Kensington Wine Market’s Whisky Week(s) are nearly upon us and the excitement is building. The first tasting this Sunday with Richard Urquhart of Gordon & MacPhail features a terrific range topped off with bottlings of Rosebank and Port Ellen. There are still a few tickets left for what we expect will be a very memorable tasting. The excitement continues with events featuring: Springbank, Kilchoman, Old Pulteney, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Glecadam, Tomintoul, BenRiach, Glendronach and Glenglassaugh. It all comes to a climax with our Fall Single Malt Fesitval on Thursday November 12, which is the lead off to our big Fall Sale November 13-15. Information on all of our tastings can be found online!
Our biggest news is that our Kensington Wine Market 2015 Advent Calendar project is completed and the finished product is now in store and available for pickup. Didn’t order it in advance? There’s no need to panic just yet, we still have some available for $400+GST. At the time of writing there are fewer than 80 remaining of the 384 Calendars produced. We are very proud of this year’s KWM Whisky Advent Calendar, and we’re confident you’re going to love it too.
There are lots of noteworthy new whiskies in stock at KWM, more than can reasonably be accommodated in this newsletter, so we’ve highlighted some of the most important ones, including two new KWM casks. Our first American whiskey cask in quite a while is a very decadent, delicate and tasty barrel from Heaven Hill Distillers. Our Bernheim Kentucky Wheat KWM Cask, $70, has been a huge hit in the few short weeks we’ve had it in store. The actual barrel, selected by Hunter and I, is currently sitting on the sales floor.
Our 4th cask of Kilchoman arrived just prior to the Bernheim, and perhaps didn’t get as much attention as deserved. When it arrived I was touring wine country! Yes the Scotch Guy made a pilgrimage to Napa and Sonoma, but more about that at another time. Our new Kilchoman 2010 KWM Cask 440, $140, is a Bourbon Barrel matured Islay malt with tons of character. It is shockingly smooth for its age (5 years), and strength (60.4%)! Don’t believe us? It has been flying off the shelf. Pop in for a free sample before it is gone.
Lots of other exciting new whiskies have come in too, like the Glenmorangie Tusail, $110, Glenmorangie’s latest Private Collection Release. There is also the Octomore 7.1, $130, from Bruichladdich and a new Bourbon from Michter’s, the Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish, $100. The long awaited Glenfarclas £511.19, $150, the bottle marking the 150th Anniversary of the Grant Family’s ownership of Glenfarclas has also just arrived along with the Glenfiddich Original 1963, $125. The latter is a recreation of the first single malt expression launched by Glenfiddich in 1963.
There are some exciting new Asian whiskies in stock as well, from Kavalan and Amrut. From Amrut we have a new single cask bottled for Canada, the Amrut Bangalore Tiger, $115. It is a lovely big sherry cask matured malt. There is also the Amrut Naarangi, $130, a very limited release, matured in casks that previously held sherry and orange peels. We also received a very limited quantity of Amrut Greedy Angels 10 Year, $850, at the time of writing we have just one left in stock! It is sublime and the oldest Indian whisky ever bottled! In addition to these new releases the full Amrut range is back after a long drought in our market, including: Intermediate Sherry, Portonova and Fusion.
Kavalan’s range hasn’t changed too much, they are still focusing on a core of top quality single malts. The Kavalan Solist Bourbon, $138, Solist Sherry, $162, and Solist Vinho, $162, are all back in very limited quantities. The price has come down on these in the last year making them a much more attractive proposition. The Vinho is Whisky Magazine’s 2015 World Whisky of the Year and strictly limited to one per customer. But there is also one limited edition, one off release coming in next week: The Kavalan Amontialldo & Manzanilla Decanter Set, $750.
Last but not least we also have some exciting new whiskies from Beam Suntory, including releases from Bowmore and Auchentoshan. From Bowmore we have the 6th release in the popular Tempest line, Bowmore Tempest VI 10 Year, $95. We also have the Bowmore 23 Year Port Matured, $660, which is a superb new offering. It was one of the highlights of my Feis Isle visit to Islay in May. There is also the Auchentoshan Virgin Oak II, $150. I don’t think we saw the first batch here, but we won’t hold that against this curious new release.
Lots to be excited about this month and more to come. I hope you enjoy this Malt Messenger, and that it finds you well!
Slainté!
Andrew Ferguson
In This Edition
1. EXCITING UPCOMING TASTINGS
2. 2015 KWM WHISKY ADVENT CALENDAR UPDATE
3. OUR EXCLUSIVE NEW BERNHEIM SINGLE CASK
4. OUR EXCLUSIVE NEW KILCHOMAN SINGLE CASK
5. INTRODUCING THE NEW GLENMORANGIE TUSAIL
6. INTRODUCING OCTOMORE 7.1 ISLAY BARLEY
7. INTORDUCING MICHTER’S TOASTED OAK
8. INTRODUCING GLENFARCLAS £511.19
9. INTRODUCING GLENFIDDICH 1963 ORIGINAL
10. NEW & RETURNED WHISKIES FROM AMRUT
11. NEW & RETURNED WHISKIES FROM KAVALAN
12. NEW WHISKIES FROM BOWMORE & AUCHENTOSHAN
Andrew Ferguson
Kensington Wine Market
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www.fergusonwhiskytours.com
EXCITING UPCOMING KWM TASTINGS
KWM Whiskies Week(s) is About to Get Started…
Our Whisky Week(s) events begin on Sunday afternoon with a barn burner of a Gordon & MacPhail/Benromach tasting hosted by Richard Urquhart before moving onto Springbank with Ranald Watson on Monday evening. There are only a couple of tickets left for both tastings. The first will feature a great range including new Benromach 15 Year and whiskies from Rosebank and Port Ellen. The Springbank tasting will feature a broad range of styles from Hazelburn, Springbank and Longrow including the Springbank 21 and 25 year olds and the Springbank Society Longrow 13 Year Chardonay.
Our Kilchoman and Old Pulteney tastings are sold out, but we have a new recently added tasting for Glencadam/Tomintoul with Jimmy Robertson on Monday November 9th. The tasting is a bargain at just $20 and will feature a range of six whiskies from Glencadam and Tomintoul distilleries. Our BenRiach/Glendronach Casks Release party with Alisdair Stevenson still has 15 of 50 tickets available for sale and will be a mini festival of whiskies from BenRiach, Glendronach and Glenglassaugh distilleries. The week concludes with our SOLD OUT Fall Single Malt Festival and our Annual Fall Sale. Here are some more details on the two tastings:
1. Gordon & MacPhail w/ Richard Urquhart – Sunday November 1 4PM – We have an excellent range for this tasting of Benromach and Gordon & MacPhail whiskies which will build to a finale including very rare offerings from Rosebank and Port Ellen. – $100
2. Springbank w/ Ranald Watson – Monday November 2 7PM – One of our favourite ambassadors Ranald Watson will be in to do a grand tasting of Springbank including a new exclusive Society bottling and the 21 and 25 year olds! – $50
3. Glencadam & Tomintoul w/ Jimmy Robertson - Monday November 9 7PM – Join Angus Dundee International Brand Ambassador Jimmy Robertson for a master class at KWM. We will sample a broad range of whiskies from the Glencadam and Tomintoul distilleries. This is Jimmy’s first visit to Alberta in 7-8 years. – $20
4. Ben Riach/Glendronach Cask Launch - Wednesday November 11 7PM – To celebrate the launch of our 5th and 6th casks we are throwing a party with Alisdair Stevenson featuring whiskies from BenRiach and Glendronach as well as their sister distillery Glenglassaugh. – $30
You can pop into the store, call 403-283-8000 or register online for these or any other KWM Tastings.
KWM Whisky Advent Calendar Update
25 Days of Dram Fine Whisky, Now In-Store…
Kensington Wine Market’s Whisky Advent Calendar is back! Last year’s calendar, our second and the first one we produced entirely in house, was a huge hit. It sold out before it hit the shelves. This year’s is even better. It still includes 24 x 50ml whiskies and a custom Glencarin whisky glass. But, that is not all! We are offering an even wider range of whiskies and we are also including an extra 25th bottle. As a special treat for Christmas morning, there will be a 100ml Scotch Malt Whisky Society single cask bottling. This is a rare treat indeed, and usually only available to Society members. All of this year’s whiskies are different from 2014 and we are really excited about the range. There are 23 single malts from Scotland, Ireland, India and Taiwan, as well as a boutique blend and a boutique blended malt. Whether it is for yourself or to give as a gift, we know it won’t disappoint. Don’t hesitate! This one is sure to sell out fast!
The calendars are now ready for pick and purchase in store. At the time of writing there are fewer that 80 of the 384 calendars produced left in store for purchase!
Order the 2015 Kensington Wine Market Whisky Advent Calendar $400+GST
OUR EXCLUSIVE NEW BERNHEIM SINGLE CASK
A Superb New Kentucky Wheat Whiskey Selected by Hunter and Andrew at HEaven Hill in Kentucky…
Hunter and I had the great fortune to travel to Kentucky in June, for the primary purpose of hand selecting our own single cask of Bernheim Kentucky Wheat Whiskey. A first in Canada, this exclusive cask has been bottled at 45%, from a mashbill of at least 51% corn. It is available no where else in the world, but our shop! Bernheim is a whiskey produced by Heaven Hill Distillers, matured in rickhouses in Bardstown, Kentucky.
Bernheim Kentucky Wheat KWM Cask – 45% – Andrew’s Tasting Note: ” Nose: delicate, decadent, floral and toasty; there is a prominent silky honey note along with soft wheat notes and juicy white fruits: apple and pear; vanilla, honey and marzipan are all present too; Palate: soft, silky and toasty, like the nose there is again a load of honey, marzipan and creamy vanilla, this is a soft decadent whisky; the grain begins to show along with some floral tones and baked goods: glazed donuts and French bakery goods; the white fruits are there, burried under all the decadence is a bit strudel with vanilla ice cream; Finish: the finish is deft, like the nose and palate, soft, silky and toasty with fadings sugars, white fruits and floral flourishes.” – $70
OUR EXCLUSIVE NEW KILCHOMAN SINGLE CASK
The best new peaty whisky in the shop…
In the 10 years since the distillery opened Kilchoman has made quite a name for itself. The distillery’s nearly flawless spirit and rigorous oak policy have ensured that their young whiskies can compete with the best in the world. Our previous three casks of whisky from this maverick Islay Distillery were all big hits and our 4th has just arrived. Distilled in 2010 and matured in an American Ex-Bourbon Barrel at 5 years of age it is another cracker! Only 221 hand numbered bottles are available at a cask strength of 60.4%.
Kilchoman 2010 KWM Bourbon Cask 440- 60.4% – 5 Year – ExBourbon Barrel – My Tasting Note: “Nose: fresh with big notes of marzipan, orange pith, toasty oak and sea salt caramel; underneath briny coastal notes begin mingling with tar and earthy smoke begin to develop; the are soft fruits too, Asian pear, honey dew melon and mango salsa; Palate: juicy, smoky and fruity there is immediately a lot going on: chewy malt, barley sugars; sea salt caramel, candied salmon and building earthy peat and dark spices; more Asian pear, mango salsa and a touch of melon, bright orange notes all atop a creamy base; the smoke is clean and firm but soft; sticky soft Panda brand licorice comes to the fore; Finish: refreshing, almost minty, with fading fruits, sugars, malt and smoke maritime flourishes; Comment: if you love peat, you are going to adore this one! – $140
INTRODUCING THE NEW GLENMORANGIE TUSAIL
The latest release in the distillery’s Private Collection range…
The 6th release in Glenmorangie’s Private Edition has been produced with Maris Otter barley, malted by hand on traditional floor maltings, this limited edition will only be available for a short time. From the Distillery: “A rich winter variety of barley first introduced in 1965, Maris Otter was bred specifically to meet the demand for a high quality brewing malt and recognized for its ability to impart rich, rustic malty flavours. Now used only by a select
few who continue, like Glenmorangie, to uphold an ethos of sacrificing yield for quality by using only the finest ingredients, the result is a whisky celebrating the variety’s renowned taste profile.”
Glenmorangie Private Collection Tusail – 46% – My Tasting Note: Nose: fresh, honeyedand malty with unripened citrus; the malt is the star of the show, you can almost sense the soil through the spirit; waxy with some melon and almond paste, a touch of soft new leather too. Palate: still very malty, lovely soft earthy tones and toasted oak before slowly developing fruits and honey; there is an oilyness uncharacteristic of Glenmorangie, though it is still light and clean; the base is creamy with more melon, citrus, some delicate floral tones and a chalkyness (from the soil?). Finish: soft and floral with citrus, cream, melons and lots of slowly fading oily malt. Comments: this is a very curious malt, I don’t think terroir with whisky often, but in this case the malt and its chalky overtones are so dominant; overall a lovely whisky and a really interesting addition to the Private Collection range. – $110
INTRODUCING OCTOMORE 7.1 ISLAY BARLEY
Another very peaty release of whisky from Scotland’s Whisky Isle…
The first of two 2015 releases of Octomore is another 5 year old, produced of Islay Barley peated to 208ppm and matured 5 years in American Oak before bottling at 59.6%. This release is very limited in Alberta, KWM is only getting around 30 bottles!
Octomore 7.1 Islay Barley – 59.6% – 5 Year – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Initially the nose is sea spray and caramel, lemon balm and pipe tobacco. Slowly, the peat smoke rises from the glass, gentle but strong lifting vanilla, mint, toffee, golden syrup and almond. Peach follows with pear syrup and buttercup. A symphony, a delight to experience. Palate: Wow! Smoothness, sweetness and then smoke. A texture like no other, satin soft and devilishly warming. The American oak influence is in perfect tune with the smoke and soft fruits delicately, skilfully coaxed from the still during exceptionally slow distillation. Vanilla, honey, citrus rise up to be met with sea spray and leather, smoked mussels mix with autumn bracken and crème brûlée. Finish: As the sweetness from the oak fades the salt comes to the fore one last time while the gentle peat smoke steady and true grows and outlasts all else. – $130
INTRODUCING MICHTER’S TOASTED OAK BOURBON
The Latest Release from our Favourite Bourbon Producer…
You don’t see a lot of finished Bourbons, Maker’s 46 comes to mind, and like that whisky this one is quite different. Michter’s takes great pride in their wood policy! Bottled at 45.7% this Bourbon is finished in a toasted but un-charred barrel, air dried for 18 months. Only 60 bottles are coming into Alberta!
From the Distillery: “Introduced to great acclaim in the Fall of 2014, Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon is a groundbreaking whiskey expression. It is made by taking Michter’s US 1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon and then aging it for an additional period in a second custom made barrel. This second barrel is assembled from 18-month air dried wood and then toasted but not charred. The truly unique and delicious taste of Michter’s US 1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon represents a remarkable achievement given that it is Kentucky Straight Bourbon with nothing extra added or done except placement in a second toasted barrel.”
Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon – 45.7% - Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Campfire and cinnamon, with pecan and candied fruit. Lingering finish of baked pears, vanilla, and marshmallow.” – $100
INTRODUCING GLENFARCLAS £511.19
A special Anniversary bottling of Glenfarclas…
The Grant family have owned Glenfarclas for 150 years, making this their 150th Anniversary. The distillery is older though, dating from at least 1836. This new limited release has been put out to mark that ocassion.
From the Distillery: “Family Reserve to celebrate the 150thanniversary of family ownership of the Glenfarclas distillery. On the 8th of June 1865, John Grant, 1st generation of the Grant family, bought the distillery for £511.19s.0d. His grandsons, John and George, later formed the company J. & G. Grant and to this day it remains an independent business and firmly in the hands of the family’s 5th & 6th generation.
Glenfarclas £511.19s.0d Family Reserve – 43% – Non-Chillfiltered – Mostly First Fill Sherry Butts Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Sweet and rich sherry, like a toffee syrup over a freshly toasted French baguette, the nose promises fresh fruit smothered in heather honey, ending almost like a sweet port. Then a dry yet sweet taste, a lovely balance of fruit, light nuttiness and milk chocolate develop, followed by a very palatable long and easy finish. A copy of the original bill of sale is included with each bottle along with a note from George Grant explaining the significance of the £511.19s.0d Family Reserve to the Grant family tradition.” – $151
INTRODUCING GLENFIDDICH 1963 ORIGINAL
Back to the Future of the 1st Global Single Malt…
No this is not a whisky from 1963 at an insanely good price, it is a recreation, an homage! This new release is inspired by Glenfiddich’s first official bottling, Glenfiddich Straight Malt, which was launched in 1963. With all the hype around single malts today, it may be surprising that prior to 1963, they were almost non-existent. While independent bottlers like WM Cadenhead and Gordon & MacPhail had already been selling single malts for over 100 years, distilleries exclusive distilled malt whisky for blending.
From the Distillery: “Inspired by the original 1963 Glenfiddich ‘Straight Malt’, the expression with which Glenfiddich brought single malt to the world, this special edition is an exclusive addition to our Collection of single malt Scotch whiskies.
“It was faithfully recreated by our Malt Master Brian Kinsman using our extensive archives and exclusive whisky sample collection.”
Glenfiddich 1963 Original- 40% – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Fruity and floral with the hallmark Glenfiddich hint of pear. Subtle oak notes and a youthful, biscuity character. Taste: Pleasantly sweet with lively fruit notes and a soft vanilla oakiness. Flavours develop with the addition of a little water to reveal delicate spices, citrus and fresh baked oatcakes. Finish: Deliciously dry.” - $125
NEW & RETURNED WHISKIES FROM AMRUT
A slew of fine single malts from the pride of Bangalore…
We’ve been starved of Amrut for a while in Alberta whilst the distillery did some retooling and the importer to Canada changed. And after nearly a year, Amrut is back with a bang. The ever popular Fusion and Intermediate Sherry lead the way, but we also have: Bangalore Tiger (a new single sherry cask for Canada), Naarangi (a real curiosity) and Greedy Angels (the oldest Amrut ever bottled).
New Amrut Releases
1. Amrut Bangalore Tiger Sherry Cask – 55.6% – Matured in Bourbon & Finished in a single PX Sherry Cask selected by Brand Ambassador Ashok Chokalingham for the Canadian Market. – My Tasting Note: “Nose: butterscotch ice cream, Caramilk chocolates, baking spices, warm cocoa and jujubes; soft and fruity with malt, honey and soft toasty oak. Palate: rich, fruity and malty with more Caramilk bars, big creamy butterscotch ice cream, cocoa powder and baking spices; a little bit of Demerara and nutty tones with some soft leather and chewy licorice candies. Finish: soft and long with lots of fruits, fading spices and sugars. Comment: this is a lovely single cask, not enormously complex but very pleasant and rich! – $115
2. Amrut Naarangi - 50% – Derives its name from the Hindi word for orange. Barrels were filled with sherry and orange peels for three years. The barrels were then filled with 3 year old whisky which was left to mature a further three years. From the Distillery: “”The whisky is not dominated by the Orange but remarkably balanced out”, notes Ashok Chokalingam, GM – International Markets, Amrut. “The finish is of subtle orange notes while in the middle ground you can find the traditional Amrut signature.” Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: A tug of war between Suet Pudding and dried figs with moderate teasing of orangey citrus. With time, more dried fruits evolve and is a stunner. Taste: Viscous, full bodied like a syrup transcending to slat and sweet akin to orange influence and is a joy. Finish: Slightly dry and one can neglect it. The finish is moderately sweet and a loud dance of orange on the finale. – Estimated Price $130
3. Amrut Greedy Angels – 46% – Only 320 Bottles Produced – Set includes full sized decanter and a 50ml at cask strength 71% – Just 9 bottles Coming to Alberta – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Tropical fruit cocktail in the vicinity and can be disintegrated to papaya, mango and pineapple trio with signature Amrut liquorice. Taste: Malty and a do or die fight with the tropical fruit notes and amazingly balanced. Not so easy to stop there and an essay in chew ability. Finish: Enough dryness just measured; neither too dry nor too low and sweet and citrus finish. - $850 – Only 1 left!
Returned Amrut Releases
1. Amrut Fusion – 50% – Unpeated Indian and Peated Scottish Barley. – Distiller’s Tasting Note: Nose: Heavy, thickly oaked and complex: some curious barley-sugar notes here shrouded in soft smoke. Big, but seductively gentle too. Taste: The delivery, though controlled at first, is massive! Then more like con-fusion as that smoke on the nose turns into warming, full blown peat, but it far from gets its own way as a vague sherry trifle note (curious, seeing how there are no sherry butts involved) – the custard presumably is oaky vanilla – hammers home that barley – fruitiness to make for a bit of a free-for-all; but for extra food measure the flavours develop into a really intense chocolate fudge middle which absolutely resonates through the palate. Finish: A slight struggle here as the mouthfeel gets a bit puffy here with the dry peat and oak; enough molassed sweetness to see the malt through to a satisfying end, though. Above all the spices, rather than lying down and accepting their fate, rise up and usher this extraordinary whisky to its exit. - $76
2. Amrut Intermediate Sherry – 57.1% – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Instead of the usual biscuit aroma, we now get moist cake. And my word: is it fruity and spicy!! Love the freshly waxed oak floor, too. Brain-explodingly complex and multi-layered with one of the most intriguing sherry-style-bourbon-style marriages on the market. Taste: Cracking delivery and entirely unique in form. The structure is decidedly oak-based, but acts as no more than a skeleton from which the juicy sultana and spices drape. Salivating, too, as the barley kicks in powerfully. But the liquorice-orangey-honeycomb bourbon theme quietly shapes the flavour profile; the spices pulse and glow. Finish: Quite a chunk of natural caramel quietens the more exuberant characteristics; long and elegant.” – $110
3. Amrut Portnova – 62.1% – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: A Thick pudding of a nose; fruit and caramel have merged into one slightly over-oaked soup; burnt apple pie. Taste: This is essentially a port pipe sandwich…. and it shows. The spicy, jammy fruit is interwoven through any amount of caramel while the oaky saltiness gets the taste buds both salivating and puckering until you run dry. Finish: Long, massive oak with quite evident traces of the virgin barrels now detectable. And more of a cocoa hue as it progresses. At last some muscovado sugars arrive to supplant the berry fruits. – $128
NEW & RETURNED WHISKIES FROM KAVALAN
Single cask whiskies from Taiwan’s cult distillery…
1. Kavalan Solist Bourbon – 58.6% – Matured in a Single Ex-Bourbon Barrel – Whisky Advocate Tasting Note: “This is the pick of the bunch, the whisky equivalent of Fountains of Wayne; an effervescent dessert whisky, which from the first aroma to the final finish is a consistent mix of vanilla, coconut, and overripe banana, sprinkled with icing sugar and cinnamon.” 94pts – Reviewed 2012. – $138
2. Kavalan Solist Sherry – 57.8% – Matured in a Single Sherry Butt – Producer’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Clean and complex with multi-layers of dried fruit, nuttiness and spices with some marzipan and vanilla touches to it as well. Palate: Rich, oily and full with pleasant dried fruit and spices that linger on in the mouth plus a hint of fine coffee.” - $162
3. Kavalan Solist Vinho – 2015’s World Whisky of the Year is a curiosity, matured in a single ex-American Wine Barrique at cask strength. Similar to the solist sherry but with lots of unique layers. – 57.1% – World Whisky Awards Tasting Note: “Lots of stewed fruits on the nose. There’s also aged Bourbon notes. Water brings out custard creams. Surprisingly smooth on the palate. The alcohol is very present. It’s like Bourbon infused milk chocolate. Another nutty, meaty, savoury nose, with sweet notes in the backdrop. Very sweet pruney flavours initially on the palate, with fruit cake and big clove, chilli and dry cinnamon. Walnut and hazelnut on the very dry finish. Immediately and subtly liquor rich. Tiny bit of incense, a thread of spice and smoke. Caramel, marzipan, coffee-vanilla, fudge, rich, creamy, dried black fruits. Integrated and surprisingly light. Element of sandalwood. Starts creamy, waters out, almost disappears before rubbing hot brown sugar into the oesophagus. Tiny bitter trace.” – $162 -Strictly one per customer! We may not be able to get you a bottle right away…
4. Kavalan Solist Fino - Until the release of the decanter set below, this was Kavalan’s ‘piece de resistance’… it is still a stunning whisky. Matured in a single ex-Fino Sherry Cask and bottled at cask strength, it is the lighter more delicate of the sherried styles highlighting the distillery’s tropical fruit notes. – Producer’s Tasting Note: “Nose: rich aroma of sherry, with creamy toffee and fudge qualities, and the slightest hint of chocolate blends with the fruity character of the spirit. Palate: natural sweetness on the tongue is accentuated with a gentle fudge flavor. Complex fruity flavors are layered with dry smoked wood aromas. – $TBA – Expected on a future order.
5. Kavalan Amontillado & Mazanilla Decanter Set - A truly magnificent twin decanter set from much talked about Taiwanese, Kavalan. The distillery was completed in December 2005. It produced its first spirit in March, 2006, and released its first bottling in December 2008. This twin decanter set is comprised of two single cask expressions, one from an Amontillado cask and the other from a Manzanilla cask. Both bottled at cask strength in stylish twisted decanters alongside two matching glasses, all encased in a wooden presentation box. Includes: 1 x Amontillado Single Cask decanter – 500ml; 1 x Manzanilla Single Cask decanter – 500ml; 2 x Crystal Stopper 2 x glasses – $750
NEW WHISKIES FROM BOWMORE & AUCHENTOSHAN
Of citrus and peat…
Bowmore has long been one of my favourite whiskies, and I have a soft spot for Auchentoshan too. The Bowmore Tempest range has been a wonderful addition to the distillery’s stable, and I look forward to sampling the 6th incarnation as I expect it will not disappoint. The Auchentoshan Virgin Oak II is new to me, I haven’t tried the first batch, not sure it came to Alberta, but if it is anything like the Valinch I’m interested. We also have a new one off, released a few years back in the UK, it has only just now found its way to Canada. The Bowmore 23 Year Port Matured was one of my highlights at this year’s Feis Isle on Islay, it is sublime!
1. Auchentoshan Virgin Oak – 46% – Matured in Virgin Oak – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Marzipan and honeyed nougatg, toasted vanilla, caramel and cotton candy. Palate: Remarkably smooth and deep with caramel, chocolate cream, spiced orange and maple syrup. Finish: Warm with Bourbon, vanilla, maple-candy and sweet molasses.” – $150
2. Bowmore 10 Year Tempest VI – 54.9% - First Fill Ex- Bourbon Casks – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Breathe in a tropical fruit explosion of sweet mandarin, zingy pineapple and papaya. Palate: Sip toasted coconut, sweet almond and mellow peat. Finish: Savour passion fruit, pomegranate and tropical ocean dew finish.” – $95
3. Bowmore 23 Year Port Matured – 50.8% – Matured in Port Pipes – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Breathe in rich, smoky and very complex plum skins, black cherries and dark chocolate are interwoven with wood smoke and sea-salt, seductive sandalwood and walnuts thrown into a roaring fire. Palate: Sip a swathe of rich smoky velvet, which brings luscious layered autumn fruits, tingly winter spices, blood orange and sensual winter black truffles. Finish: Savour long and rich smoke infused blood orange, truffle and walnut oil. – $660
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Thank You for Reading the Malt Messenger!
Contact & Disclaimers
If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store.
All of the products mentioned in THE MALT MESSENGER can be purchased in store, over the phone or from our website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com. All prices quoted in the Malt Messenger are subject to change, don’t include GST. In the case of discrepancies in pricing, the price in our in store point of sale will be taken as correct.
Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger.
Slainte!
Andrew Ferguson
Manager & Scotchguy
Kensington Wine Market
403-283-8000
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
www.kensingtonwinemarket.com
Owner & Opperator
Ferguson’s Whisky Tours
www.fergusonwhiskytours.com
scotchguide@fergusonwhiskytours.com