From Cristina Wilkie Tullibardine Distillery

I am delighted to confirm that we will be continuing with the cask offer this year and again plan to fill casks twice – June and December.  Orders will be accepted on a first come, first served basis and are secured by a deposit, as mentioned, in the attached literature.
 
The closing date for orders for the June filling will be Friday 21st May at 5pm, then the order book will be opened for the December filling until Friday 19th November 2010 @ 5pm.  This allows us time to order in and receive the casks, have them stencilled before filling.  We then photograph it for the certificate, which is handwritten prior to framing and despatch.  The balance of payment is taken when the cask has been filled.
 
I hope that the information is of interest to you and I look forward to receiving your order.
 
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries.
 
Regards
Cristina Wilkie
Sales & Marketing
 
Tullibardine Distillery
Blackford
Perthshire PH4 1QG
SCOTLAND
T: +44 (0)1764 682252
F: +44 (0)1764 682330
www.tullibardine.com

CASK PURCHASE

Thank you for your enquiry about our cask offer. In addition to being a purchase which is many whisky drinkrer’s dream, this is above all an offer which will provide much discussion, interest and fun whilst also giving you the chance to buy a little piece of history and access some top quality and extremely quaffable single malt whisky at a very attractive price, Be it for your own consumption, as a gift for a relative or friend, to commemorete an event ten or more years hence, or to share it with a consortium of other like-minded whisky lovers, you can be sure that it will give immenense pleasure.

Tullibardine is a very smooth and mellow malt which will suit most palates. It is not a heavily peated malt and has a very pleasant roundness which makes it, in the words of one of the key whisky writers, “eminently quafable”. We strongly recommnend that Tullibardine is not bottled until it is at least 10 years old, and it will clearly continue to improve thereafter so you can decide at a later date at what age and strength you would like it bottled. Naturally our master distiller will advise you of his view as to what age and strength combination he would recommend nearer the time.

This offer was set up in 2003 in celebration of the recommissioning of the distillery. The first new spirit was distilled in November 2003 by the hugely experienced and respected master distillerJohn Black. He will also personally select the best possible casks to ensure optimum maturation conditions for the spirit. Casks are filled twice a year, in June and Dccember and your order is secured with a £250.00 non refundable deposit. The balance of payment will be taken when the cask is filled.

Announcing Whyte & Mackay Whisky Auction Fundraisers for Haiti

(This from Richard Paterson);

Everyone has been touched by what’s happened in Haiti and here at Whyte & Mackay we’d like to do our bit to try and help. To that end, we’ve teamed up with Oxfam to offer a couple of auctions that you can access via ebay.

The first is for a full week’s stay on the Jura Lodge on the isle of Jura, where up to eight people can stay for a week, enjoying the scenery and sounds of the beautiful island. They will also receive gift bottles of whisky and a tour of the distillery, learning more about the various Jura expressions including Superstition and Prophecy.

On top of the stay, Whyte & Mackay whisky will provide the transport (or the costs of) for the eight people to get to Jura.

Click this link for the auction for the Jura Lodge. http://tinyurl.com/yg57h8b

The second is for a chance to win me – not for keeping – but for me to come to an event you are putting on – or your home – and put on a whisky presentation, letting you try various expressions, learn more about whisky and generally have a good time. Again, there will be no cost to you. Whyte & Mackay will pick up all the travel and associated costs for me. Your only cost is the auction.

Click this link for the auction for the master blender tasting session. http://tinyurl.com/y8uahvw

Both of these are available to anyone who stays in the UK. That doesn’t stop people from outwith the UK bidding, it just means that in the case of the Jura auction, you have to get to the UK before we transport you to Jura and in the second auction that you have to have a UK venue or location we can meet at.

Let’s hope we can raise a lot of funds here for something which has devastated a lot of lives. As you would expect we’ll be using our social media connections – my twitter feed, Jura’s twitter feed, the Whyte & Mackay twitter feed, the Jura Pictures page, The Diurachs Facebook page and other sites – to promote this.

The auctions will be running for 10 days. Please spread details of these far and wide so we can raise as much as possible.

The 16th annual Malt Advocate Whisky Awards will be presented in the Spring 2010 issue of  magazine, due out March 1st. However, for the first time ever, we will be announcing the award winners on the Malt Advocate blog, “What Does John Know?” beginning February 1st.

The award will then automatically be published on Malt Advocate Publisher John Hansell’s Facebook and Twitter (@JohnHansell) accounts.
 
The advantage of publishing the awards on the Malt Advocate blog is two-fold:

The awards can be announced quicker on social media than in print media and will reach a larger audience.

Announcing the awards in a blog platform allows for further discussion and interaction between whisky enthusiasts, press, and trade.

“We are always trying to be as progressive as possible,” notes Hansell. “We look forward to using social media more in the future to provide Malt Advocate readers with the best whisky experience possible — one that is complementary to Malt Advocate magazine.”

The dates the category winners will be announced are:

February 1st:  Best Buy Whisk(e)y of the Year

February 2nd:  Artisan Whiskey of the Year

February 3rd:  American Whiskey of the Year

February 4th:  Canadian Whisky of the Year

February 5th:  Irish Whiskey of the Year

February 6th:  Scotch Whisky Blend of the Year

February 7th:  Scotch Whisky Single Malt of the Year

February 8th:  Pioneer of the Year

February 9th:  Industry Leader of the Year

February 10th:  Distillery of the Year

February 11th:  Lifetime Achievement Award

On February 11th, we will also be announcing our “Top Ten New Whiskies for 2009.”

Be sure to tune in to What Does John Know? beginning February 1st. http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/

The Johnson’s Whisky Tot from Bottega del Vino Crystal becomes the Official Whisky Tasting Glass of the 2010 International Whisky Competition

January 15, 2010 (WI is catching up…slowly)
Official Whisky Tasting Glass will shine at the International Whisky Competition

CHICAGO; Jan. 15, 2010 – In a joint press release, the International Whisky Competition (IWC) and Bottega del Vino today announced that the Johnson’s Whisky Tot is becoming the Official Whisky Tasting Glass of this year’s edition of the IWC.

This noble single malt glass will be used by the master whisky experts judging at the whisky competition. Benefiting from a unique design by noted Scotch Whisky authority, David Johnson, the Johnson’s Whisky Tot is designed to be a tasting glass, as compared to a nosing glass.
“If the whisky matters, so does glass – it’s that simple” said Robert J. Hall, Chief Whisky Officer at Bottega del Vino. “Several fine nosing glasses are available in the world today,” he went on, “and a couple of them are even made by friends of ours. We’re proud to have been recognized by the International Whisky Competition for our focus on tasting glasses and look forward to participating in this wonderful event” added Robert.
 
The International Whisky Competition will take place at the Hotel 71 in Chicago, IL USA from April 8th to 10th 2010 and will be hosted live on the web by a panel of whisky experts acting as competition judges.
 
About International Whisky Competition
International Whisky Competition is a young and creative company organizing a world-class whisky competition.  The International Whisky Competition is the first whisky-only international competition in the world. Our goal is to bring as many whiskies from around the world to be tasted and rated by a panel of judges. The annual International Whisky Competition attracts whisky lovers from across the world via the web and these can vote on whiskies participating in the competition.  The company was founded in Canada by a group of three whisky connoisseurs in 2009.  Its home page is www.whiskycompetition.com.

About Bottega del Vino Crystal
If the wine matters, so does the glass™ – it’s that simple. Tasting after tasting, test after test, time after time, wine enthusiasts are amazed by the difference the glass makes. Inspired by a life in wine and created by Severino Barzan, Bottega del Vino Crystal wine glasses are first and foremost, wine-driven in design and creation. Each piece is painstakingly mouth blown and hand finished to the highest world standards for balance, weight, shape and the tactile pleasure of holding the stem and drinking from it. Each piece features a superbly crafted bowl with single pull stem for the best possible feel in hand and mouth. Our crystal is unique in the world because it is not fragile, yet it offers the finest presentation available for your wines both in appearance and taste. It homepage is www.bottegadelvinocrystal.com

 

 

Wintry Start to January

Happy New Year to everyone, it wasn’t exactly the start to the year we had hoped for with Huntly basically coming to a stand still due to the wintry conditions. As a result of the bad weather a lot of homes and businesses have been damaged, many distillery roofs have collapsed with the sheer weight of snow and many have experienced leeks as the snow melts.Our own bottling hall roof has not escaped and is currently being repaired due to damage caused by the wintry weather.

 

Upcoming Events – Burns Night

The 251st Anniversary of Robert Burns is just around the corner, our annual pilgrimage to the Great Scottish Poet. Why not stock up on some of our latest bottlings to compliment your haggis, neaps and tatties.

Address to a Haggis

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin’-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang’s my arm.

For more information on Robert Burns, visit http://www.robertburns.org/

First Octave Bottlings

We are delighted to introduce our Octave Collection of single malt and grain whiskies.  There are 3 types in the range so far, Bowmore 1982, Caperdonich 1972 and Cameronbridge 1978.  These can be purchased individually or as a trio.

The Caperdonich bottle will be provided with a signed certificate to show the authenticity of this first release, Caperdonich is more highly sought after amongst drinkers and collectors due to the news that the distillery will never produce whisky again, therefore a great collectors item and a must have.

The whisky in the Octave Range has not been chill-filtered or coloured, whiskies were originally matured in standard sized casks before undergoing Sherry Octave Invigoration for the final three months. This process has energized and added vitality to the whiskies as shown by the before and after tasting notes on the back label of the bottles.  Each Octave has produced only 70 bottles and each cask is uniquely numbered. 

More Octave bottlings to be added to the collection in the coming months, so watch this space!! 

TASTING NOTES

Caperdonich
Before:  Green apples, mown grass, lemon, lime, sweet.
After: Tutti fruity sweets, slightly medicinal, spicy oak, red fruits, white pepper.

Bowmore
Before: Warm grass, slightly smoky, spirit.
After: Balsam, bananas, rice pudding, crushed heracleum maximum, rounded.

Cameronbridge
Before: Dry straw, spicy, peppery, alcohol buzz.
After: Sweet, creamy, light cinnamon, sweet tea, citrus.

For a list of available whiskies and further information, visit the O&Q product page.

 

 

For further information, please contact:
Duncan Taylor & Co Ltd
Whisky Merchants and Brokers,
4 Upperkirkgate, Huntly,
Aberdeenshire, Scotland AB54 8JU
website: www.duncantaylor.com
email: info@duncantaylor.com
Phone: +44 (0) 1466 794055
Fax: +44 (0) 1466 794618
 

Purveyors of the worlds most exclusive range of Scotch Whiskies

We often talk of Orkney’s temperate climate but it doesn’t seem particularly mild at the moment. Mind you, the whole of the UK appears to have been snowbound at some stage or other over the last couple of weeks.

Dr Tosh prescribes wrapping up warm and enjoying a dram of Highland Park.

With this in mind, I would like to bring to your attention some Highland Park merchandise that will keep you toasty. All our clothing and accessories are made with the same quality and attention to detail as our whisky.

Alpaca hat
Fancy something a little different? You don’t often find beautiful woollen hats like these in distilleries; stylish, warm, comfortable and featuring the Highland Park logo on the earflap. £15.00

Jacket
Attractive and durable, the new Highland Park jacket is windproof and waterproof, with adjustable cuffs and a Velcro-fastened storm flap. Wear it when scraping ice off your windscreen. £25.00

Fleece
Equally at home in the pub or on Hobbister Moor, the lined Highland Park fleece will keep you warm wherever you are. £15.00

Leather hip flask with cups
This aged brown leather flask comes with four metal cups so you can enjoy a drop of Highland Park with friends after an energetic snowball fight. £30.00

Whisky!
From our website you can purchase a miniature of Highland Park 12 year old (£4) or a bottle of the Orcadian Series 1964 Vintage (£3,750) – and everything in between. Delivery restricted to the UK.

Visit our secure on-line shop at www.highlandpark.co.uk

 

 

Gerry
Whisky Brand Ambassador of the Year, 2010

See press release below regarding the upcoming Canadian Mist Whisky “Hunt for Double Gold” contest. Monica Frazier will have the opportunity to win the value of over $700,000 in gold bars in this unique contest.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Svend Jansen

Public Relations Manager

Brown-Forman Corporation

502-774-7825

OHIO WOMAN TO HUNT FOR “DOUBLE GOLD” IN SAN FRANCISCO

Monica Frazier of Bradford, OH Will Have Opportunity to win over $700,000 in Gold Bars

Louisville, Ky. (January 19, 2010) – Monica Frazier of Bradford, OH has been selected as the winner of the Canadian Mist Whisky “Hunt for Double Gold” contest. Frazier, 31, was randomly chosen out of over 150,000 entries for a chance to win two gold bars that could change her life forever. She will travel to San Francisco’s Marina Green for an opportunity to take home over $700,000 in gold bars.

On Friday, February 5, Frazier will be taken to Marina Green near downtown San Francisco where she will have one hour to search for up to 100 gold-colored coins numbered 1-100 which will have been randomly hidden around the park. After the search, she will select 10 coins from all the coins she find. If the two numbers randomly drawn before the search match the numbers on two of Frazier’s selected coins, she will win the value of two gold bars worth over $700,000.

“Everyone with Canadian Mist is thrilled to have Monica as our sweepstakes winner and we look forward to her hunt ending up with two gold bars,” said Alan George, Brand Director for Canadian Mist Whisky. “Hopefully this weekend will be an experience that Monica will never forget.”

Frazier will be flown along with a guest to San Francisco for an all-expense paid trip. She will spend three nights in downtown San Francisco beginning on Thursday, February 4 through Sunday, February 7, with the actual “Hunt for Double Gold” occurring on Friday afternoon. 

“I want to thank Canadian Mist for giving me this once in a lifetime opportunity to have the chance to win the two gold bars,” said Frazier. “I am really looking forward to spending the day in the park and searching for the coins!”

 At the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Canadian Mist was the only Canadian whisky to bring home the coveted Double Gold Medal. It marked the third time in five years in which Canadian Mist received the Gold Medal distinction, previously honored in 2005 and 2008 at the same competition.

About Canadian Mist

Canadian Mist is an award-winning whisky distilled in Collingwood, Ontario with water from the pristine Georgian Bay, North America’s largest pure water source. Brown-Forman Corporation is a diversified producer and marketer of fine quality consumer products, including Jack Daniel’s, Canadian Mist, Southern Comfort, Finlandia Vodka, Early Times, Old Forester, Fetzer Wine and Korbel California Champagnes. For more information, visit www.canadianmist.com.

###

_________________________________________________________

Enjoy Life. Drink Mist Responsibly.

Imported and Bottled by Brown-Forman Beverages, Canadian Whisky, A Blend, 40% Alc. by Volume, Louisville, KY ©2010 CANADIAN MIST is a registered trademark.

Svend Jansen

PR Manager – Woodford Reserve, Canadian Mist, Early Times & Old Forester

Brown-Forman

850 Dixie Highway

Louisville, KY 40210

Office, (502) 774-7825

Mobile, (502) 744-0462

svend_jansen@b-f.com

Malt Messenger No. 36

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

It’s the New Year, and far from restive the store and the scotch industry are buzzing with activity. Our latest Springbank cask hit the floor just before Christmas and has been a huge success ever since. We’ve sold through nearly 1/6th of the cask. The Bowmore Tempest has been flying too. This cask strength Bowmore, which is exclusive to the Kensington Wine Market, was a massive hit in November and December; we sold through close to 300 bottles of it. There are some new releases on the way, like Glendronach 15Yr and 18Yr as well as the Auchentoshan 1978 (see below). Further the Glenmorangie Signet and Quarter Century bottlings will also within a week return into stock. Finally, but most importantly, the wait is almost over… our eagerly anticipated and exceptional 1994 BenRiach Madeira finished cask is also expected to arrive in the next couple of weeks.

In the mean time the Burns Supper (our 5th annual) is less than a week away, and if you haven’t already committed, you’ve only two days remaining in which to buy tickets. We have to give Fort Calgary our numbers first thing Friday morning. At present only 20 or so tickets remain available for what promises to be another great event. More details below.

I am also in the early stages of planning some May tours to the motherland of whisky. As many of you are aware I take small groups of no more than 7 or 8 participants on weeklong premium distillery tours in Scotland. These tours take you to Scotland’s finest distilleries, whisky shops and other attractions. With my industry connections I am able to get the participants the sort of distillery tour experiences not available to the general public or larger coach tours. I have to date conducted 5 such tours, and look to do at least 2 more in May. At the moment I have some keen interest in a tour of the Orkney Islands and Northern Highlands, and will also do a tour of either the Speyside or Islay and the West Coast depending on interest. Please send me an e-mail if you would like some more information on the tours. I will have more specific details in the next Malt Messenger.

Finally, this Friday, Saturday and Sunday Kensington Wine Market is having its yearend inventory clearance, the Super Sale. There will be incredible deals on wine and of course single malts. All single malts will be at least 5% off with others marked down, 7%, 10%, 15% and as much as 20%. For more details on the sale, see below.

I hope you enjoy this issue of the Malt Messenger.

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson

In This Issue

1.       Only Two Days Left To Buy Tickets to the Robbie Burns Supper

2.       Springbank 1996 KWM Oloroso Sherry Cask

3.       Auchentoshan 1978

4.       KWM’s Annual Super Sale

5.       New Products

6.       Returned Whiskies

Only Two Days Left To Buy Tickets to the Robbie Burns Supper – Monday January 25th – $99

There are still about 20 tickets left for our 5th Annual Kensington Wine Market Burns Supper, and the deadline to purchase them in buying near.  We will have to cut off registration for the event at 5PM on Thursday January 21st. In case you missed them last week, here are the event’s details:

Scots Wha Hae!”, Kensinton Wine Market’s 5th Annual Burns Supper  will be taking place Monday January 25th (Burns Day Proper) at Fort Calgary 750 9th Avenue SE, at 7PM. Tickets are $99 and include full dinner, entertainment and a tasting of six whiskies including the following six expressions of Bowmore: 12YR, 15Yr Darkest, 18Yr, 25Yr, 1992 16Yr Wine Cask Matured and the new 10Yr Tempest Cask Strength (which is exclusive to the Kensington Wine Market).

It’s the most fun you can have with your Sporran on!

Springbank 1996 KWM Oloroso Cask – $109.99

Springbank is Scotland’s oldest family owned distillery, having been in the possession of the Wright/Mitchell family since its inception in 1828. It is also Scotland’s most traditional distillery, and accordingly, probably it’s finest. It is the only distillery in Scotland to malt 100% of its barley and is one of a very few that bottles its whisky on site. This gives the distiller more control over quality than any other in the country, and also means that it employs more people. Even though Springbank’s production is relatively small, it employs 10 times as many people as most distilleries 4 to 5 times its size.

Springbank is located in the Victorian town of Campbeltown near the mull of the Kintyre peninsula. At one point, in the late 19th and early 20th C, the town of Campbeltown was the heart of the Scottish whisky industry, supplying whisky to the burgeoning American and world market. Its bountiful distilleries (32) were only outnumbered by its churches. Distilleries wary of the temperance movement kept empty churches open to keep the movement at bay. In the late 1800’s the town was one of the most prosperous centers in the UK with the highest average income. Unfortunately, prohibition, two world wars, the Great Deppresion and a move towards quantity over quality killed the Golden Goose. Today there are only 3 distilleries in Campbeltown: Springbank, Glen Scotia and Glengyle. But traces of Campbeltown’s greatness can still be seen, the town is full of converted churches, the stone mansions built by the whisky barons and the walls of the distillery warehouses.

The Springbank 1996 KWMO Oloroso cask is our second from the distillery, matured in a single Oloroso sherry butt. It was selected from a sample of 6 casks by the customers of the Kensington Wine Market. What’s so interesting about this whisky is that it was filled the very same day in 1996 as our previous Manzanilla sherry cask. If you liked our last bottling of Springbank you will love this one too! It isn’t quite as rich as the first one, it is softer and smoother but it is every bit as complex. Our cask was bottled at a cask strength of 55.8% and there are 642 bottles available.

My Tasting Note:

Nose: sweet and malty, rich, dark fruits like figs and raisins; traces of smoke and brittle sea salt; woody sherry oak, freshly cracked walnuts, and treacle sauce; Palate: sweet, spicy and invigorating; it has some grip but is softer and less nutty than the Manzanilla cask;  cinnamon and clove, date squares and chocolate covered raisins; salt water taffy; Finish: long, drying and oak, some traces of sweet dark fruit and clean smoke.

The new Springbank hit the shelves 4 days before Christmas and has been a huge success. In the last 3 weeks we’ve sold 100 bottle, almost 1/6 of the cask! Feel free to drop by the store for a taste…

Auchentoshan 1978 – 30 Year Old Limited Edition – $543.99

Auchentoshan distillery produces the only full time triple distilled whisky in Scotland. The distillery, often refered to as Glasgow’s distillery, is located at the foot of the Kilpatrick hills on the outskirts of Glasgow. This 1978 vintage release of Auchentoshan is a 30 year old whisky matured in Bourbon Casks that has been bottled at cask strength of 53.5%. Only 480 bottles have been produced with a unique pewter label.

Distillery Tasting Note:

“Colour: Summer barley. Nose: All butter shortbread, brazil nuts with a hint of tangerine zest.  Then comes the cooling eucalyptus fresh bracken and tobacco leaf. Taste: The palate is filled with malty, buttery notes at first which are complimented by the fresh zing of citrus and the Auchentoshan mint and tobacco leaf on the rear of the palate.”

A limited number of bottles of Auchentoshan 1978 are currently available for $543.99

KWM’s Annual Super Sale

Every year we hold a yearend inventory clearance sale, the “Super Sale”. I won’t be here for it this year; I will be in Victoria at the Victoria Whisky Festival. However there will still be some great deals on single malts, all of which will be at least 5% off with many at 7% and 10% off a select few for !5% and 20%. The sale is on only in stock items, no orders will be taken over the phone. Purchases can be made on our website www.kensingtonwinemarket.com and in store. Here is a list of some of the items on sale. The regular price of the items is that shown.

Save 20%

1.       G&M KWM Glen Grant 1966 – $499.99

Save 15%

1.       Glenfiddich 50Yr 50ml – $1390.99

2.       Bruichladdich Legacy V – $410.49

3.       Bruichladdich Legacy VI – $397.49

4.       Brechin 28Yr – $293.99

Save 10%

1.       Jack Daniel’s KWM Single Barrel – $49.99

2.       Cadenhead Laphroaig Cask Demerara Rum – $83.99

3.       Cadenhead Panama Green Label 8Yr – $73.49

4.       Balblair 1979 – $234.49

5.       BenRiach Arumaticus Fumosus 12Yr – $71.99

6.       BenRiach Heredotus Fumosus 12Yr – $71.99

7.       BenRiach Importanticus Fumosus 12Yr – $71.99

8.       Benromach Latitude 53 Second Release – $128.99

9.       Benromach Organic Special Edition – $84.99

10.   Big Peat – $79.99

11.   Bowmore Tempest 10Yr Cask Strength – $81.99

12.   Ledaig 10Yr – $73.99

13.   Oban 14Yr – $99.99

14.   Oban Distillers Edition – $143.49

15.   OMC KWM Port Ellen 25Yr – $249.99

16.   Springbank 1996 KMW Oloroso Cask – $109.99

17.   The Ballechin (Peated Edradour) – $105.99

18.   The Spirit of Don Manuel Reposado Tequila – $76.99

19.   Johnnie Walker Swing – $46.99

Save 7%

1.       Basil Hayden 8Yr – $57.72

2.       Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey – $36.49

3.       Pappy Van Winkle 23Yr – $324.99

4.       El Dorado Single Barrel EHP – $94.99

5.       El Dorado Single Barrel ICBU – $94.99

6.       El Dorado Single Barrel PM – $94.99

7.       Amrut Fusion – $75.99

8.       Arran 100 Proof – $53.99

9.       Auchentoshan 21Yr – $126.49

10.   Bruichladdich Octomore – $152.49

11.   Bunnahabhain 12Yr – 71.49

12.   Dewar Rattray Ben Nevis 11Yr – $93.49

13.   Dewar Rattray Royal Lochnagar 10Yr – $99.99

14.   Dewar Rattray Strathmill 31Yr – $211.99

15.   Glenfiddich 12Yr – $44.49

16.   Glenlivet 12Yr – $47.99

17.   Glenmorangie Lasanta – $67.99

18.   Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban – $70.49

19.   Isle of Jura 10Yr  – $42.99

20.   Lagavulin 12Yr – $97.99

21.   Lagavulin 16Yr – $143.49

22.   Suntory Yamazaki 12Yr – $55.49

23.   Tullibardine 1993 – $59.99

24.   Johnnie Walker Gold Label – $91.49

ALL OTHER SINGLE MALTS 5% OFF!!!!

New Products

1.       Springbank 1996 KWM Oloroso Cask – Our second cask of Springbank, filled the same day in 1996 as our previous Manzanilla cask and bottled after almost a further year of maturation. This Oloroso sherry cask was bottled at 55.8% and is a little softer than the previous cask. Really spicy and sweet, candied fruits, drying oak and some salty smoke. – $109.99

2.       Duthies Clynelish 14Yr – Easily my favourite of the 6 new Duthies bottlings. A perfect balance of sherry, dried fruits, chocolate orange and marmalade. Very smooth with a dry finish. – $91.99

3.       Duthies Laphroaig 11Yr – This Laphroaig is non-chillfiltered, has no added colouring and has been bottled at 46%. Oily rich, peat smoke, dry burning embers. A lingering dry smokey finish. – $98.99

4.       Springbank 2001 Small Casks – This vintage Springbank may only be 8 years of age, but it has plenty of character to spare. Matured in small casks this whisky is rich and creamy, with honey, vanilla and butterscotch. – $85.99

5.       Macallan Fine Oak 25Yr – Matured in a mix of Ex-Sherry European and American oak casks as well as ex-Bourbon casks. Coconut, vanilla, lemon, sultanas and peat. – $TBA

6.       Amrut Fusion – Jim Murray’s 2010 No.3 Whisky of the Year! I have been a little slower than most to warm to the delights of Amrut distillery. I was previously a big fan of their Cask Strength bottling, but there is no doubt that the new Fusion is a terrific whisky, and among last year’s best new releases. – $75.99

7.       Dewar Rattray Clynelish 1996 – This whisky is from a single Refill Sherry cask, it produced 577 bottles at 59.7%. Light summer fruits, melon and strawberry jam. – $113.49

8.       Dewar Rattray Ben Nevis 11Yr – This whisky is from a single Refill Sherry Butt from which 430 bottles were filled at a cask strength of 56.8%. Cinnamon, cloves, honey and oats. – $93.49

9.       Dewar Rattray Arran 1996 – This whisky is from a single Puncheon and yielded 656 bottles at a cask strength of 55.7%. Sweet, spiced malt, mocha and a hint of malt. – $106.49

Returned Whiskies

1.       Glenmorangie Quarter Century – One of the nicest, most subtle and complex 25 year olds you will ever have the opportunity to sample. Beautifully packaged in an elegant bottle and flashy presentation case this whisky would look great on any bar, where it wouldn’t last long! – $402.99

2.       Glenmorangie Signet – One of the most exceptional and unusual new releases last year. Made from chocolate malts and old sherried whiskies this dram is like no other. If you haven’t tried it, you’ve no idea what your missing! – $199.49

3.       Macallan Fine Oak 30Yr – Matured in European and American oak casks this whisky is a softer more refined Macallan, with big oak notes, sweet honeycomb, and burnt fudge. 91pts Jim Murray – $896.99

4.       The Big Peat – This Blended Malt is made up of four Islay whiskies: Bowmore, Ardbeg, Caol Ila and Port Ellen. If ever there were a true peat monster from Islay, this is it!  – $79.99

5.       Cadenhead Classic Islay – A whisky so like Laphroaig 10Yr it begs the question, what distillery or distilleries is it from? Cadenhead isn’t telling, all we know is that its 50%, and a damn good dram! – $76.99

6.       Springbank 11Yr Madeira Wood – This limited edition Springbank was matured 11 years in Madeira casks and bottled at cask strength before Whisky Magazine gave it a Gold Medal and their top recommendation. The first delivery sold out in weeks! – $87.99

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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

scotchguy@kensingtonwinemarket.com

Like most of the country we have been affected by the winter weather. Here on the Isle of Lewis ferries were cancelled and roads treacherous with ice and snow; But forever optimistic and to welcome 2010, we decided to warm everyone up with news of the release of ‘The Spirit of Lewis’ New Spirit! 

We apologise for being late, but we want to ensure our stock is available for our Single Malt in 2011, that was our priority and we knew that you would agree.  Our philosophy has always been ‘Make sure you’ve made it, before you sell it!’  So we are going to release a limited amount of sample bottles that will be available via registering on the website, that means, for some, you won’t have to come to Lewis to get one! As this is a limited release we will only allow one bottle per person, so please don’t ask for more.

The launch date, registration form and cost of a bottle will be published in two weeks time via the newsletter.  Please fill in the special registration form if you would like one of these historic bottles. Filling in the form cannot guarantee you a bottle, but we will try our best. If you don’t fill in the form we can guarantee you won’t get a bottle unless you visit us!

We are releasing special 500ml New Spirit, sample bottles that will carry the bottle number as well as the cask number, and Marko’s signature of authenticity. They will be the first legal bottles of spirit to be made on our island in almost 160 years!

We have also (at your request) altered our Whisky Experience, it is no longer a requirement to take a cask and participants can go home with a bottle instead, thus reducing the overall cost of the course.  Due to the current financial squeeze we are also offering a course for those on a tight budget, check out our website for what’s on offer.

If you want to get tongues wagging and questions asked why not sport one of our new T Shirts? We are offering a range of stylish quality clothing depicting the Abhainn Dearg Distillery logo and The Spirit of Lewis label. At the moment these items are, like our Spirit, as rare as hen’s teeth so don’t miss out!

Remember to look out for our next newsletter if you want to get your hands on a bottle of ‘The Spirit of Lewis’! 

http://www.abhainndearg.co.uk/

“Scots wha hae?”

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

It is nearly that time of year again, when we unite to celebrate the life of Scotland’s favourite son, Robert Burns. Can you believe this is the 5th annual Kensington Wine Market Burns Supper? We started off small 5 years ago in the tasting room of the store with 20 participants, a haggis, a piper and very little experience. I’d never been to a Burns Supper myself, and wasn’t entirely sure how to conduct one. By good fortune a past President of the Calgary Burns Club just happened to be in attendance, and he took it upon himself to entertain the assembled guests—especially the lasses—with poetry and song. The next year the event grew to over 100 participants, and we’ve never looked back. What started out in a small room in the Kensington Wine Market has grown into one of Calgary’s most respected Burns nights with bag pipes, haggis, poetry, song and of course some excellent whisky.

Each of the last three years our Burns Supper has had a special guest from the whisky industry. First it was the passionate and charming Richard Patterson of Whyte and MacKay who put on a performance that still hasn’t been matched. He is an old fashioned showman, with a larger than life personality that almost overshadowed the brands he represents: Isle of Jura, Dalmore and Whyte and MacKay. Next it was Bruichladdich’s Andrew Gray who is well known to Calgary whisky connoisseurs. Andrew had a more gentlemanly style, and entertained the crowd with anecdotes from Islay’s most eccentric distillery. And last year it was Peter Curry of Springbank, Scotland’s oldest family owned and most traditional distillery. He was here to celebrate the launch of our first Springbank cask. This year we are welcoming Jamie MacKenzie, brand ambassador for Morrison Bowmore Distillers. Jamie will be leading us through a tasting of whiskies from Bowmore, and will be giving a rookie performance of the “Address to a Haggis”. The address is no small undertaking, it is 16 eight line versus of ancient Scottish English accompanied by the appropriate gestures and emotion. He’s been studying hard, and I know he’ll do an excellent job.

There are still plenty of tickets for this year’s Kensinton Wine Market Burns Supper, “Scots Wha Hae!” The event will be taking place Monday January 25th (Burns Day Proper) at Fort Calgary 750 9th Avenue SE, at 7PM. Tickets are $99 and include full dinner, entertainment and a tasting of six whiskies including the following six expressions of Bowmore: 12YR, 15Yr Darkest, 18Yr, 25Yr, 1992 16Yr Wine Cask Matured and the new 10Yr Tempest Cask Strength (which is exclusive to the Kensington Wine Market). The event is a lot of fun and unlike some others is open to both men and women. What good is bawdy and romantic 17th Century verse if there are no lasses around to hear it?

Kensington will be selling tickets to the 5th Annual Burns Supper until noon on Friday January 22nd. Tickets can be purchased in store, over the phone 403-283-8000 or on the web at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com..

Robert Burns – The Man

Robert Burns–AKA Rabbie Burns, Robbie Burns, the Ploughman Poet, Bard of Ayrshire and to Scots, simply The Bard–was born on January 25th 1759 in Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland. Widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, he is without doubt Scotland’s favorite son. Every year the date of his birth is celebrated in Scotland and around the world in the Scottish Diaspora; which incidentally includes all native Scots, descendants of Scots, and those who wish they were!

Poor and little-known during his life time, Robert Burn’s fame has grown steadily since his death. His poetry and other writings are every bit as evocative and relevant today as they were in the late 1700’s. He gave voice to the common man, where there was none before, and was one of the pioneers of the Romantic Movement.

2009 was the 250th Anniversary of Burn’s birth, and was celebrated in Scotland as “Homecoming 2009”.

The Burns Supper

Celebrated for more than 2 centuries, the Burns Supper has changed little since his death in 1796. The dinner opens with a general welcome, followed by the Selkirk Grace. The piping signals the entrance of the Haggis which is ceremonially cut open to the reading of Burns’ famous ode, “Address to a Haggis”. The Immortal memory, a recounting of the life of Robert Burns is given and then a couple of toasts. The dinner concludes with the singing of “Auld Lang Syne”.

But that’s not enough for the KWM Burns Supper. We blend a whisky tasting into the evenings events, along with some traditional highland dancing from the Springbank School of Dance. This even will appeal to both novice and seasoned Burns Supper attendees. And one need not love whisky to attend, but it doesn’t hurt!

Bowmore Distillery

Bowmore is one of Scotland’s oldest and most traditional distilleries. It was established in 1779 in the heart of the island of Islay, along the shores of Loch Indaal. Of Islay’s eight active distilleries Bowmore is the oldest and one of the most iconic. Along with little more than a handful of other distilleries in Scotland, Bowmore still malts by hand approximately 40% of its own barley requirements. I am always struck with a warm feeling when I arrive in town to the sight and smell of peat smoke rising from the distillery’s pagoda roofs. Bowmore’s salty-peaty whiskies are world renowned, and it’s No. 1 Vaults (warehouse)—which sits precariously below sea level along Loch Indaal—is held by many whisky enthusiasts, myself included, to be among the holiest of sites in the world of whisky.

Bowmore distillery was founded in 1779 by John Simpson in the purpose built town of Bowmore. The Laird of Islay, Daniel Campbell the younger, was unhappy with the old town which was obstructing the view of Loch Indall from his manor. So he had it demolished and in 1770 had the people re-settled in the new town of Bowmore (Big Reef). The town was built with unusually wide streets, the main one of which lead down to the water from the only slightly older Kilarrow Parish Church. The church was built round so that there would be no corners in which for the devil to hide.

The second owner of Bowmore was an unusual chap; James Mutter (of German descent) who acquired the distillery in 1837. Mr. Mutter in addition to owning some farming interests was the vice consul of Portugal, Brazil and the Ottoman Empire in Glasgow. Mr. Mutter also had his own iron steamship built to supply the distillery with coal and barley from the mainland and which would then return filled with whisky.

The distillery changed hands a total of six times in its history. It was mothballed during both World Wars, and served as a host to the RAF Coastal Command in WWII. RAF flying boats were operated from Bowmore on Loch Indaal. They were principally employed on anti-submarine warfare missions. The distillery was bought by Stanley Morrison and James Howat in 1951 who formed Stanley P. Morrison Distillers, 12 years later this was changed to Morrison Bowmore Distillers which would eventually come to own Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch distilleries as well. The company has changed little since even though it is now a subsidiary of Suntory Group of Japan. Suntory is a Japanese drinks giant that itself has a 90 plus year history of distilling. It is widely recognized that Suntory’s involvement with Morrison Bowmore has greatly benefited its distilleries which are better capitalized than before while still retain their traditional practices and management.

Bowmore’s core range of whiskies consists of:

Bowmore Legend – The baby in the family, less than 10 years of age it is zesty with notes of lemon, smoke and honey. – $42.99
Bowmore 12Yr – This is the baseline of Bowmore, dark chocolate and peat smoke. – $51.47
Bowmore 15Yr Darkest – This is the rich one, cedar, toffee and treacle with soft peat smoke. – $83.49
Bowmore 18Yr – Soft fruit, more chocolate and light smoke, this whisky is more refined and complex than its younger siblings. – $105.49
Bowmore 25Yr – This is a big, rich, elegant whisky with notes of toffee and hazelnut mingling with sweet peat smoke. – $307.49

There are also some limited special edition bottlings available at the moment including:

Bowmore Tempest 10Yr Cask Strength – Exclusive to Kensington Wine Market in Canada, this new cask strength 10 year old in matured in only 1st fill American oak bourbon barrels giving it a creamy, soft palate with loads of vanilla and tropical fruits balanced by clean peat smoke. – $81.99

Bowmore 1992 16Yr Wine Cask Matured – Matured 9 years in Bordeaux casks after starting out in ex-Bourbon this whisky is huge, big dark chocolate peat, leathery earth and salty smoke. – $98.49

Black Bowmore 1964 42Yr – Hands down my all-time favourite bottling of Bowmore, and easily one of the three best whiskies I’ve ever tasted. Big, chewy and round, soft chocolaty peat that is drowing in sweet, soft tropical fruits. Only a handful left in Canada! 97pts John Hansel Malt Advocate. – $4099.99

White Bowmore 1964 43Yr – Surprisingly this whisky matured only in ex-Bourbon casks has maintained the same tropical fruit notes as its younger brother which matured in Oloroso sherry. The white is creamy with soft vanilla, white chocolate and shades of the same tropical fruits found in the black. 94pts John Hansel Malt Advocate – $4389.99

Gold Bowmore 1964 44Yr – This is the only of the three bottles in the 1964 trilogy, and I have yet to sample it. It was matured in a mix of Sherry and Bourbon casks. John Hansel of Malt Advocate gave it a 96pt score, rating it just below the Black which he felt was more robust and vibrant. – $4389.99

A note on this Bowmore Trilogy: Kensington Wine Market is selling the Gold Bowmore 1964 for $4389.99 and is listing the complete Bowmore 1964 Trilogy for $12,878.97 + GST. This may sound like a lot, but the same trilogy of whiskies recently sold at Christies Auctions in New York for USD $21,600.00. Whisky investors take note!

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

scotchguy@kensingtonwinemarket.com