Last night (actually July 25th – WI), at Kensington Wine Market, we had an excellent Japanese whisky tasting: The Last Samurai Part 1. The tasting featured 3 single cask whiskies from the closed Karuizawa distillery and 4 different single cask whiskies from the Nikka Whisky Co. The Nikka’s included single casks of: Yoichi and Miyagikyo as well as grain and malt whiskies distilled in a Coffey still. All the whiskies were really impressive, and their tasting notes will appear in the next Malt Messenger. If you can’t wait until then, keep an eye on twitter and our store blog: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/blog/ as they will appear there shortly.
Our Benromach KWM Casks have been in store for just three days and are already flying out the door. Come in and see Hunter at the shop this weekend and sample them. He’s off as of Wednesday for three weeks, so after that you’ll have to settle for me! The Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 2 has also been flying off the shelves. In just 2 days we ran out of the bottles that came in on our Wednesday order. More will be in next week, but they won’t last long! For those of you who missed last week’s announcement on the Benromachs and Glendroach, I’ve included their tasting notes below.
We have just set up a slew of summer whisky tastings, including a couple for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society www.smws.ca , the world’s largest whisky club. The
SMWS First Friday VIII will be a cask vs. cask theme; think Spy vs. Spy. There is more Japanese whisky to be tasted in Last Samurai Part 2, which will feature four whiskies from Chichibu distillery and some others from Yoichi and Miyagikyo. We are having a Kavalan Vertical Whisky Tasting which will feature 8 whiskies from the Taiwanese distillery that’s taken the world by storm. Probably the largest vertical of whiskies from this distillery ever put on in North America, certainly in Canada. The Whiskies of Summer tasting will feature some hot new summer whiskies and Ancient Malts in the Summer will highlight some of the rare drams which have landed in the market. I hope you can join us for one of these exciting tastings. Details follow below.
Finally, orders have been brisk for the Whisky Advent Calendar we’ll be launching this fall. Don’t wait too long before reserving yours, there’s only a limited quantity to be had! I’ve included the details on this again below.
Stay cool this summer, and drink whisk(e)y…
Slainte!
Andrew Ferguson – Kensington Wine Market
PS – Don’t forget you can follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/scotch_guy and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/scotch.guy.1 .
OUR BENROMACH CASKS ARE HERE
We launched our two new Benromach casks in store on Wednesday, and they have been flying out ever since. Both from first fill ex-Bourbon barrels they are 8 and 9 years old respectively, with the former being lightly peated. Both are very well priced at under $82.49 for the 2005 and $84.99 for the 2004. These whiskies aren’t available anywhere else in the world but Kensington Wine Market.
The casks came about when Michael Urquhart agreed to be our special guest for the 2013 Burns Supper. Andy Dunn of Gold Medal Marketing and I came up with the idea of including a cask selection in the evening’s proceedings. Most of the 120 participants had a chance to sample the four cask samples and vote on their favourites. Later that month I sat down with my tasting panel to review the whiskies and count the votes. To my surprise there were not one, but two casks that stood out. We asked Benromach to bottle them for us and the whiskies only arrived in store on Wednesday. Here are my tasting notes on the two casks:
- Benromach 2004 KWM Cask 246 – 60.4% – 9 Year – 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel – 258 Bottles – My Tasting Note: “Nose: very creamy and grassy with celery, toasted coconut chips, honey dew melon and orange slices; doughy with a faint hint of peat and juicy malt; Palate: loads of honey, cream, fruits and malt; there are both citrus and soft melon fruit notes with vanilla milk shake and sweet chewy malt; though more than 60% alcohol the spirit is soft and smooth; Finish: lingering, sweet and malty with more melon notes, late dried orange and vanilla/honey; Comments: proof positive you can have a very complex whisky at a young age!” – $84.99
- Benromach 2005 KWM Cask 126 – 60.4% – 8 Year – 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel – 245 Bottles – My Tasting Note: “Nose: very malty and chewy with honey and clean wood smoke; there is some orange peel and a hint of chocolate with aloe like vegetal notes and a trace of cantaloupe; Palate: sweet, smoky and slightly salty to start; honey, chocolate, orange peels and big chewy malt quickly follow; there are notes of melon and white fruits under the smoke, malt and big honeyed oak; peat and chocolate are the last elements to come to the party; Finish: juicy and sweet with soft peat smoke honey and malt; Comments: this is a Benromach for Islay drinkers and those wanting to dip their toes into peatier waters!” – $82.49
GLENDRONACH CASK STRENGTH BATCH 2
In just 10 days we’ve already sold more than 1/3 of the bottles we are expecting. Like Batch 1 before it, we don’t expect this second batch of the Glendronach Cask Strength to last long. 10,000 bottles may have been released worldwide, but no more than 300 have found their way to Alberta.
Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 2 – 55.2% – Matured in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Sherry Casks – My Tasting Note: Nose: treacle sauce, musty-earthy oak, candied nuts, tobacco leaf and Black Licorice Nibs; honey and malt with soft leather; fleshy orchard fruit (plums & peaches) with orangey citrus; Palate: big, leathery, sweet and spicy with tobacco and more musty-earthy oak notes; the dark sugars and candied fruit are there, but it is woodier and more leathery than Batch 1; still a richly sherried whisky though with espresso bean, dark chocolate and salty Dutch licorice; Finish: long, leathery and sweet with the sweet dark sugars reemerging along with candied fruit.– $84.99
NEW RELEASES FROM ANCNOC (Knockdhu)
AnCnoc is the name given to single malts from the Knockdhu distillery since 1993. Largely a marketing decision, the brand was so named to distinguish Knockdhu from the nearby Knockando distillery owned by Diageo. In some ways this was a little bit rash, as the Knockando brand is almost an unknown quantity with the bulk of its whisky used for blending. But the name has caught on and the quality of whiskies coming from the distillery have been on the rise ever since. An Cnoc is Scots Gaelic for “the hill”, which in English is rendered “Knockdhu”.
The following 3 new anCnoc’s just arrived in the market, in limited quantities:
- anCnoc Peter Arkle Edition 3 – 46% – Matured in Sherry Butts & Ex-Bourbon Barrels – Collaboration with Scottish graphic artist Peter Arkle. The birks in the label are inspired by the walls of the distillery’s Dunnage warehouses. – 6000 bottles releases worldwide – Less than 300 in Alberta. – Distiller’s Tasting Note: Nose: Fresh, fragrant and complex. The signature rich honey and lemon notes are accompanied by freshly cut flowers, juicy green apples and sweet vanilla. A hint of heavy leather adds to the depth while just a touch of ripe orange zest wraps it up in a beautifully balanced composition.
Palate: A full-bodied dram with great texture. The flavour is spicy at first with notes of vibrant citrus, sherry and dark chocolate developing and revealing a mouth-watering burst of hot toffee and honey sweetness.
Finish: The finish is long and smooth with notes of oranges and sherry enveloped in moreish spiciness. – $71.99
- anCnoc 22 Year – 46% – Primarily ex-Bourbon w/ some Oloroso sherry – Distiller’s Tasting Note: Nose: Sweet and spicy with notes of honey and toffee. Warm Christmas cake is accentuated by the freshness of lemons, green apples and cut flowers. All wrapped in a delicate whiff of wood smoke. Palate: Full bodied and complex. Distinct crushed clove, raisin and blood orange flavours are at the front, closely followed by layers of fragrant vanilla and leather. The long, rich finish is smoky and spicy. – $157.99
- anCnoc 35 Year – 44.3% – Produced from a small quantity of Bourbon & Sherry casks. – Distiller’s Tasting Note: Nose: Smooth and well-balanced, with sweet, fruity overtones and hints of vanilla, opening up with a drop of water to bright honeysuckle and gooseberry. Palate: Smooth and full-bodied with a long-lasting, elegant finish. Sweet notes of sherry and vanilla balanced with a zing of citrus. – $396.99 – Only 12 bottles available in Alberta!
Other anCnoc’s available from KWM:
- anCnoc 12 Year – 40% – Distiller’s Tasting Note: Nose: Soft, very aromatic with a hint of honey and lemon in the foreground. Palate: Sweet to start with an appetising fruitiness and a long smooth finish. A malt for every occasion. – $52.99
- anCnoc 16 Year – 46% – Matured in American Oak – My Tasting Note: Nose: floral, bourbony and citric; dandelions, geraniums and rose petals; barley sugars, firm toasted oak and roasted coconut chips; citrus notes include shades of lemon and lime zest; Palate: is massively bourbony with vanilla icing, shredded coconut and more firm toasted oak; the citrus notes are much more prominent on the palate with lemon drops, candied orange and lemon/lime zest; there is a soft creamy component to it too but the whisky retains a soft character and is far from over the top; Finish: drying and toasty with burnt orange, a late wave of lemon drops and more vanilla icing. – $97.99
MACALLAN 1824 TASTING w/ BRAND AMBASADOR DAN VOLWAY – Tuesday July 30th – $50
Macallan Brand Ambassador Dan Volway will be coming to town to put on a tasting of the new 1824 collection for our customers. The tasting will feature the Gold, Amber and Sienna bottlings pitted against the Travel Retail (Duty Free) Collection releases. As a special treat we will also be sampling Macallan Ruby. $50pp Part of Proceeds to be donated to Alberta Flood Related Charities.
To sign up for this tasting please call the store at 403-283-8000 or register online at: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php .
SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY FIRST FRIDAY VIII – Friday August 2nd – $45 ($35 Members)
Every month the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s Calgary branch holds a couple of
tastings to feature the month’s new releases. There are no new releases this month, but we will be presenting a couple of teaser whiskies that will be released later in 2013. Our lineup is a Cask vs. Cask tasting of 8 whiskies from four distilleries: 36, 30, 4 and 29! Two sit down seatings limited to 20 participants will be offered one at 6PM and 8PM respectively. For more information on the Society visit www.smws.ca .
To sign up for this tasting please call the store at 403-283-8000 or register online at: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php .
THE LAST SAMURAI – PART 2 – Thursday August 8th – $50
My recent whisky trip to Japan has left me with a treasure trove of photos and insight into one of the world’s lesser known whisky producers. We are proud to offer North America’s largest selection of Japanese whiskies, and when it came time to putting on July’s Last Samurai tasting it quickly became apparent we had too many photos and too many whiskies to limit ourselves to just one tasting. The Last Samurai Part 2 will consist of four whiskies from the Chichibu distillery, as well as others from Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries. This event is sure to delight, and not leave you feeling Lost in Translation!
To sign up for this tasting please call the store at 403-283-8000 or register online at: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php .
KAVALAN VERTICAL WHISKY TASTING – Thursday August 15th – $60
In May I made a pilgrimage to China, Japan and Taiwan on drinks business, it really is a tough job! The last of my ports of call was northern Taiwan, specifically a new distillery called Kavalan an hour south of Taipei. Kavalan was established by a Taiwanese food industry giant the King Car Group. They hired some of the top guns in the Scotch whisky industry to help them design their distillery and ensure they made world class whisky. Within just three years of starting production they were already winning whisky competitions the world over and stunning consumers. Join us for a vertical tasting of 8 single malts from the Kavalan distillery, including everything from Kavalan Concertmaster Port Finish ($94.99) to the Solist Fino ($324.99).
To sign up for this tasting please call the store at 403-283-8000 or register online at: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php.
THE WHISKIES OF SUMMER – Friday August 16th – $40
Join us for a casual sit down sampling of 7 of this summer’s hottest whiskies. Scotch-heavy, but not necessarily restricted to just Scotch whisky.
To sign up for this tasting please call the store at 403-283-8000 or register online at: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php .
ANCIENT MALTS IN THE SUMMER – Thursday August 22nd – $225
There are a couple of interesting whiskies available in Alberta right now, and some of them won’t last the summer. So we’re throwing an Ancient Malts in the Summer tasting to ensure we don’t miss out on them. The highlight will almost certainly be the Bunnahabhain 40 Year old, around which the tasting is being built, but lest you think that’s the only Marquee bottling we’ll be pouring, let me point out, the tasting will also feature the Jura 1977 Vintage and Dalmore Ceti 30 Year to name just a few! Only 20 spots available for what will no doubt be a very memorable summer evening.
To sign up for this tasting please call the store at 403-283-8000 or register online at: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php .
PRE-ORDER THE “WHISKY ADVENT CALENDAR” – $299.99
Kensington Wine Market is very pleased to announce that we have acquired Master of Malt’s Whisky Advent Calendar as a Canadian exclusive for our store in Calgary! This could be this fall’s hottest whisky gift idea in Canada… Within 30 minutes of announcing it on Twitter we had a dozen orders! Behind each of the 24 doors is a different 30ml sample of delicious whisky! The exact contents are a surprise, but we can tell you that behind one of the doors is a sample of 50 year old Scotch whisky, the full-sized bottle of which is worth $600! The Whisky Advent Calendar will retail for $299.99 +GST and is Exclusive to KWM in Canada!
You can pre-order your Whisky Advent Calendar by clicking this link to the product page and placing a request through our website. Or you can call us at 402-283-8000 or 888-283-9004 and leave your information.
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If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store. Feel free to forward me any whisky news you feel should be included in a future issue of The Malt Messenger; it might just get included.
All of the products mentioned in THE MALT MESSENGER can be purchased in store, over the phone or from our website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com. All prices quoted in the Malt Messenger are subject to change, don’t include GST. In the case of discrepancies in pricing, the price in our in store point of sale will be taken as correct.
Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger.
Slainte!
Andrew Ferguson
Manager & Scotchguy
Kensington Wine Market
403-283-8000
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
www.kensingtonwinemarket.com
scotchguy@kensingtonwinemarket.com
Owner & Opperator
Ferguson’s Whisky Tours
www.fergusonwhiskytours.com
scotchguide@fergusonwhiskytours.com
