MAKE IT PERSONAL

Make someone famous this Christmas by treating them to a personalised  bottle of The Famous Grouse with a name and message of your choice. You can purchase your bottle of personalised Famous Grouse at our ‘famous’ online store here

10 YEAR OLD PERSONALISED

Now you can personalise your very own bottle of The Glenturret 10 Year Old Single Malt whisky too. Just go to our website to fill out your personalised message and we’ll do the rest.

BOTTLE YOUR OWN

A personalised, single cask edition complete with a handwritten label detailing the name of the person the bottle was filled for and the bottling date. These bottles are hand-picked by The Glenturret Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion and are only available from the Glenturret Distillery shop and online here.

DON’T FORGET

To guarantee delivery in time for Christmas, orders have to be placed online by December 20th 2016.

1997 Linkwood 19 Year Old K&L Exclusive “Signatory” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($89.99)

Because of its role in Johnnie Walker Blue and its renowned reputation abroad, Linkwood always demands a high price wherever it’s sold. Fine and finessed in a way that few other Highland malts demonstrate, the Diageo-owned distillery can often taste like a finalized blend straight from the cask! That’s definitely the case with this graceful and easy-drinking 19 year old hogshead from the Signatory warehouse, even at the relatively high 56% ABV. The 25 year old Linkwood sells at K&L for $250 a bottle, so when we saw the chance to offer a similar whisky for less than half the price, we jumped all over it. Adding in a few drops of water is essential to unlocking the complexity in this particular selection. Tempering that alcohol just a bit allows you to take in the sweet cereal grains, the citrus and vanilla, and the long finish of malted barley with just hint of fresh pine. It’s truly an elegant malt, one that continues to unfold the more time attention you give it. Try it as alternative to Johnnie Blue if you’re looking to save a few bucks!

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 19, 2016

Another gem from the warehouse at Signatory. At first, there are complex aromas of sweet honey and bees wax with a nice floral component. There is no smoke to get into the way of the creamy concentrated honey and malt flavors. There is a nice long finish. A touch of water helps soften and open up this wonderful selection.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 16, 2016

There’s no doubt that stocks in Scotland are getting tight. At Signatory, which was once our secret weapon, it’s become more and more difficult to find special casks. It’s not that the whisky isn’t there per se, but simply that the whisky we want is so far out of the price point that we’re willing to pay. But we occasionally stumble a few casks that haven’t been subject to the incredible price increases of the rarities around them. This Linkwood would falls solidly in that category. This fabulous Linkwood exhibits the wonderful malty character of this lovely distillery beautifully. The nose is sweet vanilla, bold citrus, bright apple and creamy malt. The palate exhibits tons of delicate fruit and has a rich texture that goes on for ages. The finish brings the barrel spices and a warming sweetness. At this silly price it won’t likely last long.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 15, 2016

If you’ve ever had the experience of walking into the cellar at a winery, you’ve tasted part of this malt already. That perfect combination of wood, humidity, earth, alcohol, and perhaps candlelight all hit your senses right at the same time and create the picture of elegance. If you take the time to tune in to the individual components you’ll find bright stone fruit, baked apples, butterscotch, and hard candies. The delicate oak spice meshes perfectly with the sweet malt. It’s supple, and with a little water, dangerously easy to drink.

David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 11, 2016

Linkwood is such a great whisky and it’s so dependable. I’ve never really had a bad version of it, be it from Gordon & MacPhail or elsewhere. What’s paramount, however, is that you give the whisky its due. Linkwood is incredibly delicate, nuanced, and precise. You almost need to sip it in the absence of any other sensory distractions. Doing that will allow you to hone in on the brilliance of the spirit itself. There’s citrus, cereal grains, shortbread, and ginger spice lying in wait for those who make the effort to coax all the beauty out of the glass. This is yet another fantastic example of the elegant Scotch whisky.

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 11, 2016

Just so soft supple and creamy. Even at its cask strength 56% alc this is sipple straight up. Golden fruit, toasted grains, vanilla oak; this has almost a Sauterne like honeyed richness to it. Delicious and a great value.

Canadian Whisky News

Vol. 5 No. 5               –               December 2016

Mark Your Calendars
7th Annual
Canadian Whisky Awards Banquet
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Hotel Grand Pacific
Victoria, British Columbia

Join us in Victoria B.C. to celebrate the best Canadian whiskies in the world. We’ve really upped our game this year and would love to have you with us as we celebrate the very best whiskies of the year.

Tickets for the gala banquet and awards presentation may be purchased for $65 from James Burrough at the Hotel Grand Pacific. Your ticket includes an entertaining gala awards ceremony and a full hot and cold buffet.

Reach James by e-mail at jburrough@hotelgrandpacific.com

The Canadian Whisky Awards help keep the world talking about the very best Canadian whiskies.

Winners will be announced at the ceremony and through major press across Canada and the U.S.

We hope to see you in Victoria.

Ontario Bill 70 – a step towards equitable taxation for beverage alcohol makers

Ontario Minister of Finance, Charles Sousa has introduced Bill 70, in part, as an incentive to the province’s burgeoning micro-distillery sector.

Consumers, and many micro-distillers alike are heartened to learn that Charles Sousa, Ontario’s Minister of Finance will introduce new measures to reduce taxes on spirits that are distilled in the province. This move by the provincial government helps all distillers and since it applies to in-house sales, it is particularly beneficial to Ontario’s burgeoning micro-distilling sector.

The biggest winners? Consumers, along with those businesses that supply the distilleries, and myriad spin-off industries. We applaud the Minister because Bill 70 is a long-awaited step in the right direction. Still, it is a relatively small step and much less than consumers and distillers might have hoped for – and could have achieved – had the consultations with key stakeholders been more effective.

Bill 70 will modestly increase the profitability of distilling in Ontario, and that’s a good thing. But I wonder how much more the fires of provincial commerce would be stoked if government had accorded spirits the same tax rates and incentives that wine and beer already enjoy.

Those of us who appreciate wine have benefited tremendously from the tax treatments that allow small, independent, Ontario wineries to thrive as they bring us new products. In addition to sales, the spin-off benefits of wine tourism have helped build a strong economy in Niagara and other parts of the province. Ontario wines that would not have existed without the support of favourable taxation are now winning international awards that bring acclaim and additional sales to the province.

Beer lovers have also been rewarded by the innovations of small, producers who flourish in a less generous but still favourable tax regimen.

Like their brewing and winemaking counterparts, Ontario’s emerging distillers make noteworthy, innovative products. Unlike the big wineries and breweries of the past, however, Ontario’s large traditional distilleries already provide consumers with a broad range of world-class spirits. And perhaps this is why legislators have tended to overlook the new distillers.

Why not take this opportunity to help the smaller distillers develop into the powerhouses that their provincial wine and beer making counterparts have become?

Let’s look at the wine industry. The government’s graduated “nurturing” tax environment has not only encouraged small producers, it has also resulted in increased selection, which benefits consumers as well.

We enjoy our wines, beer and spirits because they contain alcohol. Through our wallets, we Ontarions have demonstrated that we want a broad selection of products within each of these categories. Beverage alcohol is a luxury and an inevitable target for taxation. It seems self-evident that taxes, provincial levies and incentives for beverage alcohol should be the same regardless of whether the delivery medium is wine, beer or spirits. But in Ontario, this is not the case.

Let’s look at the math: When you add in federal and provincial taxes along with beer store levies, the combined taxes paid by Ontario distillers are double what Ontario brewers pay and four times those paid by wineries. Bill 70 addresses only part of this larger problem, but it does so by reducing distillers’ remittances to 61.5% of their distillery store sales, while wine makers remit only 6.1% of theirs.

It is inevitable that Ontario will eventually accord equitable tax treatment to all beverage alcohol categories, and logical that it will provide graduated taxation to encourage smaller producers in each category: wine, beer, and spirits.

Perhaps outright equity cannot be achieved in one fell swoop, but Bill 70 is certainly a step in the right direction. Wouldn’t it make sense though to seize this occasion and make it more than a tentative baby step?

Seagram’s Charles Bronfman Reminisces

Taken directly from Harper Collins website. Why not write my own review? I think the Bronfmans are one of the greatest whisky families that ever lived and I don’t want to spoil the surprise if I find a copy under the tree Christmas morning. So:

“While much has been written about his father, Sam, a titan of industry, there is no public record of Charles Bronfman’s thoughts on his own life, family, career and his significant accomplishments in sport and philanthropy.

“Distilled does just that, chronicling key events in the life of the heir to one of Canada’s great fortunes. Born in 1931 to the fabulously wealthy Bronfmans, Charles grew up in a 20-room mansion with many staff. Via their control of the distilling giant Seagram, the Bronfman family dominated the liquor business with brands such as Crown Royal, V.O. and Chivas Regal. By the 1980s, Seagram was also the biggest shareholder of DuPont and by the 1990s, the family’s wealth was in the billions, culminating in the $35-billion sale of Seagram to France’s Vivendi, which turned into a financial and family disaster.

“In Distilled, Charles reflects on all of it – his relationship with his parents, his brother Edgar, working in the family business, landing Canada’s first big league baseball franchise (the Montreal Expos), leading a philanthropic life by promoting Canadian identity through Heritage Minutes and supporting Israel through countless innovative initiatives including the globally respected Birthright Israel – and to how the Bronfman family splintered over the sale of Seagram.”

And speaking of whisky books

Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert has sold out! It’s gone. The warehouse is empty. Good news though: a second edition is coming in the Fall. It’s called, appropriately enough, Canadian Whisky: The New Portable Expert.

Like the earlier edition, Canadian Whisky features fascinating stories about the history of Canada’s unique spirit stretching from British Columbia to Nova Scotia.

Among many revisions the book reports surprising, new science on how flavor develops in whisky and also how our brains process its smell and taste. It’s a lot more complicated than we thought even just a few years ago when the first edition was published.

All-new chapters include Canada’s recent micro-distilling phenomenon along with new photos and illustrations that provide the most complete and up-to-date information on Canada’s burgeoning micro-distilling scene.

Over 100 all-new tasting notes throughout, are accompanied by a checklist for readers who want to keep track of their progress through a curated selection of old favourites and exciting new Canadian whiskies.

Fall 2017 can’t come soon enough!

Day 10 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 3rd Edition Day 10 Blog #144 – A.D. Rattray Glenallachie 8 Year Old

Day 10 and we are starting to really get into this editions heart. There have been some really delicious drams so far and I’m looking forward to the rest of the ride.

Back today with A.D. Rattray the first independent bottler I ever spent time in the market with. Owned by Industry legend Tim Morrison, A. D. Rattray was founded in 1868. Born of a love for the industry after lying dormant for decades A.D. Rattray has been rebuilt by Tim into a world class independent bottler. They are now going to be adding distilling back into the Morrison plan with the opening of the Clydeside distillery in Glasgow.

Glenallachie is owned by Pernod Ricard and was built in 1967 (just a touch older than me). In the town of Aberlour at the foot of Ben Rinnes. Most of its production goes into blends including the cask strength Clan Campbell and Legendary and White Heather.

The distillery uses mostly lightly peated barley for it’s production so it will be interesting to see if we pick any of that up in today’s dram.

A.D. Rattray Glenallachie 2007 – 8 Year Old Single Malt aged in a sherry cask # 900831 and bottled at the huge mark of 64.9% making this the absolute stand out winner of the highest ABV in any calendar edition to date. It’s so fun that we are finding these special casks that are lurking beasts hiding out in dunnage warehouses for unsuspecting whisky drinkers to pass by.

Color:   I’m suspecting a second or re-fill sherry cask on this one even at 8 years of age as a first fill cask would normally impart a little more. SLightly amber to reddish hue the only sign of sherry here.

Nose:   Go gently into the fray people there be monsters about. Quite closed initially and I think my tameness due to the ABV is stopping me from getting my considerable appendage deep into the glass. OK here goes….. could be my mind playing tricks here but I do detect a hint of earthy smoke here sitting atop a deep vein of Oak and Barley.

Palate: Yep it’s big and lets you know all about just how big a stick it has. Really coating with a touch of zest sipping off the tongue betraying all of the 64.9% worth of octane rating. Simmers down quite quickly though and allows some tea biscuits and raisin scones to come through.

Finish: Dry sherry here and a lasting tingle kind of like the aftermath of chewing on a particularly juicy and hot jalapeno.

Just had to water this and hey presto just like magic a whole bag of fruity goodness erupts. Satsuma plums and deep red ripe watermelon but all with that smoky edge still present. The mouthfeel is immediately creamier and softer and the raisin scone is still there but this time with a healthy dollop of fresh farm cream and a dash of aged balsamic on top.

This is exactly why cask strength is so awesome. Please play with this as much as you want as there are plenty of layers to find with more watering here.

Unfortunately there are no full bottles available. You can console yourself with the knowledge that the big ABV means with more watering you get almost twice the amount of whisky.

In the 2nd edition on this day we had the Samaroli Islay Blended Malt which you can revisit here.

Whiskylassie has been having almost as much fun anticipating her daily dram as she has drinking it. Catch up with her take on today’s whisky here.

Tomorrow we head back to those fun folks at Wemyss Malts for another special limited release. If the popularity of the Velvet Fig last year is anything to go by this should be excellent.

Looking forward to your splendid company then

Slainte

Jonathan – taster of secrets

http://www.singlemalting.com/category/whisky-advent-calendar-2016/

Whisky Galore!

The malt countdown ends for one Scotland’s smallest distilleries 

Last night, (Dec 1st, 2016) Strathearn Distillery officially became the first of the new wave distilleries in Scotland to launch their whisky after the exclusive auction came to a close.

Bottle 001 from Strathearn went for a staggering £4, 150, with the lowest bid at a very impressive £315. The bottles of Scotch whisky, which have been matured for three years and a day, are making their way to lucky bidders around the globe in the next few days.

The first 100 bottles from the distillery were auctioned off to the public by Whisky Auctioneer on the 23 August with the limited auction ending last night at 7pm. Founder of Strathearn Distillery, Tony Reeman-Clark will be hand delivering bottle 001 to an elated bidder in Italy.

Tony Reeman-Clark, Founder of Strathearn Distillery said: “This has been an amazing event, far exceeding my wildest dreams. This has proved to me that Strathearn’s friends are all around the world and all I can say is thank you!”

Strathearn Distillery, which is based in Perthshire and widely considered one of Scotland’s smallest distilleries, has been maturing its artisan single cask, single malt Scotch whisky using traditional methods and ideas.

The spirit is matured in small octave size (50 litre) casks to give the whisky a traditional and distinctive flavour. By using either peated or non-peated malt and varying the type of cask between sherry, rum or bourbon, each batch of whisky will be entirely unique.

For more information on Strathearn Distillery, please visit www.strathearndistillery.com/

Notes to Editors

Strathearn Distillery was established in 2013 by Tony Reeman-Clark who has a passion for whisky and small scale distilling.  Production began in the October of 2013, with their first cask being filled with Strathearn new-make spirit. After three years of maturation, the first Scotch Whisky will be released before the end of this year.  Strathearn also produces a range of highly acclaimed Scottish gins, experimenting with innovative production techniques and flavour profiles.

Working on a single cask, single malt basis allows Strathearn to experiment with different wood types and finishes, as well as appreciating the natural variations that occur throughout spirit production, influenced by the climate and ingredients used.

Malt Messenger Bulletin – Winter Tasting Schedule & Our Two New Arran Casks

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers, 

Our Winter 2017 Tasting Schedule is now online and open for registration.

We have a great range of tastings planned for this winter, including our Burns Bash, a facing off of Octomores, a Highlands, Islands & Campbeltown Festival and the first Ancient Malts tastings in years. But there is more: we are also tackling the oldest 9 BenRiach Batch 14 releases… And then there is the head to head pitting Evan, Hunter and I to see who’s whisky prowess dominates. There is something for everyone in our Winter Tasting Schedule including some great wine and beer tastings too! Details below and the full schedule can be viewed on our website!

We are three days into Whisky Advent Calendar 2016 and I hope everyone is enjoying the ride! We’ve had some great feedback and comments thus far on our social media feeds. There are still some 2016 Kensington Wine Market Whisky Advent Calendars available and they make a great Christmas gift. We are down to just a little over 10% of our opening inventory. Every day of Whisky Advent we will be posting that day’s whisky, the distillery it comes from, and our own tasting note.

Tickets for Calgary’s best whisky festival on Thursday January 19 are flying, and are already more than 60% sold. The VIP Master Class with Ruaraidh MacIntyre is sold out, and there are just over 50 VIP early entry tickets left! The VIP early entry tickets are a deal at $150, considering they include a special cut crystal Glencairn glass valued at $50. The general admission tickets are now $110. Further details are available below, or by clicking the above link!

I’ve written up my own tasting notes for our two new  Isle of Arran Casks! Our 6th and 7th exclusive Arran single casks will be arriving in store on Wednesday, and as you might expect, they won’t disappoint. We have a 7 year old lightly peated Arran, think of it as a single cask of Machrie Moor. Our other new Arran is our oldest yet, a 19 year old from a Bourbon Hogshead. Tasting notes and details follow below. Pop into the shop for a free sampling.

We formally launched our new 25th Anniversary Glenfarclas 25 Year KWM Cask Strength on Tuesday. It is the first of a number of planned 25th Anniversary whiskies we will be launching to mark our 25th birthday in May 2017. Bottled at 52%, it is a stunner, very layered and fruity. The pricing is great too, at $285 it is just $20 more than the regular 25 year bottled at 43%. So it is no surprise that the first 1/4 of the bottles have already sold in just a matter of days! Or that we had already sold out of everything we had in store prior to Tuesday’s event. Rest assured there is plenty more coming, but at the pace it is selling it won’t last long!

We are expecting some other new whiskies in store this week too, I will go into greater detail on them in the next Malt Messenger. They include Talisker Port Ruighe, Lagavulin 12 Year 200th Anniversary, Jura Tastival 2016, and Laphroaig 30 Year. The last of these won’t last long. Of the dozen odd bottles we are expecting to receive, the first 9 are already sold!

Finally, we are getting a very small quantity of some “in demand” Japanese whiskies. These are limited to 1 per person, and due to demand and supply, we are not offering any discounts. We received just a handful of bottles of each! There are a couple new offerings, including a pair of no age statement single malts from Yoichi and Miyagikyo, as well as a couple blends. We also have received a couple of age statement Taketsurus. They will be the last of these we see for a while!

I hope this wee Malt Messenger Bulletin finds you way! The next time you hear from me it will be the annual Malt Messenger Christmas Gift Guide.

Sláinte!

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

In this Edition

1. KWM Winter 2017 Tasting Schedule is Now Online
2. Our Two New Arran Cask Are Coming This Week!
3. 2016 Whisky Advent is 3 Days In!
4. MS Calgary Whisky Festival 2017
5. New Japanese Whisky

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

Our 5th exclusive Kilchoman Cask!  

2011 PX Cask 444   

Our 5th exclusive Kilchoman single cask, 444, was distilled in 2011 and has been bottled at 57.5% a week shy of 5 years old! Matured in Bourbon it was finished in PX Sherry to add some richness. $160

 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%! $285

More Information

MS Calgary Whisky Festival 2017

More than 60% sold!  

Calgary’s best Whisky Festival is in it’s 6th year. Three different ticket packages, and they are going fast!

Thursday January 19

More Information 

A Perfect fit for under the ole Christmas Tree

The 2016 KWM Whisky Advent Calendar! 

For the third straight year we have designed and built our own exclusive Whisky Advent Calendar, featuring a custom logo Glencairn glass, 24 50ml whiskies and a 100ml Christmas Day bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Thursday January 19

More Information

Kensington Wine Market Winter 2017 Tasting Schedule is Now Online 

Great tastings and events in to tantalize your taste buds in January, February & March!

Our 2017 Winter Tasting Schedule is now online. We have some great tastings coming up this Winter and some of them will go quickly. Book early so as not to be disappointed. Please note all tastings start at 7PM and are held at KWM. Also please be aware of our cancellation policy:

• Registrations are transferrable so you are welcome to send someone in your place if you cannot attend a tasting.
• If you contact us more than 48 hours prior to the tasting date in order to cancel one or more seats, you will receive a store credit for the value of the cancelled seat(s).
• Store credits can be used for any future purchases, including tastings or products.
• Cancellation requests received within 48 hours of the tasting date are not refundable.
• NO EXCEPTIONS

Our 2017 Winter Whisky & Spirits Tastings

1. Enter the Octomore Octagon – Tuesday January 10 – We’ve been hoarding Octomore releases for a special tasting to celebrate the launch of the Octomore 10 Year 2nd Edition seems like as good a reason as any to crack them. 8 Octomores, 1 tasting. Are you ready to enter the Octomore Octagon? – $40
2. Finishing School – Tuesday January 17 – Whether they call it “Aced”, “Finished” or “Extra Matured”, finishing a whisky in a different cask can be a way of adding character and offering variety. Discover the effects of different finishing casks. – $35
3. Burns Bash – Wednesday January 25th – Join us for a mini whisky festival featuring our favourite KWM exclusive whiskies. There will be haggis, bagpipes and no fewer than 50 exclusive whiskies open for sampling. – $40
4. Cadenhead on the Speyside – Tuesday January 31 – We have some fabulous exclusive Cadenhead Small Batch whiskies and single casks. We’ve selected a range for a great Speyside tour: Aberlour, Mortlach, Glenrothes, Strathisla and three others! – $60
5. BenRiach Batch 13 Vertical – Thursday February 9 – This tasting is insanely good value… half the price it should be. We can’t squeeze all twelve of the BenRiach Batch 13 vintages into one vertical tasting, but we can make room for eight of the oldest vintage single cask single malts. Vintages 1994-1975, one night only! – $150
6. Rare Malts – Thursday February 16 – Only malts 20+ years of age from Closed Distilleries and or the Very Rare need apply for this special tasting. – $80
7. To Peat or Not to Peat – Tuesday February 21 – Many distilleries now bottle both peated and unpeated expressions. Join Evan for a taste off, pitting peated and unpeated single malts against each other from four pairs of distilleries. – $40
8. Whisky Geek Paradise – Thursday February 23 – Hunter is putting a new twist on our old Classic Malts tasting showcasing value propositions that will still delight even the most discerning palate. – $30
9. Highlands, Island & Campbeltown Whisky Festival – Thursday March 9 – Travel the highlands and islands of Scotland at a festival highlighting whiskies from these regions as well as the town of Campbeltown. Includes your own Glencairn glass. – $60
10. Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey – The style came about as a way of avoiding the English “malt tax” and is still, even today, the most Irish of Irish whiskies. We’ll sample a range of seven Single Pot Irish whiskies and learn a little history. – $50
11. Head to head -Andrew vs Evan vs Hunter – Thursday March 23 – Join us for a one night only battle royal pitting three of our whisky experts against each other. Whose whisky picks will reign supreme… – $40
12. Ancient Malts – Wednesday March 29 -or- Thursday March 30 – It’s been a few years since we’ve put on an Ancient Malts tastings and frankly, we’re overdue! We have some very special bottles selected; including a pair of 1967s for what will be a memorable evening. – $200

Call 403-283-8000 to register, or do so online: kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/tasting-schedule/

Our Two New Arran Casks Are Coming This Week! 

And we’ve got tasting notes on these two new gems! 

Our 6th and 7th exclusive Arran single casks are due in shop on Wednesday. We’ve had a chance to snap a photo of the bottles, and more importantly write a tasting note. I’m very happy with these whiskies, the lightly peated 2008 cask is full of character for a 7 year old whisky with no rough edges. Think of it as a single cask of Arran Machrie Moor. The other barrel is our oldest Arran yet, but at a very competitive price. There was a slight mixup in the bottling hal with the label, and while it says it is a Sherry Hogshead on the label, it is an Ex-Bourbon Hogshead. We don’t want a detail like that to get in the way of a good bottle of whisky, so we won’t… Here are my tasting note on these two great KWM exclusive Arrans!

1. Arran 2008 KWM Cask 131 – 56.8% – 7 Year – Ex-Bourbon Barrel – Lightly Peated – 270 Bottles – My Tasting Note: “Nose: very soft, loads of cream and especially honey: honeycomb and creamed honey; elegant smoke wafting over tender grassy barley; toffee chews and treacle sauce with fresh picked oranges and lemons. Palate: a surge of silky honey and soft peat oils; more tender malt and added notes of Demerara and barley sugars; fresh orange and lemon peels with building spices and firmer earthy peat tones; a touch of dark bakers chocolate and clove. Finish: long but lithe; more gentle fading peat oils, all sorts of honey and citrus peels with spice. Comment: very interesting to compare with the sister cask bottled for the Companions of the Quaich. The latter was more juicy and oaky with this one I find to be a little more elegant, but also even more smoky!” – $105
2. Arran 1997 KWM Cask 1085 – 51.4% – 19 Year – Ex-Bourbon Hogshead – 258 Bottles – My Tasting Note: “Nose: dates squares, chocolate-orange marzipan, Fig Newtons and layered coconut cream cake; sweet orange, ripe honeydew melons and sliced mango appear on the fruit side of things; heather honey and gentle floral tones. Palate: big, rich and creamy with a firm but balanced oaky backbone; very fruity, juicy, more sweet orange, melon and mango; a touch of cooked pineapple too, the Fig Newtons are still there with dates, raisins and and honey; gentle oak spices emerge with some delicate floral malty tones; the palate keeps coming in layers a touch of leather, darker spices and more fruit. Finish: long and toasty with loads of coating-mouth-watering fruits; floral vanilla and honey all the way to the far off end. Comment: big but balanced American oak notes meet the gentle spirit of Arran and give birth to a beautiful, joyous malt; there is something in this whisky for everyone!” – $145

2016 KWM Whisky Advent Calendar 

Whisky Advent is now 9 Days in, and this year’s edition is more than 90% sold!

For the 3rd year in a row, Kensington Wine Market is producing its own Whisky Advent Calendar. 2014 and 2015’s editions were a huge hit, and this year’s edition should is expected to start trickling in store over the next two weeks.

We are really excited about our 2016 KWM Whisky Advent Calendar. For the third straight year we have designed and built our own exclusive Whisky Advent Calendar, featuring a custom logo Glencairn glass, 24 50ml whiskies and a 100ml Christmas Day bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (The Society). The Society is the world’s largest whisky club, and bottles whiskies exclusively for its members. This year’s Calendar has a single cask from the Society that has been selected and bottled exclusively for the Calendar and Canadian Society members (750ml bottles will be made available to Society members in January!). In collaboration with the Society’s Canadian branch, we were even given the opportunity to name the whisky… Since Society whiskies are exclusively available to Society members, this is an opportunity for non-members to get their hands on a Society whisky. Recipients of the KWM Whisky Advent Calendar will be the first people to sample this exciting new whisky!

The Kensington Wine Market Whisky Advent Calendar is more than just a product for us, it is a way for us to share and connect with other whisky lovers in Calgary, Alberta and across Canada. Details on the whiskies released and their distillery will be posted on the KWM Blog each day. Recipients of the Calendar are encouraged to share their thoughts with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The KWM Whisky Advent Calendar also comes with a 10% discount card, good for any of the whiskies in the Calendar (excepting the Society whisky), subject to availability.

Order a Kensington Wine Market 2016 Whisky Advent Calendar $399.99+GST

MS Calgary Whisky Festival 2016 Tickets Now On Sale 

Early Bird Deadline Extended Until November 30 & There is a Prize!

Now in its 6^th year, the MS Calgary Whisky Festival, Calgary’s best whisky event

of the year is back! We are expecting more exhibitors this year and even more whisky. There are three ticket classes this year:

–          VIP Early Admission & Master Class (5PM) $175

–          VIP Early Admission (6PM) $150

–          General Admission (7PM) $100 Until November 30 $110 Thereafter

VIP ticket packages include a cut crystal Glencairn glass to enhance your tasting experience. 100% of proceeds from the event go to the MS Society. Last year we raised $50,000. Help us do even better this year!

The VIP Master Class is an Ardbeg Deconstruction Tasting with Ruaraidh MacIntyre!

Tickets are available online from the MS Society: http://calgarywhiskyfestival.ca/tickets/

Kensington Wine Market403-283-8000

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There is a beautiful Island far far away in Scotland, and on this beautiful island there is a family owned distillery called Kilchoman. Now, Milroys & Kilchoman are the best of friends, and it was agreed the time had come to do something special together. So, two lovely chaps from Milroys, Angus & Simo, made their way to Kilchoman where they spent all day scouring the warehouse’s seeking the perfect cask. After several hours they came across a very interesting looking Quarter Cask, and after sampling their taste buds rejoiced with delight! However, it was decided, although the whisky already fantastic, there was something missing. Simo then noticed some empty PX casks, so he sniffed and he sampled until he had found the perfect one. It was then decided to empty their chosen whisky cask into the PX cask and began to further mature their already wonderful whisky. This was left for a further four months, after this time it was agreed the cask was ready, so they decided to bottle this fantastic smoky, rich and powerful whisky for all the friends of Milroys.

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Milroy’s of Soho

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London, England W1D 4NX

United Kingdom

Issue Two of Distilled is shipping this week and we look forward to sharing the craft and culture of fine spirits with whisky lovers.

In our sophomore issue Canadian novelist Brad Smith visits the Hiram Walker distillery on the Detroit River and finds the stamp of Don Livermore on virtually every drop of whisky, and we learn all about Peter Mulryan’s plans to shake up the world of Irish whiskey as he goes from writer to stillman. Angus MacRaild reports from a barn on the idyllic west coast of Sweden to give us a Scot’s perspective on Smögen, the next cult whisky most will never get to taste, and a serious challenger to the best of Scotch whisky.

Issue Two includes still more whisky coverage with reviews of Stranahan’s, Arran, Bunnahabhain, Dewar’s, Redbreast, Tamdhu and Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Red Cask, while those in search of the perfect holiday gift will find some relief – subscribe to Distilled in the coming weeks and get a second gift subscription at no extra cost. Enjoy!

www.distilledmagazine.ca

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Email: wine@klwines.com K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA

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Day 9 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 3rd Edition Day 9 Blog #142 – Single Cask Nation Loch Lomond (Croftengea) 10 Year Old

Here we are on day 9 of our little jaunt through the glens and moors of Scotland. Today we welcome back Single Cask Nation to the lineup. You may remember a particularly delicious Undisclosed Islay from the 2nd Editon that was their debut. Thanks to Joshua and Jason for spending time rooting through warehouses in Scotland to find us today’s dram.

“It’s a Highland Jim but not as we know it”. Loch Lomond is a distillery in the Highlands that was originally founded in 1814 and there are no actual records of exactly when it closed. The Loch Lomond distillery as it stands today was founded in 1964 by the then owners of the famed but closed Littlemill distillery.

Certainly industrial by Scottish standards Loch Lomond is a work horse of a distillery. Unique among distilleries Loch Lomond opened a Grain distillery in 1994 and was at the time the only distillery in Scotland able to produce both Grain and Malt whisky.

Croftengea is the proprietary name for their peated range of Single Malts that to my knowledge is not seen here outside of the odd independently bottled cask.

Single Cask Nation Loch Lomond Croftengea Peated Highland Single Malt bottled at a cask strength of 55.6% with no chill filtration or colour. Aged in a refill Bourbon Hogshead cask number 486. 10 Years Old.

We have had a few refill Hogsheads so far and for good reason. Using a refill cask can work well in leaving vibrant fruit characteristics that would otherwise be drowned out by a first fill barrel.

Color:   Light again as you would expect but as we have come to learn so far light in color does not mean light in taste. This might be our lightest whisky so far in the 3rd edition and is saved from being almost clear by the tiniest fleck of gold.

Nose:   Pan fried Lamb chops and roasted root vegetables that get all crusty and almost burnt. Pumpkin, Potato, Broccoli and Carrots. This is like Sunday dinner in a glass.

Palate:   Wow thick and unctuous with smoldering rubber and a lovely bitterness that only adds more depth. completely fills the palate with an oily mouth feel that reaches out to every crevice. Some creamier aspects flow along adding just a soft sweet ride to it all.

Finish:   Finally there is some fruit that peeks through all the vegetables and for me it is burnt citrus and specifically thick skinned blood orange cut in half and grilled. The finish rolls on and down warming right to the heart.

Fantastic peated Highland that will fulfill all those peat lovers dreams and maybe take some Highland loving folk along for the ride as well.

Lets see what whiskylassie has to say about this here.

In the third edition on day 9 we had the monster Glen Moray from A.D. Rattray that I mentioned yesterday in comparison to our behemoth Glenrothes from Malt Whisky Company. You can read all about it here.

There will be bottles available of this dram so please email me and I will point you in the right direction. jonathan@secretspirits.com

Well onward and upward as they say.

Tomorrow we head back to Speyside for another single cask from the folk at A.D. Rattray.

See you then

Slainte

Jonathan – Taster of Secrets

www.singlemalting.com/