Kensington Wine Market’s E-Whisky Newsletter

I am sure I am not alone in feeling as though I’ve been riding a rollercoaster of emotions over the last 4 weeks, helplessly watching the horrors inflicted on Ukraine and its people. I personally feel anger towards Putin’s vile regime and the Russian military for their unjust and barbaric invasion. I feel great sorrow for the people of Ukraine and those of Ukrainian descent, for the tragic loss of life and the deliberate and unnecessary destruction of their homes, communities, culture, and institutions. But I’ve also felt pride and hope for the people of Ukraine and their leader, who have fought harder and more valiantly in protecting their fledgling democracy than anyone could have predicted. 

We have hung a Ukrainian flag above our entrance to show solidarity with their struggle, and on the subject of Russian vodka, I’d like to point out we haven’t carried any in at least the last decade… 

There is only so much we can do to help, but we want to help. Accordingly, we have decided to donate 10% of our total sales (both in-store and online) today, Saturday, March 26, to the UNHCR Ukraine Emergency fund. 

It is our sincere hope that the war ends soon, that Ukraine and its people emerge strong and independent, and that the world helps it rebuild!

In the meantime, I’ve included the tastings currently open for registration, as well as the sale items listed in the last newsletter.

As always, in the event of a discrepancy in price, the point of sale at KWM will be taken as correct. Please don’t hesitate to email me with any questions, comments, or requests (but online ordering works too, in fact, it might be faster…).

Sincerely,

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

Upcoming Tastings

Note: we just got word that William H Macy will be a special guest at our Woody Creek tasting on April 5…

SMWS

·     Date: Thursday, April 14

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $40

·     Pick-Up Date: Ready now!

·     Only 11 spots left!

Join the KWM Whisky Team for the April 2022 SMWS Canada Outturn tasting. Follow along as Evan and Andrew taste and talk about the whiskies, possibly wandering on to tangentially related things, while Cam tries to keep them on course. 7 whiskies included 15ml samples. Wednesday, April 6, 7PM.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: SCOTCH EDITION

·     Date: Thursday, April 14

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $40

·     Pick-Up Date: Ready Now!

The Scotch Whisky industry has gone through something of a baby boom over the last decade. Step by Step, the whiskies from these new kids on the block are coming of age. Though young, the whiskies from these small independents are Hangin’ Tough in a market dominated by big multinationals. We’ll sample whiskies from Ardnamurchan, Daftmill, Glasgow, Inchdairnie, Isle of Raasay, Lindores Abbey, and Wolfburn. Thursday, April 24, 2022, 7PM.

G&M Distillery Labels with Richard Urquhart

·     Date: Friday, May 6

·     Time: 5 PM

·     Cost: $45

·     Pick-Up Date: ETA: Ready late-March!

The Gordon & MacPhail Distillery Labels range celebrates the ancient relationships it has nurtured with distilleries all over Scotland. It is also a testament to its ongoing practice of purchasing new make spirit from distilleries, rather than mature whisky, maturing it in its own casks. Richard Urquhart, a 4th generation member of the Urquhart family who own G&M, will guide us through a range of 7 distilleries label bottlings from Ardmore, Glenburgie, Glentauchers, Linkwood and Morltach, including a few 21 and 25 year olds. Friday May 6, 5PM.

Rethinking Whisky: The Lowlands

·     Date: Friday, May 6

·     Time: 5 PM

·     Cost: $45

·     Pick-Up Date: ETA: Ready Early April!

While we couldn’t convince Andrew to pop the top on a rare old Rosebank for this one, we’re still pretty confident this will be the coolest Lowlands tasting this side of the pond. And if you’re one of those folks still of the opinion that the Lowlands are all flowers and lemons and triple distillation – oh, my! – then we have just the range to shatter your preconceptions. Join Curt and Harmony for a night of ‘out there’ whiskies and an awful lot of chat, as we try to dispel some outdated myths and showcase some of the bottles that have lit us up over the last few months. Participantes will sample whiskies up to 25 and 35 years of age from Auchentoshan, Bladnoch, Daftmill, Glenkinchie, Inchdairnie, Lindores Abbey and North British. Thursday May 26, 7PM.

!!!On Sale!!!

Deals, deals, deals… especially on Waterford, and more than what I have highlighted below too… you can browse the full sale list online!

1. Waterford Single Farm Hook Head 1.1 – 50% – Complex young Irish single malt produced from barley grown on a single farm, matured in a mix of cask types. – Was $101.99 – Save 20% – Now $76.49

2. Waterford Single Farm Lakefield 1.1 – 50% – Complex young Irish single malt produced from barley grown on a single farm, matured in a mix of cask types. – Was $102.99 – Save 20% – Now $77.24

3. Compass Box Peat Monster – 46% – The Peat Monster combines extremely smoky malt whisky from Islay with medium-peated Highland whiskies to create a balanced and approachable monster, but a monster, nonetheless. Enjoy! – Was $79.99 – Save 25% – Now $55.99

4. Smokehead Rum Rebel Islay Single Malt – 46% – This undisclosed Islay Single Malt is rumoured to come from Ardbeg, and has been finished in rum casks. – Was $92 – Save 20% – Now $72.79

5. Smokehead Sherry Bomb Islay Single Malt – This undisclosed Islay Single Malt is rumoured to come from Ardbeg, and has been finished in sherry casks. – Was $115 – Save 20% – Now $91.99

6. Lismore The Legend 21 Year – 43% – Undisclosed Speyside single malt, from the owners of Glenfarclas, with a soft sherried character. – Was $165 – Save 20% – Now $131.99

7. Jura Seven Wood – 42% – Not content with double wood or triple wood, Jura has gone right to SEVEN WOOD with this bottling. – Was $121.99 – Save 35% – Now $79.29

8. Port Askaig 8 Year – 45.8% – Young, but lovely Caol Ila at a great every day price… even better on SALE. – Was $68.99 – Save 20% – Now $55.19

9. Craggnamore Distillers Edition – 40% (boo) Diageo is still playing catch up, so this is still on sale. – Was $107.99 – Save 25% – Now $80.99

10.   Cragganmore Flavour Led – 55.7% – Old NAS Cragganmore with good reviews that is a lot more palatable on sale than at full price! – Was $1199.99 – Save 30% – Now $839.99

FREE DELIVERY

We are proud to offer Free City Wide Delivery on all orders over $100 Monday-Friday!

Orders under $100 are subject to a flat rate $10 delivery fee.

Note we likely cannot offer delivery before Christmas at this point!

CURBSIDE PICKUP

Physical distancing is made easy with curbside pickup.

Order online or by phone, wait for confirmation your order is ready then call us when you are parked in the back or out front.

Be sure to let us know what your vehicle looks like!

403-283-8000

888-283-9004

Regular Store Hours

Mon – Wed 10AM – 8PM

Thurs & Fri 10AM – 9PM

Sat 10AM – 8 PM

Sun 11PM to 6PM

*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.*

Find your next special dram in our new whisky arrivals. Get your hands on the latest limited-edition sherried single malt from Tamdhu, a 2015 Ben Nevis single malt from Carn Mor’s Strictly Limited series or Starward’s latest release – an Australian single malt matured in Australian red-wine casks before being finished in ex heavily-peated Islay single malt casks. 

SHOP NEW WHISKIES

Lindores Abbey TWB 15th Anniversary Exclusive

2022 marks the 15th Anniversary of TheWhiskyBarrel.com and what better way to celebrate than a year of single cask distillery exclusives!

We simply could not pass on the opportunity to support our local distillery the historic Lindores Abbey in the Kingdom of Fife which makes this remarkable Oloroso sherry butt even more special.

Filled on 2nd August 2018 this cask has yielded 720 bottles at cask strength 58.9%.

In the interest of fairness, these bottles are strictly limited to 1 bottle per customer.

Buy – Lindores Abbey 2008 Single Sherry Butt >>

CAMBUS DISTILLERY

30 Year Old 1991 Signatory Cask Strength

Cask #64106

£159.67

Cambus 30 Year Old 1991 vintage Lowland single grain Scotch whisky. Refill sherry butt #64106 bottled January 2022 by Signatory Vintage for the Cask Strength Collection. 346 numbered bottles.

John Moubry commissioned Cambus Distillery in 1806 at Cambus near Alloa to produce malt and grain whisky. He was amongst a group of contemporary distillers ‘paid’ to close their works for a number of years by the Stein and Haig distilling family in order to enable the later to maintain their monopoly in the exportation of Scottish spirits into the London gin market. Cambus Distillery is a lost Lowlands grain whisky distillery having closed in 1993 although its whisky remains available and the site is occupied by a Diageo cask filling works. Hunter Laing Sovereign Cambus grain whiskies are extremely popular.

SCOTTISH OAK AMONGST NEW RELEASES

TO JOIN GLENALLACHIE VIRGIN OAK SERIES 

The Speyside distillery led by industry veteran Billy Walker expands its

 limited-edition range with three Single Malts finished in virgin oak casks

The GlenAllachie Distillery, winner of Icons of Whisky’s Visitor Attraction of the Year, today adds three new bottlings to their Virgin Oak Series; a limited-edition range which explores the influence of aging whisky in a variety of different oak species from around the world.

The new tranche of expressions consists of three Speyside Single Malts; the 15-year-old Scottish Virgin Oak Finish, the 10-year-old French Virgin Oak Finish, and the 10-year-old Chinquapin Virgin Oak Finish.

The marked flavour differences between the three bottlings are led by a variety of factors: the oak species, the local terroir and the period of natural air drying, along with the toasting, charring and coopering of the casks.

The Virgin Oak Series showcases the expert cask sourcing and wood management skills of Master Distiller Billy Walker, who this year reaches a staggering half-century as a blender and distiller in the Scotch Whisky industry.

Each expression was first matured in American Oak (Quercus Alba) ex-Bourbon Barrels. To add a distinctive layer of flavour characteristics, the whisky then underwent a secondary maturation period of approximately 18 months in virgin oak casks, all carefully selected by Walker.

The 15-year-old Scottish Virgin Oak (UK RRSP £175) – one of the few whiskies to ever be matured in Scottish oak – was finished in casks made of Sessile Oak (Quercus Petrae) sourced from the Atlantic coast of Scotland. Scottish oak is incredibly challenging to work with at all stages of production: growing, milling, and coopering. Its rarity, costliness and tendency to knot mean it is scarcely used for whisky maturation.

Before hosting the GlenAllachie spirit, the wood was air dried for 36 months, opening up the oak for maximum flavour extraction. After toasting and charring to a medium level, the small quantity of casks used have delivered just 2,250 bottles of truly exceptional liquid abundant in vanilla pods, ginger and cloves.

For the 10-year-old French Virgin Oak Finish (UK RRSP £61.99), Walker sourced casks made of French Oak (Quercus Robur) from the Haute-Garonne region, close to the Pyrenees. The fine-grained, consistent wood was air dried for 15 months before being filled with the whisky. The result is a subtly sweet yet earthy malt.

The 10-year-old Chinquapin Virgin Oak Finish (UK RRSP £61.99) used wood from the Northern Ozark region of Missouri in the United States. Once air dried for nearly four years and toasted to a medium level, the casks made of Chinquapin – a sub species of Quercus Alba – have bestowed distinctive spicy, biscuity notes upon The GlenAllachie.

The three whiskies are proudly presented at their natural colour, non chill filtered and at a high strength of 48% ABV.

Commenting on the new trio, Walker said:

“Exploring the interaction of virgin oak with our whisky has become a real passion of mine over the last few years, and I feel it’s something that we are really specialising in. I don’t think it’s a secret that I am devoted to wood management and sourcing unusual casks, but I believe virgin oak is underexposed in the Scotch whisky industry; something we are eager to change.

“This expansion of our Virgin Oak Series showcases three superb Single Malts, each with incredibly unique attributes. I’m particularly proud to release a very rare Scottish Virgin Oak bottling; a long-held ambition of mine, with full appreciation of how challenging and expensive it is to work with. The result, in my humble opinion, is genuinely outstanding.”

The new GlenAllachie Virgin Oak Series bottlings are available via specialist retailers globally, with UK RRSPs starting at £61.99.

ABOUT GLENALLACHIE:

One of Scotland’s few independently owned and managed distilleries, The GlenAllachie is led by industry veteran, Billy Walker, who boasts an almost 50-year tenure in whisky. With an emphasis on wood policy, The GlenAllachie’s cask budget for 2022 stands at an eye-watering £2m/$2.6m. With 16 on-site warehouses holding over 50,000 casks, we have complete control of the end-to-end maturation process.

The GlenAllachie focusses on quality over quantity, which is why we chose to reduce our production capacity from 4m to 500,000 Litres of Alcohol and increase our fermentation period to 160 hours for an ester rich, fruity spirit.

We believe age and integrity matter, which is why all our whiskies carry an age statement, and are bottled at a minimum of 46% ABV, natural colour and non-chill filtered for maximum flavour experience.

Our other brands are MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits, encompassing Lum Reek Blended Malt Scotch Whisky and Exploration Rum, and White Heather Blended Scotch Whisky.

Further information on the distillery and company can be found at www.theglenallachie.com

Facebook – @TheGlenAllachie    |    Twitter – @TheGlenAllachie    |    Instagram – @theglenallachie_

TASTING NOTES

The GlenAllachie 15-year-old Scottish Virgin Oak Finish – 48% ABV

• Colour: Golden Sunset.
• Nose: Bursting with honeycomb, vanilla pods and citrus fruits, with butterscotch, orange zest and white chocolate.
• Taste: Lashings of heather honey, caramelised pine nuts, cinnamon and toffee, followed by orange peel, lemon zest, banana and ginger.

The GlenAllachie 10-year-old French Virgin Oak Finish – 48% ABV

• Colour: Golden Bronze.
• Nose: Waves of orange peel, heather honey and soft spice, followed by caramel, orchard fruits and mocha.
• Taste: Layers of heather honey, mocha and brittle toffee, with grapefruit, cinnamon, earthy tannins and notes of ginger on the finish.

The GlenAllachie 10-year-old Chinquapin Virgin Oak Finish – 48% ABV

• Colour: Rich Bronze.
• Nose: Bursting with orange zest, heather honey and pecan, with notes of butterscotch, nutmeg and liquorice.
• Taste: Lashings of cinnamon, barley sugar and toasted biscuits, followed by rose hips, orange peel and heather honey.

GLENLIVET DISTILLERY

45 Year Old 1976 Private Collection

Cask #21602601

£2,750.00

Glenlivet 45 Year Old 1976 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Single cask refill sherry hogshead #21602601 distilled 30th January 1976 and bottled 15th November 2021 by Gordon & MacPhail for the Private Collection series. 266 hand-blown crystal decanters have been produced.

Sweet citrus notes are followed by rich fruitcake and butterscotch. Cinnamon and ginger spice complement subtle liquorice and oak.

Smooth tobacco flavours give way to rich raisins and subtle white pepper. Stewed fruits combine with walnut and plum.

A long finish with roasted nuts and fresh garden mint.

Having out-grown his distillery at Upper Drumin George Smith built a new distillery in 1858 at Minore just short distance upstream of the River Livet and which he opened the following year and named Glenlivet Distillery. During the 1850s the Edinburgh firm of Andrew Usher produced the first vatting of malt whisky from a single distillery using a number of different vintages of Glenlivet whisky. Following expansion in 2010 this distillery is now equipped with fourteen stills making it one of the largest malt whisky distilleries in Scotland. The range includes Glenlivet Founders Reserve and Nadurra.

New Living Cask Batch 12!

Keep it local with our very own range of whisky and gin, and we can also personalise your bottle with a custom message for the perfect wee gift!

🔥 Free delivery over £75 🔥

View The Loch Fyne Range →

The Loch Fyne
The Living Cask Batch 12

Using some Batch 11 as the base this latest Batch 12 is comprised of whiskies from Linkwood, Mortlach and Ben Nevis. The Linkwood and Mortlach elements have been finished in Muscatel wine casks to add scrumptious sweet complexity.

£46.00
Buy Now

Angel’s Envy “K&L Exclusive” Cask #3259 Private Select Port Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon (750ml)

$89.99

View

This is technically our second ever cask of Angel’s, this is NOT the replacement for cask #4018, but another one that was selected around the same time as that infamous barrel. This new cask was selected by our buyer David Othenin-Girard in mid-2021. This blend of bourbons around 6 years old was finished for 6 months in ruby port casks. Bottled on November 29th 2021, the rich powerful flavor of Angel’s Envy Bourbon is turned all the way up to eleven in these high proof single barrel exclusive offerings. Dense and nearly purple in color the sweet port and spicy oak are tempered nicely by the warming heat of the bourbon. Barrel details (age, mashbill, finish times) hopefully to follow if the distillery is comfortable sharing.

BARTON 1792 DISTILLERY RELEASES FOUR NEW THOMAS S. MOORE EXTENDED CASK FINISHED BOURBONS

Second Release Includes Cognac, Madeira, Sherry and Merlot Finishes

            BARDSTOWN, Kentucky (March 17, 2022) – At the end of 2020, Barton 1792 Distillery defined a new category of “extended cask finished” bourbon whiskey, through the introduction of the Distillery’s first ultra-premium brand, named Thomas S. Moore. The collection provided new insight into the significance additional finishing imparts on whiskey, elevating flavors and aromas. Now Barton 1792 Distillery is releasing its second collection of extended cask-finished bourbon whiskeys in the Thomas S. Moore line. This release is made up of four different expressions, including a Cognac, Madeira, Sherry and Merlot finished bourbon whiskeys. These expressions will begin arriving in stores in March 2022.

To create these whiskeys, Barton 1792’s signature high rye recipe bourbon was aged for five to six years in new charred oak barrels before filling other casks that previously matured various wines or spirits from around the world. These whiskeys are then left to age an additional one to four years. This extended cask-finishing method results in elegant whiskeys, each displaying a distinct flavor profile, reflecting nuances of both the bourbon and the finishing cask.

“This second Thomas S. Moore release really reinforces that the extended aging is quite significant,” Master Distiller Danny Kahn said. “What we are seeing are complex, fuller textures being developed. Savory flavors and aromas are unquestionably enhanced and continue to develop in the secondary cask in ways that are very different from the primary barrel aging. The result is an elevated, premium collection unlike any other.”

The cognac barrels Kahn used generally held cognac for six or more years previously. The merlot barrels came from premium wineries from the Napa and Sanoma areas. The sherry barrels were all oloroso sherry. A variety of different types of madeira barrels were used.

Kahn, who personally tasted every single barrel that went into this release at least once, created a few sub-blends for each expression. From there, the sub-blends were sorted based on categories of flavors from which the final blends were chosen. The four resulting expressions are a beautiful demonstration of the art of blending.

Details for each of the whiskeys in this release are as follows:

            Thomas S. Moore Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Madeira Casks is described as having scents of complex oak and madeira wine, with hints of tobacco, citrus and dried fruits interacting in a fascinating way. The aroma follows through on the palate, adding sweetness and subtle acidity to the mild, slightly soft, yet well-rounded whiskey. The finish is bright, complex, and pleasing. This whiskey was finished in madeira casks for approximately two to four years and is 96.5 proof.

            Thomas S. Moore Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Merlot Casks carries an aroma of rich fresh fruit, including plums, raspberries, and dark cherries, followed by floral notes. It has a full and slightly soft taste, with long and lasting notes of fruit. The finish is long and savory with subtle tannins and toasted oak. This whiskey was finished in merlot casks for approximately two to four years and is 93.3 proof.

            Thomas S. Moore Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Sherry Casks greets you with an aroma explosion of sweet, rich fruit and toasted nuts, followed by figs, hints of spicy tobacco and subtle cedar. The palate is sweet with a soft, round initial impression followed by a myriad of aged fruits and nuts. The finish is balanced and sweet with notes of spicy oak. This whiskey was finished in sherry casks for approximately one to four years and is 98.7 proof.

Thomas S. Moore Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Cognac Casks has an aroma of complex fruit and bright citrus that mingle with slightly herbal notes and traces of jasmine and lavender. On the palate, notes of orange, apricot and vanilla are followed by complex earthy undertones, with a subtle toasted oak and cedar finish. This whiskey was finished in cognac casks for approximately two to four years and is 93.4 proof.

This line of bourbons intends to honor Thomas S. Moore, an innovative bourbon pioneer who built the Distillery known today as Barton 1792 Distillery. The tall, sophisticated bottles feature imagery that pays homage to the legacy of Thomas S. Moore. Each label displays the image of a racehorse standing tall, honoring one of Moore’s earliest whiskey brands, Belle of Nelson, named for the thoroughbred who won the Kentucky Oaks in 1878.

Suggested retail pricing for each Thomas S. Moore expression is $69.99; state taxes will vary per market. Additional cask-finished releases will be unveiled every year in the fall. For more information about Thomas S. Moore Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, visit the brand at https://www.facebook.com/thomassmoorebourbon/ on Facebook and @thomassmoorebourbon on Instagram.

About Barton 1792 Distillery

Barton 1792 Distillery is part of Barton Brands.  Barton Brands has facilities in Bardstown, Ky., Carson, Calif., and Baltimore, Md. Barton Brands is owned by the Sazerac Company, an American family-owned company based in New Orleans, La. Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully-operating Distillery in the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” The Distillery is located on 196 acres and includes 28 warehouses, 22 other buildings, the Morton Spring and the Tom Moore Spring.  Distilling, aging and bottling fine Bourbon whiskey are hallmarks of the historic Barton 1792 Distillery. 1792 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey is produced at Barton 1792 Distillery, and is named for the year Kentucky became a state. The Distillery has garnered a number of prestigious awards for its whiskies, including its 1792 Full Proof, which was named the World Whiskey of the Year for 2020.

SPEYBURN DISTILLERY

44 Year Old 1977 Private Collection

Cask #6045101

£2,259.00

Speyburn 44 Year Old 1977 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Single cask refill sherry butt #6045101 distilled 13th September 1977 and bottled 17th November 2021 by Gordon & MacPhail for the Private Collection series. 414 hand-blown crystal decanters have been produced.

Subtle sherry aromas intertwine with walnut and cocoa powder. Ginger spice gives way to dried tobacco.

Sweet honey flavours complement Medjool dates and demerara sugar. Seville orange peel comes to the fore alongside autumnal spices.

A long finish with red apple, black pepper and menthol.

Speyburn Distillery was designed by Charles C. Doig and when constructed in 1897 it was the first malt whisky distillery to install Drum Maltings. Although the Drum Maltings closed in 1967 they have been retained and this is the only surviving example in Scotland. Speyburn is a malt whisky distillery situated in Scotland’s Speyside whisky region and operates with three stills of which two are spirit stills and connected to traditional worm tubs to cool the new spirit, a dunnage warehouse to house some of its maturing casks of whisky and has retained its classic pagoda roof over the old kiln house. Speyburn’s 10 Year Old is a popular core release.