Ralfy introduces the benefits of whiskybase.com in Ralfy Review 622 – Ardmore 12yo Port Cask finish

Jim Murray chats to Stuart of The Whisky Exchange

In the second part of our exclusive interview, Jim Murray explains his strict rules for choosing his World Whisky of the Year, his response to critics of the Whisky Bible, and his retirement plans.

How do you go about tasting for your Whisky Bible?
It averages out at 1,200 [whiskies]. It’s a good day if I’ve done 20, I’m concentrating so hard. I’ve had a number of girlfriends from different countries, and come the evening, they go quiet, because they’ve spent all day translating in their head. I’m a translator – that’s what I do with whisky. I listen to the whisky and I translate it into English.

When it’s something like the World Whisky of the Year, I taste it at three different times of day, always at the same temperature. And before I start, I always test my taste buds with something I know. If I’m not getting the right response, I’ll leave it for 90 minutes or two hours and come back and taste it again. If I fail a third time, I won’t taste that day.

If any of my staff have anything remotely like a cold, they come nowhere near me. If I pop over to the pub, the landlord will tell me if someone has a cold and I’ll walk out. I don’t even have sex during this time because from kissing you can pick up something, so it’s really miserable. But I will not taste a whisky if I don’t trust my taste buds.

Also, no cooking in this place, none whatsoever. If I have hot food, it is brought in and I eat outside. Nothing with spices. I eat the most bland food – fish, boiled potatoes, nothing with lingering flavour. If I go to Kentucky to taste, I hire a suite and I have one bedroom and a separate room [for tasting]. The staff are not allowed to go in there and clean, so I have a controlled area. Here, cleaners can’t come in and polish while I’m working. It’s control, control, control.

Have your tastes changed over the years?
Not at all. I still don’t like whiskies which are too much of one thing, and that includes peaty. Or, if you can only taste the sherry and nothing else, even if it’s clean, then you might as well buy a bottle of sherry. The reason [Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013] won was because it was the most extraordinary ‘intertwangling’ between the oak – big oak – and the most gorgeous sherry. It was the closest thing to Macallan of the mid-1970s.

Scotch whiskies haven’t won your top award for a while – why not?
They’re not winning because there are whiskies out there that are better. It’s like joining the European Cup. You may be absolutely brilliant in your country but then you play against other teams and suddenly you melt. You just haven’t quite got what they’ve got to lift it, and Scotland’s been a bit like that.

Scotland has two problems: they’ve got the sherry-cask problem and they’ve got a problem with older bourbon casks, because older bourbon casks get worn out. In Kentucky, they were saying ‘Why are we spending massive amounts of money to get this wood in absolutely fantastic condition but we can only use the barrel once?’

And by the time it gets to Scotland, a lot of the good has been sucked out of it. Instead of it lasting three fills, by the time it’s getting to the end of the second, you start picking out a milky note where the chemicals that once upon a time would have been way back further into the wood are being leeched out far quicker, so the Scots are a bit unlucky from that point of view.

There’s a problem with [Scottish] blends, because the distillers have closed down so many grain distilleries that they are now much of a muchness. Absolute insanity. So, why aren’t they winning the prizes? Well, if they hadn’t closed down those grain distilleries and they hadn’t polluted so much of their whisky with sulphur, maybe they would be winning them, so they’ve got themselves to blame in some respects. But let’s get something absolutely straight: there is fantastic Scotch whisky; it’s just not winning the World Whisky of the Year.

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible – the first edition was published in 2004

Talk us through the Bible front cover…
It’s Doctor Who! The 2017 edition marks 25 years of me being in the industry, so there’s a picture from about 23 years ago and an up-to-date one. The yellow eyes? A bit of fun. At the end of the day, you want to sell books, and if people do a double take, you’ve grabbed their attention. And people who know me know I’m a massive practical joker.

What do you say to critics of the Bible?
I get a bit cheesed off when people say I give an award for this and that because I’m on the take. These people don’t have a clue what I’m about; I believe in total honesty. When I gave World Whisky of the Year to a Canadian whisky [Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye], people said I did it for publicity. Selling books in Canada is virtually impossible! If you sell 5,000 books in Canada, it’s a bestseller. If we gave the award to a Scotch whisky company, we’d make far more money. So you get these idiots coming out with no idea about the reason why you give the award. There’s only one reason: because it’s the most complete, the most beautiful whisky I’ve tasted that year, wherever it’s from. The only criteria I look at is quality.

Michael Jackson, described by Jim as a ‘dear friend’

You were good friends with the late whisky writer Michael Jackson…
Michael was a beer guy – and a dear friend. We were both ex-Fleet Street; we had certain things in common and lots of things we didn’t have in common, but he was a terrific writer. He had a meeting with his publishers about a new book, and his editor said to him ‘What do you know about whisky?’ and Michael said he knew virtually nothing. But he could see that the amount of work he was getting from beer was drying up so he said: ‘I can learn.’ He fell in love with it [whisky], but it was never his passion. If I put a pint of Chiswick Bitter in front of him, his eyes would absolutely sparkle. If I put a Lagavulin – which he loved – in front of him, he would smile. But his eyes never sparkled, and that was a huge difference.

And what about the new crop of whisky writers – or rather, the lack of them?
When I first became a full-time whisky writer in 1992, there was virtually no internet; you had to do all your research the hard way. When I did Jim Murray’s Complete Book of Whisky, I had to do old-fashioned journalistic legwork to find out where all these distilleries were, so I went out and found them.

But now you get people on the internet who have probably been to three distilleries and get a bunch of whiskies sent to them and claim they’re experts. I don’t get that. I can’t get my head around what they’re thinking. I couldn’t get anything around their egos because there’s probably nothing big enough. I don’t read anything [on the internet] now, because I don’t want anything to influence what I think about a whisky. I used to, but I got so frustrated with what I was reading.

I think probably the most honest is Dominic Roskrow. I don’t always agree with what he says, which is great, because we’ve all got our own views on things, but you know that his passion is absolutely there and I admire that. Who’s the next Jim Murray? I don’t know. I’ve been looking, though.

No plans to retire, then?
As a Fleet Street journalist, I’m used to getting my head down and working solidly until the job was done. I’ve got no plans to retire, none whatsoever.

THE CHANGING FACE OF SOCIALISING

Tracking the global trends that will set us apart from the crowd in 2017

Diageo’s first ‘Future Series’ trend report reveals the shape of socialising in the year ahead.

In the report, the team responsible for innovation and future-gazing at Diageo, the world leading drinks company behind brands like Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Baileys and Guinness, isolates three main social trends expected to accelerate into the mainstream in the year ahead.

Diageo worked with a team of cultural ethnographers to study social scenes from around the world and define three trends that will be influencing how we’ll spend our time in 2017:

• ‘Exceptional becomes the rule’: socialising is becoming increasingly spontaneous and experimental.
• ‘In with the ‘in’ crowd’: the home is turning into a place to create extraordinary experiences for friends and family.
• ‘Optimise not compromise’: consumers want greater control and choice over what goes into their body, without compromising on excitement and experience.

Zoe Lazarus, Global Future and Culture Planning Director at Diageo, commented: 

”At Diageo, we are passionate about creating drinks of the future and helping people celebrate. We have been innovating for hundreds of years and have a strong history as industry pioneers in identifying and responding to trends.”

”Innovation drives our company forward and for us it means staying ahead of trends, continually creating new products, categories and experiences for people to enjoy around the world.”

”Our success relies not only on understating our consumers today, but also on tracking and responding to emerging socialising trends and behaviours that will become the mainstream of tomorrow.’’ 

Trend 1: ‘Exceptional becomes the rule’

• Enhanced and enabled by digital technology, socialising is becoming increasingly spontaneous and experimental. The diary is dead. Fixed arrangements make way for spur-of-the-moment socialising that is dictated by the weather, a whim or what’s triggered an online buzz.
• Our time is precious, and with increased and sporadic working hours, we desire more from our free time and crave unique experiences. 2017 will see immersive and shareable entertainment push the boundaries as people realise a growing desire to demonstrate their individuality through social media.
• Virtual reality (VR) is also expected to become more prevalent with the number of active VR users forecasted to reach 171 million by 2018 and make immersive experiences more accessible to anyone, anytime. Diageo has already delved into this with an immersive VR adventure that allows whisky fans to discover and appreciate the flavours of its Singleton single malt Scotch whisky.

Trend 2: ‘In with the ‘in’ crowd’

• In 2017, we will see the home become the place to create and curate extraordinary experiences for friends and family. It will become a destination to host events that previously we would have had to go out to enjoy: our personal theatre, pub and club all turned into one.
• The huge proliferation of on-demand experiences and services is shaking things up and people can increasingly entertain at home with more and more products and experiences available the touch of a button.
• Technology will continue to define at-home socialising. Tapping into this opportunity, Diageo recently launched its Johnnie Walker digital mentorship programme. Using their tablet, mobile or Amazon Echo devices, whisky fans are introduced to the brand’s heritage and blending expertise through a variety of unique experiences, heralding a new era of whisky education that can be enjoyed by adults from the comfort of their own home. 

Trend 3: ‘Optimise not compromise’

• However and whatever, 2017 will be the year of choice. Leading a balanced lifestyle is becoming increasingly achievable and aspirational. And it’s not just technology that’s driving this trend. The increasing prevalence of clear nutritional and calorie information on packaging makes it easier to manage our diets.
• This year, people will continue to opt for products, experiences and attitudes that say something unique about them. Optimising through personalisation is a case in point at The Artesian bar at The Langham in London for example, where bartenders tap into customers’ personal experiences by creating cocktails that capture their mood and essence in a glass.
• Diageo is offering consumers a wider range of options than ever before with products like Baileys Almande, a dairy and gluten-free version of the original, in North America; Guinness Zero, a non-alcoholic variant of the famous stout, in Indonesia or Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Seltzer, a low-carb, zero-sugar option, in the United States.

Notes    

About Diageo 

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Buchanan’s and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at http://www.diageo.com/. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

NEW MASTERCLASS ANNOUNCED!

MIDLANDS WHISKY FESTIVAL: SPRING SHOW – MARCH 2017

THE SPEYSIDE COLLECTION WITH STEPHEN RANKIN

Saturday 18 March 1.30pm – 2.15pm Tickets £75 (Included with a Premium Ticket)

Fourth generation family member of the Urquhart family (owners of Gordon & MacPhail and the Benromach distillery), Stephen Rankin, will be presenting the newly released ‘Speyside Collection’ in an exclusive masterclass at the show. The full collection was released in late 2016 for £10,500 and features vintage single malts from the 1940s to 1970s.

BOOK NOW

Our festival returns on March 17-18 to where it all started and we’re back to present you with the World’s best whiskies, along with masterclasses, food pairings and whisky chat. The two-day show offers you the opportunity to learn more about the extraordinary spirit in a relaxed and friendly environment, at Stourbridge Town Hall.

– WHISKY EXHIBITORS –

Meet dozens of exhibitors with first hand knowledge of what they love most – whisky. Every year the Midlands Whisky Festival team does their very best to bring you distilleries from each corner of the globe including some of the greatest independent bottlers, too!

– MASTERCLASSES –

Want more from your whisky show experience? Our masterclasses offer an exclusive whisky tasting experience with well-known faces in the whisky industry. This year we’re delighted to announce the likes of George S. Grant from Glenfarclas, Stephen Rankin from Gordon & MacPhail and Brand Ambassador of The Macallan, Daryl Haldane.

– TICKETS DETAILS –

Friday Ticket £35

Early Bird Standard Saturday Ticket £35 (Save £5)
(Sold Out)

Standard Saturday Ticket £40

Premium Ticket £75
(Inc. either the Gordon & MacPhail or The Macallan Masterclass)

Devotee Ticket £150
(Inc. George S. Grant Masterclass, Drinks By The Dram Devotee Tasting Set + More)

MORE DETAILS

VENUE & SHOW TIMES 

TOWN HALL CROWN LANE STOURBRIDGE DY8 1YE

Friday 17th 6:00pm – 9:30pm (last pour at 9:10pm)

Saturday 18th 12:00pm – 5:00pm (last pour at 4:30pm)

Ardmore 14 Year Old

2002 vintage matured in sherry hogsheads before being bottled October 2016 for the Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength series. A superb fruity and smoky number from the Speyside distillery established in 1898. £59.26 Nose: Sweet vanilla initially with subtle smoky notes. Stewed fruit aromas develop – cherry and raspberry – which mingle with milk chocolate aromas. Taste: Sweet and creamy with a touch of white pepper. Ripe plum, blackcurrant, and apple flavours combine with spicy cloves leading to a charred oak edge. William Teacher’s son Adam Teacher established Ardmore Distillery in 1898 at Kennethmont in Scotland’s Highland whisky region. He selected an ideal site to the south of Huntly with a plentiful supply of soft highland water from springs on the hills to the north and peat to hand. With Kennethmont railway station on the Great North of Scotland Railway was right next door. Now equipped with eight stills and continuing to supply a large proportion of its malt whiskey to blends, the official Ardmore single malt range, including Ardmore Taditional and Ardmore 12 year Port Wood, remains limited.

SHOP NOW >

Weekly Web Exclusive

Douglas Laing “Old Particular” Single Casks ~ WEB EXCLUSIVE PRICE

Douglas Laing was established in 1948, they specialise in the selection and release of specialist, craft Scotch Whiskies. They hand select the finest, and often rarest, Scotch Whisky stocks from across all of Scotland’s Whisky regions and bottle them as the Distiller intended: At high alcohol strength, and without colouring or chill-filtration. Their Single Cask “Old Particular” range have consistently released some of the finest malt whiskies to be found the world over.

Take advantage of a WEB EXCLUSIVE PRICE while stocks last.

Glengoyne 20 Year Old, Buy Now

Arran 20 Year Old, Buy Now

Girvan 27 Year Old, Buy Now

Ralfy shows off some collectable stuff with Ralfy Review 621 – collectable whiskies update 2017

Malt Messenger Bulletin – Year End Inventory Clearance Sale!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season, and that January hasn’t been too hard on your New Year’s resolutions… The last week has been a whirlwind of events for yours truly, beginning with a very successful MS Calgary Whisky Festival last Thursday. The 6th Annual event held in the foyer of the Jack Singer, was a sellout with 550 participants and more than 265 whiskies featured.

Very early the next morning, I was off to Victoria, for the 12th annual Victoria Whisky Festival. I was honoured to have the opportunity to present one of the Friday night Grand Tastings. The Victoria Whisky Festival is Canada’s best whisky festival, drawing guests from all over North America, and brand ambassadors from all over the world! The event stretches over 4 days beginning with the Canadian Whisky Awards and concluding with a by invite only Distillers Dinner.

After 5 days of whisky tastings and associated shenanigans on the coast, I returned to Calgary on Burns Day, for our Burns Bash Mini Whisky Festival. The sold out event featured a range of nearly 100 KWM exclusive whiskies and was a big hit. No pipes or haggis this year, but plenty of great malts!

There are a couple of exciting new whiskies in to tell you about, before they disappear. Firstly we have a very tasty new anCnoc 24 Year, which is also amazing value at $210+GST. There is also a new Tawny Port cask of BenRiach, which is a bit of a beast. BenRiach 1998 Cask 10300 is a juicy and rich 18 year old single malt that appears to be only available in Alberta and BC. Further details on both whiskies and tasting notes can be found below.

The big news in this Malt Messenger Bulletin, is the announcement of our Year End Inventory Sale: Friday January 27 through Sunday January 29. We are doing a big inventory count on Monday, and frankly it will go a lot more quickly if we could just clear a few things out… All in stock wine is at least 15% off, all in stock whisky (except for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society) is least 10%-30% off, and all in stock Beer, Gin and Rum at least 5% off with some even bigger deals. The sale is in store and online only, just until Sunday. Full details, and all whiskies discounted more than 10% are listed below!

I hope this Malt Messenger Bulletin finds you well!

Sláinte!

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

PS- PS – Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter:

@scotch_guy, Instagram: @thescotch_guy/

or @kwmwhisky and Facebook: facebook.com/scotch.guy.1

New Shelter Point Cask Strength   

Very Limited!   

A very spicy limited release of Canadian farm to bottle whisky composed of malt and rye. Bottled at cask strength after finishing in French oak.

$110

 More Information 

Glenfarclas 25 Year KWM Cask Strength 25th Anniversary

Just $285  

The first of our 25th Anniversary whiskies is a stunner and we can’t keep it in stock! Soft sherry influences and silky smooth at 52%! More than half have already sold.

$285

More Information 

Arran 1997 KWM Cask 1085 19Yr 

The oldest Arran yet, to come to Canada! 

Our 7th single cask bottling of Arran for KWM is the oldest yet at 19 years of age! Bottled at 51.4% from a Ex-Bourbon Hogshead. Yes we know it says Sherry on the label, but it is not… details! If this is anything like one of our 18 year olds from last winter, don’t expect them to last long, just 258 total bottles, and it is another stunning cask!

 $145

More Information

Introducing anCnoc 24 Year 

Only 30 bottles are initially coming to Alberta!

This new anCnoc is available in only vanishingly small quantities, at least initially. We managed to snag 18 of the paltry 30 bottles which have initially trickled into Alberta. Bottled at 46% and matured in Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry. Some of the sherry casks may have been American oak, to complicate the picture only slightly.

anCnoc 24 Year – 46% – ExBourbon & Ex-Sherry – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: soft and decadent, white chocolate, dried dark fruits, candied nuts and marzipan; building sherry and spices, a touch of Christmas cake and sticky toffee pudding with treacle sauce; loads of citrus, melon and diced pineapple. Palate: big, sherried and spicy right from the word go; lots of layers; more creamy vanilla, pineapple cubes, crisp citrus and honey dew melon; the spices build throughout with some coffee notes and cocoa nibs; late leather and sweet tobacco. Finish: smooth, creamy and fruity with fading spices, leather and chocolate. Comment: the are very few distillery bottled whiskies at or around $200 anymore; this one doesn’t disappoint; if you are not acquainted with anCnoc, you should be, the 18 Year, 22 Year and 1975 are also all excellent!” – $210

Introducing BenRiach 1998 Cask 10300 

A massive Port Finished BenRiach bottled for Western Canada!

A Tawny Port Finished 1998 BenRiach listed only in Alberta and BC. I’ve asked for more information, I have some questions about it. Most importantly, how does it taste? The colour is insanely dark. Cask No.10300, distilled 11/02/1998 and bottled in August of 2016 at 18 years. 54.2%, only 597 hand numbered bottles.

BenRiach 1998 Tawny Port Finish Cask 10300 – 54.2% – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Eatmore and Snickers candy bars, grapey fruits, leather, prunes and building spices: white pepper, cayenne and fennel; earthy and musty, damp pipe tobacco and wet leaf litter. Palate: big, juicy and very spicy; the earthy-leathery wine tannins slap you across the face (albeit gently), loads of chocolate, more Eatmore and Snickers, big bold spices more hot white pepper, cayenne and cloves; prunes and other dark fruits with a touch of smoky bacon. Finish: big, long, spicy and rich; spices and leather cling to the palate while the chocolate and dark fruits slowly fade out. Comment: this is a bit of a beast, however an interesting one; big flavors, some good complexity and a long robust finish; a cigar malt.” –$240

Year End Inventory Clearance Sale 

All In-Stock Whiskies Discounted 10-30%!

Sale Rules

1. Sale is this weekend only, now through midnight Sunday January 29, 2017,pricing will not be extended.
2. All in stock Whiskies, with a few exceptions (noted below) are at least 10% off. Many other selected whiskies and other sprits are discounted 15 to 30% and are listed below.
3. All in stock Wine is at least 15% off with some much better deals.
4. Scotch Malt Whisky Society Whiskies and Membership Kits are not on sale!
5. Sale is in store and online only. No phone orders please! You may reply to me by email.
6. Payment must be provided at the time of purchase for online and email orders. No layaways.
7. Sale is on in stock items only, with the exception of KWM exclusives, on which we will honour the discount, should we run out. These items are in bold text.
8. The sale prices will not be extended beyond Sunday January 29, 2017, nor will they be applied retroactively.
9. No additional discounts or promotions can be applied to these discounts.
10. In the event of a discrepancy in price the Point of Sale at Kensington Wine Market will be taken as correct.
11. Prices quoted below are regular retail, before discounts, and do not include GST.

All in Stock Bourbon at least 10% off!

All in Stock Canadian Whiskies at least 10% off!

All in Stock Single Malt Whiskies at least 10% off!

All other World Whisky Styles at least 10% off!

Save 15%

1. Arran 2008 KWM Cask 1131 – Regular $105
2. Arran 1997 KWM Cask 1085 – Regular $145
3. Bowmore 23 Year Port Matured – Regular $660
4. Cadenhead 13 Year Irish Single Malt – Regular $130
5. Cadenhead Small Batch Burnside 1989 – Regular $335
6. Cadenhead Small Batch Cambus 1988 – Regular $270
7. Cadenhead Small Batch Dufftown 1978 – Regular $620
8. Cadenhead Small Batch Glen Elgin 1991 – Regular $178
9. Cadenhead Small Batch Linkwood 1987 – Regular $340
10. Cadenhead Small Batch Tullibardine 1993 – Regular $215
11. Eiling Lim Glenlossie 23 Year – Regular $475Eiling Lim Older Thank Old – Regular $305
12. G&M Caol Ila 2006 KWM Cask 306200 Sherry – Regular $130G&M Caol Ila 2005 KWM Cask 302022 – Regular $135
13. G&M Connoisseurs Choice Inchgower 2005 – Regular $100
14. G&M Connoisseurs Choice Tomatin 1997 – Regular $180
15. G&M Distillery Label Glenburgie 10 Year – Regular $80
16. G&M Imperial 1996 – Regular $200
17. Glencadam 10 Year – Regular $75
18. Jack Wiebers Invergrordon 1972 – Regular $350
19. Kilchoman 2011 KWM PX Cask 446 – Regular $160
20. Maltbarn Auchentoshan 1992 – Regular $295Maltbarn Glen Garioch 1993 – Regular $290
21. Maltbarn Tullibardine 1989 – Regular $360
22. Old Malt Cask Arran 19 Year – Regular $170
23. Old Malt Cask Fettercairn 18 Year – Regular $147
24. Old Malt Cask Strathmill 21 Year – Regular $169
25. Sansibar Springbank 1993 22 Year – Regular $600
26. Shelter Point Inaugural Run Single Malt – Regular $83
27. Signatory Cambus 1991 52.3% – Regular $195
28. Signatory Cambus 1991 53.9% – Regular $200
29. Signatory Clynelish 1995 Decanter – Regular $190
30. Signatory Glen Keith 1992 – Regular $220
31. Signatory Imperial 1995 – Regular $225
32. Signatory Mortlach 1991 – Regular $340
33. Signatory Port Dundas 1991 – Regular $230
34. Sovereign Cambus 40 Year – Regular $440
35. Springbank Society Longrow 13 Year – Regular $175 (You need to be a member)
36. The Whisky Agency Cambus 1988 – Regular $265
37. Sonoma Rye Whiskey Cask Strength – Regular $100
38. The Whisky Agency Ben Nevis 1996 – Regular $255

Save 20%

1. Ardbeg Perpetuum – Regular $135
2. Ballechin Discovery Series #6 Bourbon – Regular $150
3. Ballechin Discovery Series #7 Bordeaux – Regular $150
4. Ballechin Discovery Series #8 Sauternes – Regular $150
5. Berry’s Own Blue Hanger 11^th Release – Regular $165
6. Berry’s Own Caol Ila 1997 – Regular $190
7. Berry’s Own Deanston 1997 – Regular $170
8. Berry’s Own Glen Grant 1995 – Regular $150
9. Berry’s Own Glengoyne 2000 – Regular $150
10. Canadian Club 100% Rye Old Fashioned Kit – Regular $40
11. Cadenhead Small Batch BenRiach 1986 – Regular $350
12. Cadenhead Small Batch Glenallachie 1992 – Regular $190
13. Cadenhead Small Batch Glenburgie 1992 – Regular $220
14. Cadenhead Small Batch Glenlivet 1972 – Regular $800
15. Cadenhead Small Batch Miltonduff 1978 – Regular $620
16. Cadenhead Small Batch Strathmill 1992 – Regular $235
17. Cooper’s Choice Highland Park 20 Year Madeira Finish – Regular $275
18. First Edition BenRiach 1989 – Regular $275
19. Heads & Tails Glen Garioch 1992 – Regular $315
20. Old Malt Cask Miltonduff 20 Year – Regular $220
21. Old Malt Cask Jura 24 Year – Regular $200
22. Signatory Fettercairn 1988 – Regular $270
23. Signatory Glen Keith 1995 – Regular $120
24. Wilson & Morgan Invergordon 30 Year- Regular $315

Save 25%

1. BenRiach 1996 KWM Cask 189
2. Bernheim Kentucky Wheat KWM Cask – Regular $69.99
3. Cadenhead Small Batch Cameronbridge 1989 – Regular $235
4. Cadenhead Small Batch Cragganmore 1993 – Regular $195
5. Cadenhead Small Batch Glen Moray 1998 – Regular $148
6. Cadenhead Small Batch North British 1985 – Regular $220
7. Cadenhead Small Batch Royal Brackla 1976 – Regular $620
8. Cadenhead Small Batch Tomintoul 1985 – Regular $445
9. Dalwhinnie 25 Year – Regular $680
10. First Edition Highland Park 1997 – Regular $280
11. G&M Glenrothes Quaich Cask 8720 – $185
12. Glen Breton Jardine Reserve 25 Year – Regular $825
13. Johnny Walker Odyssey – Regular $2100
14. KWM 2016 Whisky Advent Calendar – Regular $400
15. Strathmill 25 Year – Regular $520
16. The Whisky Agency Glen Keith 1996 – Regular $240
17. The Whisky Agency Speyside Region 1998 – Regular $200
18. Xtra Old Particular Port Ellen 32 Year – Regular $2050

Save 30%

1. Wilson & Morgan Glenrothes 25 Year – Regular $50

All 50ml Bottles of Scotch 15%

1. A.D. Rattrary Cask Islay 50ml – Regular $11
2. Ardbeg Uigeadail 50ml – Regular $15
3. Arran 12 Year Cask Strength 50ml – Regular $7
4. Balblair 2005 50ml – Regular $14
5. BenRiach 10 Year Curiositas 50ml – Regular $10
6. BenRiach 12 Year Sherry Wood Matured 50ml – Regular $10
7. Compass Box Great King Street 50ml 50ml – Regular $6
8. G&M Conn Choice Tomatin 1997 50ml – Regular $18
9. G&M Conn Choice Inchgower 2005 50ml – Regular $13
10. G&M Glenburgie 10 Year 50ml – Regular $11
11. G&M Miltonduff 10 Year 50ml – Regular $11
12. Glendronach 8 Year The Hielan 50ml – Regular $10
13. Glengoyne 18 Year 50ml – Regular $12
14. Glenfarclas 40 Year 50ml – Regular $55
15. Glenmorangie Original 10 Year 50ml – Regular $7.50
16. Hyde 10 Year Sherry Finish 50ml – Regular $12
17. Kavalan Bourbon 46% 50ml – Regular $15
18. Kilchoman 2010 KWM PX Cask 446 50ml – Regular $15
19. Kilchoman Sanaig 50ml – Regular $18
20. Macallan 1824 Gold 50ml – Regular $9
21. Teeling Single Grain 50ml – Regular $8
22. Tomatin Cask Strength 50ml – Regular $9

www.kensingtonwinemarket.com

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

www.kensingtonwinemarket.com

2017 is the 175th Anniversary of Cadenhead’s – Scotland’s oldest independent bottler established 1842 by William Cadenhead.

To mark this great event we in London have decided to start the year with a raffle to raise fund’s for the Samaritans who offer vital support to people of all ages who feel under pressure with life in general. We all know things can and do happen that challenge us in various aspects of life, for some the events can lead to devastating consequences.

The idea for this event came about a few months ago after a young person stepped in-front of a train I was traveling on coming back to London.

A number of things happened after the tragedy, firstly some people who had little or no sympathy called the victim selfish and a coward! This shocked me deeply as they and indeed I had no knowledge of this person or what they went through. To offer an ill judged opinion was, I felt, disgusting and deeply wrong. Thankfully most felt concern for the family who must now cope with the consequences of the afternoons events

Talking to one mother who was having to deal with her children, she talked about her own younger sister who also decided to end her life.

As we chatted I recalled my own cousin who tried so many times to take his life, eventually doing so. We all felt confused and guilty because we kept thinking why did we not do more, what else could we or should we have done? The more I talked to others the more I discovered the terrible tole of so many young lives lost in much the same way, friends and family left confused or feeling a deep guilt because they felt they let the person down.

The pressure people feel can at times be overwhelming, especially if you are under economic pressure or struggling to cope with life in general, there is also the new problems around social media and the young. How many times have we seen the wholesale dismissal of young people in the media ignoring the fact that most young people today are far more advanced than in my youth or the youth of the reporters and political class who ignore their plight or dismiss concerns taking away hope they will be listened to!
Lets not forget the pressure young people face from education, endless exams and testing as well as the issue of debt if they want to go to university, or if they choose to look for work then its another issue with housing costs!

Of course the issues we all face, young or old, need to be addressed, anyone of us could find we are feeling desperate, lonely or finding it hard to cope. So many things can and will happen of course but we just don’t know if one of those events is enough for us to feel the need to end things.

So what can we do?

1. Ignore it or as some say forget it as it’s too difficult a subject to deal with! Or assume it will never happen to us or our loved ones.
2. Try in some small way to help give as many people as possible the road to the valuable support they might need via people like the Samaritans who never judge they just help.

Why are we doing this fundraiser?

Sometimes we can surrounded by friends and family but we might also feel isolated in some way, a kind of disconnect if you like. The fear that those we are closest to will feel hurt or be less than understanding. The voice of someone not connected to us can do far more to help us move forward with some hope.

Over 590 young people between 10 & 24 years old took their lives in the UK in 2014 alone, can we simply ignore this or should we do our small part to help the Samaritans? Without the work and support of the Samaritans the situation would be far worse.

The Draw

We have a series of bottles in the raffle ranging in prices from £50 to several £100’s, the prize is growing so much so we will be drawing a bottle and then the winner for that vintage. It will be done using prizes numbered from 1 to say 10, we wont know what prize is in each carton as these will be packed and numbered by customers not staff members weeks before the draw in mid March 2017.

Tickets will be available online from today until March 15th. The draw will take place on Tuesday 21st of March 2017 at around 5:45PM until the last prize is drawn we hope by 7:00PM. The winning order/raffle number’s will be drawn by an independent person/s. We will call or email the winners as soon as the draw is done.

Price for each ticket is £5.50 with all profits going to the Samaritans.

BUY YOUR RAFFLE TICKET HERE

A huge thanks to all those who have supported us in setting this vent up.

• Cadenhead’s
• Springbank Distillery
• Gordon & Macphails
• Paul John
• And some pretty amazing customers who have also given some gems to the cause.

Stephen

The Samaritans is a registered charity. Registration Number 268293

TICKETS SELLING FAST!

THE DATE

Friday 31 March & Saturday 1 April 2017

THE VENUE

The Honourable Artillery Company Armoury House, City Road, London EC1Y 2BQ

Get 50% off any Masterclass when booking a full day ticket for Friday or Saturday
Select your chosen day and Masterclass then enter the discount code: WLM50
Tickets are limited and selling fast!
Current Offer valid 20/01/17 – 10/02/17
Terms and conditions apply. 

Whisky Live London returns to the Honourable Artillery Company once again, featuring over 100 fine whiskies for you to enjoy, more food and whisky pairings than ever before and a jam-packed schedule of Masterclasses!

Whether a whisky enthusiast, a newcomer to the world of whisky, or just seeking a day out at a fantastic event, Whisky Live has something to offer everyone.

Whisky Live London runs over two days:

Friday 31 March 5pm to 10pm (4pm VIP entry)

Saturday 1 April 12 noon to 5pm (11am VIP entry)

All tickets include entry to the show, samples of exhibited whiskies, hot food, served buffet-style, the Whisky Live tasting glass, food and whisky combination samples and the Whisky Live show guide. VIP tickets include all of this PLUS an exclusive VIP Masterclass worth £20, VIP dining, VIP Lounge and exclusive private VIP pouring.

Book signings

Ticket Options and Prices from £45

Full Day Entrance Ticket – £65

Entrance to Whisky Live London on Friday 31st March from 5pm – 10pm or on Saturday 1st April from 12pm – 5pm.
Includes hot food, tasting glass and show guide.

Half Day Entrance Ticket – £45

Entrance to Whisky Live London on Friday 31st March from 7pm – 10pm or on Saturday 1st April from 2pm – 5pm.
Includes hot food, tasting glass and show guide.

VIP Tickets – £99

Entrance to Whisky Live London on Friday 31st March from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. or Saturday 1st April from 11am – 5pm plus an Exclusive VIP Masterclass worth £25.
Includes VIP dining, VIP Lounge, Live tasting glass, showguide and exclusive VIP pourings.

Confirmed Masterclasses £20 each

Friday – VIP
Neil Ridley
17:15-18:00
George Keeble
18:30-19:15
Martine Nouet
19:45-20:30
Kieran Stephens
21:00-21:45
________________________________________
Saturday – VIP
Neil Ridley
12.15-13:00
Jonny McCormick
13:30-14:15
Jonny McCormick
14.45-15:30
Jonny McCormick
16:00-16:45