Tax Free Weekend – August 14 and 15 – Watch for Our Special Weekend Sale

Irish Whiskey Tasting Cooley Distillery, County Louth with Tim Herlihy

Tuesday August 17th. 2010
5:00 P.M. or 6:00 P.M.

Joe writes,

Tim will taste us on whiskies from 4 different Cooley brands of 4 different styles. You may taste why Malt Advocate called Cooley Distillery of The Year this year.

Tyrconnel Single Malt is Pot Still whiskey has the depth of a single malt, with finesse and elegance, yet soft on the palate.

Kilbeggan is a uniquely Irish Whiskey, very easy drinking and approachable, but with its own distinctive style. The finest grain and malt whiskey are blended together for the smooth, sweet taste and lovely malty finish that is Killbeggan Irish whiskey.

Connermara is an Irish Single Malt from before coal was brought to Ireland, when peat or turf was used to dry the barley, a style of whiskey lost, until Cooley revived it. A Great Thing!!!

Greenore is Grain whiskey that is the quiet whiskey that is the biggest part of the blend, Grain whiskey is very rarely mentioned when it comes to whiskey, the Grain whiskey that goes into the blends for The Cooley Distillery, they felt with the quality of their Grain Whiskey, that it was only proper to show the Grain Whiskey on it’s own.

We will taste the following:

Reg Special
Tyrconnel Single Malt $36.99 $32.99
Tyrconnel 10 Y.O. Madeira Finish $94.99 $85.99
Kilbeggan Blended $23.99 $20.99
Kilbeggan 15 Y.O. $110.00 $99.99
Connermara Peated $49.99 $44.99
Connermara Cask Strength $66.99 $60.99
Greenore 8 Y.O. Grain Whiskey $42.99 $38.99

You can pre-buy this weekend and Beat The Tax! If you need any information on these or any other products, Call me

Federal Wine & Spirits

——————————————————————————–

Email: info@federalwine.com
Phone: (617) 367-8605
Web: http://www.federalwine.com/

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

The next full Malt Messenger is nearly at hand, I hope to have it finished by next Tuesday at the latest, just in time to get away for a week’s vacation in the smoky Okanagan.  There are a few things coming up and coming out this week that I wanted to bring your attention to though, and so a Malt Messenger Bulletin is born.  We have a couple of reasonably priced tastings this week, one beer and one whisky, and there’s still room in both.  I’ve attached some info below. We’ve also got a couple of events coming up in September and October that require an early shout out. The former is a 15th Anniversary celebration for Arran distillery with Export Director Andrew Hogan and the latter a Whisky Festival in support of the Calgary Opera. Details on both events also follow below.

There are also a few whiskies worth mentioning, like the Dalmore MacKenzie and Amrut Double Cask, both of which are exclusive to the Kensington Wine Market, and available in limited quantities. Next week we will be getting an even smaller amount of the Highland Park Earl Magnus. Only 72 bottles of this whisky are coming into Alberta, and KWM has been fortunate to get its hands on 36 (limit 2/customer). Finally on September 2nd at the Isle of Arran 15th Anniversary Celbration we will be formally launching the special edition Isle of Arran 15th Anniversary 1999 Amontillado bottling. Only 180 bottles of this reasonably priced special bottling will be coming in. I’ve included a few notes on each of these whiskies below, I will have much more for you in next week’s Malt Messenger.

Slainté!

Andrew Ferguson

MINI SERIES TASTINGS

1.       Boutique Blends – Friday August 13th 7-8PM -$25 – This will be a great little tasting to explore one of the Scotch whisky industry’s least understood sub cultures, boutique blended whisky. Whiskies to be sampled include:

a.       Compass Box Asyla

b.      Compass Box Peat Monster

c.       Compass Box Oak Cross

d.      Compass Box Spice Tree

e.      Poit Dhubh 12 Year

f.        Te Bheag

Call the store 403-283-8000, drop by or visit our website www.kensingtonwinemarket.com to register. The whisky tasting is sit-down and the beer tasting will be too unless attendance exceeds 20 persons in which case we will convert it to a stand-up affair.

ISLE OF ARRAN 15th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION – Thursday September 2nd 7PM – $40

Special guest Andrew Hogan of the Isle of Arran Distillery will be in town for one night only to celebrate the distillery’s 15th Anniversary and formally launch the 15th Anniversary bottling here in Alberta. Join us at the Kensington Wine for a fun and informal evening celebrating 15 years of distillation at one of Scotland’s finest distilleries. We will formally sample 4 whiskies from the Arran portfolio (10 Year, Sherry Cask, Moscatel Cask and 15th Anniversary) under the guidance of Andrew Hogan whilst he sheds some light on the Isle of Arran’s only distillery. After the formal tasting you will have an opportunity to get Andrew to sign a bottle of Arran for you or try a few other of the distilleries whiskies. This tasting will be a great way to start off the fall tasting season and the perfect transition into the Labour Day long weekend.

Call the store 403-283-8000, drop by or visit our website www.kensingtonwinemarket.com to register.

CALGARY OPERA SCOTCH WHISKY FEST – Friday October 1st 7PM Arata Opera Center – $75

The Kensington Wine Market is the Calgary Opera’s official liquor sponsor for 2010, and an idea was hatched to throw a fundraising whisky festival for patrons of the Opera and other whisky aficionados. Participants will receive a special Glencairn glass at the event as a keep sake, which they will use to sample from the 60+ whiskies which will be available. As the event draws closer I’ll provide further details on the participating agencies and whiskies which will be available for sampling. Tickets are available now, in store, online www.kensingtonwinemarket.com and over the phone 403-283-8000. The price includes GST, and you will have to drop by to pick up your physical tickets.

THE DALMORE MACKENZIE 1992 – $189.99

This exciting new bottling of Dalmore is a Kensington Wine Market exclusive. This 1992 vintage Dalmore port finish is from a limited release of 3000 bottles worldwide. Only 60 of these bottles are coming to Canada, and Kensington Wine Market has them all.  Dalmore was at one time in the hands of members of the Clan MacKenzie, the clan’s emblem, and Dalmore’s today is a stag’s head. The clan was granted this privilege in 1263 when an ancestor of the Clan MacKenzie saved King Alexander III of Scotland from being gored by a stag with a single arrow. The moment has been immortalized in the Benjamin West painting The Fury of the Stag which is reproduced on the whisky’s box.

I’ll have my own tasting note for you in the next Malt Messenger, in the mean time, here’s the tasting note from Whyte & MacKay’s larger than life Master Blender Richard Patterson:

“Colour – Deep mahogany gold with shimmering highlights of ruby amber.

Nose – Warm and seductive. Enticing aromas of ripe plums, citrus fruits and marzipan flaunt themselves in an intoxicating infusion of unashamed luxury. Silky smooth and flawless, the hand of time has nurtured this noble spirit to perfection. Gentle whispers of ginger spice, mangos and fleshy grape pulp complete this complex tapestry of delight.

Taste – Take a generous mouthful.  Hold it long in the mouth and allow the warmth of your tongue to tease out every exquisite flavour. You will not be disappointed, but you must give it all the reverence it richly deserves.  Feel the spirit glide gracefully over your palate.  Immediately these hidden treasures are unlocked – sweet pear, thick chunky marmalade, bitter chocolate and crushed almonds reward your senses.  The six long years in port wine butts from the very heart of Oporto, matured at our Dalmore Distillery in Warehouse 4, has transformed this single malt into an unforgettable masterpiece for you to enjoy.”

AMRUT DOUBLE CASK – $124.99

This new Amrut is the product of two cask and the oldest bottling the distillery has every released, at a staggering 7 years. Amrut whiskies mature quickly in the hot high altitude Indian climate. The angels share (evapouration loss) in this short span of time was close to 60%, nearly 10 times the rate in Scotland. And even more curiously, the parched air sucked out more water than alcohol ratcheting up the strength from 62.5 to 69.8%. Only 42 of these rare whiskies will be available for sale in Canada, only available from the Kensington Wine Market. This product is limited to 3 bottles per customer.

Tasting note to follow in the next full Malt Messenger.

HIGHLAND PARK EARL MAGNUS – $204.99

The Viking Earl Magnus is one of the most celebrated characters in the history of the Orkney Islands. The magnificent Cathedral in the heart of Kirkwall (the northernmost in the UK) bears his name and is a strikingly beautiful tribute to him. This bottle is a tribute to the old Gordon & MacPhail and distillery bottling which used to bear the image of Earl Magnus. The whisky is a 15 year old Highland Park composed primarily of whiskies from the early 1990s. 5976 bottles have been released at a cask strength of 52.6%. Only 72 are coming into Alberta an KWM is getting 36 of them. This whisky is strictly limited to 2 bottles per customer.

I will provide my own tasting note when I’m able, in the meantime the distiller’s tasting notes follow:

Colour: Golden honey, clear and bright. Bouquet: Cedarwood and lemon. Mango chunks with hints of ginger and cinnamon bark. Palate: Vanilla, balanced smokiness, milk chocolate and crystallized ginger. Finish: Medium sweet with lingering spiciness.

ISLE OF ARRAN 15th ANNIVERSARY 1999 AMONTILLADO – $82.99

Who could believe the Isle of Arran distillery is now 15 years old.  I remember the lead up to its 10th Anniversary like it was yesterday, and the launch a year later of its first regularily available 10 year old. How the time flies! The Isle of Arran distillery has now been distilling for 15 years, and they decided to release a special edition 11 year old bottling to commemorate the event. The whisky is from refill hogsheads finished for more than a year in eight Amontialldo Sherry Butts from Spain.

“Offical Tasting Notes: Nose: The aroma is complex with hints of dark chocolate, cherries and ginger. Mint-toffee and hazelnut emerge with water. Palate: Rich and creamy on the palate with classic sherry wood notes of dried fruit and spice. A confectionery sweetness mingles beautifully with the intrinsic citrus character of the Arran Malt. Finish: Much drier on the long finish with an intriguing peppery note developing.”

The whisky will go on sale at the Kensington Wine Market first on Thursday September 2nd at the launch party with the distillery’s Andrew Hogan (for more information please see above). Only 180 bottles are coming in to the province, and at the reasonable price of $82.99 there will be a lot of demand for this dram. For the time being we are limiting pre-orders to 3 bottles per customer. Andrew Hogan will be signing bottles the night of the event. Please e-mail me if you would like to reserve some bottles.

That’s it for now.  More next week in the full Malt Messenger.

Slainté!

Andrew Ferguson

You can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/scotch_guy..

If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store. Feel free to forward me any whisky news you feel should be included in a future issue of The Malt Messenger; it might just get included.

All of the products mentioned in THE MALT MESSENGER can be purchased in store, over the phone or from our website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com.. All prices quoted in the Malt Messenger are subject to change!

Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger!

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson
KWM Scotchguy

403-283-8000
888-283-9004
1257 Kensington Rd. NW
Calgary, AB, Canada
T2N 3P8

scotchguy@kensingtonwinemarket.com

Indisputable Proof, the hottest whisky of the summer!

Toronto, Ontario – August 2010: As summer is in full effect, proof brands inc. is proud to announce the launch of proof whisky the 1st 500ml on the market…just the right size, not too small, not too big…the perfect size for entertaining “Great things come in small packages”. Proof whisky will help you make delicious cocktails and be the talk of the town. This deluxe product is an “Affordable Luxury” that will be available as of (soon) for only $19.95 at a LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) near you!  

proof whisky sets itself apart from the rest,

One urban whisky in a hip new 500 ml size! The blend of Canadian prairie rye and wheat is distilled with pristine spring water from the Canadian Rockies. It is then aged to perfection in charred oak barrels, to create its sophisticated sweet and smoky flavours. Proof is bottled at 42% alc./vol., to give it that extra edge.

Keep your guests on the edge of their seats, proof whisky is only the beginning for proof bands inc they will also be launching a new vodka and rhum in the coming months.

145th SCOTTISH HIGHLAND GATHERING & GAMES

WHAT:    145th Scottish Highland Gathering & Games
WHEN:    Saturday & Sunday, September 4 & 5 (Labor Day Weekend)
WHERE:    Pleasanton, CA – Alameda County Fairgrounds
HOURS:    9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
PRODUCER:    Caledonian Club of San Francisco
WEBSITE: www.TheScottishGames.com

“A Taste of Whisky at the Games” Whisky Tastings & Master Seminars

Join us at the Whisky Seminars and sample and learn about some of the finest whiskies…..

Tasting: Advance $17.00 – At Games $20.00.
Includes 6 tastings, tasting brochure and souvenir tasting glass.

HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERIES ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF THE FOURTH ANNUAL EDITION OF “PARKER’S HERITAGE COLLECTION” AMERICAN WHISKEY SERIES

Cask strength, wheated 10-year-old Bourbon promises to be worthy next entrant in highly decorated whiskey series

BARDSTOWN, KY—Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., the country’s largest independent family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer, announces the September release of the fourth edition of Parker’s Heritage Collection, a limited annual series of rare, aged American Whiskeys that pays tribute to 6th Generation Master Distiller Parker Beam.  The fourth release is a cask-strength, non-chill filtered wheated Bourbon, meaning it uses soft winter wheat instead of rye as the “small grain” to produce a less spicy, rounder Bourbon.

This year’s release of Parker’s Heritage Collection follows last year’s “Golden Anniversary” Bourbon edition, which captured the “American Whiskey of the Year” award from Malt Advocate Magazine, in addition to being named “World’s Best New Release” in Whisky Magazine’s annual 2010 World Whiskey Awards. The 2009 release, a 27-year-old Bourbon, was the first American Whiskey to ever win “Best of Show, Brown Spirits” at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

The new release marks the first in the Parker’s Heritage Collection to depart from the traditional Heaven Hill rye-based Bourbon mashbill.  Instead of the more commonly used corn/malted barley/rye recipe, the newest edition uses corn, malted barley and Kentucky winter wheat.  This recipe was first used at Heaven Hill in the spring of 1999, after the company acquired the wheated Old Fitzgerald line of Bourbons.  This new bottling of Parker’s Heritage Collection will mark the first release of Heaven Hill made, extra-aged wheated Bourbon.  And it will delight whiskey connoisseurs because not only is it non-chill filtered, but it also is being released in two very small batch dumps at barrel proof.  And like the previous three editions, it is being released in very limited quantities—only 52 barrels, kept in high storage in open rick warehouses, were dumped for this edition, yielding approximately 4,800 bottles for the United States and limited international distribution.

And in what will be welcome news in still-unsettled economic times, the fourth release, at $79.99, is priced considerably lower than previous releases, which carried an average national retail price of $150 for last year’s “Golden Anniversary” bottling and$200 for the 27-year-old Bourbon released two years ago.  Whiskey aficionados will also appreciate that the natural esters and fatty acids, which are by-products of whiskey distillation and aging, are not stripped away from the Bourbon in a process known as chill filtering, but are left in the whiskey to provide a fuller taste profile and richer mouthfeel.

Packaged in the same upscale 750ml bottle as the previous three editions, the Parker’s Heritage Collection Wheated Bourbon is available in a three bottle case that should start hitting retail shelves during September, nationally recognized as the start of the Bourbon season.

“I am genuinely excited to introduce a nicely aged, cask-strength wheated Bourbon for this next version of my Parker’s Heritage Collection,” noted Heaven Hill’s Parker Beam.  “At this age and barrel-proof, is how a wheated Bourbon shows best…it has the caramel and smoke notes that only ten years in the top floors of our rickhouses can produce.  And it has the long, smooth finish that I always look for in a Bourbon, with that softness that wheat brings to the recipe. I am very pleased that we now have wheated Bourbon that I feel has aged long enough to wear my name on the label.”

Only Heaven Hill Distilleries, with the world’s second largest inventory of aging Bourbon and over 50% of the world’s supply of Bourbon barrels over 8 years old, could bring such rare and aged whiskeys to market.  Parker Beam, along with his son Craig, oversees one of the world’s most highly esteemed distilling operations, where renowned brands such as Elijah Craig, Old Fitzgerald, and Evan Williams, the world’s second largest selling Bourbon, are produced according to Parker and Craig’s seven-generation-old family recipe and yeast strain.

Founded in 1934, Bardstown, KY-based Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. (www.heavenhill.com) is the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon. Heaven Hill’s diversified portfolio of brands includes The Christian Brothers Brandies; Evan Williams and Elijah Craig Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys; Burnett’s Vodkas and Gin; Hpnotiq Liqueur; PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur; Lunazul and Two Fingers Tequilas, and Dubonnet Aperitif.

Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely. Drink Wisely.”

Single Malt Scotch Whisky Tastings: Second Saturday Scotch Sipping at Six At The Two Bit Cowboy Saloon In The Miner’s Delight Inn, Wyoming.

2nd Saturday    every month    6 – 9 p.m.    no reservation required

Enjoy light hors d’oeuvres to cleanse your palate between 5 half-ounce samples of single malt Scotch whisky: $20. (Cash bar for non-whisky drinkers).

 ►  Enjoy 3 featured single malts, including a Malt of the Month *

 ►  Roll a die and choose a single malt from one of the six Scotch regions

 ►  Pick your connoisseur’s choice from our single malt Scotch whisky menu

Featured Malts:

* 10% off bottles of the Malt of the Month

August 14, 2010

Glenkinchie 12 yo *

Highland Park 12 yo

Glenrothes Alba Reserve

September 11, 2010

Glenrothes Select Reserve *

Dalmore 12 yo

Isle of Jura Prophecy

October 9, 2010

Benromach 10 yo *

Speyburn 10 yo

Edradour Caledonia 12 yo

November 9, 2010

Old Pulteney 12 yo *

Ardmore Traditional Cask

GlenDronach 12 yo

December 11, 2010

New Beginnings:

This tasting will include three young, limited release whiskies from privately held distilleries: One’s a new distillery, one’s a newly reopened distillery that sat silent for more than a century, and  one’s a reopened distillery that had been mothballed for the better part of a decade.

Visit the Miner’s Delight Inn at http://www.minersdelightinn.com

Precious Cargo fills a wooden 12-pack case we found in an antique store in Miltonvale,    Kansas, in May 2010. The store owner guessed the case was from the 1930s. Thanks to Laphroaig’s medicinal nose, the US government imported Laphroaig single malt Scotch whisky through prohibition and doctors issued prescriptions for “strictly medicinal” use.

Weekly Liquor Specials

Canadian Club 1.75L…$16.99
Dewar’s White Label 1.75L…$28.99
Johnnie Walker Black…$25.99
Johnnie Walker Red 1.75L…$26.99
Seagram’s 7 Crown 1.75L…$16.99
Seagram’s Crown Royal…$19.99
Seagram’s Crown Royal 1.75L…$36.99
Jack Daniles Black 1.75L $34.99

*Prices valid w/Binny’s Card August 11 through August 17, 2010. Not responsible for misprints or typographical errors. Sizes 750ml unless otherwise stated. Advertised items limited to quantities on hand.

Visit Binny’s at www.binnys.com

Whisky and the Silver Screen

The movies and whisky go hand in hand; Richard Burton, Humphrey Bogart and Sam Peckinpah were all dedicated drinkers of Scotch. They were also all men’s men – hard boiled and charismatic rather than foppish thespians.

Whisky is an essential part of this alluring image and this goes some way to explain its appearance, more often than not, in the hands of many of the silver screen’s most legendary heroes and notorious villains.

This month we explore whisky’s role in cinema,  both on and off screen and we want to hear about your favourite whisky-related celluloid moments too.

Visit the Glenlivet Whisky & the Silver Screen at  http://tinyurl.com/369fg63

EDRINGTON MALT PORTFOLIO CELEBRATES IWSC SUCCESS

The Edrington Group, producers of The Macallan and Highland Park, are celebrating an impressive haul of four Gold Best in Class awards for its premium single malt brands, at this year’s International Wine and Spirit Competition.

Highland Park picked up three Gold Best in Class awards for its 18 year old, 25 year old and Earl Magnus 15 year old expressions whilst The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 year old brought the top honours at the world renowned competition to four.

Both brands achieved further recognition across their product ranges with three Gold awards for the travel retail exclusives Highland Park 1994 and 1990 Vintages plus The Macallan Fine Oak 15 year old. 

Ken Grier, Director of Malts at Edrington said: “Once again we have made a real mark at the IWSC with an impressive 15 gold and silver medals.  This demonstrates that our single malt whiskies continue to be world class and showcases the commitment of our people to strive for the very best within our premium authentic portfolio.  This is a highly competitive and rigorous competition and I’m delighted that we’ve maintained strong results and presence in 2010.”

A panel of judges from consumer and trade organisations sampled a large range of Scotch whisky products. The whiskies, like all of the spirits and wines in the event, were blind tasted in groups divided by variety, region and vintage and awarded points accordingly.

Judges credited the Highland Park 18 year old with a ‘rich, deep flavoured mouth where creamy caramel and toffee work well with the peat and sweet malt’, whilst their praise for the Highland Park 25 year was expressed as, ‘the nose has just about everything! Excellent structure, beautiful whisky. An absolute class act’.  The 15 year old Earl Magnus was described as ‘rich and full in the mouth with layers of flavour and hints of caramel, smoke and peat joining all the nose had to offer.’

The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 year old captured the judges’ imagination and palate, describing it as; ‘a very complex and satisfying dram, a complete joy.’

Full results:

Gold Best in Class

Highland Park 18 year old

Highland Park 25 year old

Highland Park Earl Magnus 15 year old

The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 year old

Gold

Highland Park 1994 Vintage

Highland Park 1990 Vintage

The Macallan Fine Oak 15 year old

Silver Best in Class

Highland Park Hjarta 12 year old

Silver

Highland Park 1998 Vintage

Highland Park 12 year old

The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 year old

The Macallan Fine Oak 10 year old

The Macallan Fine Oak 21 year old

The Macallan 1824 Collection Select Oak

The Macallan 1824 Collection Whisky Maker’s Edition

Please enjoy our brands responsibly www.drinkaware.co.uk

NOTES

HIGHLAND PARK:

Highland Park distillery was established on Orkney in 1798.  With its windswept moors, craggy outcrops and ancient religious sites, Orkney is a land full of mystery.  At the heart of the single malt is its remote island location and exposure to the elements, with additional influences from barley malting at the distillery and the use of peat, which combine to create a highly distinctive taste.

For over 200 years, the distillery has combined time old tradition and the very best craftsmanship to achieve perfection and produce a single malt range that is consistently lauded by connoisseurs and experts. 

THE MACALLAN:

Easter Elchies House proudly watches over The Macallan distillery in Speyside, Scotland. Built in 1700, this Jacobean manor house is The Macallan’s spiritual home.  The secrets to The Macallan’s precious spirit comes from the curiously small and uniquely shaped copper stills which help to concentrate the flavour of the ‘new make’ spirit.  The Macallan takes one of the finest ‘cuts’ of any distillery in Scotland, typically just 16% goes forward to fill our casks and mature into The Macallan. 

An unfaltering obsession with selecting exceptional oak casks brings an unsurpassed, timeless quality to The Macallan.  In addition, natural colour is something we insist on. It is the interaction of spirit and wood alone, which delivers the rich variety of colour.