Malt Messenger Bulletin 2 New KWM Casks
Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,
I’m writing you from Beautiful British Columbia where I have just finished a two day whirlwind whisky trip. Two days, three tastings, 28 whiskies, three flights and a lot of great people. I am writing you as I return home to Calgary for another amazing tasting in store tonight. Some whisky news just can’t wait for the next full Malt Messenger, so I found the time to bang out a quick Bulletin.
Our Summer 2017 tasting schedule is out, and open for registration, in store, by phone 403-283-8000 and online. Details on all of the whisky and spirits tastings are below.
The KWM exclusive Cadenhead cask ~ we are launching the Cadenhead Glen Moray 1992 25 Year KWM Cask tonight. The bottle will be available in store next week for $200, which is very reasonable for a 25 year old cask strength whisky. It is our latest 25th Anniversary bottling to hit the shop. The gents at Cadenhead bottled it just a couple of days after it hit 25 years of age.
We have another new KWM exclusive cask too… The Kensington Wine Market Glenrothes 1997 Cask. Bottled from an Oloroso Sherry Butt, only 84 bottles have come to Canada, the rest bottled for a shop in Taiwan. More than half of the bottles have sold in just 10 days, we expect it to be sold out before the end of the summer if not sooner. Pop into the shop this weekend if you would like to have a taste!
Finally we have some new and very intriguing Cadenhead Small Batch bottlings in store. Some of them have already arrived with th balance expected to trickle in over the next few weeks. The 10 highlighted below are old and rare, and very limited. They won’t last long.
I hope this Malt Messenger Bulletin finds you well!
Slàinte!
In This Edition
- New Summer Tasting ScheduleNew Cadenhead Glen Moray 1992 KWM Cask 25 Year
- New Kensington Wine Market Glenrothes 1997 19 Year
- 9 Exciting New Cadenhead Small Batch Whiskies
Andrew Ferguson
Kensington Wine Market
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NEW Compass Box KWM 25th Anniversary Blend
This is one of our most exciting exclusive whiskies ever… It is a Compass Box Blend that we’ve created in collaboration with John Glaser of Compass Box. The whisky was inspired by some of John’s greatest hits, and it is stunning.
$160
More Information
NEW Wyoming Whiskey KWM Single Barrel Bourbon
Our first ever single barrel Bourbon from the Wyoming Whiskey distillery. Bottled at a barrel strength of 56.36%. Only 192 bottles, they won’t last long!.
$100
More Information
Only 30 Bottles Left!
Glenfarclas 25 Year KWM Cask Strength
The first of our 25th Anniversary whiskies is a stunner and we can’t keep it in stock! Soft sherry influences and silky smooth at 52%!
$285
More Information
New Summer Tasting Schedule
Starting tonight with a very special tasting of old and rare Cadenhead whiskies!
Our summer tasting schedule is online and open for registration. Call 403-283-8000 to register, or do so online!
- Hot Weather, Hotter Bourbon – Thursday, July 20th – Baby it’s hot outside, so let’s cool things off with some of the hottest new Bourbons! – $30
- Samaroli Malt Whisky & Friends – On Thursday, July 27th we will pour 7 whiskies to sample in this tag team tasting of malt whisky up to 26 years of age… Evan and Jonathan will be your spirit guides on this quest! – $40
- Independents’ Day – Tuesday, August 8 – With the prices of older Distillery-bottled single malts skyrocketing, some of the best value is coming from Independent Bottlers! – $50
- Garden Party Cocktails – Tuesday, August 15 – Looking for some refreshing summer cocktails for your garden party? Look no further! – $20
- Whiskies of Summer Festival – Thursday, August 17 – We have a boat-load of new whiskies landing this summer, so we’re putting on a Festival to crack some open! Includes a complimentary Glencairn glass! Proceeds from the event will go to the Calgary Interfaith Food Bank. – $50
- All About Arran: Cask(s!) Launch Mini Festival – We have TWO new Arran casks coming, and on Thursday, August 24th we are throwing our doors open to introduce them to Calgary. This mini-fest is “All About Arran!” – $25
- Whiskies of the World Unite – Scotland look out, the distilleries of the World are starting to make World Class Whisky… On Tuesday, August 29th we will showcase a wide range of whiskies from around the Globe. – $35
Call 403-283-8000 to register, or register online!
New Cadenhead Glen Moray 1992 KWM 25 Year
Our first and only 25 year old anniversary bottling, distilled in 1992 the year KWM was founded!
More details to come, only time to hammer out a quick tasting note!
Cadenhead Glen Moray 1992 KWM 25 Year – 55.1% – American Oak – Approx 220 Bottles – My Tasting Note: “Nose: doughy, decadent and floral; clotted cream, crystallized honey and creme brule; very delicate and tropical: melon, mango and juicy orange; a silky creamy base. Palate: soft, silky, floral, elegant and still very delicate; thin tendrils of honey, clotted cream and vanilla lead into the soft subtle tropical fruits and orange; both cantaloupe and honeydew melons, firm but balanced toasted oak and Demerara sugars; light but coating with lots of layers. Finish: long and very delicate it is both drying and coating with more soft oak tones, tropical fruits and decadent vanilla-cream. Comment: we patiently waited for this whisky to reach 25 years of age, and we’ve glad we did; it is a fine summer whisky, great value for a 25 year old single cask, and it won’t disappoint! – $205
New Kensington Wine Market Glenrothes 1997 Cask
The labels aren’t pretty, but the whisky is awesome, and will be sold out in weeks!
As many people know, I have not always been a fan of Glenrothes. While I have had good botltlings of the malt, most have been unimpressive, and I generally find it uninspiring! Sherry cask matured Glenrothes is especially dicey, but this Sherry Butt (7153) matured cask, bottled for KWM is an exception. It is insanely fruity, massively tropical, layered and complex. Only 84 bottles have been filled for KWM at 58%… and they won’t last! The label isn’t amazing, but who cares, the whisky is fantastic. Without bluster or exageration I can say that it will be sold out in no time flat. Of the 84 bottles that arrived last Wednesday, more than half have already sold.
Kensington Wine Market Glenrothes 1997 – 58% – Sherry Butt 7153 – My Tasting Note: “Nose: decadent, fruity and very sherried; like PX matured Glendronach… loads of dark fruits; maple syrup, a hint of smoked bacon and dark chocolate; big spices, leather and tobacco. Palate: round, fruity, decadent and rich; the syrupy Maple syrup notes hit first, then the big dark fruits, chocolate and nutty tones; mid palate it settles down into notes of cedar, fatty smoked bacon and spices, before the big leather, tobacco and spice notes set it; lots of layers here, the sample blew us away, but the bottled version is even better. Finish: long and still decadent, fruity syrupy sherry tones and more leather, tobacco, chocolate and spices; this is no shrinking violet! Comment: the is a sherry bomb, the closest thing we have seen PX Glendronach in the skin of a Glenrothes ever… lots of layers and complexity!” – $200
10 New Cadenhead Small Batch Whiskies
Old, Rare and available in very small quantities…
We have some limited and I suspect very sought after Cadenheads Small Batch Bottlings coming soon to KWM. All are limited, and if the past three years of Cadenhead Small Batch bottlings are any measure, these won’t disappoint. The whiskies are either single casks or extremely Small Batch, just 2-3 casks! A few of them are limited to 1 per customer. The Bunnahabhain got a good review from Serge, 89pts. The rest have not yet been reviewed. They are without doubt the best value older single malt whiskies (and one grain) that we can put our hands on:
- Cadenhead Small Batch Blair Athol 1988 – 53.6% – 28 Year – 2 Bourbon Barrels – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Floral, with cut grass, dried apricots and sweet toffee. Palate: Chocolate eclairs, soft all spice, more toffee and whipped cream. Finish: Blueberries, hints of menthol with cherry cake and dark chocolate.” – $340
- Cadenhead Small Batch Bunnahabhain 1976 – 49.4% – 39 Year – 3 Sherry Butts – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Spiritous, rich and polished wood. Coffee liqueurs with cream, apples and rich cooked fruit. Palate: Initially ginger and cinnamon spiciness which then smooths out to boiled sweets and pecan pie with rich wood undertones. Finish: Slightly drying but very warm and spicy. Distillery Fact: The second smallest whisky producer on Islay with 2.7million sites of pure alcohol coming off its stills every year, Bunnahabhain distillery actually closed between 1982 and 1984.” – $630 89pts Serge
- Cadenhead Small Batch Caol Ila 1983 – 50.2% – 33 Year – Bourbon Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Acrylic paint, very oily with bags of citrus and coastal grasses. Palate: leg of lamb with rosemary, lots of mineral notes with hints of rabbit and crispy sage. Finish: The harbour, soft distant smoke, dry ash, hints of seaweed and white wine vinegar.” – $515 – SOLD OUT!
- Cadenhead Small Batch Fettercairn 1988 – 55.4% – 28 Year – 3 Bourbon Hogsheads – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Autumnal forests, banana loaf, and soft ashy notes. Palate: Marzipan, icing sugar, crystallised oranges and soft oakiness. Finish: Red fruits, melted tablet, dunnage warehouses with a salty edge.” – $340
- Cadenhead Small Batch Glen Keith 1973 – 43.2% – 43 Year – Bourbon Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Peaches, Red Grapes, limes, syrupy with clotted cream. Palate: Hazelnuts with tropical fruits and hints of oakiness and faint flinty notes. Finish: Chocolate covered hazelnuts with lingering fruit cocktail.” – $759.99
- Cadenhead Small Batch Glentauchers 1990 – 52.6% – 26 Year – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Grapefruit and lime, syrupy notes with vanilla and coconut. Palate: Blackcurrants, cherries, brown sugar, green apple skins and very chewy. Finish: Chocolate milkshake, cocoa butter and dry spice.” – $325
- Cadenhead Small Batch Highland Park 1996 – 50.6% – 20 Year – Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: New leather, touch of sea salt, with a little vanilla and cooked apple. Palate: Little lemon, citrus note, vanilla, loads of cream, apples crumble, sugar icing and an pear tart. Finish: Oily with citrus notes, milky, salt reemerges, very coastal finish.” – $230 – 1 Per Customer
- Cadenhead Invergordon 1972 – 48.3% – 43 Year – 2 Bourbon Barrels – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Vanilla, caramel custard, milk butter and marzipan. Palate: Cream, butter, salted popcorn and oatcakes. Finish: Cheesecake, lemon zest, oranges and pears with milk bottle chews. Distillery Fact: The distillery started operations in 1961, four years later Ben Wyvis single malt distillery started up, closing in 1977. The stills from Ben Wyvis are now at Glenglye Distillery in Campbeltown, itself set up by Frank McHardy who started his career at Invergordon.” – $385
- Cadenhead Small Batch Mortlach 1987 – 48.2% – 30 Year – Bourbon Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Creamy, minty, fruit coulis, hints of praline and toffee sauce. Palate: Leather, straw, maple syrup and condensed milk. Finish: Sweet, crispy cakes, syrup, vanilla and raspberries and white chocolate.” – $425
- Cadenhead Small Batch Tomatin 1976 – 43.8% – 39 Year – Bourbon Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: light a very delicate with honey and lightly salted butter. Palate: slight citrus and zestiness, pink grapefruit. Finish: more citrus flavours, a refreshing fruit punch finish. Distillery Fact: Tomatin Distillery used to own and run an eel farm on a commercial basis until 1984, this also allowed them to make use of the waste hot water. – $630
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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
403-283-8000
