Whisky Review 157 – Western Gold Bourbon. A new video review by Ralfy… very much at the ‘economy’ end of the market, but a very impressive Spirit considering the price.
Malt Messenger No. 42
Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,
Fall is here and the annual flood of single malts is flowing over the fertile plains of the Alberta whisky market. There are without exaggeration probably 100 new whiskies coming in to the Alberta market as a whole over the next few months. There are so many in fact that our humble shop couldn’t possibly stock them all even if we wanted to. But we do have some exceptional new whiskies coming in this fall including a sublime cask of Glendronach bottled for our store from a single Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon. We also are very privileged to be launching the first private bottling of Kilchoman in Canada, and one of the first in the world. I am told there is only one other cask coming to North America, making this a special privilege indeed!
Our exclusive new casks aside there are lots of other new whiskies coming into Kensington Wine Market. Our third round of Duthies bottlings are here, including a Gold Medal (Whisky Mag) winning Hazelburn as well as botttlings of Ledaig, Bowmore, Longmorn and Auchroisk. The Duthies range, bottled by Scotland’s oldest independent bottler (1842) WM Cadenhead, are non chillfiletered and have no added colouring. There are also 7 very rare vintages of Glendronach coming ’71,’72, ’78, ’89, ’90, ’91 and ‘93, with but one case of each available for Canada; these are exclusive to KWM. And as if that were not enough, there is more coming, including four limited edition Glendronach cask finishes. Then there is Glenfarclas’ new regular bottling of 40 year old which will be here soon in very limited quantities. Only 12 bottles will be available for the time being, initially only from the Kensington Wine Market. There are also a couple of new vintage Auchentoshans: 1977 and 1998, the newest release of Kilchoman (Summer 2010) will be here shortly, the Ardbeg Supernova has come and gone (unfortunately in embarrassingly small quantities) and there’s a little more Corryvreckan to be had too.
I was recently in Toronto attending the 10th Anniversary gathering of the Companions of the Quaich whisky club, for which I am the Calgary chapter president. It was a wonderful weekend. I was the honoured guest presenting whiskies at the Friday night dinner and Jim McEwan of Bruichladdich fame was there on the Saturday. I chatted with many an Ontario whisky aficionado and took the opportunity to scout out the flagship store of the LCBO (Ontario government run liquor store chain). The flagship store is a converted train station appointed with imported marble and fine oak. Ontario is the single largest bulk purchaser of liquor in the world, and yet its selections are boring and uninspired. This was especially true of their whisky selection which would easily be bested by no fewer than 30 independent Alberta liquor stores. The grass is greener on this side of the fence my friends, and let’s hope for our sake that things don’t change. As long as the LCBO remains an inflexible Leviathan with outrageous pricing and limited selection Alberta consumers will continue to receive the lion’s share of all the rare and unique whiskies that come into Canada.
Lots to report in this Malt Messenger, I hope you enjoy it!
Slainté!
Andrew Ferguson
PS-You can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/scotch_guy !
IN THIS ISSUE
1. GLENDRONACH CASK RELEASE PARTY W/ ALISTAIR WALKER
2. GLENFARCLAS 40 YEAR OLDS TASTING W/ GEORGE GRANT
3. COMPASS BOX DINNER W/ JOHN GLASSER AT JANICE BEATON
4. !!!BIG NEWS!!! KWM HAS BOTTLED ITS OWN CASK OF KILCHOMAN AND IT’S HERE!
5. !!!BIG NEWS!!! OUR GLENDRONACH 1995 KWM PX SHERRY CASK IS HERE
6. GLENDRONACH VINTAGES
7. GLENDRONACH LIMITED RELEASE BOTTLINGS
8. FIVE NEW EXPRESSIONS FROM DUTHIES
9. SWEEDISH WHISKY
10. NEW WHISKIES
11. RETURNED WHISKIES
12. COMING SOON
GLENDRONACH CASK RELEASE PARTY W/ALISTAIR WALKER – Tuesday October 26th – $45
Our latest cask purchase—a very rich and chocolaty Glendronach 1995 KWM PX Sherry Puncheon—will be formally unveiled at a special tasting featuring Alistair Walker of Glendronach/BenRiach distilleries this coming Tuesday October 26th. And can you believe it the whisky is here on time. Last fall our BenRiach cask made an unscheduled detour across the equator in much the same way that the Madeira wine cask in which it was matured. It arrived about 3 months late, but was, nevertheless, a huge success. This year Alistair Walker will not only be able to sample the whisky with our guests, but will also be available to sign any bottles purchased that night. This is very exciting…
Alistair will guide us through a formal tasting of 4 whiskies from Glendronach: 12 Year, 15 Year, 18 Year and 1995 KWM PX Sherry Puncheon while introducing his distillery. After the formal tasting guests will have the opportunity to sample a wide range of whiskies from both Glendronach and BenRiach distilleries (see the list below). After the formal tasting Alistair will also be available to answer your questions and sign bottles.
Everyone in attendance will receive a special Glencairn glass produced just for this occasion and featuring the logos of both Glendronach and Kensington Wine Market. And as a special incentive for this evening we will give you a store credit of $45 (the value of the tasting) when you purchase $200 or more of any of the Glendronach or BenRiach whiskies exclusive to Kensington Wine Market for future use.
The whiskies we will sample:
1. Glendronach 1995 KWM PX Sherry Puncheon
2. Glendronach 12 Year
3. Glendronach 15 Year
4. Glendronach 18 Year
5. Glendronach 14 Year Sauternes Finish (see below)
6. Glendronach 14 Year Virgin Oak Finish (see below)
7. Glendronach 15 Year Moscatel Finish (see below)
8. Glendronach 20 Year Tawny Port Finish (see below)
9. BenRiach 15 Year Dark Rum Finish
10. BenRiach 15 Year Madeira Finish
11. BenRiach 15 Year Tawny Port Finish
12. BenRiach Arumaticus Fumosus 12 Year
13. BenRiach Heredotus Fumosus 12 Year
14. BenRiach Importanticus Fumosus 12 Year
* We will also sample at least two of the new vintages of Glendronach (see below).
GLENFARCLAS 40 YEAR OLDS TASTING WITH GEORGE GRANT – Thursday October 28th – $165
No distillery in the world has such a depth and range of older whiskies as does Glenfarclas. Their Family Cask range which consists of 43 vintages from 1952 on is the envy of every distillery in Scotland. That might help to explain why they are the only distillery in Scotland which can release a official 40 year old bottling for less than $600. Glenfarclas’ larger than life brand ambassador George Grant will be our special guest at the Petroleum Club as he leads us through a tasting of the new core bottling of Glenfarclas 40 Year Old alongside the collectible Treasure Island 40 Year old (was $4500 now $3000) bottling released a few years back. We will also be sampling the 1960 Family Cask bottling and at least three other whiskies. The full line up is as follows:
1. Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength
2. Glenfarclas 15 Year
3. Glenfarclas 30 Year
4. Glenfarclas 40 Year
5. Glenfarclas 40 Year Treasure Island Bottling
6. Glenfarclas Family Cask 1960
There are only 600 bottles of the Glenfarclas 40 Year Old Treasure Island bottling, which were originally released for around $4500.00/bottle. The price has recently been reduced to $3000.00. Only 12 of the new regular release 40 Year Glenfarclas are coming into Alberta before Christmas, and all of them are coming to the Kensington Wine Market. This is your first and possibly only chance to sample this whisky this fall!
COMPASS BOX DINNER W/ JOHN GLASSER AT JANICE BEATON – Tuesday November 2nd – $65
John Glaser is a Maverick in the Blended Scotch whisky industry. Over the last 10 years he had earned a much deserved reputation for being one of the world’s best and most innovative blenders. Most of his whiskies fall into the blended malt category, meaning that they are blends of single malts, and do not contain grain whisky; Peat Monster being his most famous. John also makes a blend Asyla and even a blended grain whisky Hedonism. He will be presenting seven of his whiskies, each of which will be carefully paired with a food offering prepared by the staff of Farm Restaurant/Janice Beaton. Two of the whiskies are new and exclusive to the Kensington Wine Market: Peat Monster Reserve 1.5L ($154.99) and Hedonism Maximus ($259.99). $65 for a tasting of 7 whiskies paired with some first rate cuisineis a steal!
The Complete list of whiskies to be sampled:
Compass Box Asyla
Compass Box Oak Cross
Compass Box Spice Tree
Compass Box Peat Monster
Compass Box Peat Monster Reserve (Exclusive to KWM—Coming Soon)
Compass Box Hedonism Maximus (Exclusive to KWM – Coming Soon)
Compass Box Flaming Heart
!!!BIG NEWS!!! KWM HAS BOTTLED IT’S OWN CASK OF KILCHOMAN AND IT’S HERE! – $114.99
Ours is the first private bottling of Kilchoman in Canada, and one of only a handful in the world. Only one other North American retailer is getting a cask, making it a real honour and privilege! Our Kilchoman has been bottled at an impressive cask strength of 61.9%. There are but 270 bottles, and I don’t expect they will last long, as this is one of the most collectible and highly sought after young whiskies in the world. We are expecting collectors from far and wide will be seeking out these bottles.
Kilchoman is Scotland’s youngest active distillery. Established in 2005 in the north-west corner of the Island of Islay, it is the first new distillery to be built on the island in over 120 years. Kilchoman released its first single malt in the summer of 2009. The first bottle of this 3 year old was sold at auction for £5,400.00 with the proceeds donated to charity. The other 9000 bottles of the first ever whisky (Kilchoman Inaugural Release) offering from this distillery sold out quickly and now sell for at least double the original price at auction. Only 60 bottles made it to Canada, and they sold out almost immediately. The second and third releases (Autumn 2010 and Spring 2010) also sold out quickly. The fourth release—Summer 2010 is available now—see below (New Products).
I haven’t had an opportunity to produce a formal tasting note—one will shortly follow in a future Malt Messenger or Bulletin—but having selected the cask and sampled it after arrival I can assure you it is spectacular. The key factor in the selection of this cask was the balance of soft fresh vanilla notes with the robust smoky peat and salt of the spirit. Our cask may be young, but it is an exceptionally deep and rich whisky. The first sip shows some heat, how could it not at 61.9%, but succeeding ones become much softer and rounder. This whisky is not for the faint of heart, but will amply reward its drinker!
!!!BIG NEWS!!! OUR GLENDRONACH 1995 KWM PX SHERRY CASK IS HERE – $114.99
Shortly after BenRiach Distillery Company took over Glendronach in 2008 the distillery launched a new core range of 12, 15 and 18 year old whiskies. All of them are bottled without coulouring or chillfiltering at a strength of 46%. They are all excellent, but I was most impressed by the 15 year old with its very smooth deep and rich character. This winter I approached Alistair Walker about bottling a cask of Glendronach for the store. When he asked me what I was looking for I told him I wanted something like the 15 year old, a first fill sherry cask matured whisky, but I wanted our cask to be bottled at cask strength to concentrate the flavours. Early in the spring a small group of about 15 of Kensington Wine Market’s customers gathered to help me select a cask. We reviewed 6 different cask samples of Glendronach and settled on cask 1410, a Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon matured whisky.
Pedro Ximenez is a very sweet style of sherry that can give icewine or maple syrup a run for its money. Many distilleries will finish their whiskies in Pedro Ximenez casks to add rich, sweet and chewy notes, but it is more unusual to see a whisky matured in such a cask. Our cask, #1410, is also unusual being that it was a sherry puncheon rather than a more common sherry butt. The cask produced 682 individually numbered bottles at a cask strength of 52.2%.
I haven’t had time to do my own tasting note, but will write one for inclusion in the next malt messenger. In the meantime here is the distillery’s tasting note for our whisky: “Nose: pronounced toasted almond notes with a beautifully interwoven sherry base; sweet stewed fruits provide an added twist to the profile; Appearance: full gold with a distinctive tawny element; Palate: a bold concoction of chocolate, nut and alcoholic fruit cake; superb sherry notes bring added elegance and class into the frame.”
Our cask will be available for purchase during and after our Glendronach cask release party coming up this Tuesday October 26th at 7PM. The tasting is only $45, and anyone who purchases $200 or more of our Glendronach or BenRiach exclusive whiskies will get a $45 store credit for future use. See above for more details.
EXCLUSIVE – 7 NEW GLENDRONACH VINTAGES
Glendronach distillery has a vast selection of casks dating all the way back to 1968. Every year the distillery bottles a selection of handpicked casks from different vintages. These vintage single casks are bottled at their natural cask strength in individually numbered bottles. Batch 2 released in July of 2010 consist of seven different vintages for which there are only six bottles of each in Canada, and all of them are exclusive to the Kensington Wine Market. Most of the bottles are already spoken for, and I don’t expect most of the vintages to even make the floor. Tasting notes are not available at the moment, but may be by the next Malt Messenger. There are some reviews online, but not from sources I am familiar with.
1. Glendronach 1971 – 48.4% – 39 Year – Oloroso Sherry Butt – Exclusive to KWM. Only 6 bottles in Canada! Tasting note to come. – $436.99
2. Glendronach 1972 – 51.5% – 38 Year – Oloroso Sherry Butt – Exclusive to KWM. Only 6 bottles in Canada! Tasting note to come. – $399.99
3. Glendronach 1978 – 51.2% – 31 Year – 20 Year – Oloroso Sherry Puncheon – Exclusive to KWM. Only 6 bottles in Canada! Tasting note to come. – $262.99
4. Glendronach 1989 – 53.2% – 20 Year – PX Sherry Puncheon – Exclusive to KWM. Only 6 bottles in Canada! Tasting note to come. – $155.49
5. Glendronach 1990 – 57.9% – 20 Year – Oloroso Sherry Butt – Exclusive to KWM. Only 6 bottles in Canada! Tasting note to come. – $155.49
6. Glendronach 1991 – 51.7% – 18 Year – Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon – Exclusive to KWM. Only 6 bottles in Canada! Tasting note to come. – $139.99
7. Glendronach 1993 – 60.4% – 17 Year – Oloroso Sherry Butt – Exclusive to KWM. Only 6 bottles in Canada! Tasting note to come. – $139.49
EXCLUSIVE – 4 NEW GLENDRONACH CASK FINISHES
Glendronach is famous for its rich sherried whiskies. Shortly after the distillery was taken over by BenRiach Distillery Company in 2008 a plan was hatched to offer some unique twists on their classic style. The first of these cask finished bottlings were released in July of 2010, and they are exclusively available from the Kensington Wine Market in Canada.
1. Glendronach 14 Year Sauternes Finish – 46% – Distillery Tasting Note: Nose: Sweet, smoke and spiced fruits in 3 very defined waves. Juicy and fresh. A blanket of creamed soda and wild strawberries backed up lush late harvest desert wine. Hints of sherbet and ripe cherries. Very fruity. Palate: Apples and rhubarb drenched in homemade custard. Sweet desert wine influences emerge with ripe sultanas and a lovely creamy heart. Conclusions: Sweet fresh and fragrant with balanced acidity. Lots of finesse and elegance, whilst still maintaining the lively youthful elements. Exclusive to KWM. Only 18 bottles in Canada! For more info see above. – $82.49
2. Glendronach 14 Year Virgin Oak Finish – 46% – Nose: Toasted oak elements which are so intense that smoky attributes emerge. Sweet and lush tropical fruits rise with prominence. Banana and cacao, with roasted coconut. Palate: Spiced ginger and cinnamon cake with a beautiful smoky twist. Creamed mokiness coconut and fresh buttered toast with a handful of hazelnuts on the side. Exclusive to KWM. Only 18 bottles in Canada! For more info see above. – $82.49
3. Glendronach 15 Year Moscatel Finish – 46% – Nose: Golden syrup and nutmeg. Poached peaches and apricot flavours with fresh figs and dates. Subtle marzipan on the tail intensifies the aromatics. Palate: Sweet summer fruits of melon and pineapple intertwined with sweet ripe raisins and alcohol infused figs. Subtle marzipan adds a smooth round nutty edge. Exclusive to KWM. Only 18 bottles in Canada! For more info see above. – $84.49
4. Glendronach 20 Year Tawny Port Finish – 46% – Nose: Lashings of fine fortified wine elements and a generous portion of Mediterranean fruits including figs and dates. Palate: Stewed fruits of prunes, pears and apples. The stewed fruit is balanced with an injection of liquorice and subtle aniseed flavours. Massive power and definition. Exclusive to KWM. Only 12 bottles in Canada! For more info see above. – $124.99
EXCLUSIVE – 5 NEW EXPRESSIONS FROM DUTHIES BY CADENHEAD
Duthies is a range of independently bottled whiskies from WM Cadenhead. Established in 1842 Cadenhead is Scotland’s oldest independent bottler. Being such an old and established business Cadenhead doesn’t need to buy up casks from among the scraps of the blended whisky market, but rather can rely on the deep inventory of casks maturing in their warehouses. The Duthies line of whiskies are all bottled at 46% meaning that they are non-chilfiltered, retaining the natural oils which add to the flavour and mouth-feel. The whiskies are also bottled without colouring in their natural colour. The Duthies range is exclusive to the Kensington Wine Market in Canada, and we have a new batch of five whiskies which have just arrived:
1. Duthies Auchroisk 20 Year – 46% Founded in 1974 Auchroisk is one of Scotland’s more obscure distilleries. Its owner’s Diageo dedicate all of its production to Blended whisky. Nose: Big fudge and toffee with caramelised sugar, cream soda and toffee popcorn. A little bit of smokiness lends some authority to the whisky. Palate: All of the aromas from the nose are transferred to the palate and are joined by hints of raspberry, rhubarb and vanilla. Finish: Long, smooth and sweet, like a home-baked custard pie. Exclusive to KWM. – $96.99
2. Duthies Bowmore 17 Year – 46% – Could this please fans of the long lost distillery bottling of Bowmore 17? Perhaps! But it is a cracken whisky on its own. Nose: Not exactly a typical Bowmore. Earthy with notes of caramel, toffee sauce, gentle sherbet and hundreds and thousands ice cream topping. Palate: Rich and very sweet. Coffee beans and vanilla sweetness but with smoke very evident throughout. Finish: More smokey sweetness gives this dram a very reassuring finish. Exclusive to KWM. – $90.99
3. Duthies Hazelburn 9 Year – 46% – Hazelburn is one of only two triple distilled whiskies made in Scotland. Very small quantities are distilled by the Springbank distillery in Campbeltown. A recent Gold Medal winner and EXCLUSIVE to KWM! Nose: The sherry cask influence is immediately apparent. Rich and fruity; figs, stewed fruits and a sweet caramel note. Palate: Weightier than you would expect from a triple distilled whisky. Vanilla ice cream and stewed fruits contribute to a very rich mouth feel. The Campbeltown character is very evident here. Finish: Rich, fruity and lasts forever! – $84.99
4. Duthies Ledaig 13 Year – 46% – Tobermory, established 1798 on the island of Mull, is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. Its heavily peated whisky is called Ledaig (pronounce Le-Cheg). Nose: Woah! A smokey sensation. Coal and tar, like the west coast fishing boats of old. Also gently reminiscent of old copper coins. Palate: Less aggressive than the nose. Sweet and grassy with a very pure and clean mokiness. Finish: Hints of citrus fruits before the smoke comes back to complete a really intense sensory experience.Exclusive to KWM. – $79.99
5. Duthies Longmorn 19 Year – 46% – Longmorn has long been considered a first rate malt whisky, but it is the single largest component of the Chivas 18 year old blend, and it is almost never bottled as a single malt! This whisky is an excellent expression from BenRiach’s sister distillery. Non-chillfiltered and no added colouring. Nose: Beautifully fruity. Raspberry pavlova, marshmallows, fruit jam, raspberry cordial and just the right amount of smokiness. Palate: Burnt caramel, vanilla and smoke complement the fruity flavours. Finish: A pleasant smokey tingle complete with ripe red fruits. Exclusive to KWM. – $96.99
SWEEDISH WHISKY
Sweden’s first distillery began production in Gastrikland in 1999, making it a little over 11 years old. It is the first distillery to be built in Sweden and the northernmost malt distillery in the world. Their early days were small scale indeed, with a capacity of only 100 L of spirit per run. After perfecting their techniques on a very small scale they increased their capacity modestly with the addition of new equipment in 2002. Since then the distillery has operated nearly 365 days a year, on occasion distilling two batches a day. Although overall production has increased the whisky is still made in small batches, with an emphasis on quality meaning that production is intentionally restricted.
Mackmyra uses Swedish ingredients to make their whisky. The distillery matures their whisky mainly in 100 litre casks, but also uses some Swedish oak casks made from trees planted on the island of Visingso more than 160 years ago. These casks rapidly and powerfully mature the spirit giving the whisky a full robust character at a young age. Barrels are warehoused 50m below ground in an old mine. The distillery’s owners are so pleased with the success of Mackmyra that they are in the process of planning a second distillery which will give visitors the opportunity to make their own whisky.
The Kensington Wine Market carries two bottlings of Mackmyra:
1. Mackmyra First Edition – 46.1% – Nose: fresh, light, floral and fruit with grassy malt and clean smoke; Palate: light, apple notes, soft, floral, clean malt and soft smoke; Finish: light and clean with soft oak and smoke. – $66.49
2. Mackmyra Special ’03 – 48.2% – Nose: creamy vanilla, berry fruits, and grassy herbal notes; Palate: clean and buttery with some bitter herbs and melon; Finish: bitter and woody with some sweet dry notes. – $91.49
NEW PRODUCTS
1. Kilchoman KWM Fresh Bourbon Cask – 61.9% – 3 Year – Soft vanilla, rich thick peat and salty smoke. Our exclusive cask! For more info see above. – $114.99
2. Glendronach 1995 KWM PX Sherry Cask – 52.2% – 5 Year – Rich, spicy and chocolaty with a long smooth finish. Our exclusive cask! For more info see above. – $114.99
3. Glendronach 1971 – 48.4% – 39 Year – Oloroso Sherry Butt – Exclusive to KWM. Only 6 bottles in Canada! For more info see above. – $436.99
4. Glendronach 1972 – 51.5% – 38 Year – Oloroso Sherry Butt – Exclusive to KWM. Only 6 bottles in Canada! For more info see above. – $399.99
5. Glendronach 1978 – 51.2% – 31 Year – 20 Year – Oloroso Sherry Puncheon – Exclusive to KWM. Only 6 bottles in Canada! For more info see above. – $262.99
6. Glendronach 1989 – 53.2% – 20 Year – PX Sherry Puncheon – Exclusive to KWM. Only 6 bottles in Canada! For more info see above. – $155.49
7. Glendronach 1990 – 57.9% – 20 Year – Oloroso Sherry Butt – Exclusive to KWM. Only 6 bottles in Canada! For more info see above. – $155.49
8. Glendronach 1991 – 51.7% – 18 Year – Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon – Exclusive to KWM. Only 6 bottles in Canada! For more info see above. – $139.99
9. Glendronach 1993 – 60.4% – 17 Year – Oloroso Sherry Butt – Exclusive to KWM. Only 6 bottles in Canada! For more info see above. – $139.49
10. Glendronach 14 Year Sauternes Finish – 46% – Rhubarb, raisins and desert wine. Exclusive to KWM. Only 18 bottles in Canada! For more info see above. – $82.49
11. Glendronach 14 Year Virgin Oak Finish – 46% – Ginger and cinnamon with smoke. Exclusive to KWM. Only 18 bottles in Canada! For more info see above. – $82.49
12. Glendronach 15 Year Moscatel Finish – 46% – Melon, pineapple and melon. Exclusive to KWM. Only 18 bottles in Canada! For more info see above. – $84.49
13. Glendronach 20 Year Tawny Port Finish – 46% – Stewed fruits and liquorice. Exclusive to KWM. Only 12 bottles in Canada! For more info see above. – $124.99
14. Duthies Auchroisk 20 Year – 46% All of the aromas from the nose are transferred to the palate and are joined by hints of raspberry, rhubarb and vanilla. Exclusive to KWM. – $96.99
15. Duthies Bowmore 17 Year – 46% – Rich and very sweet. Coffee beans and vanilla sweetness but with smoke very evident throughout. Exclusive to KWM. – $90.99
16. Duthies Hazelburn 9 Year – 46% – Weightier than you would expect from a triple distilled whisky. Vanilla ice cream and stewed fruits contribute to a very rich mouth feel. Exclusive to KWM. – $84.99
17. Duthies Ledaig 13 Year – 46% – Less aggressive than the nose. Sweet and grassy with a very pure and clean mokiness. Exclusive to KWM. – $79.99
18. Duthies Longmorn 19 Year – 46% – Burnt caramel, vanilla and smoke complement the fruity flavours. Exclusive to KWM. – $96.99
19. Kilchoman Summer 2010 Release – 46% – 3 Year – Matured 3 years in fresh bourbon barrels. Sweet, smoke and spiced fruits. – $89.99
20. Ballechin 3rd Release Port Matured – 46% – Big fruit with a big dollup of smoky peat. – $84.99
21. The Singleton of Glendullan – Matured in both American and European oak, this whisky shows both sweet honey and vanilla as well as some dark fruits and a dry edge. – $43.49
22. Auchentoshan 1998 – This is a cask strength sherry matured Auchentoshan. Bottled at a cask strength of 54.6%. – $64.49
23. Auchentshan 1977 – Matured in Oloroso sherry casks this bottling is very limited, fewer than a couple of dozen bottles are available in Alberta, bottled at 49%. – $509.99
RETURNED PRODUCTS
1. OMC Probably Speyside’s Finest Distillery 41 Year – 50% – This exceptional bottling of whisky is a steal at any price, but even more so when you discover it has been distilled by Glenfarclas distillery. At less than $300.00 a bottle it begs the question, how can Douglas Laing afford to give it away at this price? – $275.99
2. Robbie Burns Single Malt – Only one distillery can produce whisky with the name of Scotland’s favourite son. The whisky comes from the Isle of Arran distillery and some of the proceeds go to supporting the World Burns Federation – $51.99
COMING SOON
1. Glenfarclas 40 Year Old
2. Old Pulteney 17 Year
3. Old Pulteney 21 Year
4. Glenglassaugh 30 Year
5. Glenglassaugh 40 Year
6. Compass Box Peat Monster Reserve
7. Compass Box Headonism Maximus
——————–
If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store. Feel free to forward me any whisky news you feel should be included in a future issue of The Malt Messenger; it might just get included.
All of the products mentioned in THE MALT MESSENGER can be purchased in store, over the phone or from our website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com.. All prices quoted in the Malt Messenger are subject to change!
Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger!
Slainte!
Andrew Ferguson
KWM Scotchguy
403-283-8000
888-283-9004
1257 Kensington Rd. NW
Calgary, AB, Canada
T2N 3P8
Ever wondered why the U.S. requires whisky to be sold in 750ml bottles, while most of the rest of the world sells 700ml bottles? We’ll get the definitive answer to that and other federal red tape questions from former ATF and TTB agent William Earle, now president of the National Association of Beverage Importers. In the news, another ultra-premium Johnnie Walker whisky, new malts from The Glenrothes and Amrut, and the debut of the WhiskyCast Holiday Gift Guide
Visit WhiskyCast at www.whiskycast.com
Straight From The Still
Greetings from Templeton!
Kevin Boersma, Distillery Manager here, giving you an update on what’s going on around the distillery. First the big news: After a slow start, my golf team put up an impressive charge and won the Manning/Manilla Country Club League Championship after finishing second last year!
It has been a little quiet around here for a while, but that is all about to change in about a month. As many of you know, we will start to bottle Batch 4 in mid-November. We have been tasting the product regularly during the aging process and are very excited about it. I am confident in saying it is our best product yet.
The bottling room will be buzzing with activity as we work at an unprecedented level from Monday, November 22 through Wednesday, November 24 to get ahead of things before Thanksgiving. Anyone interested in donating their time and helping with this historic bottling session can inquire at info@templetonrye.com.
Thank you for all of your patience and understanding during this lean time and we hope to see you soon at the distillery or on our cross state bottle signing tour! Please continue to check the tours page on our website for upcoming tour dates in November and December. Cheers!
Sincerely,
Kevin Boersma, Distillery Manager, Templeton Rye
Batch 4 is right around the corner!
We are getting very excited about Batch 4 of Templeton Rye, which will be released on the anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition on December 5th. Our plan is to send 2,000 cases to Iowa so that retailers can order it from the state warehouse beginning December 6th. We will also be sending 1,000 cases to Illinois at that time. It is still not going to be easy to find a bottle of The Good Stuff, but is should be a lot easier than it is today.
Speaking of Batch 4, would you like to help us start to bottle it?
We are planning to bottle from 8am to 8pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during the week of Thanksgiving (Nov 22-24) at the distillery in Templeton. We are looking for some volunteers to help out, so if you’d like to join us please send us an email at info@templetonrye.com. We will be bottling hard but don’t worry, we always manage to sprinkle in some fun!
Templeton Rye team heading out on statewide tour
Templeton Rye Founders Scott Bush and Keith Kerkhoff, along with the rest of the team, will be heading all over the State of Iowa from December 11-18. We will be doing bottle signings as well as events at various bars and restaurants. Most important though, is to meet a bunch of Templeton Rye fans and thank you for your patience during the past year. Please stay tuned for specifics details.
A preliminary list of stops is below:
Des Moines
Grinnell
Newton
Ames
Mason City
Fort Dodge
Storm Lake
Sioux City
Council Bluffs
Denison
Carroll
Atlantic
Coralville
Cedar Rapids
Cedar Falls/Waterloo
Dubuque
Bettendorf/Davenport
Iowa City
Burlington
Fairfield
Ottumwa
New in the online store: TR belt buckles
We just received these cool new belt buckles, which are available starting today in our online store. Get yours today!
If you have any questions or need more information about any of the events listed in our newsletter, don’t hesitate to drop us a line at info@templetonrye.com.
Springbank distillery officially licensed in 1828, on a previous illicit still site of Archibald Mitchell. In 1897, John Mitchell took his son Alexander into partnership and the J&A Mitchell Company was formed. It is still known as this today. It is still owned by the same family, making it the oldest family-owned distillery in Scotland. Traditional methods of distillation are still used, including its own floor malting which is a tradition lost at many other distilleries. Water is drawn from Crosshill Loch, fed by springs on Beinn Ghuilean. Springbank produces three very different whiskies. Its own Springbank Campbeltown Single Malt. The heavily peated and double-distilled Longrow Single Malt. Hazelburn triple-distilled unpeated single malt.
Springbank CV, Springbank 10yo, Springbank 12yo CS, Springbank Claret, Springbank 15yo, Springbank 18yo, Hazelburn 12yo, Kilkerran 2nd Release, Longrow CV, Longrow 10yo, Longrow 100% Proof and Longrow 14yo all with a FREE GLASS!
Visit Single Malts Direct at www.singlemaltsdirect.com
Hello Fellow Scotch Lovers –
With Thanksgiving and the December holidays bearing down on us, we want to make it easy for you to stock up on whisky for your holiday guests.
So until the end of October, we’re offering FREE FedEx Ground shipping on all orders over $75 placed in our store.
To get your free FedEx Ground shipping, enter code FSLOct10 in the “Gift Certificate/Coupon Code” field in your shopping cart when checking out.
I hope you’ll take advantage of this offer, and save yourself that trip to your local liquor store.
Yours,
Doug Stone
Founder
www.ForScotchLovers.com
The mission of the Whisky Explorers Club is to introduce our members to a variety of great whiskies they may never have experienced before, free of any pre-conceived notion of a “brand”, price as an indicator of quality or a prior experience with a type of whisky, and to share those experiences with others.
www.ralfy.com ‘releases’ an exclusive, rare, and limited edition vid-cask of WhiskyReview 156 – Elijah Craig 12yo … yummy !!!
Loch Fyne Whiskies Bottling of the Year 2011
Of all the bottles we stock, and there are plenty of them, we elect just one as our bottling of the year. How do we decide? There are a variety of factors that come under consideration but by far the biggest is the response from our customers.
The Loch Fyne Whiskies Bottling of the Year 2011 is Old Pulteney 17yo and to celebrate there’s also £5 off the normal price:
Old Pulteney 17yo DEAL!
46% abv
was £46.00
DEAL!
Price is £41.00 inc vat £34.89 ex vat
Visit Loch Fyne Whiskies at www.lfw.co.uk
Georgia Distilling Company
Have you ever thought of OWNING a distillery? The Georgia Distilling Company has been authorized by the Georgia Secretary of State, Securities and Exchange Commission, to sell stock to the public via a private placement offering. This is a limited offer, with only 2,200 shares being offered at $250 per share. This means you would be one of a select few who can participate in this great opportunity to invest in a company and product that is virtually recession proof in bad economic times such as these. They are also looking for partners with which to expand their products into the EU and Asia and help fund their growth.
What is the Georgia Distilling Company? We are the ONLY legal craft alcohol distillery in the Atlanta area, and one of only a handful in the American South. We are set to produce quality products such as bourbon, vodka, gin, rum, moonshine, blended whiskeys, and a host of other products, all using quality ingredients for quality taste. We are presently building a modern facility in Jackson, GA and have 3 working stills being built by Vendome Copper of Louisville, KY. Our facility has ample capacity for storage of barreled products for aging, and we plan to do a lot of that to bring Southern Whiskeys, Bourbons, and Ryes to market as soon as possible.
Please feel free to contact us and receive a prospectus of our stock offering, and learn more about our company, and how we will be growing our business. We are allowing United Bank to handle our escrow account for this offering, as they have shown great stability in this time of banking problems. You may also browse our website at www.GeorgiaDistilling.com or feel free to email us with any questions. Thank you, and we look forward to having you as a partner.
Bill Mauldin
Co-Founder
Georgia Distilling Company
540 W.Third St
Jackson, GA 30233
(404) 281-5484
bill.mauldin@georgiadistilling.com
www.GeorgiaDistilling.com
AUTUMN AT BLADNOCH
Compiled by Sue (Sue writes the BEST newsletter – WI)
It was that time of year again and time for the Autumn visit to my favourite distillery. (Actually, I have to confess – it’s the only distillery I’ve ever visited!!) We were glad to leave a very wet Ulverston behind with Raymond promising the usual tropical weather in Galloway. What he didn’t admit was that he meant it was the monsoon season. The rain clouds started when we turned the corner at Gretna and stretched the full length of the A75 and down to Bladnoch.
The boys had towed the caravan out of the shed and it was perfectly placed to watch the River Bladnoch in full spate – No fishing for Kevin this trip! Although Hugh did take off once or twice in his waders to try his luck. At this point Raymond was quite concerned as a few weeks previously Hugh had missed his footing and ended up in the river!! Was he worried about Hugh, the fish or the water quality?? Hugh of course – John’s day off and a load of casks expected!! Well, Hugh turned up dry, fish-free and ready to sink a pint of Ulverston Brewing Company ale with Kevin.
Early morning walks around the distillery with my camera are always an essential part of my visits. No matter how many times you wander around there’s always something new – or old – to catch the imagination. My favourite shot from this visit was a couple of aged chairs outside the bottom door of the still-house. You’d think that after more than seven years and thousands of photos there’d be nothing left to photograph – how many different views can you get of one pagoda tower? Believe me – there’s no limit………..
As always Hazel & Sammy were beavering away in the office, new guide Mandy was touring until dizzy, and Yolanda took the rare opportunity to have a few days off – although she was working evenings in the function hall. John & Hugh were working full stretch in the warehouses with a delivery wagon that drew more than a few admiring glances – and there’s that pagoda tower again….
They alternate between stowing barrels in the traditional way on rails and stacking palletised casks with the fork-lift – both impressive in their own way. But I’ve got to say – I prefer to see the casks sleeping peacefully on their sides rather than in towering regimented rows.
The weather reverted again to torrential rain – another opportunity for pagoda-pics…. but it also meant that people visiting the area would head to us thinking that a tour of Bladnoch would be a warm, dry way to spend an hour or more. Of course the theory is sound but the practice is quite different and involves a number of sprints through puddles to get to the next building, which always adds to the Bladnoch Experience – especially when Raymond shows off his cunning plan to keep the workforce warm and dry….
Some of you may already know – Bladnoch now has a Facebook page and a growing following. You can visit us on http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Bladnoch-Distillery-The-Spirit-of-the-Lowlands/137407822965995 “like” us and you’ll get regular posts from your favourite distillery. We’ll update you with news, photos and events.
Like the recent charity auction of Inchgower that raised almost £400 for the local “Wigtown Players”
I look forward to seeing you there….
And don’t forget to look out for the Special Christmas Edition of Bladnoch. This year’s label features a photograph of a festive fir tree in the courtyard – not the pagoda!! – taken by Yolanda during last Winter’s snowfalls.
It was Wigtown Book Festival the whole time we were there and the Distillery was again a very popular venue for a number of events – not least was the Wigtown’s Got Talent competition which prompted Raymond to write on our Forum:
We’ve had a busy week with various events relating to the Wigtown Book Festival taking place here at Bladnoch, finishing on Saturday night with a ceilidh.
The previous Saturday I was given the enjoyable task of being one of the judges of “Wigtown’s Got Talent” which was held in front of a packed crowd here in the distillery. The winner was a superb young piper but a humourous version of “Ten Green Bottles,” one of which was Bladnoch, was performed enthusiastically and under the influence of former guide Janice (now retired) and others. She had not forgotten how to make whisky and the gusty rendition compared favourable with Robbie Burns “John Barleycorn”
Our student guides have all returned to University or have taken up their new careers … however it’s great to see that they still drop in regularly, one of the most recent was Tony Woods who was a guide about 8 or 9 years ago and is once again living locally and working as an engineer for Siemens and involved in one of the many wind farms that have been built in the area.
Sian now a Chartered Surveyor (and one of “Raymond’s Angels”) also dropped in on Saturday. Having met Charlie McClean somewhere and indicated that she was coming across to Bladnoch, he kindly gave her a little booklet on the origins of Irish whiskey to give to me … if you read this, thankyou Charlie .. it stretches the imagination a little bit, but if it’s in a book it must be all true.
I had a meal a few nights ago in the Galloway Arms Hotel in Newton Stewart run very well by our former guide Craig and owned by his dad. Excellent food and by far the best line-up of whiskies on optics in our area. It was also pleasing to see a nice display of Bladnoch whisky.
It’s great to see how well everyone has done. We try to pick our guides because of their personality and character and this and a good education obviously carries them through to better careers, but it’s nice that they remember work at the distillery as a fond memory.
As a word of warning, it’s not wise to visit the distillery for any longer than a few hours. Sue and Kevin had planned a weeks holiday having come across from the Lake District. Sue worked all week and Kevin with his language skills once again got roped into taking the French Tours. Everybody including myself have gone home for a rest.
Raymond said, “home for a rest” and as always, we left Bladnoch with regret, fond memories and promises to return.
To our many friends all over the world we would like to say “Thank You” for your continued support of The Spirit of the Lowlands
BLADNOCH DISTILLERY
BLADNOCH
WIGTOWN
DG8 9AB
01988 402605
