ralfy review 947 Extras. – Online Scotch Whisky Awards 2022

Scottish Whisky Entrepreneur Acquires Legendary Edinburgh Whisky Retailer 

Iain McClune, a Scottish whisky and spirits entrepreneur, enthusiast, and former Royal Mile Whiskies employee, has agreed the purchase of Scotland’s leading independent specialist whisky business, Royal Mile Whiskies.

Royal Mile Whiskies sits under the Dormant Distillery Company (DDC) alongside Drinkmonger and The Cigar Box.  They will all be retained, owned and operated in Scotland as part of the deal.

McClune, who worked at Royal Mile Whiskies for nearly a decade, becomes the second ex-employee to return as owner of the business.  The acquisition will be made through Vintage Saga, McClune’s investment company which includes Whisky Auctioneer, Wine Auctioneer, Rum Auctioneer and Bright Spirits.

Keir Sword, founder of DDC, commented:  “I am delighted to pass the business over to Iain who as a former employee shares my affection for the business and understands the importance of our fantastic team of drinks enthusiasts. As a former employee who myself returned to buy Royal Mile Whiskies it is greatly satisfying to pass the baton on to one of our own, who shares my vision for the business and I trust to carry on our values.

“The fact the business retains its independent spirit but at the same time gains the backing and support of the equally enthusiastic and talented team at Vintage Saga, makes it a very exciting time for DDC.

“They inherit not only the wonderful staff, but a very supportive bunch of suppliers and loyal customers to all of whom I send my huge thanks for their contribution over the past quarter century. I wish Iain, Arthur and all of the team my very best for a bright future, and shall continue to cheer you all on from the sidelines.”

As part of Vintage Saga, DDC will continue to operate independently as its own entity, and also independently from other businesses within the group.  It will  benefit from Vintage Saga’s knowledge, expertise, relationships and reputation which will support its continued growth.  Arthur Motley, who has worked alongside Keir Sword for over 20 years, will become Managing Director of DDC.

Iain McClune, founder of Vintage Saga, said: “I echo Keir’s values and understand his vision for the future of the Dormant Distillery Company. The team at DDC is  what makes it so unique and I am excited to be a part of it again.

“Vintage Saga and DDC are both independent Scottish companies with the same knowledge-centric approach and people-first culture, with committed and passionate employees who contribute hugely to the success of the businesses.

“Exciting times are ahead and I am particularly pleased to be inheriting such a great team as they will be crucial to the ongoing success and future growth of the DDC brands. Under Keir’s tenure, Royal Mile Whiskies has become recognised as one of the great independent UK whisky merchants and this reputation is exactly what we look forward to building with all at DDC.”

Dave Broom, award winning drinks writer, commented:  “Over the past 25 years Royal Mile Whiskies has been an exemplar of a great drinks retail business. It has evolved over time, pioneering new avenues, but the secret to its success is it’s a business run by people who put the customer first. They have not just sold whisky, they have educated, entertained, and advised about it – and other spirits – because they care deeply about what they are selling.

“While this is the end of an era, I’m delighted the firm will remain independent and, importantly, with Iain as the new owner, that it is staying in Scottish hands. I wish Keir all the best in his future ventures, but know that with Arthur at the helm that continuing success will be guaranteed.”

About Dormant Distillery Company Ltd

Keir Sword started the independent bottling business DDC Ltd in 1997 but his focus for the business soon changed when he had the opportunity to buy his former employer, Royal Mile Whiskies.   Royal Mile Whiskies was established in 1991, however, it was in 1997 when Keir Sword, a returning former employee, purchased the shop that it developed into one of the world’s most respected specialist whisky retailers.  Keir added The Cigar Box to the portfolio in 1999, followed by rmw.com in 2000, which made the company one of the very first to retail whisky online.  As sales of ‘other’ spirits had grown steadily, the Drinkmonger brand was added in 2011 with the opening of a retail shop in Pitlochry, Highland Perthshire and then Bruntsfield, Edinburgh later the same year.  The Royal Mile Whiskies Trade department is seen as the pre-eminent wholesaler of specialist spirits into the Scottish bar trade, with an accounts list of some of the very best hospitality venues in Scotland and beyond.   Royal Mile Whiskies’ worldwide reputation is largely due to its knowledgeable team of whisky enthusiasts.    Keir is a Master of the Quaich and is soon to become a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Distillers.

About Vintage Saga Ltd

Iain McClune is the Founder and Managing Director of Vintage Saga Ltd which is the holding company of Whisky Auctioneer, Wine Auctioneer, Rum Auctioneer and Bright Spirits Lts.   Prior to establishing Whisky Auctioneer, Iain was Manager at Royal Mile Whiskies Edinburgh, a leading independent traditional whisky specialist.  He was listed as One to Watch in The Telegraph’s Most Ambitious Business Leaders programme in 2020.

Whisky Auctioneer is the global market leader and trusted authority on the buying and selling of whisky and spirits at auction.  It has come to acclaim in recent years with record breaking auctions of some of the world’s most coveted and collectible whiskies.  Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Perth, Scotland, Whisky Auctioneer utilises its expertise and knowledge combined with its auction platform to increase interest and passion in the whisky and spirits community. Its industry-leading online platform connects sellers to a global network of buyers, giving passionate whisky lovers access to the most comprehensive selection of rare whisky online.

In 2017, Wine Auctioneer was established offering the same services for mature and rare fine wines and in August 2019, Iain launched Rum Auctioneer, the first dedicated online auction of its kind. The creation of Wine Auctioneer and Rum Auctioneer was prompted by the high levels of demand for buying and selling these products through Whisky Auctioneer.  A simple, accessible, and dedicated platform for selling wine and rum online was missing and we were ideally placed to offer a solution.

The central Scotland headquarters’ success paved the way for expansion into the EU, where Whisky Auctioneer opened an office in Ratheim, Germany in 2020. In 2022, further expansion increased capacity to support the whisky community within the United Kingdom with the opening of a central London office.

International Beverage appoints Malcolm Leask to New Managing Director Role

Leading global drinks business International Beverage Holdings has announced the appointment of long-standing Vice President of Sales Malcolm Leask to the new post of Managing Director.

The producer of premium drinks brands including Old Pulteney, Balblair and Speyburn single malt whiskies will lead a consolidation of all UK operations, including the Inver House Distillers production subsidiary, under the International Beverage banner.

Leask, who has over 25 years of service with the business, is tasked with an ambitious programme of growth and international expansion to build on the success currently enjoyed by the company’s award-winning spirits portfolio.

Mr Leask commented: ‘We are uniting all aspects of our business under the International Beverage banner and planning for what will be a very exciting and dynamic new era of growth, both in the UK and in international markets. 

‘Our premium brands are amongst the very best in the industry and we have much to be proud of when it comes to our track record for quality, innovation and sustainable distilling, not to mention the incredibly dedicated and talented people who work in our business. 

‘I’m very much looking forward to working together with them to build on all of this great work and to achieve even greater things in the future.’

The announcement coincides with news of the planned retiral in early 2023 of Martin Leonard, current Managing Director of Inver House Distillers, after nearly 25 years of service.

Mr Leask added: ‘We owe Martin Leonard an enormous debt of gratitude for his custodianship of our stable of whiskies and gin over the past few years. He has led the Inver House operation with vision and expertise, building the strong foundation our business is built on today. We wish him all the very best when he retires next year.’ 

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL BEVERAGE HOLDINGS

International Beverage Holdings Ltd is one of the drinks industry’s most dynamic global businesses.  Established in 2006 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thaibev, the company operates as its international business arm, specialising in the development of premium local spirits for the global market. Its success is built on a strong understanding of local cultures and markets within a worldwide business network. Based in Hong Kong with regional offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, the USA and UK, the company is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of a portfolio of premium brands in over 85 markets. These brands are built on character, craftsmanship and quality, led by a range of award-winning Scotch whiskies and an array of vibrant beers and spirits. These include:

• Single malt Scotch whiskies Old Pulteney, Balblair, anCnoc and Speyburn
• Blended Scotch Hankey Bannister
• Caorunn, Scotland’s leading super premium gin
• Mekhong, ‘The Spirit of Thailand’ since 1941

Bacardi Announces Global Marketing Moves

John Burke to Retire as CMO Bacardi
Ned Duggan Promoted to CMO Bacardi and Kathy Parker Expands her Portfolio

Hamilton, Bermuda, September 16, 2022 – Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, today announces moves within its global marketing leadership. John Burke, Global Chief Marketing Officer of Bacardi and President of Bacardi Global Brands Limited, will retire after more than 28 years with the company at the end of 2022. During his tenure, he led many of the company’s leading brands, including most recently BACARDÍ® rum, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, MARTINI® vermouths and sparkling wines, and DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky.

“John is an incredibly strategic marketer who has helped us reinvigorate many brands and keep consumer at the heart of everything that we do. He played an important role in creating a disciplined marketing organization focused on building capabilities and driving brand equity over the years,” says Mahesh Madhavan, Chief Executive Officer of Bacardi Limited. “Under his leadership, we have seen many magical moments for our brands. He leaves us having imprinted his mark in our story – and a legacy he can be very proud of.”

“I am incredibly grateful for the many opportunities I have been given in my lifetime at Bacardi. I have had the opportunity to work with and learn from some remarkable people, and I hope I have been able to help them in return. I have loved nurturing our brands to make them stronger and see them grow,” says John Burke. “I am very proud of what we have achieved together and wish Bacardi good fortune and continued success for the future.”

Following John’s retirement, Ned Duggan will be promoted to Global Chief Marketing Officer of Bacardi and President of Bacardi Global Brands Limited. Since 2017, Ned has led BACARDÍ® rum, first in market execution in North America and later globally from Bermuda as SVP. In addition to his continued leadership of BACARDÍ rum, he will add MARTINI®, DEWAR’S®, WILLIAM LAWSON’S®, D’USSÉ® Cognac, among others. Ned’s ascension is the culmination of a 17-year-tenure at Bacardi that began as an Assistant Brand Manager. His career has spanned assignments at regional and global levels working on many company brands, including DEWAR’S®, GREY GOOSE®, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE®, OXLEY®, ST-GERMAIN®, D’USSÉ®, and others. Ned, who will relocate to London, will report to CEO Mahesh Madhavan and joins the Global Leadership Team (GLT).

“I am incredibly honored and humbled to assume the role of CMO at Bacardi,” says Ned Duggan. “I have spent my career at this company, learning from the best and I am thrilled to enter this next phase of my journey working to further develop and grow our renowned portfolio.”

Kathy Parker, President & CMO of GREY GOOSE® vodka and the tequila portfolio, which includes PATRÓN® and CAZADORES®, will add BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin to her remit following John’s retirement. Kathy is a member of the company’s Global Leadership Team and reports to CEO Mahesh Madhavan.

About Bacardi Limited
Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, produces and markets internationally recognized spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited brand portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDÍ® rum, GREY GOOSE® vodka, PATRÓN® tequila, DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON’S® Scotch whisky, ST-GERMAIN® elderflower liqueur, and ERISTOFF® vodka. Founded more than 160 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs more than 8,000, operates production facilities in 10 countries, and sells its brands in more than 170 countries. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit http://www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram.

Masataka Taketsuru was born in 1894 into a sake distilling family that resided in Hiroshima. In 1918, the young Taketsuru embarked on a trip to Scotland to learn about the process of making Scotch whisky. He was fascinated by whisky and was excited to learn more. He enrolled at the University of Glasgow, taking chemistry classes. He also apprenticed at multiple distilleries. These distilleries include Longmorn, Hazelburn, and James Calder.

Taketsuru met and married a Scottish woman named Rita, and in late 1920 the couple returned to Japan. In 1923 he signed a 10-year contract with Kotobukiya Limited (Suntory). This position saw him direct in the construction of Yamazaki, the first whisky distillery in Japan, and subsequently, become involved in the production of Yamazaki whisky.
Taketsuru left Kotobukiya in March 1934, and later in the year established his own company: Dai Nippon Kaju Co,. Limited (later Nikka). The company was based in Yoichi in Hokkaido. Yoichi Distillery started distillation in 1936. In 1940 the first Nikka Whisky was launched.

 In this particular evening Nathan Shearer will be taking you through the history of Nikka and the different expressions that characterises the distillery.

Nikka Super
Nikka Coffey Grain
Nikka Miyagikio
Nikka Yoichi
Nikka Taketsuru
Nikka Tailored

Buy Now

SELL THROUGH HWA! But why?… 

• We are delighted to offer 0% sellers commission & 8.5% buyer’s commission. Being only 8.5% buyer’s commission, buyers are willing to pay that bit extra for your bottle/lot due to the commission saving.
• Only £3 listing fee per bottle and £4 reserve fee.
• A very strong global audience built up in such a short period of time (we are about to have our 7^th auction).
• Payment to sellers normally within 7 days!
• Visit HWA on Trustpilot, we have very happy customers.
• FREE doorstep collections in many areas within Scotland.
• FREE* courier doorstep collections across the UK. All arranged by us.
• Sound good?? If so, get in touch and we would be delighted to welcome you on board, answer any questions and/or assist with selling your whisky.

www.highlandwhiskyauctions.com

Click here to register as a user, (only £4).

Click here to get in touch.

www.highlandwhiskyauctions.com

Introducing our October edition of Malt Of The Month.

In this edition, we have hand-selected 2 malts in our collection.1 for UK customers and 1 for the EU. Use the links below to access the shop relevant to you.Specially curated by our team, showcasing autumnal flavours. Perfect for sipping slowly, cosied up by the fire!

UK OCTOBER MALT OF THE MONTH: CHERRY BAKEWELL TART

This is the Cherry Bakewell Tart, which is a 22 year old Glen Keith single malt matured in sherry butt. Expect a malt with a tart like fruitiness, a mild peppery spice and soft vanilla notes.

SHOP UK MALT OF THE MONTH

EU MALT OF THE MONTH: PATCHOULI & SANDALWOOD

This 31 year old Glenrothes matured in sherry butt has developed the complex and deep flavours of cherry, currants and ginger cake. Earthy and antique aromas develop over several minutes in the glass like a patchouli and sandalwood oil.

SHOP EU MALT OF THE MONTH

 

THE OCTAVE BRACKLA 2011 11 YEAR OLD LFW EXCLUSIVE #9336209

70cl / 54% abv

£110.00

THE OCTAVE BRACKLA 2011 11 YEAR OLD LFW EXCLUSIVE #9336209 DESCRIPTION

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 462 : Balblair 16 Year Old 2006 Hand Bottled at the Distillery

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a distillery exclusive. His buddy Marcel from the Netherlands visited the Balblair distillery some time ago and asked Mark if he could do him a favor with an exclusive hand-bottled malt. Of course Mark immediately agreed and let him bring such a bottle. And then to think that in September 2022 Mark will visit Balblair himself… Perhaps by that time it will be a different cask and he can return the favor. The label does not mention a cask type, but judging by the color, this may have been a bourbon barrel.

https://youtu.be/F5NAk1uVaLw

With all the glorious weather we’ve seen in recent weeks, it’s hard to believe that Fall has begun. Before I touch on anything else I would first like to wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving on behalf of everyone at KWM!

As some of you will know if you have the misfortune of following me on Instagram or Facebook, I am just back from two weeks in Europe. I visited wineries in Tuscany and took one of my managers, Shawn, on his first trip to Scotland. Sandwiched between Whisky Live Paris and the Whisky Show London, Shawn and I managed to squeeze in more than a dozen distilleries on the west coast of Scotland in just 5 days. While it was fun, travelling with the boss is no vacation!

I am grateful to have been able to carve out for myself a life and career that presents me with opportunities for travel, adventure, growth, and discovery. I am fortunate to have a business supported by amazing customers and partners, share our passion and vision. I am lucky to have a supportive family who has encouraged me to take advantage of these opportunities. But most importantly I am thankful for the amazing team I have here at have at KWM, without whom this business would be nothing!

It has been a busy month at KWM, and we have seen solid demand for our KWM 2022 Whisky Calendar since we launched pre-orders two weeks ago. That being said, primarily due to the timing of my recent adventures, we haven’t given the Calendar as much attention as we usually would. To rectify that I have a few more teasers about this year’s edition, and we will also be extending the Pre-Pay Early Bird Offer by one week, through midnight, Wednesday, October 12.

One of the chaps Shawn and I saw in London at the Whisky Show, Amrut’s Ashok Chokalingham, followed us back from London. If we look tired in the photo above, consider it was taken while waiting for our bags in Calgary, after a 9-hour flight and a weekend of dramming!

Ashok will be at the store tomorrow night for the first time in 4 years for a Master Class tasting. We had a really cool range for the tasting, and it just got better. I’ve been hinting that Ashok will be bringing a special treat with him, which I can finally confirm… the next release of Amrut Spectrum 007! Ashok, who recently took over as Amrut Distillery Manager, puts on a great tasting. There are still a few open spots for the event which starts at 7PM

The other events I’d like to spend a few minutes plugging are the two KWM Casks Bruichladdich Cask Launch tastings; both in-person and virtual. We received a new KWM Bruichladdich cask in August, our 3rd. But rather than launching it immediately, we decided to tuck it away at our warehouse for a few months. At the time it arrived we were drowning in new KWM Casks.

While it would have made more sense to launch our new KWM Bruichladdich in a vertical tasting of Laddie whiskies, sadly there just isn’t sufficient inventory on the market to fill out a full range. So we decided instead to highlight some other new KWM casks: 5 Single Malts and 2 Bourbons, to be precise. But there will be a second Laddie in the tasting; I held back a couple of bottles of our Bruichladdich 2007 KWM Bourbon Cask, which sold out in just a couple of days in 2020.

As for our new Bruichladdich 2010 KWM Bourbon Cask, we will open it up for sale in a couple of weeks. It will be limited to 1 per customer, and we are not taking pre-orders for it, but participants in the virtual and in-person launch tastings will have the opportunity to purchase a bottle before anyone else… and there are a few spots still open for both!

As always, in the event of a discrepancy in price, the point of sale at KWM will be taken as correct. Online ordering and in-store purchasing are always our preferences, but email and phone orders are ok too!

Sincerely!

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

PRE-PAY EARLY BIRD OFFER EXTENDED!

THE KWM 2022 WHISKY CALENDAR

A Few More Details – Teasers, If You Will…

What can we tell you about the 2022 KWM Whisky Calendar? Certainly not everything, there are too few surprises in this world, and this whole endeavour is built around the joy of discovery.

Also, the final confirmed product list will be a game-time decision. If the Covid era has taught us anything, it is that something will always go sideways. We started requesting products in the Fall of 2021 for this year’s Calendar, and some of them still haven’t arrived. But we also order extra products, just to be safe!

This year’s Calendar will again be primarily composed of Single Malt whiskies, most of them Scottish. There will also be whiskies from America, Canada, India, Israel, The Netherlands, and possibly France. There are no repeats from the last 3-4 editions, and more than half of the distilleries and brands have never been featured in our 9 editions in any shape or form!

The Main Pitch

The KWM Whisky Calendar, aka “25 Days of Dram Fine Whisky”, is back for the 9th straight year. Once again the calendar will have a fresh new look, which will be revealed in a few weeks’ time. This year’s calendar includes 24 50ml premium whiskies, a custom logo Glencairn glass, and a 100ml Scotch Malt Whisky Society whisky for Christmas Day. You can follow along with us on the KWM Blog starting December 1st or on one of our various social media channels as we introduce and discuss each day’s whisky. And there is more…

Because they were such a big hit the last two years, we will once again be hosting the Whisky Calendar Recap Tastings throughout the month of December. Purchasers and recipients of the KWM 2022 Whisky Calendar will be able to join us for any or all of the 5 virtual tastings on December 5, 10, 15, 20 and after Christmas on the 28th, at 7 PM MT. Each of them will cover the 5 previous day’s whiskies in the Calendar.

We always keep the exact whisky list a secret – there are too few surprises left in this life – but we can tell you this year’s Calendar includes 3 KWM exclusive casks, a couple of whiskies in their 20s, and more than a dozen distilleries and producers never before featured in any of our prior Whisky Calendars. We are confident that we have put together another fantastic Calendar this year, and we know you are going to love it!

Best of all, if you select the pre-pay preorder option, you will save $60! This option was very popular last year, and completely sold out 2020’s original production in just 2 weeks!

We anticipate the KWM 2022 Whisky Advent Calendars should be ready for pick up in early November. That is, so long as everything goes as planned, which, in the Post-Covid Era, you can never be 100% sure of. But we’ve planned accordingly, and ordered early from all of our suppliers!

Two Options to Order

The KWM 2022 Whisky Calendar

1) KWM 2022 Whisky Calendar Pre-Pay Early Bird – 399.99+gst (no discounts)

Select this option if you wish to save $60 on the regular price of $460, by prepaying now in full (please note this cannot be combined with other offers or discounts). You will be charged $400+gst when we receive your order. Ends at midnight Wednesday, October 12, sharp!

2) KWM 2022 Whisky Calendar Full Price – $459.99+gst

Select this option if you are someone for whom money is no object, and you don’t want to save $60 by paying in full 3-4 weeks before you would end up paying anyway… Or if you forget to purchase the above early bird option before midnight on Wednesday, October 12!

UPCOMING TASTINGS

Amrut Whisky with Ashok Chokalingam

·     Date: Friday, October 7

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $55

·     This is an in-person tasting!

Our friend Ashok is returning to Calgary for the first time in a number of years and we are thrilled to have him in store for an in-person tasting. A lot has changed since we last saw Ashok, he is now Amrut’s Distillery Manager. We will sample 7 Amrut expressions, including, if the stars align, a special treat.

Friday, October 7th @ 7 PM

OLD first MALT edition CASKs

·     Date: Tuesday, October 11

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $50

·     Virtual Tasting

Now that’s a mouthful, isn’t it? Excuse the cheek, but we feel this is going to be an awesome tasting! We’ve recently received a curious new range of Old Malt Cask and First Edition whiskies from our friends at Hunter Laing. The tasting will include 7 single cask whiskies from Ben Nevis, Glenburgie, Highland Park, Jura, Linkwood, Miltonduff, and Royal Lochnagar. All in all, we will dabble in 141 years of single malt Scotch whisky.

Tuesday, October 11th @ 7 PM

KWM Casks Bruichladdich Cask Launch – In-Store Tasting

·     Date: Thursday, October 13

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $50

·     This is an in-person tasting!

We’ve somehow managed to keep a lid on the fact that we have had a new KWM exclusive Bruichladdich cask quietly slumbering up at our warehouse for months. Thanks to our favourite Bogyman – “Supply Chain Issues” – we have received no fewer than a dozen single casks in the last 3 months; a typical year’s worth. One of the last of the dozen casks to arrive, we made the decision to hold the Laddie back for a Fall release to give some of our other casks a chance to shine. In addition to being the first consumers to sample our new Bruichladdich cask, tasting participants will also have the opportunity to sample our prior Bruichladdich cask and a selection of 5 other recent KWM single cask bottlings. If history is any guide, this Bruichladdich cask won’t last long. So the icing on the cake for those who attend our virtual or in-person tasting is that they will have an opportunity to purchase a bottle a week before any other consumers!

Thursday, October 13th @ 7 PM

KWM Casks Bruichladdich Cask Launch – Virtual Tasting

·     Date: Friday, October 14

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $40

·     Virtual Tasting

Same as above, but Virtual. From the comfort of your own home!

Friday, October 14th @ 7 PM

Shelter Point Returns with Chris Read

·     Date: Tuesday, October 18

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $20

·     This is an in-person tasting!

One of our favourite Canadian Distilleries, Shelter Point, has been on a bit of a hiatus from Alberta in recent months. Now they are coming back, and in fine form too, with new whiskies, a new brand ambassador, and a new importer. Brand Ambassador Chris Read will be our guide as we sample through 7 Shelter Point whiskies, including the soon-to-be-released Evans Family Reserve, and Shelter Point 10 Year.

Tuesday, October 18th @ 7 PM

Rye Not Rye? Virtual Tasting

·     Date: Tuesday, October 20

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $40

·     Virtual Tasting

If all you know of Rye is Crown Royal, we are sorry (mostly because we believe Rye Whisky should actually contain…well…rye; absurd, right?). Rye is making a comeback and as a city that is home to one of the best Rye producers in the world, we are not strangers to good old-fashioned (not the cocktail) near-100% Rye whiskies. Luckily more and more people are jumping on the rye train and the flavours are vastly different even if the mash bills are the same. Canada has very loosey-goosey rules when it comes to what makes Canadian Rye Whisky, other countries have more firm rules on how Rye Whisky can be made and we want to share those with you. Harmony and Evan are proud to present a lineup of near-100% Rye-based whiskies that are sure to knock your boots off.

Tuesday, October 20th @ 7 PM

Glenfarclas KWM 30th Anniversary Tasting with Deborah Stewart – 6 PM & 8 PM

·     Date: Tuesday, October 25

·     First Seating Time: 6 PM

·     Second Seating Time: 8 PM

·     Cost: $40

·     These are both in-person tastings!

Glenfarclas’s Deborah Stewart will be our special guest as we celebrate the launch of our Glenfarclas 1992 KWM 30th Anniversary Family Cask with an incredible vertical tasting. We will sample the Glenfarclas 15, 21, 25, 30, and 40-year-olds, as well as the KWM Cask Strength 21 Year and our new 1992 Family Cask. In all, 181 years of liquid history for just $40!!!

Tuesday, October 25th @ 6 PM andTuesday, October 25th @ 8 PM

Kinda Rare & Old Whiskies: 20 is the new 30

·     Date: Wednesday, October 26

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $150

·     Virtual Tasting

You should know the drill by now: the big man has identified a range of whiskies he wants to taste, and the range is unlikely to disappoint. This time around we have a range of 8 whiskies: 6 in their twenties and 2 in their early thirties. We have a trio of old Edradours, a pair of Millstones distilled in the 1990s, a Gordon & MacPhail Miltonduff from 1989, and OB single casks of BenRiach (1997) and GlenDronach (1990). In total, you’ll enjoy just shy of 200 years worth of single malt whisky!

Wednesday, October 26th @ 7 PM

Bog v. Bodega: Peat Monsters & Sherry Bombs

·     Date: Thursday, October 27

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $80

·     This is an in-person tasting!

Peat and sherry are unquestionably the big guns in the whisky world. While these are arguably the most polarizing styles of whisky out there, they’re also far and away the most in demand. The theme for this tasting is elegantly simple: dark-sherried beauties meet bold smoky beasts. From the bodegas of Jerez to the peat banks of Scotland, we’ll work our way through some of the most intense flavours on the spectrum. Though not a tasting for the faint of heart, Curt has pulled together some special bottles for this range!

Thursday, October 27th @ 7 PM

Boutique-y North-West Euro Express w/ Dave Worthington

·     Date: Saturday, October 29

·     Time: 5 PM

·     Cost: $50

·     Virtual Tasting

Can you think of a better way to spend an early Saturday evening in October than geeking out on whisky with Boutique-y Dave and the KWM crew? We have selected 8 whiskies for the tasting, released as a part of Boutique-y’s North-West Euro Express. The range highlights single malts, ryes, and a buckwheat spirit (that can’t legally be called whisky) from North West European Distilleries. We’ll be sampling drams from Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, and Switzerland.

Saturday, October 29th @ 5 PM

Glenfarclas Family Casks 2021 – The 1990s

·     Date: Tuesday, November 1

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $100

·     Virtual Tasting

On the one hand, this tasting was a great opportunity for us to feature our new Glenfarclas 1992 KWM 30th Anniversary Family Cask… But it also has the added benefit of allowing us to sample some of the amazing Summer 2021 Glenfarclas Family Casks we received in the Spring. There were too many to fit into one tasting, so we broke them down into the 1990 and the 2000s. This tasting will feature the following S21 vintages: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998; as well as our own exclusive 1992 cask.

Tuesday, November 1st @ 7 PM

Elixir Distillers Single Casks w/ Celine Tetu

·     Date: Friday, November 4

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $50

·     This is an in-person tasting!

Elixir Distillers has become one of our best partners in recent years, and they keep feeding us some absolutely amazing single casks. The most recent batch was selected in the Winter or Spring of 2021, but due to all the challenges around logistics these days, they only just arrived in the late Spring! We did a version of this tasting in the summer with Elixir Distiller’s Celine Tetu, and now she’s coming to town, so we’ll feature the same range in-store. Guests will sample 7 Single Malts of Scotland bottlings, with 6 of them being cask strength, single cask whiskies. Participants will try the 4 most recent KWM casks: Ardmore 11 Year, Glenburgie 22 Year, Imperial 22 Year, and Mannochmore 13 Year, and 3 others: Ben Nevis 1997, Linkwood 11 Year, and Reserve Casks Glencadam 10 Year.

Friday, November 4th @ 7 PM

…By Any Other Name: Secret Whiskies from Not So Secret Distilleries

·     Date: Tuesday, November 8

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $40

·     Virtual Tasting

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

A little bit of Romeo and Juliet for you, folks. But what is in a name? We sorta think that’s a topic for group discussion. And a discussion is almost always more enjoyable over a few drams (this is incontrovertible truth). There are a few distilleries in Scotland that are very protective of their brand. There are others that simply produce a handful of in-house styles under different names. In both cases, we often find labels that make us second-guess our distillery knowledge. For this event, we’ll be tasting a few very well-known distilleries bottled under some very different names. We’ll tell some stories and maybe even speculate a bit in some cases. Join us for an evening of sipping, sleuthing, and secret revealing. Curt was really excited about this range, and we can assure you it won’t disappoint.

Tuesday, November 8th @ 7 PM

Fall Single Malt Festival – Night 1 & Night 2

·     Date 1: Tuesday, November 10

·     Date 2: Tuesday, November 24

·     Time: 7 PM to 9 PM

·     Cost: $75

·     This is an in-person festival tasting!

As we did in the Spring for our 30th Anniversary, we are offering two more-or-less identical Fall Single Malt Festivals, two weeks apart, both for a moderately smaller crowd than usual, to give as many of our whisky friends as possible a chance to attend. There will be up to 100 whiskies to sample, and the price includes a 30th Anniversary KWM logo glass. As always, our neighbour Peasant cheese will be lining your stomachs with delicious cheese, charcuterie, sausage rolls, and other treats! Both Festivals are limited to 80 participants and we are asking people to only register for one date or the other, not both, out of respect for other customers.

Thursday, November 10, 7 PM – 9 PM & Thursday, November 24, 7 PM – 9 PM.

Boutique-y Cool & Unusual Whisky w/ Dave Worthington

·     Date: Saturday, November 12

·     Time: 5 PM

·     Cost: $70

·     Virtual Tasting

This will surely be one of the most fun ranges we sample with Boutique-y Dave. It includes 4 recently release That Boutique-y Whisky Co. Blends at 22, 32, 42 and 52 years of age! The last one is a real curiosity, as having fallen below 40% it isn’t legally whisky… but it will be interesting to try! To round out the lineup we are adding Ledaig 21 Year, Allt-A-Bhaine 23 Year, and a teaspooned presumably Glen Scotia 24 Year. 216 years of liquid history, with one of the industry’s most entertaining hosts!

Saturday, November 12th @ 5 PM

Glenfarclas Family Casks 2021 – The 2000s

·     Date: Tuesday, November 15

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $65

·     Virtual Tasting

No, we won’t be sampling the KWM 30th Anniversary Family Cask in this session, but we still have an incredible lineup of Glenfarclas single casks. We held back a bottle each of some of the highlights from the Summer 2021 Glenfarclas Family Cask releases. In this session, we’ll sample bottlings from 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Tuesday, November 15th @ 7 PM

Kinship Collection 2021 +1

·     Date: Tuesday, December 6

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $225

·     Virtual Tasting

Who doesn’t love old Islay malts? We bought a couple of sets of the 2021 Kinship Collection from Hunter Laing because we knew we were going to want to open one for a tasting. The set consists of:

Ardbeg 19 Year, Bowmore 33 Year, Bruichladdich 29 Year, Bunnahabhain 31 Year, Caol Ila 40 Year, and Laphroaig 23 Year. But that’s only 6 whiskies, and we like to have at least 7 at our tastings, so we are tossing in a lovely sherried First Edition Laphroaig 14 Year to round out our range. Join the KWM team as we sip our way through 189 years of Islay glory!

Tuesday, December 6th @ 7 PM

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