Tamdhu toasts International Sherry Week with campaign launch

One of Speyside’s leading single malt scotch whisky distilleries has launched a new campaign to celebrate its strong links with Spain in time for International Sherry Week (8-14 October).

Tamdhu Single Malt Scotch Whisky, which is exclusively matured in Oloroso sherry seasoned European and American oak casks, is inviting whisky enthusiasts on a unique journey through the sun-drenched vineyards, dynamic cooperages and historic bodegas of Jerez to find out what makes its Scotch whisky so unique.

Along the way, people will follow the six-year journey of the Tamdhu sherry cask from ‘Spain to Speyside’ through a series of entertaining films, breath-taking photography, social media insights and new-look website. Audiences will also be introduced to the experts who dedicate their lives to hand-crafting the oak casks that make their final stop at the Tamdhu Distillery in Speyside, Scotland.

In 1898, Tamdhu’s founders secured their first precious shipment of sherry casks from Spain. Now 120 years later, Tamdhu is celebrating this history with a campaign that offers fresh insight into the sherry cask production process it uses exclusively today. Only 5 per cent of all Scotch whisky is matured in sherry casks, which are some of the rarest and most expensive available.

Only the best European and American oak casks are selected to mature Tamdhu’s spirit. These casks are seasoned with specially selected Oloroso sherry from the famous Jerez sherry triangle for a period of two years. After two years these casks are emptied and transported whole to Tamdhu distillery and filled with our precious new spirit.

These sherry casks are the finest in the industry. The highest quality is essential to give Tamdhu its natural, dark amber colour, intense richness on the palate and its deep, long finish.

Iain Weir, Brand Director for Tamdhu, said: “We’re really excited to be launching our ‘Spain To Speyside’ campaign in time for International Sherry Week.

“This fully integrated campaign will offer our international community of sherried whisky enthusiasts the chance to find out more about the passion that goes into every drop of our award-winning spirit.

“Although our casks are exceptionally rare and expensive, we wouldn’t change our methods, as we think it’s the only way to create the very best single malt whisky.”

Follow Tamdhu’s ‘Spain to Speyside – journey of the sherry cask’ campaign online at www.tamdhu.com and on social media by joining the conversation using hashtag #SpainToSpeyside

www.facebook.com/tamdhuwhisky

www.twitter.com/TamdhuWhisky

www.instagram.com/tamdhuwhisky

www.tamdhu.com

www.drinkaware.co.uk

www.scotch-whisky.org.uk

Notes: 

Photos: 

• Tamdhu’s Sandy McIntyre (Distillery Manager) and Gordon Dundas (International Brand Ambassador), toast International Sherry Week (8-14 October) with the launch of Tamdhu’snew ‘Spain to Speyside’ campaign to celebrate its strong links with Spain.

Tamdhu

Tamdhu is 100% matured in the finest Oloroso sherry oak casks from Spain. Born on the banks of the River Spey in 1897, its quality is also defined by the hint of peat in its malted barley and the natural Speyside water that is drawn directly from the Tamdhu spring. It is owned by one of Scotland’s leading, independent family-owned distillers, Ian Macleod Distillers.

Tamdhu’s Oloroso sherry oak casks are hand-crafted from European and American oak in the cooperages of Jerez, in Spain’s ‘sherry triangle’. The cask staves are air dried for a minimum of two years, then seasoned with Spanish Oloroso sherry for a further two years.

PARTNER BARS EXCLUSIVE BOTTLING – 64.97

Don’t miss out on this new partner bar exclusive bottling: taste it only at participating partner bars this weekend but be quick before it goes live on 11 October and disappears entirely. A juicy and fruity expression to keep summer alive a little longer.

Visit your local partner bar and ask for your share of  A sunny day in late summer, remembering your membership card for preferential dram price

64.97 is available in the following partner bars:

Austria

• Hotel Drei Hasen, Mariazell
• Hotel Murtalerhof, Steindorf
• The Highlander Pub, Vienna
• Rupp’s Bar, Vienna

Germany

• Bar am Steinplatz, Berlin
• Union Jack, Berlin
• Bar Wagemut, Berlin
• The Embury Bar, Frankfurt am Main

France

• Mersea, Paris
• Hopscotch, Toulouse

Italy

• Mulligans, Milan
• Octavius, Milan

Sweden

• Ardbeg Embassy, Stockholm
• The Bishops Arms, Västra Hamngatan – Gothenburg
• The Bishops Arms, Gustav Adolfs Torg – Malmö
• Bryggargatan, Skelleftea

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Octomore 09.1

This 5 year old expression from Bruichladdich’s Octomore range was distilled in 2012 and peated to 156ppm, and aims to debunk the myth that older is better. Matured in American oak whisky casks for its full term, this edition is limited to just 42,000 bottles.

£116 Buy Now

Friday, October 12th, 5-7PM:

Diageo

The distributor behind some of the world’s best loved scotches, Diageo will be featured at this expert presented in-store tasting. Johnnie Walker, Lagavulin, Caol Ila, and Oban are just a few of the many single malt scotches in Diageo’s impressive portfolio. Come by and taste a variety of new, rare, and award-winning single malts at our in-store tasting, presented by whisky experts.

This is one of two Diageo tastings in October.

The second is Friday, October 26th, from 5-7PM.

More Details & RSVP

Tamdhu Launches New 12 Year Old 

Tamdhu Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky has introduced its new 12 Year Old to its exclusively sherry oak matured range.

The new 12 Year Old single malt reflects Tamdhu’s commitment to producing ‘only the best’ sherry cask matured whisky, and will replace the existing Tamdhu 10 Year Old. The new Tamdhu 12 Year Old is rolling out globally now and is expected to be available in the UK in 2019.

Benefiting from an extra two years of maturation, and bottled at 43% ABV, Tamdhu 12 Year Old has been 100% matured for a full 12 years in first fill and refill American and European Oloroso sherry casks from the cooperages of Jerez, in Spain’s ‘sherry triangle’. The result is a complex and rich single malt whisky that delivers a wealth of complexity, with flavours of cinnamon, dried fruit, banana and classic sherry oak depth.

Tamdhu 12 Year Old launches globally with a bold new marketing campaign and packaging design, including a new strapline, ‘Only the Best’ and activation, ‘From Spain to Speyside’; a reference to the top-quality Spanish Oloroso sherry oak casks which were recorded as being first used by Tamdhu Distillery to mature its Speyside single malt whisky 120 years ago, in 1898.

The iconic 12 Year Old Tamdhu bespoke bottle takes the prominent position within its new luxurious packaging, on show for all to see. The packaging details the story of Tamdhu Distillery and the importance of sherry casks and natural colour within the Tamdhu story.

Only the best Oloroso sherry seasoned American and European oak casks give Tamdhu its distinctive colour and flavour. The striking amber tones in the single malt are developed naturally through contact with the sherry seasoned casks, which are crafted in the family cooperages and bodegas of Jerez for up to 6 years before beginning their journey to Scotland.

Sandy McIntyre, Tamdhu Distillery Manager said:

“We’re delighted to introduce the new Tamdhu 12 Year Old as our new entry level expression.

“All our whisky at Tamdhu is exclusively matured in the finest Oloroso sherry oak casks. The American and European oak soaks up nearly 35 litres of Oloroso sherry during the seasoning process in Jerez, which gives our new Tamdhu 12 Year Old its distinctive flavour and striking natural colour.

“When you taste a dram of Tamdhu 12 Year Old, you can really taste the time, care and expert craftsmanship which has gone in to creating this incredible whisky. We hope Tamdhu drinkers around the world will savour it as much as we do.

“We’re on an exciting journey with Tamdhu and we remain committed to bottling only the best.”

Follow Tamdhu’s journey from Spain to Speyside on social media:

www.facebook.com/tamdhuwhisky

www.twitter.com/TamdhuWhisky

www.instagram.com/tamdhuwhisky

www.tamdhu.com

www.drinkaware.co.uk

www.scotch-whisky.org.uk

Notes:

Tamdhu is 100% matured in the finest Oloroso sherry oak casks from Spain. Born on the banks of the River Spey in 1897, its quality is also defined by the hint of peat in its malted barley and the natural Speyside water that is drawn directly from the Tamdhu spring. It is owned by one of Scotland’s leading, independent family-owned distillers, Ian Macleod Distillers.

Tamdhu’s Oloroso sherry oak casks are hand-crafted from European and American oak in the cooperages and bodegas of Jerez, in Spain’s ‘sherry triangle’. 

Full Tasting Notes for Tamdhu 12 Year Old: 

Nose

Rich and enticing; iced cinnamon rolls, orange boiled sweets, fresh sweet oak with raisins and a faint hint of mint.

Palate

Silky texture that coats the mouth with banana, berry jam, malt biscuit and classic sherry oak depth.

Finish

Pleasantly long and balanced with ground spice, dried fruit and soft Scottish tablet, finally unveiling the merest whisper of peat smoke.

It’s SMWS Canada’s 7th anniversary and we’re celebrating with an Outturn that introduces two new distilleries to the Canadian branch, a “milestone” bottling, and some old peat! Buckle up and hold on to your senses!

CASK NO. 51.12  PASTRIES AND SWEET TREATS

15 years old; 1st fill barrel; 58.9%; Juicy, oak & vanilla

The first bottling from distillery no. 51 for the Canadian branch!

Milk chocolate caramel, pastry and dried flower aromas, then sweet and spicy to taste with pineapple, butterscotch and fizzy orange drinks.

CASK NO. 48.97  1950s ICE CREAM PARLOUR

10 years old; refill barrel; 58.3%; Sweet & spicy

The nose hides cinnamon behind vanilla ice cream and strawberry milkshake. The palate’s toffee and brown sugar joust with chili and oak.

CASK NO. 13.56  THE DARK SIDE OF THE MELON

9 years old; refill barrel; 60.7%; Spicy & dry

The first bottling from distillery no. 13 for the Canadian branch!

Ripe melon, cut grass and frankincense beckoned cedar wood and a darker palate of bitter chocolate, muscovado sugar and spiced tobacco.

CASK NO. 5.62  CRUMBLED SWEETS IN A LEATHER SATCHEL

17 years old; 1st fill Oloroso hogshead; 58.8%;  Sweet & spicy

Leather satchels with crumbled parma violets and cherry cake plus rum and raisin ice cream with treacle. Formerly in an ex-bourbon hogshead.

CASK NO. 30.100  AN ABUNDANCE OF FRUITCAKE

20 years old; 2nd fill butt; 56.5%; Deep, rich & dried fruits

Milestone Cask!

Frankincense, cinnamon and malt loaf joined Pedro Ximenez sherry and fruit cake with brazil nuts, prunes and dark chocolate sauce.

CASK NO. 10.133  AN ENTIRE MOUTH EXPERIENCE

10 years old; refill barrel; 62.2%; Oily & coastal

A sweetly seductive nose – toffee apples and clover honey. The palate is an entire mouth experience – chewy, viscous and mouth-filling.

CASK NO. 29.231  SUBLIME SERENITY

20 years old; refill hogshead; 48.5%; Lightly peated

Spoil yourself! A delicate balance of sweetness and smoke enhanced by a soft mineralic note and creamy texture. Can it get better than this?

SMWS Canada

SAUTERNES CASK MATURED

The Sauternes Cask Finish follows a range of wine cask releases we’ve bottled over the previous five years. This latest offering differs in that it was initially matured in ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred into fresh Sauternes hogsheads for five months prior to bottling. This finishing period allows the caramel and vanilla influence of bourbon barrels to be accentuated by the buttery sweetness of the desert wine casks. Meanwhile the classic peat smoke and citrus character of the Kilchoman spirit brings a distinct depth and punch to the whisky, emphasised at the increased strength of 50%.

We have previously favoured full-term maturation for our wine cask releases, bottling fully matured Port, Madeira, Red Wine and Sauternes editions every other year since 2013. The Sauternes Cask Finish approach has arguably provided a more balanced character, combining both the maritime peat smoke and tropical fruit typical of Kilchoman with the softer buttery floral notes characteristic of the Sauternes casks.

• Every bottle of Kilchoman is hand bottled on Islay at a minimum of 46% ABV allowing for the full-bodied character of the whisky to shine through.
• Kilchoman Distillery ships all their barrels whole directly to Islay. Their Bourbon Barrels are sourced exclusively from Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, and their Sherry Casks from Miguel Martin in Jerez, Spain.
• Kilchoman Distillery’s stills are amongst the smallest in Scotland, increasing copper contact and creating unmatched balance and complexity.
• Kilchoman Single Malt is never chill-filtered or colored; the whisky is a pure, unfiltered representation of traditional whisky distilling.

Nose: Maritime peat smoke, citrus and tropical fruit with hints of buttery sweetness.

Palate: Soft creamy chocolate and liquorice with waves of peat smoke, cinnamon and mixed fruit.

Finish: Layered peat smoke and fruit with lasting honey sweetness.

Please feel free to reach out for more details on the bottling: office@impexbev.com

The Whisky Exchange 

Registered Office: Elixir House, Whitby Avenue,

Park Royal, London NW10 7SF, UK.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 216: Unnamed Orkney 13 Year Old 2005 Flander’s Finest Cask Selection

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tries a ‘naked’ Highland Park, selected by the boys and girls of Flander’s Finest Cask Selection. Very spirit driven, this ‘Unnamed Orkney’ offers up the perfect mix of the traits that Highland Park is to be associated with.

https://youtu.be/KJ23SzyHplY

Winner!

“Chairman’s Award” 2016 Retailer of the Year

Alberta Liquor Store Association

Runner-Up 2015 & 2016

Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky: Rest of the World

Retailer Single Outlet “Highly Commended”

Malt Messenger Bulletin – A New KWM Cask, Whisky Advent Early Bird & Whisky Week!

!!!EARLY BIRD EXTENDED!!! for The Kensinton Wine Market 2018 Whisky Advent Calendar 

Early Bird Pricing in Effect – SAVE $35 Until October 7, 2018

25 Days of Dram Fine Whisky is Back! SAVE $35+gst, by pre-ordering your Kensington Wine Market 2018 Whisky Advent Calendar before October 8th. This years edition features 25 all new whiskies, with a high proportion of single casks, and independent bottlings. The bulk of the Calendar is single malt Scotch whisky, with a few single malts from Canada, England and France. We will also have a Japanese whisky in the 2018 edition for the first time!

The KWM Whisky Advent Calendar consists of 24 50ml premium whiskies, one for each day of Advent. There is also a bonus 25th bottle, a 100ml Scotch Malt Whisky Society cask strength, single cask, single malt Scotch whisky. This year’s Society whisky will only be featured in the Calendar. You can follow along on social media with us, as well as on the KWM Blog, as we highlight the day’s whisky and its producer. The Whisky Advent Calendar also includes a discount card, giving you the chance to save on any must have bottles…

The  KWM 2018 Whsky Advent Calendar will be ready for pickup around the beginning of November. We are taking pre-orders now, including a $150 deposit. The balance of payment will be applied a week before the Calendars are ready for pickup. Order a KWM 2018 Whisky Advent Calendar for yourself or as a gift before October 8, and you will be able to take advantage of our $35 early bird discount.

You can order the Kensington Wine Market 2018 Whisky Advent Calendar in-store, by phone 403-283-8000 and  online.

New Whisky Week Tastings 

The Fall 2018 KWM Whisky Tasting Schedule

Our Fall Tasting Schedule has been online for about 3 weeks and a few of the tastings have already sold out, including our ever popular and legendary Fall Single Malt Festival. No surprise there, it is always popular and one of the first tastings to fill. But we had indications from a lot of out of town customers tat they were planning to make the trek out to Calgary, so fret not, we have added a second festival night on Thursday November 15. The whisky featured both nights will be equally impressive.

We have also added 5 new Brand Ambassador led tastings to our tasting schedule. We will have tastings from Springbank, anCnoc/Old Pulteney, Carn Mor (Morrison MacKay), Port Askaig/Elements of Islay, and a very Rare Old Gordon Macphail tasting. Here are the 5 Whisky Week Tastings:

1. Springbank with Ranald Watson – Sunday October 28, 5PM – Ranald Watson is no stranger to KWM, so we are thrilled to have him back for a Master Class tasting at KWM. We will pour a range of whiskies from Springbank, Hazelburn and Longrow, including a couple of Springbank Society releases. – $25
2. anCnoc and Old Pulteney with Gordon Stevenson – Monday October 29, 7PM – We are excited to have Gordon Stevenson back, for a Master Class tasting focused on the anCnoc whisky, (Knockdhu Distillery). We’ll be pouring some older expressions of the whisky including the 22, 24 and possibly an even older bottling. We will also feature a couple of new Old Pulteneys! – $40
3. Celebrating Carn Mor with Peter MacKay – Tuesday October 30, 7PM – Morrison MacKay Sales Manager Peter MacKay will leads us through a range of whiskies from their Carn Mor, Celebration of the Cask and Old Perth ranges. – $20
4. Elements of Askaig with Chris Maybin – Wednesday October 31, 7PM – If Chris’ name sounds familiar, that might be because he was John Glaser’s right hand man at Compass Box for years. He is now in charge of Speciality Drinks, owners of the Elements of Islay and Port Askaig lines. We’ll have a very peaty range of whiskies, possibly paired with Halloween candy! – $25
5. Rare Old Gordon Macphail with Richard Urquhart – Monday November 12 – We are putting on a mind blowing tasting with Richard Urquhart of Gordon Macphail. We’ve selected a range of whiskies from the discontinued Rare Old line, and we are cracking them open for a tasting including: Coleburn 1981, Glenesk 1980, Glenlochy 1979, Convalmore 1975, Mosstowie 1979 and Glencraig 1975. A range worth more than $8500! – $200

Here is the rest of the Fall Whisky Tasting Schedule:

1. Making Bourbon Great Again -Thursday, October 11th, 7PM – Trump might be an a–hole, but we still love Bourbon in spite of a less than great US President with no taste! We’ll take you on a trip down the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and to other parts of America, all in search of Great American Whiskey! – $30
2. Very Rare Cadenhead – Tuesday, October 16th, 7PM  – We will dig into some real curiosities at this tasting, including a 1973 blend, a 1989 Bunnahabhain and a 1992 peated Irish single malt from Cooley! – $80
3. Glorious Grains – Thursday, October 18th, 7PM – Looking for an old whisky that is also excellent value? There are some glorious old grain whiskies out there and you need to give them a closer look! – $50
4. The Ginessaince – Tuesday, November 6t, 7PM – Gin is well into its new Golden Age. We’ll highlight some of the best local, craft and extremely small batch gins, and dabble in a few gin cocktails. Plus we’ll have a special expert guest! – $30
5. Fall Single Malt Festival I – Thursday, November 8th, 7PM – Our world famous, ever popular, Fall Single Malt Festival is back. Limited to 100 participants, we will feature nearly as many whiskies. Oh, and it includes a KWM logo Glencairn glass! – $65
6. Fall Single Malt Festival II – Thursday, November 15th, 7PM – This event is so popular, we had to offer a second night…  The evening is limited to just 100 participants and will feature nearly as many whiskies. Oh, and it includes a KWM logo Glencairn glass! – $65
7. Masters of Malt – Thursday, November 29th, 7PM – Nothing but the oldest, rarest and most special whiskies are showcased at this tasting. Truly the Masters of Malt! – $125
8. Merry Mex-mas – Tuesday, December 2, 7PM – We’ll celebrate the approach of Christmas like other Canadian Snowbirds by heading south! Join us in Oaxaca – beat the cold and stay festive with Mezcal and Mezcal cocktails. Feliz Navidad! – $35 

You can register for the tastings by phone 403-283-8000, in-store and online! 

NEW Cadenhead Linkwood 2006 KWM Cask 

Fresh, fruity and complex beyond its years!

Our first new KWM exclusive cask of 2018 is an 11 Year old Linkwood from an ex-Bourbon Hogshead bottled at a natural cask strength of 58.7%. It take a lot to get our owner excited about Linkwood, but this one got Andrew, Evan and Curt excited. 288 bottles are available of this dangerously drinkable whisky.

Cadenhead Linkwood 2006 KWM Cask – 58.7% – Ex-Bourbon Hogshead – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: lemon and pear drops, tapioca and white chocolate Hershey’s Kisses; shortbread dusted in coarse sugar with a touch of lemon; jammy dodgers and other cream filled cookies; freshly baked donuts, chocolate éclairs and tarte tatin. Palate: sweet, honeyed and fruity; oily and toasty; white fruity and glossy citrus tones; lemon cream cookies, jammy dodgers and more sugar dusted shortbread; decadent and doughy, like an old-fashioned donut shop: carrot cake with creme cheese icing, custard creme and apple curler donuts, and also more chocolate éclairs; lots of lemon and white fruits, creamsicles and building decadent spices. Finish: long and elegant beyond its years; creamy with doughy tones and lots of honey; soft spices and minty floral tones and bright fruits. Comment: this is a sessionable and dangerously drinkable whisky; tasted blind, you would never know this Whisky is 11 years old or nearly 60%.” – $110

lntroducing Springbank Hazelburn 13 Year Sherry Wood

Hazelburn is Springbank’s triple distilled single malt. It is named for a now closed distillery in the town of Campbeltown. The spirit is other than Auchentoshan, the only other triple distilled whisky distilled annually in Scotland. The whisky was first produced in 1997, on the advice of Frank McHardy, who had just taken over as distillery manager, returning from Northern Ireland. The Hazelburn 13 Year Sherry Wood is a limited annual release of 12,000 bottles.

Hazelburn 13 Year 2018 – 47.4% – Matured in Oloroso Sherry – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Full bodied; creamy and rich with dark chocolate. Rose petals and ginger biscuit snaps with freshly brewed espresso coffee. Palate: Bursting with fresh cream and strawberries, all developing due to the maturation in Oloroso Sherry; Turkish delight, clotted cream, strawberry jam followed by marzipan and walnuts. Finish: Brown sugar, dates and toffee; sticky toffee pudding! Cream coffee liqueur, red apple peels, banana chips, vanilla and black pepper.” – $125

New Very Limited Sprinbank 21 Year 

70% Matured in Rum…

Unfortunately the allocations on whiskies like this aren’t getting any better. Only 3700 bottles have been released globally. That may sound like a lot, but the reality is that is just a drop in the bucket. KWM is set to receive just 18 bottles of the 2018 Edition of Springbank 21 Year. We likely won’t see another release until mid-2019. This year’s edition is a curiosity, 70% of the whisky was sourced from Ex-Rum Barrels… we can’t wait to give it a try. Fortunately we’re expecting a visit from Springbank in October, and I have a feeling a bottle just might get opened! It is limited to 1 per customer.

Springbank 21 Year 2018 – 46% – Matured in 30% Ex-Bourbon and 70% Ex-Rum Casks – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: A burst of heather and freshly mowed grass followed by honey, pear skin and wood shavings. Hints of butter; cheesecake, fresh cream and digestive biscuit. Taste: Elegant and gentle. Butterscotch and vanilla, sugar cane and molasses develop as the influence from the rum casks engulfs the palate with apricots, peaches and paprika. Finish: A soft smokiness is present in the background. Toffee apples, raisins and oat biscuits emerge. In the foreground; peppercorn, almonds and apricot jam are prominent.” – $425 – !Limit 1/Person!

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 and don’t include GST. In the case of discrepancies in pricing, the price in our in store point of sale will be taken as correct.

Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger.

Slainte!

 Andrew Ferguson

Owner & Scotchguy

Kensington Wine Market

403-283-8000

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Kensington Wine Market

403-283-8000