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Cambus 27 Year Old 1983 Dead Whisky Society at The Whisky Barrel – Scotch Whisky News

Cambus

Cambus
27 Year Old 1983
Dead Whisky Society
£221.76

ABV:51.6% CASK TYPE: Single cask CASK ##701513 BOTTLER:Dead Whisky Society REGION:Lowland TYPE:Single Grain Scotch 

Cambus 27 Year Old 1983 vintage Lowland single grain Scotch whiskey. Single cask #701513 bottled April 2011 by The Dead Whisky Society. 217 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 whiskey distillery having closed in 1993 although its whiskey remains available and the site is occupied by a Diageo cask filling works. Hunter Laing Sovereign Cambus grain whiskies are extremely popular.

Edradour (Ballechin) 12 Year Old 2005 Exclusive to The Whisky Barrel – Scotch Whisky News

Edradour-Ballechin-12-Year-Old-2005-Signatory-Exclusive bottle

Edradour (Ballechin) 12 Year Old 2005 Exclusive

Selected exclusively for The Whisky Barrel, this is a heavily peated, ‘Ballechin’-style spirit matured in a sherry hogshead. Bottled July 2018 at a whopping 61.5%. A richly sherried, smokey single malt hand-picked from the Signatory Vintage warehouses. Just 291 bottles…

Buy – £79.96

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The Whisky Barrel releases their latest exclusive bottling, Edradour (Ballechin) 12 Year Old 2005 Signatory Exclusive – Scotch Whisky News

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The Whisky Barrel releases their latest exclusive bottling,  Edradour (Ballechin) 12 Year Old 2005 Signatory Exclusive. 

Specialist online whisky shop, TheWhiskyBarrel.com, is proud to release something very exciting from Edradour thanks to our friends at Signatory Vintage.

Sherry cask whiskies and peated whiskies both enjoy strong followings and when brought together these two opposites certainly can work but rarely come together in mainstream Scotch whisky. Ballechin is the name given to heavily peated spirit from Edradour. Combined with a sherry cask, the result is a peated sherry cask Scotch whisky exclusive to The Whisky Barrel.

Edradour Distillery sits at Milton of Edradour near Pitlochery and was formed in 1825 by a group of eight local farmers. Edradour is still just a farm sized distillery but Signatory Vintage produce wonderful results including the Edradour 10 Year Old and Sherry Cask Ibisco.

The Edradour (Ballechin) 12 Year Old is a true example of great independent Scotch whisky. Distilled on the 15th of August 2005 and bottled on the 19th of July 2018, this peated malt was matured in a second fill sherry hogshead #160.

Just 291 bottles were yielded exclusively for TheWhiskyBarrel.com. An un-chillfiltered whisky with a cask strength of 61.5% and of natural colour.

Available exclusively from The Whisky Barrel, shipping to customers Worldwide including the United States of America, Canada and Japan. 

Edradour-Ballechin-12-Year-Old-2005-Signatory-Exclusive bottle

Edradour (Ballechin) 12 Year Old Signatory Exclusive | 2005 | TheWhiskyBarrel.com| 61.5%

Tasting notes 

Colour: Dark sherry.

Nose: A sweet nose with honey and dried herbaceous notes. Accompanied by smoky bonfire embers. 

Palate: Sweet sherry, rich toffee, orange zest and chewy barley. 

Finish: A long, dry, sweet finish. 

Price: £79.96 GBP / $88.00 USD (+ P&P) 

The Whisky Barrel E: info@thewhiskybarrel.com
Visit www.thewhiskybarrel.com T: +44 (0)845 2248 156
Find us on: Facebook, Twitter & Instagram

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Loch Fyne Whiskies “IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CASK!” – Scotch Whisky News

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It’s all about the cask!

The Magic of the Wood

There are many factors that influence the taste of the dram in your hand – the strain of barley, the method of firing the kiln, the water used by the distillery, the climate of the warehouses, the length of maturation and of course the type of cask.

This week we have two new cask-finished expressions from Deanston and its sister distillery Tobermory, available to pre-order. Each one has been aged for more than a decade with two years ‘finishing’ in ex-wine casks. The influence is striking and both are limited editions so get your order in while you can!

Next day UK delivery available
We ship all over the world

Deanston 2008 Brandy Cask Finish

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£60
Orders will be dispatched week beginning 27th August

Tobermory 12 Year Old Fino Cask Finish

LFW2

£110
Orders will be dispatched week beginning 27th August

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The Scotch Malt Whisky Society “Say hello to the Peat Faerie” – Scotch Whisky News

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A SPRINKLING OF FAERIE DUST

The wait is finally over! We’re continuing our month of bold discoveries with a new release from our collection of blended malts, and it’s a little piece of magic, for members only. Our journey into blended malt started with two batches of Exotic Cargo and, after resounding approval from you, we’ve arrived at a new flavour frontier of peat and smoke with our latest bottling, Peat Faerie.

SMWS Peat 2

A harmonious marriage between first-fill Speyside casks and a collection of hand-selected Islay casks, Peat Faerie showcases a perfect balance of earthy peat smoke, farmyard muscle and coastal freshness. Spirits manager Euan Campbell produced separate regional recipes before combining them in different proportions and strengths and putting them all in front of the Society’s Tasting Panel. The Panel assessed the samples blind and we bottled the highest scoring recipe, reduced to 50% abv to achieve the perfect drinking strength.

We’ve created only 2,948 bottles of this special blend, so intrepid whisky explorers should grab one fast, before they’re all gone (maximum two per member).

Peat Faerie
£50.00
 

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

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

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

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From Speyside to Shimamoto at The Whisky Shop – Scotch Whisky News

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From Speyside to Shimamoto!

Scotland is known as the home of whisky, and Speyside has to be its heart with more than half of the distilleries in the country found there. Of course the Scots are fiercly proud of their national drink – and rightly so! – but on the other side of the globe, a nation is beginning to mount a challenge to the dominance of Scotch in the whisky world.

Japanese whisky is still a relatively new category, with the first distillery founded in the 1920s, but the Land of the Rising Sun is home to multi-award winning brands from Suntory and Nikka, not to mention younger up and coming distilleries like Chichibu.

Fortunately, whether you favour Scotch or Japanese, you can enjoy some delicious whisky from both camps at The Whisky Shop!

Next day UK delivery available
International shipping

Yamazaki 12 Year Old

TWS1

£129 Buy Now

Hibiki 17 Year Old

TWS2

£495 Buy Now

The Macallan 18 Year Old
Sherry Oak 2018

TWS3

£325 Buy Now

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Kensington Malt Messenger No. 89 by Andrew Ferguson – Whisky News

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Malt Messenger No. 89

It has been a little over a month since the last Malt Messenger, and if like me you are living in the West, it has been a little like living in a Malt Kiln, but not in a good way. I generally prefer my smoke and peat during the winter months, and those aren’t that far away, so we’ll continue to make the best of it!

Our summer tasting schedule is winding down, not with a whimper, but a bang. You might recall an archive release of Yoichi and Miyagikyo Japanese single malts we received a couple of months back… we held on to a bottle of each of them, and we are featuring them in a special Lost in Translation tasting tomorrow night. It is the sort of Japanese tasting we won’t likely be able to do again anytime soon, and certainly not at the price we are charging. Details below.

Lots of new whiskies to tell you about, including a range of 11 new Cadenhead Small Batch whiskies, from Batch 20. There are some curiosities in there, including a peated Tobermory, Ledaig, a 1991 Cadenhead Creations Blended Malt, and some excellent value older whiskies. But before we can make room for the new Cadenheads, we need to clear out some of the old ones… We have identified 12 Cadenhead whiskies to blow out at between 15 and 25%. The sale list, as well as the list of new Cadenhead Batch 20 whiskies can be found below.

We have received a small amount of older Glenfarclas, 30 Year, 40 Year and the 1979 Family Cask. The 30 Year sold on arrival, we are hoping to get a few more bottles in the fall. The 40 Year is nearly all gone, and we won’t be seeing it again until next summer. We have a few bottles of the 1979 Family Cask in. We took the opportunity to stock up ahead of time, as it is an important vintage for anyone turning 40 next year!

Also on the aged/mature front, are a trio of Bruichladdichs. The Bruichladdich Rare Cask Series is composed of 1984, 1985 and 1986 vintage whiskies. I will be receiving just 6 bottles of each, and a number have already sold. We only have 2 of the 1986 left, which we are holding back for someone who wants a full set. The 1984 got a fantastic review from Whisky Fun, 90pts. Details below.

Two popular Japanese whiskies have been discontinued. Like the White before them, the Nikka Pure Malts Red and Black, $75 each, are no longer being produced. We have stocked up on them, but they won’t last long…

Our best selling peated whisky, The Ileach Cask Strength is back! This feisty, young, sherried, mystery malt, from the hamlet of Lagavulin on Islay, is a steal at just $80. If you are a fan of peated malts, do yourself a favour and pop into the shop for a taste. We dare you not to take a bottle home!

We have some very cool new Cooper’s Choice bottlings trickling into the shop. From a possibly Macallan (or Glenfarclas depending on who you speak to) to a 35 year old Blended Grain, there are more than a few curiosities.

All this and more in this edition of the Malt Messenger.

I hope that Malt Messenger No. 89 finds you well. If you have any comments, questions or requests don’t hesitate to send me an email.

Slàinte!

Andrew

In This Edition

  1. Lost in Translation Whiskies of Future Past: Yoichi & Miyagikyo
  2. Blow Out Pricing on WM Cadenhead
  3. NEW Cadenhead Small Batch: Release 20
  4. Old Glenfarclas Going Fast
  5. Introducing Bruichladdich Rare Vintage Series
  6. Nikka Pure Malts Discontinued
  7. The Ileach Cask Strength is Back
  8. New Cooper’s Choice Bottlings
  9. Balvenie 21 Year Port Wood Available
  10. Glenfiddich 21 Year Winter Storm is Back!

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

PS – Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter:

@scotch_guy, Instagram: @thescotch_guy/

or @kwmwhisky and Facebook: facebook.com/scotch.guy.1

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Blow Out Pricing on WM Cadenhead 

SAVE 15-25% on 12 Cadenhead Small Batch Whiskies

We have 11 new Cadenhead Small Batch whiskies (next section), but before we can bring them all in, we need to clear out some of the old ones first. We have identified 12 Cadenhead Small Batch releases to blow out. They are on sale for 15-25% off.

Here is the list, descriptions and tastings notes are on the KWM Web site:

  1. Cadenhead Small Batch Strathclyde 1989 – $230 – SAVE 25% – 3 Left
  2. Cadenhead Small Batch Tullibardine 1993 – $215 – SAVE 25% – 3 Left
  3. Cadenhead Small Batch Linkwood 1992 – $225 – SAVE 25% – 2 Left
  4. Cadenhead Small Batch Port Dundas 1988 – $230 – SAVE 20%
  5. Cadenhead Small Batch Strathisla 1997 – $170 – SAVE 20% – 4 Left
  6. Cadenhead Small Batch Glen Grant 1992 – $225 – SAVE 20% – 1 Left
  7. Cadenhead Small Batch Glendullan 1996 – $175 – SAVE 20%
  8. 8Cadenhead Small Batch Speyside 1991 – $225 – SAVE 20%
  9. Cadenhead Small Batch North British 1985 – $260 – SAVE 20%
  10. Cadenhead Small Batch Caledonian 1987 – $365 – SAVE 15%
  11. Cadenhead Small Batch Glenrothes 2002 – $130 – SAVE 15% – 5 Left
  12. Cadenhead Small Batch Burnside 1987 – $320 – SAVE 15% – 4 Left

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11 New Cadenhead Small Batch Whiskies: Release 20 

8 Single Malts, a Single Grain and a Cadenhead Creation!

There are some interesting whiskies in this release. The Ledaig isn’t likely to last long. Nor is the Cadenhead Creations Blend as we have just 6 bottles of each. They are limited to 1 per person. The colour on the Glenrothes is superb, and it is far from over-sherried. I am very much looking forward to trying the Benrinnes and Glen Spey… Springbank Society Members Save 10% on Cadenhead whiskies at KWM.

Here are the notes from Cadenhead on Release 20:

“So what should you look for this season? Simple, it’s all about taste, be it 11 years old or 20+ years each whisky is outstanding. After dinner whisky is most definitely the Glen Spey 22 57.9% and for those who want a more all-rounder might like to try the new vintage from Dailuaine 13 years old 46%. The Glenrothes 20 is possibly one of the most elegant sherry cask so far this year, If you missed our other outstanding sherry casks it might be worth checking the web shop for a few more options such the Glen Grant 22 or the stunning Speyside 21 and the sublime Mortlach 29! This Glenrothes compliments the range perfectly.”

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  1. Cadenhead Creations Vatted Malt 1991 – 43.8% – 26 Year – Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: heather, brown sugar, banana loaf, mint, cocktail cherries, tropical fruiits. Palate: peach, raisins, pan fried pineapple, tinned pears, dark chocolate. Finish: custard cream, plums, parma ham. – $225 – Only 6 bottles, 1 per person!
  2. Cadenhead Small Batch Aultmore 1997 – 51.8% – 20 Year – 2 Hogsheads – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: ginger, peaches and cream, freshly cut grass, tarragon, bung cloth. Palate: lemon zest, coriander, black pepper. ball spice, golden syrup, honey then some citrus notes.” – $184
  3. Cadenhead Small Batch Benrinnes 1997 – 54% – 20 Year – 3 Ex-Bourbon Barrels – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Kiwi fruits, icing sugar and Brazil nuts. Palate: Slight earthy and dunnage notes, dark chocolate and green apples. Finish: Cajun spice, paprika and a fruitiness with pears and more apples.”- $205
  4. Cadenhead Small Batch Dailuaine 2004 – 46% – 13 Year – Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Grassy, light floral, caramelised sugar, sticky toffee and slightly woody. Palate: fruit syrup,  chocolate, creamy, thick, clotted cream, crushed black pepper. Finish: Initial meatiness then caramel, biscuity, almonds,  blueberries and apple peel.” – $110
  5. Cadenhead Small Batch Glenrothes 1997 – 52.6% – 20 Year – 3 Sherry Butts – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Peanut butter, figs and treacle. Palate: Chewy.  Orange zest and juicy sultanas.  Hint of ginger in background. Finish: Nutmeg, paprika with orange peel and brown sugar.” – $180
  6. Cadenhead Small Batch Glen Spey 1995 – 57.9% – 22 Year – 2 Hogsheads – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: grassy notes and porridge move to  vanilla pods. Palate: Quite peppery.  Grassy notes continue before grapefruit comes through.  Finish: Long and zesty with lemongrass.” – $210
  7. Cadenhead Small Batch Ledaig 1997 – 52.8% – 2- Year – Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: smoked kippers, role map herring, coastal flavours, crushed sea salt. Palate: peanut butter, apple smoked, tea leaves,  cooked fruits, tannins. Finish: sooty, pebbly, smoked herring, smoked cheese, toasted barley.” – $210 – Only 6 bottles, 1 per person!
  8. Cadenhead Small Batch Linkwood 1997 – 53.7% – 20 Year – 2 Hogsheads – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Lemon curd followed by strawberry jam and apple pie. Palate: Black peppercorn, cinnamon sticks and butterscotch. Finish: More cinnamon with coriander and toasted white bread.” – $188
  9. Cadenhead Small Batch Strathclyde 1989 – 55.8% – 28 Year – 2 Ex-Bourbon Barrels – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: vanilla pods, earthy, mustiness, dunnage, cream cheese, butter scotch. Palate: hard boil sweets, biscuity, honey oats, nutty,  caramac. Finish: shortbread,  vanilla ice cream, fruit pastil.” – $234
  10. Cadenhead Small Batch Teaninich 2006 – 55.2% – 11 Year – 2 Hogsheads – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Very sweet, buttered popcorn followed by a hint of citrus and fresh green apples. Palate: Toffee ice cream, barley sugars and cereals. Finish: Burnt sugar, coffee beans and icing sugar.” – $120
  11. Cadenhead Small Batch Tullibardine 1993 – 43.6% – 24 Year – 2 Hogsheads – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: coconut oil, pear drops, butter scotch, milk chocolatey mice, cubed pineapple. Palate: syrupy, dried  bananas, apricots,  oranges, ginger. Finish: shortbread, caramel, milk chocolate, rice pudding, white grapes.” – $225

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Old Glenfarclas 

30 Year, 40 Year and the 1979 Family Cask

We have received a small quantity of older Glenfarclas, 30 Year, 40 Year and the most recent Family Cask release of the 1979 vintage. If past years are any indication, the 1979 will be considerably more expensive next year, if it is available at all. If you know anyone turning 40 in 2019, you might want to snag one now, while you can. We have just 3 bottles each of the 30 and 40 year olds. We won’t see the 40 year old again until next summer. Both the 30 and 40 year old Glenfarclas are limited to 1 per customer. We are receiving just 6 of the 1979 Glenfarclas Family Cask.

  1. Glenfarclas 30 Year– 43% – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Full complex aromas with fruit and full sherried malty tones. Palate: With Sherry, cognac, brandy, fruit, nuts, marzipan (and even icing), this is a wonderfully indulgent Christmas cake, in a glass! Finish: A whisky you never want to end and it very nearly doesn’t. The finish is exquisite with a real taste of burnt chocolate at the back of your mouth.” – $625
  2.  Glenfarclas 40 Year – 43% – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Antique leather, walnuts and chocolate covered raisins. Palate: A sweet initial taste, orange segments, chocolate. Then a lovely flavour of burnt brown sugar. Finished: The dry finish oozes big tannins and more rich dark cocoa beans. Let the whisky breathe a little or add a drop or two of water to fully open up the dram.” – $1200
  3. Glenfarclas 1979 Family Cask – 47.9% – 38 Year – Cask 8797 – 4th Fill Hogshead – 220 Bottles – $1004 – Just 6 bottles available!

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Introducing the Bruichladdich Rare Vintages 

Some of the Last Bruichladdich Casks from 1984, 1985 and 1986

These whiskies are reputed to from some of the Distillery’s last casks of whisky from 1984, 1985 and 1986. The whiskies were identified by Jim McEwan during his time at Bruichladdich and set aside for further maturation. Only a couple of cases of each are coming to Canada, and Kensington Wine Market is receiving just 6 cases of each. They are sold out at the distillery.

Head distiller Adam Hannett has released a series of three very old Bruichladdich whiskies that he describes as ‘The last of their kind”.  The final three parcels of casks from distillations in 1984, 1985 and 1986 have now been bottled here at the distillery and are making their way to exclusive retailers of premium spirits around the globe. The 1986 is the same vintage as the legendary “Blacker Still”, and is said to be from the same parcel of casks!

From Bruichladdich:

Adam Hannett says: “These rare, old single malts are a direct link to our past, to the men who made truly special spirit here while facing very different circumstances to those which we enjoy today. Testament to their skill and hard work it was laid down to mature by the shores of Loch Indaal, unaware of what the future might bring. Three generations of distillers have watched over it, each of us helping to shape the final concept. It has been my privilege to decide that the treasures we have nurtured are now ready to be brought to the world. These whiskies when tasted leave me speechless. They are in their prime, the last of their kind and can never be repeated, never recreated. Nothing quite like them will ever be seen again.”

The 1984 is drawn from just 12 casks of classic Bourbon-aged Bruichladdich, a style Adam considers to be: “the ultimate expression of our spirit. The fruit, the faint salt tang, the signature elegance is all there with layer upon layer of vanilla/butterscotch complexity.”

The 1985 comes from the final 22 casks of legacy stock originally filled into gentle third fill bourbon casks that lay untouched until 2012 when it was re-casked into fresh Bourbon before a final coup de grace in French oak from one of the greatest French chateaux.

Ultra-rare, the 1986 is derived from just seven casks of delicate, floral Bruichladdich that have been subject to intense, full-term sherry maturation. First filled into oloroso butts in 1986, this spirit lay untouched in our loch-side warehouses until 2012 when our then master distiller Jim McEwan decided to introduce it to a privileged parcel of Pedro Ximinez butts from winemaker Jan Pettersen at Bodega Fernando de Castilla in Jerez, Spain.

“They are some of the most symbolic whiskies I have worked with and they are profoundly important to me.” says Adam. “They are as old as I am. They reflect my life and experience, those moments that mean so much to us all. The moments that define us; when we marry, when we become parents and when we achieve our dreams and are recognised for our achievements. These are the moments that deserve to be celebrated with something extraordinary. In a poignant footnote to the bottlings leaving Islay, the distiller acknowledged that: “There is a tinge of sadness associated with seeing these great casks and the iconic whiskies they contain leaving our warehouses, even though memories of them will echo round these walls forever.”

  1. Bruichladdich Rare Cask 1984 – 43.7% – 32 Year – Finished in 12 First-Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrels – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Aroma: Gorgeous.. Classic old school Bruichladdich.. Coconut, warm muscovado sugar, vanilla custard, grapefruit, mango, baked ginger biscuits, marzipan. After a while notes of date syrup and sultana. Taste: Soft and gentle texture, a delicate dram. Crème brulee, buttercup and orange zest. Gently warming the palate, it opens to reveal a touch of leather, toasted oak and praline. Sweet citrus and mango come through later. Finish: So gentle but a lovely finish of warm scones and dried fruit, candied orange, lemon peel and apricot jam. Character: There is a quiet feel to this dram, delicate yet assured of its identity.” – $1250 – 90pts WhiskyFun.org: “This 1984 is an ode to refill wood, good distillate and time all working together to create a fresh, vivid, evocative and delicious old whisky. I love just how riddled with distillery identity this one is.”
  2.  Bruichladdich Rare Cask 1985 – 48.7% – 32 Year – Matured in 3rd Fill Ex-Bourbon / Finished in First Fill Ex-Bourbon – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Aroma: An amazing array of notes. Blood orange, nectarines, banana bread, desiccated coconut, vanilla custard, then more floral and nutty tones, geranium, marzipan, walnut, heather honey. Taste: Tremendous presence on the palate, the texture is wondrously soft and syrupy. The short ACE in the wine casks has given a warm, nutmeg hint and a layer of fruity notes, raspberry, blackcurrant jam and ripe plum, all perfectly balanced by years in American oak – cinder toffee, lemon meringue and coconut – bounty bar sweet. It opens continually to reveal layer upon layer of complexity. Finish: Long and gentle, the oak influence is strong with waves of soft vanilla wafer, toffee and sandalwood. Then lemon barley sugars, a hint of salted caramel and apricot syrup. Character: Attempting to describe the feeling and style of this whisky will fall woefully short of doing it justice. This is a vintage that will not be forgotten and it is my pleasure to be able to release it to the world.” $1250 – 86pts WhiskyFun.org: “Another fine old Bruichladdich.”
  3. Bruichladdich Rare Cask 1986 – 44.6% – 30 Year – Matured in Oloroso Sherry / Finished in PX Sherry – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Aroma: Dried fruit – raisins, fig syrup, prunes and Christmas cake. Muscovado sugar, a hint of hot sand and candied peel, dried tea leaves, pipe tobacco and leather rolled in PX. Taste: The aroma is truly astounding. On the palate the experience raises the bar still further with sweet PX notes, raisins, dried figs, dates, grape sugar. Leather, cigar boxes and Christmas cake. Everything a Sherry matured whisky should be and more. The complexity and balance is retained as the marine freshness and fruity notes of apricot and apple come through from the Bruichladdich DNA. Finish: Never-ending. Sweet fruit, PX, salted caramel, cinder toffee and a hint of smoke. Character: BANG! The mic is dropped…” – $1250 – 85pts WhiskyFun.org:

“A fine old sherried Bruichladdich.”

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Nikka Pure Malts Discontinued 

Two Staple Japanese Whiskies Set to Disappear

After more than a decade of being one of the best value propositions on the shelf in Canada and around the world, word has come down from on high that the Nikka Pure Malt Red and Black have been discontinued. We have scooped up a little stock before they disappear, but we don’t expect them to last long!

  1. Nikka Pure Malt Red – 43% – Primarily Composed of Miyagikyo and Yoichi single malts. – Producer Description: “Fruity and soft, this whisky is a blend of casks selected primarily from the Miyagikyo distillery, combined with just enough Yoichi malts to add a touch of spice and very light peat on the finish.” Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: ample, marked by orange and preserved fruity notes. Once exposed to air, it develops herbal notes. Palate: fine and unctuous, it moves from fruitiness to slightly smoky malt barley and honey. Finish: long, it develops malty and floral notes. On the whole, it is remarkably balanced and very fresh.” – $75
  2.  Nikka Pure Malt Black – 43% – Primarily Composed of Miyagikyo and Yoichi single malts. – Producer Description: “With its subtle balance of fruit and refined peat notes, the Nikka Pure Malt Black offers a rare complexity. Its aromatic depth is the result of a selection of very different malt whiskies, combining the fruity elegance of Miyagikyo, and the smokier notes and strong character typical of Yoichi. – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: full yet refined, with plenty of spices (pepper), ripe fruit (mirabelle, peach) and citrus zest evolving on smoke and black chocolate notes. Palate: lively, very spicy. Sweet fruit jam (plum). Liquorice notes slowly give way to the refined bitterness of the peat. Finish: long. Revealing notes of honey, heather and sweet spices. A pleasant vegetal freshness (chlorophyll) leads to subtle ash flavours.” – $75

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The Ileach Cask Strength is Back! 

Our Best Selling and Best Value Exclusive Peated Single Malt Whisky

It is back and exclusive to KWM in Calgary again! Bottled at 58%, and it is enormously darker! This is new and exciting! The Ileach Cask Strength is a mystery malt from Islay. In other words, the distillery of origin is a mystery but, look closely at the label, and you’ll see a couple of clues: the distillery has its own bay, presumably passable on only the one side; it’s water-front has a distinct appearance; and could that be the ruins of the Dunyvaig Castle on the far right?

 The Ileach Cask Strength – 58% – (Lagavulin) – My Tasting Note: Nose: pungent, this is classic Islay, maritime, smoky, salty and medicinal; lots of brine and chewy malt, some dark fruits, chocolate, leather and earthy tones; underneath a base of vanilla and toasty oak. Palate: still maritime, smoky, tarry and medicinal, the whisky is earthy, leathery and malty; it is also big and rich, there is leather, tobacco and chocolate with loads of spices too. Finish: tarry, leathery, peaty and chocolaty with salt and oils. Comment: classic sherried Islay single malt with a very prominent sherry cask influence. Is it Lagavulin, Caol Ila, peated Bunnahabhain? We’ll never know, but the whisky’s label has clues!” – $80

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New Cooper’s Choice Bottlings 

Some Real Curiosities Including a Possibly Glenfarclas or Macallan…

A new shipment of Cooper’s Choice has just landed along with the Ileach Cask Strength. As I’ve indicated before, we have been generally very impressed with the offerings from Cooper’s Choice. The whiskies are either bottled at 46% or cask strength. They are generally very good value when compared to other independent bottlers. We have some very interesting offerings this time around, including some Madeira, Marsala and Port Cask finished whiskies. There is also a 12 year old teaspooned Laphroaig (Williamson), an 18 year old Secret Orkney (Highland Park) and the 35 year old “Golden Grain”, a blended Grain Scotch whisky. Most interesting, perhaps, is the Family Silver 1988. Officially this is a mystery blended malt, unofficially it is teaspooned Macallan. The whisky was matured in Oloroso sherry, and I can’t wait to crack one open. I have high hopes for it, but alas it is limited to 1 bottle per customer, as we are only getting 18!

  1. Cooper’s Choice Miltonduff 2009 – 46% – 8 Year – Madeira Finish – $80
  2. Cooper’s Choice Glentauchers 2009 – 46% – 7 Year – Madeira Finish – $87
  3. Cooper’s Choice Family Silver 1988 – 50% – 29 Year – Oloroso Sherry Cask – Teaspooned Macallan – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: rich sherry notes. Malty toffee, stewed fruits and a hint of tobacco. Palate: Christmas cake, Sherry and fruit. Exceptionally smooth. Light, smoky spice. Finish: more spice and rich sherry. Long and lingering.” – $300 – Limit 1 per customer!
  4. Cooper’s Choice Golden Grain 1982 – 50% – 35 Year – Bourbon Cask Matured – Blended Grain Scotch Whisky- $250
  5. Cooper’s Choice North British 1987 – 47.5% – 30 Year – Bourbon Cask Matured – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: coconut and vanilla. Bourbon notes. Fruity. Palate: sweet spices with more vanilla. Stewed fruits and toasted nuts. Finish: medium long. More Bourbon and fruit. – $185
  6. Cooper’s Choice Port Dundas 1999 – 53% – 19 Year – Marsala Cask Finish – $120
  7. Cooper’s Choice Ardmore 2008 – 46% – 8 Year – Port Cask Finish – $82
  8. Cooper’s Choice Secret Islay Williamson 2005 – 12 Year – 56.5% – Teaspooned Laphroaig – $225
  9. Cooper’s Choice Secret Orkney Skara Brae 1999 – 52% – 18 Year –  Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: yellow apples and light heathery smoke. Hint of sea spray. Palate: salty apples and light peppery spices. Touch of liquid honey and sea salt. Finish: long, gentle smoke with a salty edge.” – $140

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Balvenie 21 Year Port Wood is Back…

In Very Limited Quantities!

This stalwart whisky has all of a sudden become quite hard to come by. We have 9 bottles coming, and expect that is it for the rest of the year.

Balvenie 21 Year Port Wood

  – 47.6% – Finished in Port Pipes – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: A perfume of fruity and ripe raisin notes, backed by a nutty dryness. Taste: Refined with remarkable character, it is creamy and silky with fruit, honey and spice notes. Finish: Long, gentle, nutty.” – $350

91pts Whisky Advocate: “This is the ultimate PortWood expression from Balvenie and has been finished in 30 year old port pipes. A more vibrant and textured Travel Retail variant is non-chill filtered and bottled at 47.6%. Soft, red grape notes, vanilla, and milk chocolate on the nutty nose. Very discreet smoke. Rich plum flavors in the mouth, dark berries covered in cream, and spicy honey. The finish is long and elegantly drying.”

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Glenfiddich 21 Year Winter Storm is Back! 

The Most Interesting Glenfiddich in a Long While

We’ve just received another shipment of the Glenfiddich Winter Storm, quite unexpectedly, I might add. This 21 year old icewine finished Glenfiddich is one of my favourite recent releases from the distillery. This limited edition 21 year old Glenfiddich was finished for 6 months in Ex-Peller Estate Icewine casks. Limited to 2 bottle per person.

Glenfiddich Winter Storm – 43% – Finished for six months in Peller Estate Icewine casks – My Tasting Note: “Nose: big, honeyed and grapey; lots of sugars, creamed heather honey, icewine and a touch of soft leather; Scottish tablet and molten brown sugar; exotic fruits: honeydew melon, pineapple and guava; waxy oranges and beeswax candles. Palate: sweet, rich and fruity; much more spicy and earthy than the nose let on; though the earthy tones and soft and delicate, as are the spices; more exotic fruits: melon, pineapple and guava are joined by some mango and kiwi; still thick with creamed honey, beeswax candles and grapey-icewine tones; the palate is big, but round, smooth and very layered. Finish: medium-long, waxy and coating with lots of fruit, honey and cream; very layered even the delicate spices and earthy tones make a reappearance. Comment: this whisky is no gimmick; it is pretty, fruity, honeyed and layered!” – $300 – Limit 2 per customer!

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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 and 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

Owner & Scotchguy

Kensington Wine Market

403-283-8000

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Kensington Wine Market

The Kikou Japanese Whisky from Dekanta – Japanese Whisky News

Discover the famous whisky from one of Japan’s most renowned distilleries.
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Dekanta

2-49-7 Minamiikebukuro Toshima-ku, Tokyo

Smooth Ambler “Big Level” Wheated Straight Bourbon at K&L California – American Whiskey News

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Allocation Alert: The Hottest New Thing in Wheated Bourbon
Smooth Ambler “Big Level” Wheated Straight Bourbon ($54.99)
“This release marks a new era in American whiskey.” – Andrew Whiteley

So you’ll have to excuse our enthusiasm, but today’s offer is a really big deal. At long last, the much-anticipated release of Smooth Ambler’s Big Level is here — a bourbon crafted at their very own distillery in West Virginia. Not only is the juice amazing (we’ll get more into that later), but it marks a new era in American distilling. For years, the American spirits market was dominated by a few big players with the little guys buying casks from them and crafting their own special blends. Many, Smooth Ambler included, were wildly successful with this approach. Still, there was no getting away from the fact that they were working with someone else’s juice. The release of “Big Level” changes all that. With this wheated bourbon, Smooth Ambler has followed the process from grain to flask with otherworldly results.

With a mash bill of 71% corn, 21% wheat, 8% malted barley and aged over five years, it is as irresistible as a slice of warm pecan pie. Fans of Pappy and Old Fitzgerald will want to take note, as this possesses much the same profile that earned that pair such acclaim (and hordes of adoring followers). Impeccably balanced with just the right level of heat, Big Level seduces with generous flavors of caramel, rich butter, candied nuts, cocoa, and citrus. If you have ever found yourself rhapsodizing about the good old days of bourbon, when you didn’t have to pay an arm and a leg for a classic bottling, then you owe it to yourself to pick up a bottle of Big Level. It is everything we’ve been looking for and more in the sub-$100 category for bourbon. We’ve always loved Smooth Ambler, but with Big Level, they have changed the game entirely. This is a not-to-miss opportunity and one that warrants a purchase of multiples. For more on this groundbreaking spirit, be sure to check out Andrew Whiteley’s post on K&L’s Spirits Journal.

Smooth Ambler “Big Level” Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($54.99)

Smooth Ambler’s Big Level Bourbon is a unique wheated bourbon, meaning after the requisite base of corn (in this case 71%) the next largest contribution to the mashbill is 21% wheat followed by 8% malted barley. It’s entirely mashed, distilled, aged, proofed, and bottled at the Smooth Ambler distillery in West Virginia and does not undergo chill filtration. That high portion of corn and wheat makes for – you guessed it – a rather smooth and elegant bourbon! Its relatively young age (5+ years) gives it a jovial, fresh edge. Gentle flavors of caramel, pound cake, toffee, brownie and candied nuts waft through and there is a lingering bright finish.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 20, 2018

This is what we’ve been waiting for. Smooth Ambler has finally released a bottling that is 100% their own juice. The Contradiction bottling, which contained some of their own distillate and some Indiana whiskey was a sneak peak at the greatness that is the Big Level. It’s hard to miss the nose here. When you pour yourself a glass you’ll smell it long before you raise it to your lips. It’s incredibly inviting – full of sugar, spice, and everything nice. Cinnamon, vanilla, and caramel dominate, while an easy fresh pepper hides in the background. The palate is full blown wheater: creamy, rich, and textural. The sweet corn that makes up the bulk of the mashbill really shines on the finish. Bottled at 100 proof, that finish lasts for a mighty long time. This release marks a new era in American whiskey. As the original “craft distilleries” finally come online with their own product at respectable ages, the world of brown water is about to get a lot more interesting. Get on the Big Level and find out for yourself.

Shaun Green | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 20, 2018

The heavy on corn and wheat bill gives us a rich and creamy caramel and maple laced bourbon that is remarkably smooth and gentle for a 100 proof whiskey. Less spice and more bright edges, with a long and seductive finish. This one was hard to put down even tasting at work!

Chantel Carroll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 20, 2018

I’m delighted with this bourbon!! The nose is so welcoming and comforting. Caramel, cinnamon, Tahitian vanilla, and baked apples and pears. As the nose opened up a bit, I smelled fresh baked biscuit, dripping with warm butter and topped with hot maple syrup. The palate was just as wonderful, smooth, rich and creamy. Cocoa powder, sandalwood and green apple lingered on the finish.

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New Tasting Pack Added To The Glenfarclas Collection – Scotch Whisky News

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New Tasting Pack Added To The Glenfarclas Collection

J & G. Grant are delighted to introduce two new tasting packs to its existing range.

The decision was taken following the successful introduction of the new 200ml bottles.  This format is ideal for tasting with friends, as what could be better than tasting one whisky?  Tasting three!  The new tri-packs are the natural progression of the pre-existing miniature packs, but more convivial due to the larger bottle size being suitable for a small group.

There are two variants of this pack.  The first contains 10 year old, 12 year old and 105; this is aimed at those starting their malt whisky journey. The second contains 15 year old, 21 year old and 25 year old and is for the more discerning malt drinker.

We believe that these packs are a great way to introduce whisky fans all over the world to the Glenfarclas range – or to allow existing fans to broaden their own enjoyment of Glenfarclas, or to allow them to introduce us to friends…

For any additional information please do not hesitate to contact us.

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