www.ralfy.com  reveals a good value aged malt bottled in disguise – Whisky Review 469 – Stronachie 18yo malt @ 46%

NEW ARRIVALS

Japan – Single Malt Scotch

• White Oak Akashi Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($89.99)

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Medley Bros. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 750ml ($22.99)

K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com/
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

I hope you are all very well and have been able to enjoy some nice weather this Summer. We have been very lucky here in Campbeltown with lots of sunshine so fingers crossed it stays this way for a little while longer! Just sending you a quick newsflash regarding a new bottling while I get my next newsletter together.  

Last Tuesday (24th June 2014) we bottled a special 30 year old blended whisky called Spirit of Freedom. This was bottled to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn where Robert the Bruce led Scotland to victory in one of the most famous events in the wars of independence. The Spirit of Freedom has been bottled at 46% ABV and consists of 75% malt whiskies from across Scotland and 25% grain whisky. Only 2,014 bottles are available, with 6 of these signed by Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, who visited Springbank in August 2013. I have attached the product sheet to this email for you which gives the tasting notes and a little more information on the bottling. 

Now for the fun bit – we will be auctioning off a Limited Edition pair of Spirit of Freedom bottles – one has been signed by First Minister, Alex Salmond and the other by Springbank & Glengyle Distillery Manager, Gavin McLachlan. Funds raised by the auction will be donated to the Yes Argyll campaign.  

The auction has now started and will end at 4pm BST on Friday 11th July 2014. The highest bid currently stands at £300.00. If you would like to make a bid to win these unique bottles then please send your offer, along with your name, address and contact telephone number to: auction@springbankwhisky.com. Each Friday, an update will be made on the Springbank Distillers Facebook page and an email will be sent to all bidders stating the current highest bid.  

If you would like to buy an unsigned bottle of this whisky, it is now available for purchase from our Campbeltown Cadenhead Shop and will be available in other UK outlets, including our Cadenhead shops in Edinburgh and London, within the next couple of weeks. The price is £75.00 and unfortunately because it’s so limited, Society Members will not receive their 10% discount on this bottle. If you would like to purchase a bottle from our Cadenhead Shop in Campbeltown, can I please ask you to contact our shop directly. We will only have a limited number of bottles so they will be able to advise on stock availability much quicker than me! The shop can be contacted by emailing shop@wmcadenhead.com or called on +44 (0) 1586 55 1710 (option 1) 

Finally, my sincere apologies if you are still waiting for a reply about purchasing a bottle of the latest Society 14 year old Local Barley bottling (released May 2014). So many emails built up after sending the last newsletter giving details of the new bottling and with the Malts Festival combined with a few days holiday, it has been difficult to get through them as quickly as I would have liked to. Thank you for your patience with this and if you have emailed and haven’t heard back then you should receive a reply within the next couple of weeks. Anyone who has already emailed for a bottle is now on the purchase list and will receive one so please don’t panic! Apologies once again and the next time we release a Society bottling it will be much better timed – I promise!  

Be in touch soon!  

Slainte, 

Mairi  

Mairi Paterson 

For the Springbank Society

 To join the Springbank Society please contact them at society@springbankwhisky.com

Lismore

A Refreshing Value in Quality Single-Malts 

Lismore is a small independent bottler of Speyside single-malts. We just got in two of their bottlings: Lismore 15 year old and Lismore 18 year old.

Since they are single-malts I know that the contents of each bottle came from a single distillery, I don’t know if they came from the same distillery (I think not). The Lismore people didn’t tell me how they got these casks. I do have my theories…. 

I do know that both are very nice drams. Finding a nice single-malt isn’t hard of course; finding one at a great price is increasingly challenging.

Now and then, a little mystery can be a price worth paying for such extraordinary value. Wherever these Lismores come from, the whisky is a real treat.

Deals like this don’t last long. We have bottles left. 

Lismore 15 year old 40% The color of a 15 year old copper still. The nose is majestic, elegant, and living up to all expectations. Heather honey tones and orange peel are topped with a drizzle of maple syrup. $54.99 

Lismore 18 year old 40% Smooth, polished oak appearance. Sherried aroma with light cinnamon undertones. Notes of toffee, butterscotch and cotton candy. $74.99 

Check our website for more offers on whisky 

Email: info@federalwine.com

Phone: (617) 367-8605

Web: http://www.federalwine.com/ 

This week Joe Ellis reviews Jura Tastival Bottling for 2014. 

http://youtu.be/Hvp7cEGxx3I 

http://Facebook.com/whiskytube 

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

Along with the new small batch range we have another London exclusive from Miltonduff distillery 20 year old 1994 fresh bourbon oak cask, this is the second in our series of classic oaks we will be selecting for London, if you missed our last newsletter with the Clynelish 24 year old then have a look at the tasting notes to see how a refill bourbon barrel matured whisky compares to the fresh fill of the Miltonduff cask!

Miltonduff-Glenlivet Distillery 1994
20 Year Old – 70cl / 50.4%

240 bottles from this fresh fill bourbon oak cask bottled exclusively for London.

Nose: Lots of vanilla, honeycomb, lemon icing and soft citrus notes, toffee popcorn and fruit cake.

Palate: The nose has truly lead you into a great dram as you take the first sip of this astounding malt. Sweet toffee, some lime notes followed by vanilla pods, some dried berries and a little nuttiness fill the whole palate, even without water this is a rich smooth dram.

Finish: Very refreshing, marzipan, traditional lemonade and runny toffee moth coating richness to the end.

Clynelish Distillery 1990 24 Year Old Special Bottling – 70cl / 47.5%

World Exclusive for Cadenhead’s London. 228 bottles only

Nose: Mandarins, lemon thyme, sweet vanilla and juicy red apples.

Palate: White chocolate, orange bitters, pine needles and custard creams. Rich rounded palate lifts again with a hint of sweet sea breeze.

Finish: Crisp and zesty, touch of brown sugar, banana bread and more white chocolate. This is a great dram form the start to the finish.

www.ralfy.com need some water to add to Whisky Review 468 – Royal Lochnagar 12yo

HAPPY CANADA DAY, eh?

Malt Messenger Bulletin – The Ardbeg Tractour & KWM’s Summer Tasting Schedule

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

Summer is here, the days are long, and as the song says, the living is easy. Take advantage of those longer days to check out some of our new summer tastings, just posted online today! The theme is “Quickies and Afternoon Delights”, and these fun 1 hour tastings (starting at 6PM) will get you in and out in enough time for dinner or drinks on the patio. Pop in on your way home from work or before heading out on the town. We have a wide range of wine, whisky, beer and cocktail classes with which to delight you. More details below and on our tasting registration page.

One of the most exciting events coming up in the next few months is the visit of the Ardbeg Tractour to Calgary. The Gateway to the Rockies is the only stop in Canada for this marvel of farming machinery, and it will be parked out in front of Kensington Wine Market on Friday July 11 while two back to back Ardbeg Master Classes hosted by Ruaraidh McIntyre take place in side. The tastings are a bargain at just $20, and will take place from 5-7 and 7-8PM. More details below and on our tasting registration page.

One of the most exciting new whiskies to come into KWM recently is the Gordon & MacPhail Glentauchers 1994. Very few bottlings are seen from this elusive Speyside distillery, and this one caught our attention when it scored 96.5pts in the Whisky Bible. It is a KWM exclusive and sells for the very reasonable $115. More details on the Glentauchers can be found below, drop in for a sample!

Finally, Glenfarclas’ long awaited 60 Year Old whisky is to be launched in Canada this fall, and is available for special order. It is expected to retail at $22,000.00. Details on the whisky can be found below. Anyone looking for a bottle before Christmas needs to special order it by Thursday July 3rd, 2014. Pricing in Alberta is very competitive with the Global list.

I hope you enjoy this Malt Messenger Bulletin, and I hope we’ll see you in store at one of our exciting new tastings.

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

Our Summer Tasting Schedule is Open for Registraion!

Tantalize Your Taste Buds!

Drop in to the store, call 403-283-8000, or better yet register online for our summer tastings!

The Ardbeg Tractour is Coming!

And Calgary is its only stop in Canada!

Just in time for the Calgary Stampede, the Ardbeg Tractor is coming to Calgary, and specifically to the Kensington Wine Market, North America’s first Ardbeg Embassy. The Ardbeg Tractor will be parked out in front of Kensington Wine Market on Friday July 11 to give our customers a chance to see it and sample some whisky. We have two back to back Ardbeg Master Classes (5-6 and 7-8PM), to be hosted by Ruaraidh McIntyre. These tastings will feature 5 Ardbeg expressions including Galileo and the new Auriverdes for the bargain price of just $20. Call the store to register, or Register Online.

On Saturday July 12 the Ardbeg Tractor is rolling into the National on 10th Ave (341 10th Avenue SW) for an event from 3 to 7PM. The complimentary event (RSVP to katy@bondpr.ca) will give guest the opportunity to sample Ardbeg-inspired appetizers and complimentary Ardbeg cocktails created by National’s mixologists Stephen Phipps and Alex Newman.

Whisky of the Summer? Drop in and sample Gordon & MacPhail Glentauchers 1994 and decide for yourself!

Exclusive to KWM, 96.5pts Whisky Bible!

Glentauchers distillery was built in 1898 at the height of what became known as a the Pattison Whisky Crash, the devasting bursting of a late 19th century industry bubble. Unlike many of the distilleries founded around that time it survived and has been in production for the most part ever since. From the bottler: ” The Glentauchers Distillery Company started as a joint venture between James Buchanan, the creator of the “Black & White” and “Buchanan” blends and WP Lowrie. The distillery was designed by local architect John Alcock.”

The distillery is currently owned by Pernod Ricard, and there are virtually no official bottlings. The closest thing available are those released by Gordon & MacPhail, such as this 1994 vintage which scored 96.5pts in the last edition of the Whisky Bible. On a recent visit to Gordon & MacPhail in Elgin, Scotland, I had a chance to sample it. My tasting note from that visit is below. The whisky is available exclusively from KWM in Alberta, and is a lovely summer dram!

G&M Glentauchers 1994 – 43% – Refill Sherry Butts & Recharred American Oak Hogsheads – My Tasting Note: “Nose: melons, pinapple and kiwi fruit; lots of honey, beeswax and citrus, subtle honey and soft floral tones; Palate: creamy, honeyed and still floral with smooth decadent oak and gentle spices; more melon and pineapple with a building creamy oakyness; Finish: long, clean and sweet, still fruity, soft and decadent.” – $114.99

Glenfarclas 60 Year 1954

Pre-Order by Thursday July 3rd

If the price of the whisky has caught you off guard, you can console yourself in the knowledge it could have been much higher. Demand for this highly collectible whisky was such that one Asian market apparently tried to buy it all and was prepared to pay to do so. Glenfarclas is a global brand, and they weren’t prepared to see it all go to one jurisdiction. Of the 360 bottles produced, 13 are slated to come to Canada. KWM is offering the whisky at pre-order price of $22,000.00, which is quite competitive considering the distillery is projecting a Global list price of more than $26,000.00 (£14,500.00).

Please find below the distillery’s press release. If you would like to order a bottle please contact us ASAP! From the Distillery:

“Ballindalloch, 6th of May 2014

J & G Grant launch 60 Year Old Glenfarclas

J & G Grant are delighted to announce the launch of a new 60 Year Old Glenfarclas. Only 360 bottles of this incredibly desira ble, rare single malt whisky will be produced offering a unique opportunity to acquire one of the oldest bottles ever released by this iconic family owned distillery.

Officially launched on the 3rd of April 2014 at the Nth Whisky Show in Las Vegas by George Grant, Glenfarclas’ Sales Director and 6th generation of the family, it will be rolled out across other key markets over the coming months.

George Grant says, ‘At a time when more and more distilleries are going down the no age statement route for their super premium products, we are delighted to be able to release this magnificent 60 year old Glenfarclas. My grandfather started laying down stocks for the future way back in the 50s, so it is thanks to his incredible foresight that we are able to bottle this today. I’m sure he would have been as impressed by it as I am.

Matured in a first fill sherry butt, it has an incredibly dark, rich mahogany colour. It is surprisingly vibrant with lots of dried fruits, demerara sugar and spice coming through on the nose as well as the rich, oaky tannins that one would expect from a whisky of this venerable age. The sherry influence really comes through on the palate, with rich treacle, bitter coffee and espresso notes all making an appearance. The finish is the longest I have ever experienced – 20 minutes later you will still be able to taste the subtle nuances of this incredible dram.’

The long family history and heritage is reflected in the packaging; a bespoke cut crystal decanter mirrors the shape of the classic Glenfarclas bottle while each side of the hexagonal presentation box represents one of the 6 generations of the Grant family to own and manage the distillery since 1865.

This is a truly exceptional bottle that will be sure to delight whisky aficionados around the globe. It is expected to retail for around £14,500.00.”

To pre-order a bottle send reply to this email or order it through our website!

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

Canadian Whisky News
Vol. 3 No. 3 – June 25, 2014

She’s A Canadian Whisky Icon!

Tish Harcus, brand ambassador for Canadian Club whisky and manager of the Canadian Club Heritage Centre, was named an Icon of Whisky at the World Whisky Awards held recently in London, England. The Canadian Club Heritage Centre is located at the distillery complex on Riverside Drive, in Windsor, Ontario, in the replica Florentine palace that was Hiram Walker’s office.

As well as learning the ins and outs of whisky making, visitors to the centre enter the subterranean speakeasy where Al Capone finalized many a whisky deal – some at gunpoint. More cerebral types may prefer the art gallery featuring some of Canada’s most renowned painters. All will learn the history of Canadian whisky while enjoying a fine dram (or two).

Congratulations to Harcus, Beam Canada, and Canadian Club brand owner, Suntory.

Whisky: The Manual

Dave Broom has been a whisky thought leader and taste maker for several decades. He was the first international writer ever to include well-researched and comprehensive coverage of Canadian whisky in his work. His most recent book, Whisky: The Manual provides new insights into the real joy of whisky – its myriad flavours. After delving into its history and how whisky is made, Broom sets us on a most enjoyable journey: teasing out the richest and most subtle of these flavours.

While he’s a Scot, who knows his Scotch, Broom emphasizes the pleasures of many whisky styles, illustrating his genuine enthusiasm for Canadian whisky with examples of how best to enjoy his favourites. Drinking customs he has picked up in his journeys around the world reveal just how much more there is to whisky than the serious contemplation of a neat dram.

Introducing five mixers used by whisky connoisseurs from around the world, Broom shows us which whiskies they work best with, and how. His highest accolades go, among others, to Seagram’s VO with coconut water and CC Premium with unsweetened green tea. With a page devoted to each of 102 whiskies from around the world, blends and single malts alike, Whisky: The Manual becomes a check list and a guide for those seeking an in-depth understanding of whisky flavours. Very highly recommended.

Available here on Amazon

Spammers Beware!

On July 1, it will become illegal to send spam in Canada. Yippee! It’s about time. There has been extensive discussion though, about how newsletters such as this one might be affected. It looks like Canadian Whisky News is exempt because most of our subscribers have added themselves to the mailing list. The rest are people with whom I have corresponded or exchanged business cards at whisky, cocktail and spirits events. As well, since this newsletter originates in the USA the whole discussion is likely moot.

Single Distillery Whisky

The cachet of whisky made in a single distillery is one of the special virtues often pointed to by lovers of single malt Scotch. But did you know that almost all single malts are really blends? Blends that is, of various malt whiskies, all distilled in one distillery and then aged for different periods of time in different types of barrels. Once they are ready, these diverse whiskies are brought together according to a deliberate recipe to create the consistent flavours we’ve come to expect from the brands we love.

For the most part, Canadian whisky is very much the same as single malt Scotch. The various component whiskies of an individual Canadian whisky brand are almost always made in a single distillery. While the pressures caused recently by growing demand for Canadian whisky have meant that, at least temporarily, a few brands currently include some whisky purchased from other distilleries, the overwhelming majority of Canadian whiskies are single distillery whiskies – just as single malt Scotch is.

Tasting Whiskey
A book by Lew Bryson

I feel as though I just spent an afternoon with a patient and kindly uncle who regaled me with stories and anecdotes while explaining the mysteries of whisky. Lew Bryson, Managing Editor of Whisky Advocate Magazine has written one of the most original and entertaining whisky books I’ve read yet. It’s a book, not about Scotch, bourbon or rye, but about whisky writ large and written to inform and engage the reader. A wealth of easy to understand colour illustrations ensure the lessons are mastered effortlessly. Best of all, for readers of this newsletter, Bryson really “gets” Canadian whisky.

“Tasting Canadian blended whiskies both before and after I fully understood how they were made and what they were intended to be has led me to reconsider some long-held prejudices about Canadian whisky, blended Scotch, and grain whisky. The frustrating thing now is encountering whisky drinkers who clearly still have those prejudices and not being able to get through to them with my newfound enlightenment.”

It’s complete, it’s comprehensive, and with its conversational style, Tasting Whiskey: An Insider’s Guide to the Unique Pleasures of the World’s Finest Spirits is just so engaging. Very highly recommended.

On sale October 21, Tasting Whiskey is available now for pre-order on Amazon.

From Newfoundland to New Orleans we’re tasting Canadian whisky

If you’re planning to be in New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail, July 16 to 20, master blender and mad scientist, Dr. Don Livermore and I will be pouring Corby and Wiser’s whiskies at a Pernod Ricard USA® spirited dinner, Thursday. I’ll be signing books Friday morning at Octavia Books, and Sunday will present Just A Little Bit: The Secret Hidden Additives of Spirits, a SED Talk about the subtleties of rum and whisky flavours.

And if you happen to be in St. John’s Newfoundland tonight – June 25, why not drop down to the Underbelly Speakeasy on Water St. (right below the Yellowbelly Brew Pub on George St.) at 9:00, for a tutoured whisky tasting.

Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert

The world’s first in-depth book about Canada’s national spirit.

WINNER, GOURMAND BOOK AWARDS
BEST SPIRITS BOOK CANADA 2012

WINNER, 2013 IACP BOOK AWARDS
WINE, BEER AND SIRITS

Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert is published by McClelland & Stewart and distributed by Penguin Random House. It is available from most book shops and on-line book sellers. On Amazon