Last chance to buy these great single malts.

Gone… but not forgotten

Gordon & MacPhail are slimming down their Scotch range. We’ve picked a choice selection of some of our favourite G&M bottlings which are now discontinued.

Last Chance…

What better way to say goodbye to Speymalt, McPhail’s Collection, Rare Old & Cask Strength than by stocking up now, once they’re gone, they’re gone!

Ardbeg Grooves

A limited edition celebrating Ardbeg Day at the 2018 Fèis Ìle, this Islay single malt harks back to the 1960s and the era of ‘Peace & Love’, or in the case of the famously smoky Ardbeg, ‘Peat & Love’! This release has been matured in wine casks which have been unusually re-charred, creating heavy grooves in the wood and allowing more interaction with the liquid.

£96 Pre-Order Now
Limited to 1 per customer
Orders will be dispatched week beginning 11th June

UNVEILING THE GENESIS DECANTER

The Macallan 72 Years Old in Lalique is a celebration of the collaboration of masters from across the fields of whisky, crystal, architecture, construction and craftsmanship, and marks a new beginning in The Macallan’s story. Inspired by and honouring a new dawn, The Genesis Decanter is defined by a truly magnificent architectural masterpiece.

For its seventy-two years of maturation, the deceptively light colour hints that this is not an ordinary single malt. Reminiscent of a time gone by, it carries an exquisite balance of strong, sweet oak with the peaty spirit shaping its refined character.

EXPLORE

Friday, June 8th, 5-7PM 

Local Whisky: Mosswood Distillery 

The only whiskey in Berkeley, California, Mosswood Distillery produces small-batch, locally sourced, and limited edition bottlings with flavors ranging from sherry to espresso. We’ll be pouring a variety of their highly reviewed releases, presented by distillery representatives and our own in-store whiskey experts.

Click Here for More Details and RSVP

The W Club Membership

Love whisky? Join the club! Whether you’re a novice or knowledgeable about our favourite tipple, we’ve created a whisky club to help you continue unlocking the mystery of whisky…

For just £20 per year you’ll receive a free subscription to our own Whiskeria magazine, free members-only tastings at your local branch of The Whisky Shop, huge savings in our weekly Whisky Wednesday flash sales, exclusive whisky auctions, in-store and online discounts all month long and priority notice on rare and limited releases.

£20 Buy Now

The only way to get to Jura is to open a bottle from our new range of sweet and subtly smoky single malt whiskies. Discover more about our whiskies just in time for Father’s Day.

Jura Whisky 2018 | Registration No: SC014456
St Vincent Plaza, 319 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5LP
www.jurawhisky.com

SPARKLING SUMMER DRAMS

With summer almost upon us, June Outturn uplifts the spirits with a sparkling selection of emerald gems. Surprise and delight the senses with 21 brilliant bottlings from a curious collection of casks.

This First Friday we’re thrilled to be welcoming new distillery bottling 135.1 Sensual sensory sensation – with soft leather and champagne truffles this is a taste experience not to be missed.

 READ OUTTURN       LATEST WHISKIES

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

Festival Week

Can’t make it across to Islay or Campbeltown for the Festivals this year? Join in the adventure wherever you are with whiskies from the distilleries.

Shop – Islay Whiskies
Shop – Campbeltown Whiskies

Malt Messenger Bulletin

Tastings, Tastings, Tastings & Deals!

Our 26th Birthday Sale was a big hit with some amazing bargains. But if you thought all the deals were behind us, you were mistaken. Many of our suppliers seem to be cleaning house this month, and we are passing the savings on. We have a selection of 14 whiskies listed below on which you can save between $5 and $65 a bottle. Some of these deals will be available for just a few days, others for a week or two. Here are a couple of examples from what you will find below, $65 off Balblair 1983, $15 off of Lagavulin 8 Year 200^th Anniversary, $21 off of Royal Lochnagar 12 Year and $14 off of Glengoyne 18 Year. Act fast, quantities are limited and the clock is ticking!

Lots of cool tastings to tell you about, starting with this coming month’s Scotch Malt Whisky Society Outturn on Thursday and Friday. We always get cool whiskies from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, but even so this coming release stands out. We have two SMWS whiskies bottled for Feis Isle, the Islay Festival, and another for the Spirit of Speyside Festival. We also have an SMWS Canada first, a whisky from a distillery we have never previously seen in Canada in 6 1/2 years… You have to be a Member to buy SMWS bottles, but anyone can come to the tastings. Might be it convinces you to join!

Saturday is Ardbeg Day, and it looks like the weather will finally turn in its favour. Ardbegians from Calgary and Southern Alberta will be gathering at Provision in Central Memorial Park for a Festival of Peat and Love. The Festivities kick off with an Ardbeg Master Class at 11:30, $20, and carry on with the main event running from 1:00 until 3:30. Further details available below and by following this link.

A couple of in demand Japanese whiskies are back in stock, but not for long. Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt, Nikka Coffey Malt and The Nikka 12 Year are all too popular for supply to keep up with demand, and they are now tightly allocated. We have a little stock of these three tasty whiskies, but not for long!

Finally, George Grant is coming to town, and there is a Glenfarclas tasting with him on Tuesday night. The cost is $75 for a range of 7 whiskies including Glenfarclas 17 Year, 21 Year, 25 Year, 25 Year KWM Cask Strength, 30 Year and a 1987 Family Cask. Send me an email if you would like more details.

In This Edition

1. The Don’t Miss/Epic Scotch Malt Whisky Society June Outturn
2. Ardbeg Day 2018 – The Sun Will Be Out for “Peat & Love”
3. June Whisky Deals
4. Three Nikka Whiskies Back in Stock!
5. Georgefarclas is Coming to Town

Slainte!

Sincerely

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

The Don’t Miss/Epic Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada June 2018 Outturn 

7 More Reasons to Check Out the Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Whether you are already a member or not, you might want to consider registering for the June Scotch Malt Whisky Society Outturn tastings, which are open to both members and the general public. The tastings for the June Outturn take place tomorrow and Friday at KWM, with seatings both nights at 6 and 8 PM.. The cost is $40 for Members and $50 for the general public and guests. Every month we launch 7 new whiskies for our members, always single cask and cask strength. This month’s whiskies are especially notable as among them are two Feis Isle (Islay Festival) bottlings, as well as another from the Spirit of Speyside. One of this month’s whiskies is also a first for the Canadian branch… in the past 6 1/2 years we have never before had a whisky from the Speyside distillery in question! There is still room in 3 of the 4 Outturn Tastings, Members $40/Non-Members $50:

• Thursday May 31 6PM
• Thursday May 31 8PM
• Friday June 1 6PM

Call 403-283-8000 to register or register online!

Ardbeg Day 2018 – This Saturday 

The Sun is Set to Shine on the Festival of Peat & Love

The Ardbeg Day theme this year is

“Peat & Love”, marking the release of Ardbeg Grooves. There will be a Master Class hosted by yours truly, followed by a 60s themed party including a live band. More details on the event can be found here!

Register for the Ardbeg Day Master Class – Saturday June 2 – 11:30-12:30 – $20

“An Ardbeg Master Class hosted by Andrew Ferguson of Kensington Wine Market, featuring this year’s Ardbeg Limited Release, the Ardbeg Grooves, along with select Ardbeg expressions.”

Register for the Ardbeg Day Main Event – Saturday June 2 – 13:00-15:30 – $20

“Come and be transported back to the 60’s era, expressed in a uniquely Ardbeggian way…with Peat and Love!! Tickets include one Ardbeg cocktail, a sampling of this year’s Limited Release, the Ardbeg Grooves and 60’s themed snacks provided by Provision at Central Memorial Park.”

We are also taking pre-oders for the Ardbeg Day 2018 bottling, Ardbeg Grooves – $145.

June Whisky Deals 

Save $5 – $65 a Bottle on 14 Whiskies

Who doesn’t love a good deal? As much as possible, when one of our suppliers offers us a good deal, we try to pass it on! We have some phenomenol savings available on 13 single malts and a beloved Canadian Rye. Some of the deals will only last a week, others a little longer, but not much… two products are limited by quantity. Please note if pricing on our website does not reflect the sale prices now it will shortly. Don’t doddle, act fast:

The Deals

1. Balblair 1983 – Was $440 – Now $375 – Save $65
2. Bowmore 15 Year Darkest – Was $95 – Now $90 – Save $5
3. Glengoyne 18 Year – Was $130 – Now $116 – Save $14 – Only 6 bottles!
4. Glenfarclas 12 Year – Was $70 – Now $65 – Save $5
5. Glenfarclas 15 Year – Was $97 – Now $90 – Save $7
6. Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength – Was $89 – Now $84 – Save $5
7. Lagavulin 8 Year – Was $105 – Now $90 – Save $15
8. Lot 40 – Was $49 – Now $36 – Save $13
9. Macallan Rare Cask – Was $413 – Now $385 – Save $28 – Only 5 bottles! 
10. Mortlach Rare Old – Was $105 – Now $82 – Save $23
11. Port Askaig 100 Proof – Was $87 – Now $65 – Save $22
12. Port Askaig 8 Year – Was $70 – Now $60 – Save $10
13. Royal Lochnagar 12 Year – Was $97 – Now $76 – Save $21
14. Tamdhu Batch Strength – Was $105 – Now $95 – Save $10

Conditions

1. These deals are on a first come first serve basis and subject to availability!
2. These deals will not be applied retroactively or carried forward.
3. We reserve the right to refuse service.

Three Nikkas Back In-Stock 

One Each of Single Grain, Blend and Blended Malt

The glory days of Japanese whisky were about 8 years ago when KWM was swimming in Japanese single malts, belnds and blended malts. No one knew how good we had it… Japanese whisky now, if even available, is on extremely tight allocations. We have just received some Coffey Malt, Taketsuru Pure Malt and The Nikka 12 Year. They won’t last long:

1. Nikka Coffey Malt – 45% – The originality of this 100% malt expression  lies in its unique distillation method. Malted barley is distilled in a “Coffey still”, a traditional continuous still which is normally used to produce grain whisky. Discover this whisky’s extraordinary texture, which Nikka has specially developed for whisky aficionados. – $98
2. Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt – 43% – This is a blended malt named in honor of Masataka Taketsuru, the father of Japanese whisky. He is the first Japanese who mastered whisky-making in Scotland and produced the genuine whisky in Japan. Masataka learned that the natural resources surrounding a distillery were essential for quality whisky. Based on his thought, he selected two places, Yoichi and Miyagikyo, and built two distilleries there. Its gentle malt flavor, fruitiness and extremely well-balanced taste make it a perfect entry point into the world of Nikka. – $96
3. The Nikka 12 Year – 43% – There is nothing more suitable than a blended whisky to represent Nikka’s way of whisky making. The asymmetry design of the bottle is inspired by the neck of a “Kimono”, just as if the layers visualize all the passion and craftsmanship devoted in the history of Nikka. The honorable golden emblem engraved was designed by Masataka Taketsuru for his very first Nikka whisky bottle. Malty, soft and well-balanced, this expression portrays our gratitude to the heritage and our will to advance our tradition.- $166 (Just 6 Bottles) 

Georgefarclas is Coming 

Glenfarclas Aged 15 to 30 Years with George Grant – June 5

We are putting on a private event with George Grant on Tuesday June 5, 6:30PM. The cost is $75 for George, Charcuterie and 7 whiskies 15-30 years of age (including a 1987 Family Cask. An evening with Mr. Grant is worth $75 all on its own… with or without whisky. Email me for more details!

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 small strange Isle of Mull is famous for its colorful village and unusual distillery. Licensed for legal production in 1798, the Tobermory distillery chugged along until the distillery ran out of warehouse space in the 1970s and was forced to stop production. Having an unplanned lack of warehouse space is a good sign that things weren’t going well for the distillery and indeed the entire industry took a hit in the early ‘80s when many famous distilleries were forced out of business. Tobermory survived that slaughter and became part of the Burn Stewart family in 1991 for less than £1 million.

Burn Stewart itself was acquired by South African drinks company Distell in 2013. Since then they’ve recommitted to the promise of making a traditional unchill-filtered Island malt, both peated and unpeated, at their gorgeous facility on the Western Coast of Scotland. They’re beginning to unearth some real treasures in the stocks as well as investing in high quality casks for extra maturation. Today we have three excellent and rare malts from this little distillery that represent some of the most unusual and exciting offerings to date.

Tobermory 21 Year Old “Manzanilla Finish” Unfiltered Cask Strength Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($239.99)

A gorgeous example of Cask Strength fully aged unpeated malt from the Tobermory Distillery. It’s been finished in one of the rarest casks in scotland, Manzanilla Fino Sherry. The Manzanilla cask is unusual not only because of their rarity, but also because of the unique flavor profile it provides. You’d expect that ultra dry salty sherry to turn the briny side of the Tobermory malt up to eleven, but instead we see more nuttiness than brine. There’s tons of dried, maybe lightly salted stone fruits, and a dense, almost thick mouthfeel. I’m not sure if that comes from the sherry or simply the age of the whisky, but the oily texture and wild flavor profile make it one of the most unusual new whiskies this year. Considering the 15-year sells typically for an astonishing $140+, this cask strength full throttle and no holds barred version is a real treat for any adventurous drinker despite the price tag. While we’ve purchased every bottle we could, collectors have already cleaned out most of the east coast. With the lowest price in California by a healthy margins and no additional stock on the horizon this will be a fun yet fleeting experiment.

1996 Ledaig 19 year old “Sherry Cask Finish” Isle Of Mull Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($149.99)

Another well aged Sherry finished peated from the Tobermory distillery. These guys have really turned up the quality in the last several years, taking good aged stock and filling them into ultra high-end Sherry barrels to give them that extra little something. For those wanting that peat and Sherry combo there’s very little out there in the same range, particularly if you don’t want the sappy sweetness added by PX (I’m thinking Lagavulin DE). Yet the Ledaig has a ton of the same dark nuttiness that you’d expect from a fine Oloroso cask and just the right amount of stewed fruit to keep it from feeling hard edged. The last vintage was an absolute sleeper and I’ve had several customers come back asking for it. Now we’ve got the whisky back one year older and just as delicious. One of the most unusual and distinct offerings from any distillery to date.

Ledaig 19 year old “Marsala Cask Finish” Isle Of Mull Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($164.99)

One of the most unusual and distinct offerings from any distillery to date. I can’t remember the last time we saw peated Whisky in Marsala casks, but it may have been back in the good old days of Murray McDavid and their range of Ace’d malts. While I expected the Marsala to add tons of sweetness, we’ve actually moved much further into the sauvage quality that Ledaig is sometimes known for. Lamb drippings over smoking embers. Big smoldering spice sprinkled over a well aged gouda. Wild and structured on the palate with more of the savory stuff, green peppercorns, mulled wine, tart red fruit. This malt reminds me a bit of a Christmas dinner in London’s West End, maybe one to save for cool weather, but this is undoubtedly one of the most interesting and most arresting malts of the year.

That’s it for this week, but stay tuned for the next edition of the Whisk(e)y News!

David Othenin-Girard
SoCal Spirits Buyer
http://spiritsjournal.klwines.com
http://onthetrail.klwines.com