger snaps with cooked raisins, candied apples and poached pear; Finish: toasted oak and sweet dried spices, more cooked raisins, pear drops Scottish tablet. – $99.99
4. Bruichladdich Octomore 4.1 – 62.5% – Peated to 167ppm (the new most heavily peated whisky in the World) – 5 Years – 15,000 Bottles Worldwide – KWM is getting at least 30 – My Tasting Note: Nose: rancid butter (not in a bad way), thick clean wood smoke and beer battered haddock; Nestle’s Crunch candy bar, candied almonds with an orange glaze and white chocolate Hershey’s Kisses; Palate: sweet and smoky with massive liquorice notes: fennel, star anise, Panada brand black liquorice and Candy Coal fading into vanilla and raspberry-rhubarb crumble, weird…; the smoke and peat start to show more clearly on the third sip with a touch of burnt rubber and Loch Fyne Kippers; Finish: sweet and smoky with more anise and youthful grassy barley; Comment: why aren’t these getting any older? Suppose younger whiskies will show more peat but would love to see and 8-10 year old Octomore… – $145.49
INTRODUCING THE GLENMORANGIE FINEALTA
Finealta is Scots Gaelic for elegant, an appropriate name for this sophisticated dram from Glenmorangie distillery. Dr. Bill Lumsden the visionary behind the Glenmorangie brand has created Finealta as homage to a whisky ordered by the Savoy Hotel from the distillery in 1903. The recipe for this specially requested whisky was found in the distillery’s archives. In the early 1900’s the distillery, as with most of those in the Highlands of Scotland at that time used peat to dry the malted barley which imparts a smoky-peat character on the whisky. The distillery originally sourced its peat from bogs surrounding its famous Tarlogie springs but later harvested it from the Orkney Islands. Unlike the rest of Scotland the Orkneys were never treed and as a result the peats which formed there are more delicate and floral than those in the rest of Scotland. The recipe also specified the cask type, plain oak (often a euphemism for refill American oak casks) and Oloroso sherry butts. The whisky was appropriately launched in 2010 at the Savoy Hotel in London, it was originally exclusive to Duty Free Shops, but some cases of it found their way to Alberta!
Whisky Advocate Review “Glenmorangie Finealta, 46%, $80[USD]: Glenmorangie enters the world of peated whiskies (like everyone else these days—not that I’m complaining). Richly textured layers of sweetness (vanilla, toffee, milk chocolate), fruit (tangerine, orchard fruit—especially ripe cherry), roasted nuts, mushrooms, hint of menthol, and gentle smoke. Certainly entertaining, even if the whisky doesn’t always seem to know what it wants to be. The soft sweetness mid-palate is balanced nicely by dried spice and smoke on the finish. Curiously enjoyable. Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 88”
Glenmorangie Finealta – 46% – My Tasting Note: Nose: mint chocolate chip cookies, peanut brittle, cooked prosciutto wrapped figs and Clodhoppers; candied ginger and orange, young Cognac notes and new ladies leather gloves; I am struggling to find smoke on the nose, if it’s there its incredibly delicate, I instead see Heathery floral notes and liquid honey; Palate: very sweet, creamy and chocolaty with moderate but soft heathery smoke; after the nose the delicate floral smoke caught me off guard, I was focussing on the chocolate and them, bam!, it was there; more honey (creamy), milk chocolate, Clodhoppers and candied orange notes with hints of tropical fruit: Five Alive Fruit Punch and mango salsa; there are some classic sherry notes of dark fruit, sweet spices and black liquorice; Finish: drying with gentle dark fruit, sweet spice, soft creamy oak and more black liquorice; Comment: this is a very lovely whisky and a wonderful addition to the Glenmorangie stable, shame it won’t be around for long! – $88.99
NEW BENRIACH VINTAGES COMING
I was at the distillery in May when they were drawing samples from these casks with a tour group, and there are some very interesting whiskies here to be sure. The 1978 was one of the standouts for me, so I begged for 5 cases of it; they were kind enough to oblige. With that exception, and one other (we are getting 12 of the 1980) there are only 6 bottles of each of these available. The tasting notes have been provided by the distillery. The whiskies will be sold on a first come first serve basis:
1. BenRiach 1971 – 49.8% – 40 Year – Cask # 1947 – Hogshead – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: A freshly gathered tropical fruit basket containing guavas, pinapples and mangos. Clean zesty and remarkable freshness. Palate: Stunning fresh pineapple and coconut flavour burst into life with a surge of sweet vanilla and white chocolate. Superb balance. – $660.99
2. BenRiach 1972 – 40.1% – 39 Year – Cask# 802 – Hogshead – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Vibrant coconut and passion fruit aromas, laced with wild-meadow honey combined with a subtle dry toasted oak kick. Palate: Soft floral observations of jasmine and wild primrose, bound together with fragrant white fruits and heather honey. Well-dressed with classical proportions. – $555.99
3. BenRiach 1976 -57.8% – 34 Year – Cask# 6942 – Sherry Butt – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: A wave of stewed plums, damsons and sweet sultanas, interwoven with fine leather and well toasted oak. Palate: Spiced fruit shortcake on a bed of crushed grapes leading to an intense sherried finish. Firm tannins with impressive weight and length. – $366.99
4. BenRiach 1977 – 54.3% – 34 Year – Cask# 1034 – PX Sherry Finish – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Massive fortified wine notes coupled with fabulous toffee-nut fragrance. Bold and intense. Palate: Prominent sherry notes, without overdoing it. Luscious ripe autumn fruits linked with toasted hazelnuts and Brazilnuts. – $366.99
5. BenRiach 1978 – 50.9% – 32 Year – Cask# 4387 – Virgin American Oak Finish – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Sweet honey and beeswax characteristics, backing a lovely floral aroma- including honeysuckle and wild roses. Palate: Rich toasted oak, with intense vanilla-like qualities which revolve around the ever present floral display. A spicy twist adds some weight to the equation. – $313.99
6. BenRiach 1979 – 50.3% – 31 Year – Cask# 11195 – Peated Bourbon Barrel – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Tropical fruit nuances with coconuts and pineapples in abundance. Very subtle peat which is hidden behind a wave of star-anise. Palate: Fresh and vibrant, with firm acidity which adds to a classic tropical fruit base of papayas, mangos and pineapples. Slight hint of peat smoke right at the back of the palate adds a lovely dimension. – $307.99
7. BenRiach 1989 – 49.1% – 22 Year – Cask# 4813 – Sauternes Finish – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Soft white summer fruits including peaches, apricots and melon. This is partnered with hot buttered toast drizzled with honey. Palate: Soft white summer fruits, with peach and apricot influences ever present. A light and airy character, reminiscent of the great outdoors. Subtle oak finished with a dollop of honey. – $174.99
8. BenRiach 1989 – 50.6% – 22 Year – Cask# 5620 – Virgin Oak Finish – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Spiced fruit cake and bitter chocolate shavings. Toasted vanilla pods adds a degree of depth as well as a savoury note. Palate: Cinnamon and all-spice dusted over a bread-and-butter pudding base. Vibrant and very engaging. Fine oak nuances are drawn out with time.” – $174.99
9. BenRiach 1992 – 55.6% – 19 Year – Cask # 972 – Tawny Port Finish – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Incredible confectionary influence initiated by a barage of sugar coated nuts and milk chocolate drops. Grape like notes emerge latterly. Palate: Rich, late-harvest port flavours dominate the initial palate giving way to a slightly citric edge, particularly dried orange rind. Firm acidity makes for a classic sweet and sour.” – $154.99
10. BenRiach 1993 – 56.1% – 18 Years – Cask# 7415 – Barolo Hogshead Finish – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Full bodied with pungent aromas of dates, figs and fruit compote. This is followed by a generous helping of fine oak and vanilla glaze. Palate: Dense fruit cake and coffee-mocha flavours combine with smooth mellow oak. Buttery and very elegant.” – $142.99
NEW GLENDRONACH VINTAGES COMING
We are only getting 6 bottles of each of these vintages, and the 1972 is likely already spoken for. Tasting notes are by the distiller and these whiskies are available of a first come first serve basis.
1. Glendronach 1971 – 48.5% – 40 Year – Cask# 1436 – PX Sherry Puncheon – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Spicy and fully of life. A basket of freshly picked brambles and raspberries. Huge coffee and roasted walnut structure. Palate: Powerful and full flavoured. Nuts, chocolate and dried Mediterranean fruits including figs, dates and sweet raisins.” – $436.99
2. Glendronach 1972 – 49.9% – 39 Year – Cask# 712 – Oloroso Butt – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Beautifully aromatic and intense. Floral qualities, combined with the fabulous classic sherried influence. Apple, plum and damson flavours, ride upon the crest of a wave of sweet raisins. Palate: Bold and invigorating, but still full laden with class and maturity. Red grapes, and dense fruit cake drenched with date syrup and sweet spice reduction.” – $399.99
3. Glendronach 1989 – 54.1% – 21 Year – Cask# 2917 – PX Puncheon – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Fragrant citrus notes of mandarins and Clementine’s, rounded off with the dessert qualities brought by the Pedro Ximinez casks. Palate: Sticky date traits, partnered together with a liberal helping of star anise and liquorice. A dryish finish develops derived from flavours of roasted cocoa nibs and toasted oak.” – $155.49
4. Glendronach 1990 – 50.1% – 20 Year – Cask# 1032 – PX Puncheon – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Hints of leather and polished mahogany intermingle with a lively sweet sherry influence partnered with stewed prunes. Palate: Smooth, and well rounded. Sweet and oily. Chocolate sauce with pronounced confectionary elements.” – $179.99
5. Glendronach 1992 – 59.2% – 19 Year – Cask# 161 – Oloroso Butt – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Complex toasted oak aromas with an almost earthy presence. This is pursued with treacle, nuts and wild honey. Palate: A solid platform of sherry, spiced fruit and toasted nuts with a surreal balance of vanilla and honey. Long and well crafted.” – $185.99
6. Glendronach 1994 – 60.1% – 17 Year – Cask# 97 – Oloroso Butt – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Dense and very intense aromatics. Rich sherry and bitter chocolate influence. Almost a hint of fine Italian leather. Palate: Liquorice, aniseed and toasted hazelnuts develop around a foundation of chocolate orange sauce and rich old oloroso sherry.” – $168.99
WRITER’S TEARS CASK STRENGTH IRISH WHISKeY GIFT PACK
Irish whiskey is the forgotten step child to Scotch whisky when it comes to getting attention, but there are some lovely Irish Whiskies out there. One of the most recent is a new cask strength bottling of Writer’s Tears Irish Whiskey. Packaged smartly in a box that looks like a book it comes complete with a pair of glasses and a small scroll. The whiskey is a unique blend of Pot Still and Single Malt whiskies.
Writer’s Tears Cask Strength – 53% – 1200 Total Bottles – My Tasting Note: Nose: unmalted barley, honey, green grass and white chocolate soufflé; no rough edges for 53% and a dusty/oaky character; Palate: sweet, soft and silky, I am again surprised by how soft it is at its strength; more honey, green unmalted barley and sugary toasted oak; vanilla pods, fresh creams and buttered white toast; Finish: drying and smooth with more vanilla/honey and toasted oak; Comments: I’m not normally a fan of Irish whiskies, but this is pretty damn good! – $145.59
Forty Creek Confederation Oak is Back – 65.49
“One of the finest Canadian whiskies I have ever tasted!” is how John Hansel starts out his review of the latest limited release from Forty Creek. Forty Creek has in very short order become one of Canada’s finest whisky producers. Its whisky maker John Hall is on the cover of Malt Advocate Magazine this month.
The Forty Creek Confederation Oak is the fourth and largest of the distillery’s limited releases. It is a small batch Canadian whisky finished in casks made from Canadian oak trees found growing 40km from the distillery. Based on the size of their trunks the whisky maker John Hall believes the trees are around 150 years old, meaning that they were taking root around the time of Canadian Confederation; hence the whisky’s name. Only mature trees were selectively harvested leaving the rest to continue growing, perhaps one-day they too will give life to whisky! The Canadian oak trees are the same species as the American white oak trees used in casks for maturing bourbon, but the cooler conditions and shorter growing season give the Canadian oak a distinctive character.
We tasted it in the store shortly after it came in, and it wasn’t disappointing. My colleague Thomas said it best: “This beats the heck out of any $65 bourbon!”
Forty Creek Confederation Oak – 40% – My Tasting Note: Nose: lots of rye on the nose, along with soft vanilla, sweet corn and gentle earthy spices; something on the nose reminds me of those new Chocolaty Mint Girl Guides cookies; layers of honey , sour malt and dusty grains; Palate: really sweet with loads of spice, huge sour rye with thick oils, lush layers of vanilla, big orange and light maple syrup; there is a strong nutty component too with hints of walnut and macadamia; the spices are here too, but not as strong as on the nose; Finish: long and coating with fading walnut, vanilla and coconut cream cake! – $65.49
JIM MURRAY’S WHISKY BIBLE 2012 – $21.99
Every year’s new edition is the most comprehensive with the most tasting notes ever and is more thoroughly researched than the year before; 2012 is no different. Jim’s latest book, with another new cover has reviews of more than 4,500 whiskies, 2,800 single malt Scotch whiskies, more than 300 Scottish blends and 400 American whiskies. His top whiskies will once again create a race to the till, and once again I am a little surprised by his picks, but everyone’s tastes are their own. I’ll nip a few of them in the bud before you even start looking for them: firstly, his World Whisky of the Year 2012, Old Pulteney 21 Year is sold out in Canada, and won’t likely be back until late next year. Secondly, George T. Stagg, the number two whisky of the year may be coming, but in such small quantities that if I get any they are already spoken for. I don’t always agree with his scores, but the Whisky Bible does always do a good job of highlighting which new whiskies are worth a look, and is a great resource to use when trying to figure out which whisky to buy. 120 copies have just arrived, ready for purchase or order now.
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Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger!
Slainte!
Andrew Ferguson
KWM Scotchguy
