VINTAGE Summer Whiskies

Just as nature nudges us from warming stews to zesty salads, or snug cashmere scarves to cool cotton chinos, so too she encourages a refreshing gear change in our drinks repertoire.

Take a trip to Scotland in December and it doesn’t take a great stretch of the imagination to see why whisky caught on so successfully in this part of the world. This is a drink whose entire image is evocatively intertwined with roaring fires, cigars and cosy tartan interiors. You can almost hear the wind whistling outside.

But that doesn’t mean you should hide your single malt collection away as soon as the daffodils start to poke through.

Read more about selecting the perfect summer whisky here courtesy of Gabriel Savage, deputy editor of The Drinks Business >

Cameronbridge – the home of Haig Club

It’s fairly well known now that Diageo have released a new whisky – Haig Club. Not only is it a new whisky, but something a little different to most: a Single Grain Scotch whisky aimed squarely at people who aren’t traditional whisky drinkers or who don’t think they like whisky.

However, while most of the write-ups that Haig Club has received online have focused around the packaging and the stars (Messrs Beckham and Fuller) sitting behind it, rather than the liquid in the bottle. That’s quite understandable, as the people who Diageo are focusing on to buy it don’t really care so much about the geeky details. However, I do care about those details, and fortunately Diageo understand that there are geeky folk out there who want to know how the whisky is made. Earlier this year, I attended a briefing about the at-the-time-unnamed Haig Club, and learned a lot about how the whisky is produced. To fill in the gaps for my geeky brethren, here’s what I learned.

From the air it is a bit more beautiful than up close, unless you like heavy industry. Which I do…

Firstly, the whisky comes from Cameronbridge. It’s a distillery that’s been in the hands of Diageo and its forebears for a very long time, being established by John Haig back in 1824. It started producing grain whisky in 1826, using a continuous ‘patent’ still as designed by Robert Stein, the first Scottish distillery to do so. Unfortunately Stein’s design never really became popular, in part due to the possibility of catastrophic explosion when the horsehair-and-wood still was running, and a few years later a modified version created by Aeneas Coffey appeared. This was more reliable, and quickly became the standard style of continuous still used in Scotch grain production. Cameronbridge have been in production since then, with Haig a founder member of the Distillers Company Ltd in 1877, which in turn became United Distillers and then part of Diageo, when it was formed in 1997.
Grain distilleries are not the romantic, picture-postcard sites you often find in Scotland. They are very much industrial plants, and while some, myself included, may find such things beautiful, they are often not considered to be anything but factories. This is slightly unfair, as they produce a lot of whisky, and consistency of quality is of paramount importance.

Cameronbridge itself has grown considerably over the past few years and now produces 120 million litres of alcohol per year, making it (as of March, at least) the largest distillery in Europe. According to the figures in the Malt Whisky Yearbook from last year, that’s almost 10 times as much as at either top malt whisky producer Glenfiddich (13 million) or Diageo’s own Roseisle (12.5 million), and is more than the combined capacity of all of Diageo’s malt whisky distilleries (105.2 million). It’s a lot of alcohol: 40,000 litres per hour – they can produce as much in four hours as Kilchoman does in a year.

A column still. Simples.

The continuous still allows the distillery to produce such a colossal amount of spirit – they’re quite a different beast to the pot-stills of single malt distilleries. Rather than running in small batches, they can run continuously as the name suggests for weeks at a time – if you want to dig into how they work in more detail, head on over to our post all about them from last year.

The production stage before distillation is also a little different to that found in malt distilleries. Firstly, there’s the grains used: Cameronbridge currently uses a mix of 90% wheat and 10% malted barley. As wheat needs a bit more of a hand in releasing the starches that will later be converted to alcohol, it is cooked before being fermented. They do this in 17-tonne batches in a pressure cooker. It’s then piped to the mash tun, where it is mixed with the milled malt.

They do a particularly short mash compared to malt distilleries, lasting only 30 minutes, with a continuous spray of water onto the grain rather than distinct ‘waters’. As the wheat has already been cooked and the malt is predominantly there for its fermentation-helping enzymes rather than its starch, the short mash quickly extracts most of the available sugars. When the mash is finished, the entire contents of the tun are pumped to a fermenter, complete with the remains of the grain.

Each fermenter holds 300,000 litres and can accomodate about five mashes. Yeast is added when first mash is pumped in, with four more mashes joining it over the next ten hours. It is then left to ferment for 48 hours, which is quite deliberately the time needed to produce a maximum amount of alcohol without too much extra flavour – grain spirit is calculatedly not meant to have much of its own, generally relying on wood and maturation to produce flavour.

After fermentation, the now alcoholic liquid is pumped through to the stills and distilled to 93.8%, described as ‘very low strength’ compared to the legal maximum of 94.8%. This keeps some of the grain’s flavour rather than pushing it to be a neutral spirit. The spirit itself is a lot more flavoursome than you’d expect from tales of new-make grain spirit, with a distinctive character. We tried Cameronbridge’s spirit against that from North British, part-owned by Diageo and Edrington, and they were definitely different:

Cameronbridge Grain Spirit

Nose: Sharp apples and lemons with some darker fruit.
Palate: Sweet and sugary with lots of apple and pear.
Finish: A little bit of sweetness, but quite short.

North British Grain Spirit

Nose: Heavy and oily with meaty notes, rubbery touches and coal – ‘like a workshop’.
Palate: Sweet and oily, with a bit of tyre rubber and some apple-pie fruitiness.
Finish: Not a lot – oiliness and some lingering rubber.

After distillation, the spirit is diluted to 68.5%, a compromise between the accountants, who want to get as many casks from a distillation run as possible, and the blending team, who want the correct flavour development over time – while 63.5% is the standard for malt spirit, the extra 5% works with the grain spirit without too much impact. They mainly fill into American oak casks, both hogsheads and the smaller American standard barrels, and generally as a first fill, with some refill and rejuvenated casks also filled. The use of first-fill casks allows the spirit to extract compounds from the wood quickly, meaning that they both have grain whisky with sufficient flavour for use in their various blends, and also have casks that have been ‘seasoned’ and can then be used to mature single malt without swamping the spirit with woody notes.

Other than the soon-to-appear Haig Club, there is one other whisky currently available from Cameronbridge: the almost eponymous Cameron Brig. It’s a cheap and cheerful whisky that until more recently was about the only single grain available on the market. It’s a good place to start with grain whisky, being a solid example that won’t break the bank.

Cameron Brig, £21.65

Nose: Golden syrup, custard tarts and a touch of bitter wood.
Palate: Toffee, sweetcorn, butterscotch, sweet orange and marmalade, and some darker flavours underneath – raisin and oaky spice. Water brings out some apples and pears, along with sweet orange cream.
Finish: Short and sweet with custard tarts balanced by bitter oak.
Comment: A good demonstration of the lighter, grain whisky style. Especially good in summer, from the fridge or maybe with a block of ice. Diageo brand ambassador Colin Dunn paired it with Maltesers the first time I tried it…

The Haig Club will be with us soon, but until then, Cameron Brig is a nice way to get acquainted with the distillery’s spirit. Watch this space – we’ll have a post about the Haig Club as soon as it’s available.

www.ralfy.com explains the 2014 Bonneville disaster with Whisky Review 481a – Bulleit 10yo Bourbon @ 45.6%vol

Paul’s story of the world championship pipe bands weekend, August 2014; PAUL MCLEAN;

I arrived into Glasgow on the Thursday, checked into my hotel in the city and wondered off to take in the sights. A few bands were playing, entertaining the crowds on the main shopping street, some street entertainers and plenty of noise and hubbub! After a wee while (it was warm and sunny) I decided to rest up and do some research (whisky). Research continued at Horton’s bar and Waxy O’Connors before dropping into the Pot Still.  Glasgow’s famous Pot Still Pub hosts one of the finest collection of malt whisky in Scotland. Lovers of a good Scotch come from all over the world to this wonderful pub. The attraction? The hundreds (literally) of malt whiskies on display on the impressive gantry. It is not unusual to see Americans, Germans, Swedes, Danes, Japanese and Irish jostling with Glaswegian regulars and Paul at the bar for service from the cheery staff. The Murphy family give everyone a warm welcome, a smile and…if you’re lucky… some recommendations from the gantry. The Pot Still is a popular haunt of journalists, stars of stage and screen such as actress Susannah York, comedian Phil Kay and musician Lloyd Cole have all been spotted enjoying the unique atmosphere of The Pot Still as it’s at the heart of Glasgow’s Theatre Land.

While sipping my first dram, I started chatting to Ken Misch from San Francisco, he is Drum Major with the L.A. Scots pipeband, also a whisky lover. We drammed while we chatted, he knows many of the people in piping and whisky as I do, even Andy Grant!  From Port Ellen dram (superb) to a 1954 Mortlach, Glendronach and Glengoyne Teapot, it was a good session – he bailed out after the teapot! I stayed for one more (Irish) then moved back to the hotel for a wee siesta! Met up with Ken again at Waxy’s around 7pm, gave him a bottle of teapot, enjoyed a few more drams, met more of the band, then departed for my hotel. No the end of the story, my hotel room came with a wee extra; a free bar from 5pm – 10.30pm, I made the most of it.

Friday arrived, still sunny – for a while, so wandered along to the Glasgow Green arena, where Grade 1’s were competing in the play offs. Met up with many bands, Ken, some whisky people I know, watched the cooper at work, took in a burger and some sights, many photos taken – see facebook; McLean whisky tours. Tired on my feet, I dondered back to my hotel and the bar! Spoke to my pal Andy Grant (DM with grade 1 band Denny & Dunipace) on the phone, he arrived just gone 5pm, we hit the free bar! At around 9.15 we went back to my posh room, where I had more wine, lots of whisky to sample – we did! He went away with a few samples, some of the4 drams he had no heard of before. A rest, then at 10.45 another pal turned up, just home from abroad, working as he does with a whisky company. John arrived with samples – great stuff! A few fast sample drams, then to Waxy’s (again), two drinks here before closing, a long whisky chat and farewells. Back at the hotel, I reckoned I had two more drinks in me, I had one, then fell asleep!

Saturday. The main event! Looked at of the hotel window … rain. At ten o’clock I jumped a taxi to the green, it was still raining. Wandered aboot checking out the bands, so many more people here than yesterday, many thousands more! The bands had many spectators watching, the food outlets were busy, I managed a smoked salmon butty, had a slug from my hip flask; Clynelish 16 year old, spotted big Andy, had a chat, was he ok after last night? Seemed so, started watching the drum majors, a venison burger, it has to be done. Followed by a dram. It was raining. More hiding under tents from the rain/showers, then it rained heavy, real heavy, so took shelter again at the cooper demo. Met up when the rain slowed down with more friends, The New York Metro pipeband, we were supplying their band coach again – we work with pipebands on accommodation and coaching each year. Had a chat with them, Mike, Michael and Dan, sharing a few hip flask drams; 16 yo Clynelish was the favourite.  

World Champions 2014; Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band. The band was founded in 1945 in the townland of Drumalig, a few miles from Carryduff on the outskirts of Belfast. The band won the World Championships in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, becoming the first band to win all the Major competitions in a single year more than once.

Each year MCLEANSCOTLAND offer a Pipes & Drams tour, to coincide with this huge event; http://www.mcleanscotland.com/worlds2013package.asp  another tour will be offered for 2015.

It was a good blend of pipes & drams, yet again! Bring on 2015 worlds! 

PAUL MCLEAN of http://www.mcleanscotland.com/

This week Joe Ellis reviews the Darkness Benrinnes 15yo Oloroso Finish Master of Malt bottling. 

http://youtu.be/FvSylbtryN0 

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

A Beginners guide to collecting and investing in Whisky – Part 3

In this final part of our beginners guide trilogy, we’ve now reached the point where you’ve identified lots of interest and are looking to start bidding.

The Bid

We’re often asked about bidding tactics and generally everyone has their own approach that works best for them. Going through the previous steps one-by-one you should be aware of how the bidding format works for the auctioneer you are using. As soon as an auction opens online, some buyers may open the bidding to create a ‘hit list’ of bottles they want to watch through the auction. Mainly this is due to some sites not offering a favourites or watch list; it is a useful tool if you are wishing to keep tabs on several bottles on one handy screen. Or you may want to follow some lots as you already own the bottles to see how the market is viewing their value.

At JWA the trend is that after an initial flurry of opening bids things will slack off a little and the auction will progress at a steady pace. Once the auction deadline looms; bidding ramps up …

Continue Reading at Just Whisky Blog

Part 1 can be found here

Part 2 can be found here

Hankey Bannister Original Blend 40% | 70cl

A popular Scottish blend it is said to be over 250 years old. Hankey Bannister is a popular export whisky.

Tasting Notes

Nose: A light aroma with a spiciness which gives extra depth.

Colour: Creamy toffee with a golden hue.

Taste: A light, subtle blend, clean, sweet and spicy with honeyed tones and a pleasant lasting finish.

Tasting notes by Hankey Bannister.

Price: £15.83 ex VAT
£19.00 inc VAT

Hankey Bannister 12 Year Old Regency Blend 40% | 70cl

Tasting Notes.

Nose: Slightly sweet aroma with hints of vanilla and oak.

Colour: Golden amber with reddish highlights.

Taste: Medium bodied, well-balanced with sweet soft vanilla and a slightly smoky finish.

Tasting notes by Hankey Bannister.

Price: £20.83 ex VAT
£25.00 inc VAT

Longmorn 1992 21 Year Old Dimensions Cask 71740 53.0% | 70cl
Distilled May 1992

Bottled May 2014

One of 272 bottles.

Released in small batches, these unique expressions from renowned and lesser known distilleries offer a comprehensive overview of Duncan Taylor’s award winning portfolio. Neither chill filtered nor coloured, only the finest whiskies are selected for inclusion in the Dimensions Collection, ensuring that each release represents the true multi-dimensional character of the distillery and delivers the company ethos: Whisky Without Compromise.

Established in 1938, Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Limited are specialist independent whisky merchants who hold one of the world’s largest private collections of vintage single malt and single grain Scotch whiskies. Using only the finest oak casks, Duncan Taylor lays down whiskies that are only bottled upon meeting rigorous standards of quality, ensuring optimum dimensions of character and flavour for the whisky enthusiast.

The balance of craftsmanship and attention to detail that is central to Duncan Taylor’s award winning reputation is evident in complexity and depth of each release in the Dimensions Collection.

Price: £104.17 ex VAT
£125.00 inc VAT

What a summer we’ve had in Calgary this year. We’ve had abundance of hot and beautiful weather, and best of all the only notable flood is the trickle of new whiskies into the market. The warm sunny evenings have made it all the more difficult to pull together this full edition of the Malt Messenger newsletter, but I think you’ll agree its been worth the wait.

A couple of weeks back we received two different casks of Arran, both exclusively available from our store. The first is the Arran 1996 Cask 522 ($130), a sherry hogshead bottled exclusively for KWM. At 17 years of age it is one of the oldest Arrans ever bottled, and has arrived at the same time as the limited edition Arran 17 Year ($110). The second exclusive cask is one selected and bottled for the Companions of the Quaich whisky club. Having had their fill of their Arran 1998 Quaich Cask 1114 ($125) over the past month, we are now opening the remaining bottles up to the general public. All three whiskies and one other will be sampled at a special Arran tasting (All About Arran $30) on August 28th. More info on all these whiskies and the tasting can be found below!

In June we received our latest batch of whiskies from Cadenhead’s Small Batch Collection. It’s taken a few months but I’ve finally got around to writing up tasting notes on all but one of the 13 scotches. There is an excellent range of offerings from 13 to 41 years of age. Highlights for me include the Bladnoch, North British single grain, Auchroisk, Dufftown and the 1973 Glenfiddich! You’ll find all their tasting notes below.

There are lots of other exciting new whiskies detailed in this Malt Messenger too, including a new G&M Dallas Dhu 1975 ($430) from the distillery which closed in 1983. A very limited expression from Islay’s craft distillery, Kilchoman Small Batch ($140). There is the second and final official release of Littelmill 21 Year ($260) from the closed Lowland distillery. And a very rare peated vintage Tomatin, Cu Bocan 1989 ($395). There are also returned malts from Benromach and Macallan, as well as exciting whiskies on the way from Silver Seal, Signatory and the Speymalt Macallan.

Our most exciting news at this moment, is that we are now taking orders for the Kensington Wine Market 2014 Whisky Advent Calendar ($360). We’ve designed and put together this calendar all on our own this year and are thrilled with the end product: “24 Days of Dram Fine Whisky!” It includes a custom Glencairn glass, and 24 50ml bottles (last year’s were only 30ml) of whisky. They range up to a 40 year old single malt which sells for over $700 in a 750ml bottle. Only 288 of the calendars will be put together, with an ETA of late October. We are taking pre-order requests for them now with a $150 deposit.

And there is still more in this Malt Messenger including info on an exciting Ardbeg Star event at Lake Louise in September, details on my October Kentucky Bourbon Tour, and some exciting news tastings. I’ve already mentioned the Arran tasting on Thursday August 28, the last of our summer tastings. On Tuesday September 9th we will be hosting Jim McEwan for two back to back Bruichladdich tastings at 5:00 and 7:30PM. And on September 16th we’ll be putting on a Macallan tasting featuring only independent bottlings. More information on these tastings can be found below and on our website. Our full fall tasting schedule will be out next Tuesday August the 26th!

I hope this Malt Messenger finds you well, and that you enjoy the rest of your summer!

In This Edition:
1. New Releases from Arran including a new KWM Exclusive Cask!
2. Our New Exclusive Cadenhead Expressions
3. Introducing the G&M Dallas Dhu 1979
4. Introducing the Kilchoman Small Batch 2014
5. Introducing the Littlemill 21Yr 2nd Release
6. Introducing the Tomatin Cu Bocan 1989
7. Re-introducing the Benromach 1969
8. Up Coming Tastings
9. Coming Soon: Rare Whiskies from Silver Seal
10. Coming Soon: G&M Speymalt Macallans
11. Coming Soon: KWM 2014 Whisky Advent Calendar
12. Macallan ‘M’ Available Again!
13. Last Chance to Join the October Bourbon Tour
14. Ardbeg Star Weekend
15. Coming Soon: New Signatory Exclusives

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson
Kensington Wine Market

PS- PS – Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/scotch_guy and Facebook: facebook.com/scotch.guy.1 .
www.fergusonwhiskytours.com

NEW TASTING:
“All About Arran”

4 Arrans, 3 of them single cask, 1 hour! $30
Join us for a tasting of two casks exclusive to KWM, a 1996 bottled just for us, a 1998 bottled for a local club, the new limited 17 Year and a Premium cask!

More Information

Bruichladdich Tastings with Jim McEwan

Tuesday September 9
5PM -or- 7:30PM
$30
Jim McEwan was the chief visionary behind the revival of Bruichladdich and is one of the most captivating brand ambassadors in the world of whisky. We’ll be putting on two back to back tasting with Jim to highlight this very special distillery and its cult whiskies.

More Information 

New Releases from Arran Including a New KWM Exclusive Cask

Two New Casks Exclusively available from KWM, and the new limited edition 17 Year!

1. Arran 1996 KWM Cask 522 – Our fifth exclusive single cask from Arran. Refill Sherry Hogshead, 54.1%. It has been flying off the shelves since the first batch quietly arrived last Wednesday. – 334 Numbered Bottles – My Tasting Note: “Nose: soft and fruity with creamy oak, some sugars and a hint of spice; lots of melon on the nose, kiwi fruit, marzipan and some candied orange; Palate: richer than expected but still very creamy and fruity with lots of decadent-spicy notes; the alcohol is well integrated and the whisky has little heat; the melons, kiwis and orange rind are still there as well as the spices: at first ground ginger and cinamon sticks, the clove and fennel; the sherry makes its weight felt with a little leather, tobacco and chocolate (lots going on); Finish: it is at its finale where this whisky shines brightest, silky soft with fading melons, kiwi and creamy oak; Comment: this will be a hard bottle to put down!.”- $129.99

2. Arran 1998 Quaich Cask 1114 – 55.7% from a single Sherry Hogshead – It’s 296 bottles were initially only available to members of the Companions of the Quaich, there are about 60 bottles left which we are opening up to the general public! – My Tasting Note: “Nose: very candied and fruity: Christmas cake, candied orange, raisins, dates and chocolate; some leather and jammy fruits; becomes fruitier and more decadent as it opens up, with a base of cream; Palate: right off the bat it comes in waves: first the spice, then a blast of fruit, next the creamy oak and then a final surge of all three together; more Christmas cake notes, candied orange and ginger with some leather and red berry jams; mango chuntey and softer melon-like notes develop with time alongside heather honey;Finish: the fruity notes last longest with creamy oak and honey providing the backbone; in the distance the tingling decadent spices chatter away.” – $124.99

3. Arran 17 Year – 46% – 9000 bottles have been released worldwide with about 180 having found their way to Alberta. It is the 2nd in a trilogy of three whiskies paving the way for their first 18 year old next year! Matured exclusively in Sherry Casks. My Tasting Note: “Nose: fruit flan right off the bat, some creamy vanilla oak, fruit rolls ups and powdered sugar with some decadent spice in the background; citrus fruits and melons develop with some candied apple and poached pear; Palate: more fruit, and lots of it, some leather, spice and wow what balance; while the citrus, white fruits and melon are there it is the sherry and dark fruits which really dominate-more like Fig Newtons and date squares than the fruit flan on the nose; loads of dark spice, French roast coffee beans and new-but soft leather; Finish: long, fruity, spicy and smooth; Comment: I’ve long adored the whisky from this little distillery, but with age I am coming to love it! – $109.99

Our New Exclusive Cadenhead Releases!

Single Malts and 1 Grain 13 to 41 Years of Age

These whiskies arrived in June, just in time for our Spring Single Malt Festival. Its been a busy summer and I’ve finally found the time to write up tastings notes on all but one of them. Sadly, the Dalmore will not be opened for sampling as we have just two left. Small Batch is a new line of single malts from Scotland’s oldest independent bottler, WM Cadenhead. Established in 1842 the firm has its own chain of shops all over Europe selling its whiskies. A couple of years back they noticed that they had more casks than even their popular little shops could sell so they decided to broaden their reach. The Small Batch line was introduced to be sold into other markets like Canada, where they are exclusive to KWM. The whiskies are either single cask, or a vatting of just a couple. They are bottled at 46% or cask strength, always without artificial colouring and non-chill filtered.

Here’s our range of Cadenhead releases with my tasting notes:
1. Cadenhead Small Batch Bowmore 2001 – 13 Year – 46% – Bourbon Hogsheads – 678 Bottles – 18 in Canada – My Tasting Note: “Nose: grassy, salty and a tad medicinal with smouldering cigar smoke; some honey and vanilla hidden under wet leaf litter and a hint of rubber: Palate: creamy and toasty with more ashy-smouldering-cigar smoke and some soft sweet oak; the medicinal, almost Laphroaig like palate has some dark edges but stays soft and sweet; Finish: sweet, creamy and mouthwatering with fading smoke and honey; Comments: an unusual, but very satisfying Bowmore.” – $91.99
2. Cadenhead Small Batch BenRiach 1996 – 18 Year – 46% – Bourbon Hogsheads – 312 Bottles – 12 in Canada – My Tasting Note: “Nose: spicy with melons, almond and assorted mixed nuts; soft vanilla and creamy toasted oak over some candy-apple and poached pear; Palate: creamy and juicy with some light, decadent spice; more of the candy-apple and poached pear with traces of chewy malt and soft toasty oak; Finish: long, drying and still juicy with loads of vanilla, white fruits and fading spice.” – $111.99
3. Cadenhead Small Batch Tomatin 1994 – 19 Year – 46% – Bourbon Hogsheads – 534 Bottles – 18 in Canada – My Tasting Note: “Nose: soft and creamy, with honey, grasses, white fruits and a touch of melon; there is a decadent sugary side and subtle toasty oak with a hint of juniper; Palate:still soft, creamy, fruity and grassy with more toasty oak and gentle spices; the barley shines through with some growing citrus and orange rind, stone fruits emerge with some juniper berry; white fruits and melon round things out with some white sugar; Finish: long, soft and malty .” – $112.99
4. Cadenhead Small Batch Deanston 1994 – 19 Year – 56.4% – Sherry Butts – 846 Bottles – 30 in Canada – My Tasting Note: “Nose: Italian salami (curious), honey and toasted oak; citrus and oils add some depth with new leather car seats and newly waxed skis; Palate: fruitier and softer than expected with waxy fruits, honey and spices; more new leather (gently used) with some emerging dark fruits, chocolate and classic sherry notes; layers continue to develop as it opens up and the palate adjusts to its strength;Finish: long fruity and coating with mix more leather, waxy notes and tingling spice.” – $129.99
5. Cadenhead Small Batch Bladnoch 1992 – 21 Year – 54.9% – Bourbon Hogsheads – 510 Bottles – 24 in Canada – My Tasting Note: “Nose: very honeyed and toffeed with browning apple, sauteed sliced pear, some chewy malt and creamy vanilla; Palate: like an overwhelming assault carried out with a velvet touch; I almost can’t wrap my heading around everything that’s happening; the honey and vanilla notes are there with some toasted coconut, candy-apple and more pan sauteed sliced pear; there is malt and lots of creamy oak with dancing decadent spices and floral tones; Finish:long and layered and creamy with the spices fading first followed in order by the fruit and then the oak; the creamy toffee lasts longest. – $143.99
6. Cadenhead Small Batch North British 1989 – 24 Year – 46% – Single Bourbon Barrel – 240 Bottles – 12 in Canada (only 2 left!) – My Tasting Note: “Nose: butterscotch and Werther’s Original caramels, spring flowers in the Rockies, Kettle corn and buttery toasty oak; Palate: soft, smooth and very toasty with loads of honey, silky-grainy-oils, more Werther’s caramels and butterscotch ice-cream; the kettle/caramel corn notes are still there with deft oak and more floral top notes; some candied orange and lemon citrus;Finish: medium length with soft coating toasty oak, honey and citrus with fading corn.” – $159.99
7. Cadenhead Small Batch Auchroisk 1989 – 24 Year – 57.5% – Sherry Butts – 1140 Bottles – 42 in Canada – My Tasting Notes: “Nose: leathery and earthy with raisins, dates and figs, roasted nuts and under ripe oranges; rich Oloroso sherry notes and musty old oak; Palate: big-nutty-Oloroso sherry, firm leather, damp tobacco, cloves, black licorice, burnt orange peel and black pepper; burnt raisins, bacon wrapped dates and Christmas cake;Finish: long, rich, nutty and leathery with fading raisins and Christmas cake.” – $190.99
8. Cadenhead Small Batch Glen Garioch 1990 – 24 Year – 47.8% – Bourbon Hogsheads – 390 Bottles – 12 in Canada – My Tasting Note: “Nose: honeyed and citric with hay and wet earth and faint smoke; lots of juicy citrus fruits on the nose make way for a baseline of creamy vanilla; Palate: still juicy and toasty the palate is surprisingly peated with lots of clean, crisp smoke; the creamy vanilla still provides a firm backbone with more wet leaves and earthy oak while dried orange peel develops with lemon cough drops; Finish: the smoke fades as the palate adjust into the backgrounds allowing the vanilla, citrus and malt to delight on the finish.” – $195.99
9. Cadenhead Small Batch Glen Grant 1989 – 21 Year – 55.5% – Single Bourbon Barrel – 186 Bottles – 6 in Canada (3 left!) – My Tasting Note: “Nose: hard fruit candies, strawberry Twizzlers and orange Creamsicles, assorted dry spices. grassy malt and old toasty oak; some orange and fresh mint with white orchard fruits; Palate: very sweet, fruity and rich with layers of spice, creamy oak and floral barley; starts sugary before the spices take command, fading into the oak and lingering white fruit; at first a tad punchy (it is 55.5%) it quickly mellows to reveal some melon and more orange Creamsicle; Finish: long, coating, sugary and creamy; strawberry Twizzlers, orange Creamsicle and heather honey at the end.” – $209.99
10. Cadenhead Small Batch Linkwood 1987 – 26 Year – 56.8% – 2 Sherry Butts – 592 Bottles – 36 in Canada – My Tasting Note: “Nose: hfloral, toasty and citric with a hint of pine; French bakery notes, fruit flan, orange and melon; Palate: lush, coating and toasty with more French baked goods, candied orange and melons; becomes more floral, with white chocolate and juicy oak; the spices develop in layers first candied ginger, then cloves, cinnamon and finally black pepper; Finish: long, coating and toasty with drying oak, floral tones, gentle spice and a return of the hints of pine.” -$284.99
11. Cadenhead Small Batch Dufftown 1979 – 34 Year – 48% – Single Sherry Butt – 216 Bottles – 12 in Canada – My Tasting Note: “Nose: incredibly fruity, with a lovely antique character similar to Comapss Box’s “The General”; very soft leather, Fig Newtons and strawberry preserves with round but yielding oak and rich spice; there is some marmalade and a hint of polished Italian leather shoes; Palate: more intense fruit with more leather, some chocolate and e trace of espresso; the fruit ranges from tropical and citric to dried and dark with much in between; spices and tobacco develop along with some mango chutney; Finish: long, rich and leathery with dried fruits and a slowly emerging nuttiness; the leather, tobacco, spices and fruit all have their turn;Comment: one of the finest Dufftown’s I’ve had!” – $401.99
12. Cadenhead Small Batch Dalmore 1976 – 37 Year – 46.2% – Single Sherry Butt – 150 Bottles – 6 in Canada (2 left!) – Producer’s Tasting Note: “Nose: sweet and syruppy with a very thick feeling nose. Strawberry syrup and raspberry sorbet. Lots of juicy fruits. Very fresh with a faint hint of tobacco. Palate: runny toffee, a hint of oak but balanced by oranges, lemon zest and grapefruits. Soft spice notes- star anise, allspice and faint cinnamon. Finish: Lingering spiciness, a touch of fresh wood and lots of oily fruitiness. A contemplative whisky.” – $479.99
13. Cadenhead Small Batch Glenfiddich 1973 – 41 Year – 43.1% – Ex-Bourbon Hogshead – 96 Bottles – 6 in Canada (3 left!) – My Tasting Note: “Nose: soft, elegant, floral and seductive; there is a silkiness from the American oak casks it matured in that rounds off exotic fruits like kiwi and papaya; spices, cream and white chocolates filled with old cognac;Palate: lots of weight for its strength, and a big creamy body that exhibits more silky oak, white chocolate and honey comb; the exotic fruits are still there with more hints of ginger and nutmeg; peaches in cream emerge with lemon drops and the softest, most supple leather; Finish: long, coating and creamy, and only just starting to show it advanced age with a hint of bitter oak; the fruits, spices and leather slowly fade, leaving the honeycomb, cream and white chocolate all on their own;Comment: a quarter the price of the distillery bottling, and simply stunning!” – $1,099.99

 
Introducing the G&M Dallas Dhu 1975

Another gem from this rarely seen closed distillery!

Dallas Dhu closed in 1983 and was converted into a museum. It is located on the southern edge of the town of Forres and is a beautiful little distillery. There has never been an official release, and even independent bottlings are few and far between. Gordon & MacPhail has been bottlings Dallas Dhu for decades, and does so under a semi-official label. It is the closest thing you’ll ever get to an official release from the distillery. We had a lovely 1979 from them last year, replaced by this older 1975 vintage. I first sampled it this spring in Scotland and was impressed.

G&M Dallas Dhu 1975 – 40% – 2013 Bottling – 38 Year – Matured in Refill Bourbon Barrels – My Tasting Note: “Nose: silky with sugary tendrils, soft floral top notes and honey, lots and lots of honey; there is a touch of tangy citrus that makes way for pear drops and tropical melon and papaya; surprisingly there is a little malt complimenting the deft toasty oak; Palate: mouth-watering and buttery with some orange rind and lots of Demerara like sugars; creamy, almost silky with some toasty oak, chewy malt and prominent melon notes; the palate like the nose has a silkiness to it, floral top notes and lots of depth; heather honey and white chocolate come to dominate with time dragging along some mango salsa; Finish: long, creamy and very smooth this is a classic-elegant-older American oak matured whisky character; Comments: rare as it is, it won’t last long on the shelf or in your glass.” – $429.99

Introducing the Littlemill 21 Year 2nd Release

The second and final release of Littlemill 21 Year!

Like the Dallas Dhu mentioned above Littlemill is an increasingly rare closed distillery. Were it still in operation today it would be Scotland’s oldest distillery, having been in production since at least 1772. There is some evidence that the distillery may have been producing as far back as the 1750’s. The Lowland distillery located just north-west of Glasgow practiced the traditional triple distillation associated with the region util the 1930’s. Thereafter it used a pair of copper pot stills. The distillery closed in 1992 and was partially dismantled a few years later. The remaining buildings burned down after some others had been demolished in 2004.

Though the distillery may have closed, some of its whisky has survived to this day. The owners released a 21 year old last year, and the 2nd and final edition of it has only just landed in Alberta. KWM is expecting just 42 bottles, 24 of which have already sold. This beautiful whisky is very limited and highly collectible. There is no word on whether there will be any future official releases. If there are any they are likely to be older, more limited and pricier.

Littlemill 21 Year 2nd Release – 47% – 4,550 Bottled Produced – My Tasting Note: “Nose: the nose is honeyed and silky with lots of cream; the fruits are fresh and diverse, ranging from apples and pears to honey dew melon and more exotic tropical fruits; vanilla pods, and white chocolate sauce drizzled over berry fruits; floral with soft oak and crushed mint leaf; Palate: it immediately coats your palate with fresh cream, more vanilla-white chocolate and floral top notes; crushed mint leaves and toasty oak with malt and emerging fruits: first the white, then some melon (honey dew and cantaloupe rind), then some pineapple and tart mango; Finish: long coating and creamy this is a very fine and delicate older-American oak matured whisky; Comment: very sad that this distillery was lost and that we won’t see much of its whisky moving forward!” – $259.99

 

Introducing the Kilchoman Small Batch!

Discovered by yours truly at the distillery in May.

Islay’s Kilchoman distillery is approaching its 10th Anniversary, which it will be celebrating in 2015. Its first whisky started hitting store shelves after just 3 years, and quickly garnered a cult reputation. KWM’s been a big fan of Kilchoman from the word go, and over the years we’ve bottled 3 exclusive single casks from the distillery. We are currently working our way through the last few cases of a 2008 5 year old single cask we brought in for Christmas last year. While visiting the distillery in May of this year, Anthony Wills the founder, poured me a samlpe of the Kilchoman Small Batch. The Small Batch is usually only available from the distillery visitor center, and select markets, too small to take on full casks. I immediately knew we had to get some, and Anthony was kind enough to part with a few cases. Only 42 bottles are coming to the market, exclusively available from KWM in Calgary.

Kilchoman Small Batch 2008 – 58.2% – Matured in 1st Fill Bourbon – Finished in Sherry – 1000 Bottles – Distilled: October 2008 – Bottled: November 30th 2013 – My Tasting Note: “Nose: lots of vanilla, toffee and coconut with soft creamy oak and richer caramel and butterscotch notes behind; floral and cleanly smoked there is lots of malt, some sea salt and some honey soaked fruits; decadent, savoury and soft; Palate: creamy, rich, floral and malty, there is a lot going on here with the Bourbon and sherry influences balancing out the firm salty peat; chewy malt, sea salt and fragrant peat smote collide into a wall of vanilla cream, icing sugar, soft leather and dark fruits; dark spices emerge with earthier-muddy-peat and steamed mussels; Finish: long and creamy with more powdered sugar, dried fruits and spice all over a backbone of firm black peat and sea salt.” – $139.99

  

Introducing the Tomatin Cu Bocan 1989

Only 60 bottles coming to Alberta!

We’ve had the regular Cu Bocan ($66) in stock for about a year now, and it has become one of our core offerings. The whisky takes its name from the legendary “Ghost Dog” which has stalked the hills and moors surrounding the town of Tomatin. According to legend it is encountered infrequently, once in a generation, and always a terrifying experience. One story talks of a distillery worker out walking late at night, he is chased by the black hound mercilessly with steam flaming from its nostrils. No longer able to outrun the beast the worker stops and for some reason reaches out to touch the demon dog dense black coat. In an instant the beast turns to a puff of blue smoke that rapidly disperses into the moorland. One might

A very rare vatting of 3 peated barrels from 1989 discovered by the distillery’s staff. Only 1080 bottles have been released world-wide with just 60 coming to Alberta. We have access to 18 bottles more than half of which have already sold! Bottled in a one off bespoke bottle and box, I had the privilege to sample this rare whisky at the distillery in May. Our visit to Tomatin was without doubt one of the highlights of a trip which was not short on memorable experiences and whiskies.

Tomatin Cu Bocan 1989 – 53.2% – 24 Year – 1080 Bottles – 60 to Alberta – My Tasting Note: “Nose: floral and fruity with just a hint of smoke, spice and wet leaves; the nose it soft, decadent, honeyed and creamy with some marmalade; Palate: soft peaty malt builds into oranges, spices and clean smoke; earthier notes slowly evolve with some sugars, toasty oak and darker fruits; melons and pineapples quietly develop with damp mint leaves and loads more honey; the smoke returns at times but is always clean and crisp; Finish: long, sweet and earthy with more spice, fruits and toasted oak.” – $394.99

 

Re-Introducing Benromach 1969!

One of the rarest whiskies you’ve never heard of!

This is a truly stunning whisky, and a classic older sherry cask matured whisky. The production is from 14 years prior to Benromachs closure in 1983. When reopened by Gordon & MacPhail in the late 1990s it had new kit and a changed profile. In some ways this whisky is like that from a closed distillery, as good as the new production is (and it is good), it is nothing like the old. This is also the product of just two sherry Butts and accordingly very limited. Gordon & MacPhail has never acknowledged exactly how much is left. Every time we bring it in, the price inches up a little more. It won’t be around much longer!

Benromach 1969 – 42 Year – 43% – Matured in Refill Sherry Butts – Casks 2006 and 2008 – My Tasting Note: “Nose: classic-older sherry matured whisky, antique, like walking into a library of mahogany shelves filled with old leather-bound books; there are some stunning tropical fruits, the softest leather imaginable, gentle pipe tobacco and some candied fruit; there’s spice and chocolate too to round out the profile; Palate: just as the nose hinted, the palate is a stunner with more antique-sherry-matured whisky notes; subtle yet deep the palate opens up in layers; there is some rich tropical fruit (mangoes and papaya especially), with fruity chocolate, sugar plums and the finest dark Christmas cake; the profile moves towards leather and tobacco, but not at the expense of other flavours; event the spices and sugars are in a fine balance with a little clove and moist brown sugar; Finish: hard to imagine it getting much better than this; the finish is long, smooth and balanced, replaying the highlights from the palate and nose.” -$1299.99

Up Coming Tastings

Nikka, Arran, Bruichladdich and Macallan!

1. Lost in Translation: Quickie Edition – Friday August 22 – We’re very fortunate to get some exceptional Japanese whiskies through our shop. This tasting will be a quick and dirty rundown of our most popular! 6 – 7 pm – $40 – Just 2 spots left!
2. All About Arran – Thursday August 28 – Come in for a quick and easy stand-up tasting of 4 limited Arran single malts: including two casks exclusively available from KWM, the new 17 Year and a new Premium Barrel release. 6 – 7 pm – $30
3. Bruichladdich w/ Jim McEwan 5PM – Tuesday September 9 – Jim McEwan was the chief visionary behind the revival of Bruichladdich and is one of the most captivating brand ambassadors in the world of whisky. We’ll be putting on two back to back tasting with Jim to highlight this very special distillery and its cult whiskies. Tues Sept 9th 5pm – $30
4. Bruichladdich w/ Jim McEwan 7:30PM – Tuesday September 9 – Jim McEwan was the chief visionary behind the revival of Bruichladdich and is one of the most captivating brand ambassadors in the world of whisky. We’ll be putting on two back to back tasting with Jim to highlight this very special distillery and its cult whiskies. Tues Sept 9th 730pm – $30
5. Independent Macallan – Tuesday September 16 – There is perhaps no more iconic single malt whisky than The Macallan. It is the Cadillac of single malts and an aspirational brand the world over. We’ll take a look at the distillery, exclusively, with independent bottlings going back to 1970! Tues Sept 16th 7pm – $80
To register visit us online or call 403-283-8000.

 

Coming Soon: Rare Whiskies from Silver Seal!

Glendronach, Glenfarclas, Caol Ila and Longmorn!

Silver Seal is a very small premium independent bottler based in Italy. They bottle single malts as well as rums, selling them primarily to the Italian market but also to Asia, most especially Taiwan. I managed to a get a small amount of some recent Silver Seal Bottlings for KWM. Here’s what’s coming, we are taking pre-orders:
1. Silver Seal Caol Ila 31 Year – 54.2% – 89pts Serge @ Whisky Fun: “The peat is already ‘degraded’, which is great mind you because with age, peat can ‘explode’ into many phenolic smells plus tropical fruits (think old Bowmore or Laphroaig). It’s rather linseed oil here, passion fruits, motor oil, green cigars, then kippers again and maybe ‘old seashells’. Empty ones, gathered at low tide. Nice touches of ‘a pack of lemon drops’ -$549.99
2. Silver Seal Glendronach 22 Year – 52.1% – 90pts Serge @ Whisky Fun: “Comments: careful with water, a few drops work perfectly but too much water lets some dry tannins come out. Colour: light mahogany. Nose: this one’s drier, more mineral, more austere. There’s more dark chocolate, maybe a little raspberry jam, some Spanish ham, dried porcinis again, more chocolate, balsamic vinegar, even more chocolate. Finish: long, between chocolate and those herbs. Anyway, it’s another superb sherried Glendronach.” -$314.99
3. Silver Seal Glenfarclas 40 Year – 52% – Only 6btls! – Whisky Notes 92pts: “Nose: starts pretty compact with precious wood and dried fruits. Hints of beef stock. Quite heavy overall, but more complex than most other heavily sherried whiskies. Mouth: rich, with sweet, herbal and softly sour flavours. Hints of gingerbread and liquorice, but it’s nicely un-oaky. Finish: long, spicier and drier, but still a lot of dried fruits.” – $799.99
4. Silver Seal Longmorn 21 Year – 58.8% – More details to come soon! – $299.99

Coming Soon: G&M Speymalt Macallans!

Three vintages and they’ll all be tasted in early September!

Gordon & MacPhail bottles a series of single malt whiskies from one of the world’s most famous distilleries – Macallan. Established in 1824 the distillery overlooks some of the finest fishing beats on the River Spey. Gordon & MacPhail has been bottling and selling Macallan, especially older expressions, longer even than the distillery. Many of the single cask in Macallans Fine & Rare Collection were actually bought back from Gordon & MacPhail. Always good quality bottlings, the best part is that the prices for the Speymalt range are much more competitive.

1. G&M Speymalt Macallan 1993 – 43% – 1st Fill and Refill Sherry Butts – Producer’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Rich Sherry influences with red apple, raisin and beeswax aromas. Delicate menthol and toasted malt edge develops. Palate: Black pepper initially with cooked pear, ripe banana and cocoa flavours. Subtle cigar ash and dark chocolate edge develops.” – $139.99
2. G&M Speymalt Macallan 1981 – 43% – 3 First Fill Bourbon Casks – Producer’s Tasting Note: “Sweet vanilla with cinnamon, stewed apple and dried apricot aromas, the palate is peppery and sweet with orange and ripe banana flavours, the finish is creamy with a milk chocolate edge.” – $509.99
3. G&M Speymalt Macallan 1970 – 43% – First Fill Sherry Butts – Producer’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Initial burst of sherry sweetness, with subtle rum and raisin notes. Some marzipan and almonds with a hint of vanilla lingering. Some subtle bees wax polish and a touch of charred oak develop. Palate: Sweet and Sherried, with Christmas cake influences and some hints of warm festive spices. Followed by some dark chocolate with a burst of citrus peel.” – $849.99

Independent Macallan – Tuesday September 16th – 7PM – There is perhaps no more iconic single malt whisky than The Macallan, it is the Cadillac of single malts and an aspirational brand all over the world. We’ll take a look at the distillery, exclusively with independent bottlings going back to 1970! – $80

Coming Soon: Kensington Wine Market 2014 Whisky Advent Calendar!

Taking Pre-Orders for: “24 Days of Dram Fine Whisky!”

Kensington Wine Market 2014 Whisky Advent Calendar – Although it sold out well before its arrival, we didn’t feel last year’s Advent Calendar was good value, so this year we’ve put our own together. A total of 288 will be produced, and we are taking orders for them now. They will retail for $359.99 + GST. You can reserve them now for a $150 deposit. Each KWM 2014 Whisky Advent Calendar contains 24 unique 50ml whiskies and a specially marked Glencairn glass. The actual list of whisky is a surprise, and we’ll know you’ll enjoy it. If you are looking for an enticement, one of the whiskies is 40 years old and retails for more than $700 a bottle (750ml)! This is the perfect pre-Christmas gift for the whisky lover in your life, and a great way to lift your spirits. Slainté! $359.99

 

The Macallan ‘M’ is Available Again!

The Pinnacle Dram in the 1824 Collection

This has been our hottest selling premium whisky over the last 10 months. Frankly we’ve had a hard time working through our list of requests. Well we’ve finally done so, and I have 2 further bottles available to us. It is a stunning whisky, classic older sherry cask whisky in a beautiful decanter. This is the pinnacle of Macallan’s 1824 Series, and by far the oldest and rarest whisky in their stable. A 6L version sold at auction in January 2014 for north of $630,000.00 US, making it the world’s most expensive whisky! We poured it at a tasting this winter, and it was a huge hit!

Macallan ‘M’ – 44.7% – My Tasting Note: “Nose: raspberry sauce, damp Christmas cake, nutty Oloroso sherry and tingling spices; some hints of vanilla and dark sugars with treacle sauce and chocolate coated coffee bean; melons, pineapple and other tropical fruits emerge with some patience before being replaced by leather and tobacco; and then it is on to the spices, cinnamon sticks, powdered ginger and cardamom; Palate: immediately fruity with flavour tendrils spreading in a bewildering number of directions; classic Christmas cake and nutty sherry notes make way for the finest soft leather and soft cigar tobacco; more chocolate, coffee bean, maple syrup and now some sweet Panda Brand black licorice; the fruits emerge again as the sherry and leathery notes recede showing some orange peel, melons, mangoes and a hint of pineapple; I could go on; Finish: varies by sip, at times a wave of spices rippling across the tongue; other sips fade into soft leather and nutty sherry or old earthy Dunnage sherry notes; but it is always long, complex and fruity; Comments: the haters will say what they will about the lack of an age statement and the price point, that is until they try it, this is one hell of a good whisky. ” – $3799.99

Last chance to join the October Kentucky Bourbon Tour!

6 days and 7 nights in Bourbon Country!

The trip will begin in Louisville and conclude in Lexington. The price will include accommodation for 7 nights, 2 in Louisville, 1 in Bardstown and 4 in Lexington; October 4-11. The reason four nights are being spent in the latter location is the proximity of distilleries. I have two prices for the trip, one is for single occupancy and the other is for double whether as a couple or two individuals with separate beds. The costs are approximate and will be confirmed 1 month prior to the trip. Estimates:
– Single Occupancy $3615/person
– Double Occupancy $5469/couple ($2735each)
Price includes:
• Accommodation at good hotels.
o Marriot Louisville Downtown
o Hilton Lexington
• Ground Transportation
• Dinner on the Lexington Dinner Train
• Distillery Visitor Center and Tasting costs.
Price doesn’t include:
• Flights
• Most meals.
• Golf or Other add on activities.
The rough itinerary is as follows, some items may shift and or be replaced:

Day 1 – Saturday October 4 – Calgary to Louisviller
– Accommodation – Louisville
Day 2 – Sunday October 5 – Louisville Area
– Golf AM or Alternate Activity
– Evan Williams Bourbon Experience
– Jim Beam Distillery
– Accommodation – Louisville
Day 3 – Monday October 6 – Bardstown
– Heaven Hill
– Barton
– Willet
– Accommodation – Bardstown
Day 4 – Tuesday October 7 – Bardstown to Lexington
– Marker’s Mark
– Four Rosses
– Wild Turkey
– Accommodation – Lexington
Day 5 – Wednesday October 8 – Lexington
– Golf or Alternate Activitiy
– Other Activity
– Accommodation – Lexington
Day 6 – Thursday October 9 – Around Lexington
– Wild Turkey (if not above)
– Woodford
– Town Branch
– Accommodation – Lexington
Day 7 – Friday October 10 – Around Lexington
– Buffalo Trace
– Accommodation – Lexington

The Ardbeg Star Weekend in Lake Louise!

Friday September 19th 2014 Fairmont Lake Louise

Space is full of stars, planets, asteroids and comets… and Ardbeg!

Since we launched Ardbeg’s first whisky experiment in 2011 it has been orbiting the planet on the International Space station at 17,227 miles per hour, 15 times a day. The experiment is due back on Earth in the coming months, where the maturation secrets of the universe will be revealed at events across the Globe!

Our Canadian members are invited to join Ardbeg Ambassador Ruaraidh MacIntyre as he leads you through different tastings and culinary matches; Star viewing with renowned science journalist and space expert Peter McMahon; visual entertainment with an amazing party atmosphere!

Date: FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2014

Location: THE FAIRMOUNT CHATEAU LAKE LOUISE

Time: Festivities start at 19:00hrs and continue on to the wee small hours…

Tickets: Tickets and room rates start at $273 (based on double occupancy) and can be booked online at resweb.passkey.com/go/chartonhobbs

SPACE IS LIMITED AND THE BOOKING DEADLINE IS AUGUST 31 2014

For more information contact Charton Hobbs at 403.640.2022

Coming Soon: New Signatory Exclusives!

New casks from some favourite old distilleries!

More details to come soon:

1. Signatory Bruichladdich 1990 23 Year – $234.99
2. Signatory Bunnahabhain 1988 25 Year – $264.99
3. Signatory Caol Ila 1983 30 Year – $399.99
4. Signatory Imperial 1995 18 Year – $164.99

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, 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

Owner & Opperator
Ferguson’s Whisky Tours
www.fergusonwhiskytours.com
scotchguide@fergusonwhiskytours.com

Kensington Wine Market
403-283-8000

 

The Lonach Highland Gathering is today! So come and see us for a wee dram and buy your exclusive bottle of Lonach 2014 Single Malt.

We are hosting the “Whiskies Of Scotland” whisky marquee there. See you all there!

Slainte, Ronnie Routledge.

IWSC Gold Medal Winner 2014…

Highland Queen 1561 30 Year Old Blended Whisky 40% | 70cl
Save £20.00 (RRP £120.00)

IWSC Gold Medal Winner 2014

Highland Queen 1561 has been produced using traditional cask maturation, where the malt and grain whiskies are blended together and then recasked into barrels for further maturation for a period of at least six months.
This allows the whiskies to marry together perfectly to give an incredibly smooth blended whisky.

This is a superb example of a vintage, traditionally produced super premium Scotch whisky.

“The result we leave, with confidence to your judgement”

Tasting Notes.
The sweetness from the sherry cask comes through on the nose, together with notes of butterscotch, leather and spices. We can also detect hints of cinnamon and apple. In the mouth the whisky is exceptionally smooth and elegant, there are hints of smoke and an underlying flavor of cinnamon apple crumble. The finish is long and elegant.

Price: £83.33 ex VAT
£100.00 inc VAT