I do know I promised a full Malt Messenger this week, however we’ve determined to push it again to Monday because it retains getting greater, and I’ve a couple of thrilling bulletins which I really feel ought to stand on their very own.
First, and foremost. We’re lastly in a position to reveal the design of our KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar, our ninth annual. I requested our designer, and former worker Jean-Paul Berube, for one thing nostalgiac as a nod to our thirtieth Anniversary earlier this 12 months. After bouncing some concepts backwards and forwards with us, JP has give you one thing actually sharp. Photographs and particulars could be discovered under.
Secondly, we’ve added a few digital Bourbon/American whiskey tastings to the schedule in November. We’re doing tastings with representatives of each Buzzards Roost and Michter’s. For the Michter’s tasting, we’ve a very particular deal with, the Michter’s 20-12 months-Outdated Bourbon… we solely obtain a single bottle as soon as in a blue moon, so we’ve determined to share this one with 40 buddies relatively than promote it!
We now have additionally simply acquired the newest version of the Malt Whisky Yearbook (2023), and I’ve written up tasting notes on 5 improbable new arrivals.
However the largest information by far, which is able to make sure to overload our web site, and preserve us busy over the following 24-48 hours, is that we’re lastly opening up gross sales of our third Bruichladdich cask… Demand is anticipated to be excessive, and we aren’t trying to set any new data, so we’re strictly limiting it to at least one per buyer. Particulars on the Bruichladdich 2010 KWM Bourbon Cask 2652, together with my tasting observe, could be discovered under!
As at all times, within the occasion of a discrepancy in value, the purpose of sale at KWM will probably be taken as appropriate. On-line ordering and in-store buying are at all times our preferences.
I hope you take pleasure in this Malt Messenger Bulletin, keep tuned for a full Malt Messenger Monday!
Sincerely
Andrew Ferguson
Kensington Wine Market
IN THIS EDITION
- Presenting the Design for Our KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar
- New Tastings
- Malt Whisky Yearbook 2023
- Our third KWM Unique Bruichladdich Cask is Now Obtainable for Sale!
- My Tasting Notes for Some Current Arrivals
- Up-Coming Tastings
PRESENTING THE DESIGN FOR OUR
KWM 2023 WHISKY CALENDAR!
Our pal Jean-Paul Berube, who a few years in the past was the shop supervisor right here at KWM, has been designing our Whisky Calendar for 9 years now. This 12 months we requested him for one thing nostalgiac, and we love what he’s give you. The entrance of the field options headlines, most of them impressed by precise tales that made information in Calgary, and additional afield. On the again of the field, we determined to spotlight 25 of probably the most thrilling single casks bottled by Kensington Wine Market over our 30 12 months historical past. We’re closing in on our a hundred and fiftieth cask, and we don’t put our identify and label on something until we really feel it’s distinctive, so belief us after we say, it was laborious to slim it down to only 25… We’ll speak about one in every of them on our weblog, every day of Creation, along with our day by day Whisky Calendar dram.
There may be much more information on the Calendar on our web site click on the hyperlink under for particulars!
KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar – The Calendar consisted of 24x 50ml premium whiskies, a 100ml Scotch Malt Whisky Society whisky, and a Glencairn Glass. No deposit is required, fee will probably be processed roughly 1 week earlier than the Calendar is prepared for pickup, in early November! – $460+gst
NEW TASTINGS
Buzzard’s Roost with Jason Brauner and Judy Hollis Jones
- Date: Tuesday, November 22
- Time:7 PM
- Price: $25
- Digital Tasting
Buzzard’s Roost isn’t your typical Bourbon and Rye Whiskey bottler. The corporate was based by Jason Brauner – the proprietor of the well-known Bourbon Bistro in Louisville Kentucky. Jason has chosen over 100 single barrels of Bourbon, Rye, and American Whiskey through the years and determined to take his expertise and put it to good use by choosing casks and bottling underneath his personal label.
Buzzard’s Roost places flavour on the fore by using totally different casks types to complete their Rye and Bourbon Whiskey. We’re excited to have Buzzard’s Roost Founder and Grasp Blender Jason Brauner and CEO Judy Hollis Jones be part of us through Zoom and lead us by their whiskey lineup which incorporates The Buzzard’s Roost Barrel Power Rye, Char #1 Rye, Peated Barrel Rye, Toasted Barrel Rye, and two Bourbons from the corporate which have but not hit cabinets in Alberta!
Tuesday, November twenty second @ 7 PM.
Michter’s Digital Bourbon Tasting with Tasting
- Date: Tuesday, November 29
- Time:7 PM
- Price: $50
- Digital Tasting
Raven Fuller, Michter’s Regional Supervisor for the Pacific North West will probably be our particular visitor host for a powerful 8 whiskey Michter’s digital tasting. Our lineup consists of each Bourbon and Rye whiskies, together with Shenk’s Homestead, Bomberger’s Declaration, and a trio of uncommon restricted version Michter’s together with the Barrel Power Rye, 10 12 months Rye and 20 12 months Bourbon! Tuesday, November 29, 7PM.
MALT WHISKY YEARBOOK 2023
The one annual whisky e book price mentioning is again and absolutely revised for 2023!
Producer Description
“The most recent version – revised and absolutely up to date with new thrilling articles together with:
- Lowlands On A Excessive
- The Whisky Jigsaw Puzzle
- The Warmth Is On – Toasting, Charring And Rejuvenating Casks
- Inexperienced Malt – The Complexities Of Whisky Sustainability
- And extra
- As well as, uncover the Ghost Distilleries – misplaced however not forgotten!
And as at all times absolutely revised and filled with new and up-to-date data on whisky distilleries from all around the world, tons of of whisky outlets, whisky websites and new bottlings. A complete abstract of the whisky 12 months that was and all the newest statistics can also be included.”
Malt Whisky Yearbook 2023 – $34
OUR 3RD KWM EXCLUSIVE BRUICHLADDICH CASK IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR SALE
Our third unique KWM single cask from Bruichladdich arrived a couple of months again, however we determined to maintain it underneath wraps for an October launch. Distilled in 2010, the whisky was fermented and distilled from a combined mash of publican, oxbridge, and optic barleys, earlier than filling right into a First Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel. 240 bottles of the whisky have been stuffed with out colouring or chilfiltration at its pure cask energy of 58.8%, completely for KWM. Shaggy dog story about this cask… it wasn’t the one we selected, that one was by accident married with one other cask on the bottling corridor… however this beautiful whisky is a greater than appropriate alternative!
As our final Bruichladdich cask offered out in 48 hours, a file we’ve no want to match or break, we’re limiting gross sales to 1 bottle per buyer!
Bruichladdich 2010 KWM Cask 2652 – 58.8% – 10 12 months – First Fill ex-Bourbon – My Tasting Notice: “Nostril: mushy, malty, and lactic with a whiff of smoke… that is promising; Milk Duds and Malted Milk sweet bars; aged gouda and orange cheddar lead into some barnyard tones, lush barley, and hay bales; dried apple chunks and dehydrated apricots; creamed honey and vanilla extract. Palate: plush with malt, vanilla, honey and mushy orchard fruits: apple and apricot once more; beer nuts and candied almonds lead into extra aged gouda and slightly comte; floral botanicals, dried orange slices, and savoury salty maritime notes; the mushy smoke creeps up on you, subtly at first and constructing with every sip; the influence of the peat is way from Port Charlotte or Octomore ranges, but in addition greater than only a hint; decadent oak spices construct in tandem with the smoke. End: lengthy, coating, tacky and fruity with a spine of juicy malt and clear smoke; vanilla, salt, and oak spices on the very finish. Remark: this isn’t fairly what we had been anticipating… however it’s one other superb Laddie single cask and we aren’t even slightly disenchanted; regardless of its having been stuffed into a primary fill cask (possible rinsed by the unique distillery), that is very a lot a spirit pushed whisky, stuffed with funk, barnyard and tacky tones, and likewise a curious quantity of smoke; greater than 20 years into the distillery’s revival, their shares of whisky aged greater than 10 years of age are rising, and but we see so few bottlings of them; perhaps subsequent time we’ll push laborious for a 15 12 months outdated! ;)” – $150
MY TASTING NOTES
FOR SOME RECENT ARRIVALS
All of those whiskies are price a glance, for his or her value, high quality, and age. So I’ve taken the time to jot down up my very own tasting notes. Additionally, the labels on the Boutique-y Blends… how are you going to presumably resist?!
1. Boutique-y Blended Whisky #2 Bt.3 22 12 months – 51.8% – Concerning the Label: “Though our buddies at WhiskyFun recommend the label depicts “a white glove stroking a bushy area testicle”, it’s merely meant to evoke the smooooothness of this well-aged blended Scotch whisky. – My Tasting Notice: “Nostril: candy, decadent, and toasty; floral with almonds, candied citrus, and Rosette cookies; creamed honey and chilly tea dregs with Demerara sugar. Palate: candy, creamy and floral with toasted oak and extra Rosette cookies; very decadent, extra creamed honey, agave nectar, and corn syrup; almond paste, mochi matcha, and milk chocolate; silky and waxy with vanilla bean; extra citrus fruits and dried apple chunks. End: lengthy, decadent, and fruity; floral, silky, and toasty; juicy citrus fruits and silky grains. Remark: this can be a beautiful mix, candy, fruity and layered; a beautiful stability of malt and grain.” – $112
2. Boutique-y St. Thomas Mix Bt.1 32 12 months – 40.1% – Concerning the Label: “Taking visible cues from nice outdated blended Scotch manufacturers, on this case St. Leger, TBWC’s St. Thomas references three of our staff members on a single label (Liz, Phoebe and Dave) together with a whisky trade first “…& Daughters”. The inspiration for this label got here from basic Scotch labels of yesteryear. All these fantastic phrases; “Additional” “Particular” and “Most interesting Oak Casks”, in addition to an Emily Chappell-illustrated Highland Cow.” – My Tasting Notice: “Nostril: freshly picked grapefruit, apricots, and bitter plum; French crepes with powdered sugar and lemon juice; Flint Stone nutritional vitamins, Rockets, and Wine Gums; candied nuts and caramel sauce. Palate: thick, doughy, and musty; this has an air of age to it, outdated grain, and outdated malt; extra French crepes with powdered sugar and lemon juice; Mexican donuts and Information’s Mint icecream; the juicy fruits come later: melons, orange, apricot and peaches; extra candied nuts and caramel sauce. End: thick, creamy, and attractive with warming spices and baggage of fruit; lengthy, wealthy, and chic. Remark: this whisky is so thick and wealthy it’s laborious to imagine that it was bottled on the perilously low energy of 40.1%; a ravishing dram, with a enjoyable and kooky label; I dare you to withstand this “Additional Particular” bottle adorned with a Highland Coo, matured in Dave “Worthington’s Most interesting Oak Casks!” – $185
3. Boutique-y Cutler & Stubbs Mix B1 42 12 months – 44% – Concerning the Label: “The inspiration for this label got here from basic Scotch labels of yesteryear. All these fantastic phrases; “Selection” “Outdated” “De Luxe” and “Additional Outdated”. We’ve managed to get three of the whisky staff onto this label, together with one who has left us just lately… OH MY GHOSH” – My Tasting Notice: “Nostril: heat butterscotch sauce on vanilla ice cream, and Peanut Buster Parfaits; polished leather-based and Sunrype Fruit Supply bars; will get slightly meaty with an old-fashioned really feel to it; shiny grain tones, Jujubes, and salted caramel, with a whiff of smoke? Palate: brandy snaps, Peanut Buster Parfait and Village’s salted caramel ice cream; savoury and meaty with leather-based, chocolate lined espresso beans and candied fennel seeds; mushy honey and silky grain tones meet up with earthy sherry notes; cooked raisins, grilled figs, leather-based and tobacco. End: gentle, refreshing and fruity with fading honey, it’s medium in size with warming spices and coating toasted oak notes; clear smoke on the very finish. Remark: although not fairly as sherried, this remnds me slightly of our twenty fifth Anniversary KWM unique Berry’s 40 12 months Mix; it is vitally effectively priced for its age and high quality, and I really like the playful throwback label.” – $400
4. G&M Conn Selection Dailuaine 2008 – 59.4% – 13 12 months – Sherry Hogshead Cask No. 18602801 – My Tasting Notice: “Nostril: candied nuts, Christmas cake, mushy leather-based and leafy tobacco; Mandarin orange, Luxardo cherries, and decadent spice: cinnamon hearts, candied ginger, and anise. Palate: wealthy, fruity and spicy with a velvety spine; Christmas cake, jujubes, candied ginger, Mandarin orange and Luzardo cherries; darkish chocolate with a contact of cayenne pepper; Cuban cigars, agency new leather-based and toasty oak tones; chocolate dipped espresso beans and fennel seed. End: lengthy, warming and spicy with candied fruits, Christmas cake, leather-based, tobacco, and chocolate. Remark: this isn’t a sherry bomb, however it’s a superb sherried whisky, and when you think about that it’s $125 and cask energy too, it’s a steal!” – $125
5. G&M Conn Selection Glentauchers 2006 – 57.6% – 15 12 months – Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel No. 703714 (Bottled for Canada) – My Tasting Notice: “Nostril: toasted coconut, marzipan, and Jujubes; carrot cake with lemon zest-infused cream cheese icing; white chocolate and oak spices. Palate: spherical, decadent, and toasty; a great deal of malt and wealthy honey; extra cream cheese icing with lemon zest; glazed carrots and caramelized apple; coconut macaroons, orange marzipan and extra Jujubes. End: candy, toasty and fruity with mild oak spice, honey and Jujubes. Remark: this can be a beautiful single cask and a effective instance of Glentauchers, particularly for the worth; that is the truth is a steal!” – $118
UPCOMING TASTINGS
Rye Not Rye? Digital Tasting
· Date: Tuesday, October 20
· Time: 7 PM
· Price: $40
· Digital Tasting
If all you already know of Rye is Crown Royal, we’re sorry (principally as a result of we imagine Rye Whisky ought to truly include…effectively…rye; absurd, proper?). Rye is making a comeback and as a metropolis that’s residence to the most effective Rye producers on the planet, we’re not strangers to good old school (not the cocktail) near-100% Rye whiskies. Fortunately increasingly persons are leaping on the rye practice and the flavours are vastly totally different even when the mash payments are the identical. Canada has very loosey-goosey guidelines with regards to what makes Canadian Rye Whisky, different international locations have extra agency guidelines on how Rye Whisky could be made and we wish to share these with you. Concord and Evan are proud to current a lineup of near-100% Rye-based whiskies which can be certain to knock your boots off.
Tuesday, October twentieth @ 7 PM
Glenfarclas KWM thirtieth Anniversary Tasting with Deborah Stewart – 6 PM & 8 PM
· Date: Tuesday, October 25
· First Seating Time: 6 PM
· Second Seating Time: 8 PM
· Price: $40
· These are each in-person tastings!
Glenfarclas’s Deborah Stewart will probably be our particular visitor as we have fun the launch of our Glenfarclas 1992 KWM thirtieth Anniversary Household Cask with an unimaginable vertical tasting. We’ll pattern the Glenfarclas 15, 21, 25, 30, and 40-year-olds, in addition to the KWM Cask Power 21 12 months and our new 1992 Household Cask. In all, 181 years of liquid historical past for simply $40!!!
Tuesday, October twenty fifth @ 6 PM andTuesday, October twenty fifth @ 8 PM
Kinda Uncommon & Outdated Whiskies: 20 is the brand new 30
· Date: Wednesday, October 26
· Time: 7 PM
· Price: $150
· Digital Tasting
You must know the drill by now: the large man has recognized a variety of whiskies he desires to style, and the vary is unlikely to disappoint. This time round we’ve a variety of 8 whiskies: 6 of their twenties and a pair of of their early thirties. We now have a trio of outdated Edradours, a pair of Millstones distilled within the Nineties, a Gordon & MacPhail Miltonduff from 1989, and OB single casks of BenRiach (1997) and GlenDronach (1990). In complete, you’ll take pleasure in simply shy of 200 years price of single malt whisky!
Wednesday, October twenty sixth @ 7 PM
Lavatory v. Bodega: Peat Monsters & Sherry Bombs
· Date: Thursday, October 27
· Time: 7 PM
· Price: $80
· That is an in-person tasting!
Peat and sherry are unquestionably the large weapons within the whisky world. Whereas these are arguably probably the most polarizing types of whisky on the market, they’re additionally far and away probably the most in demand. The theme for this tasting is elegantly easy: dark-sherried beauties meet daring smoky beasts. From the bodegas of Jerez to the peat banks of Scotland, we’ll work our approach by a few of the most intense flavours on the spectrum. Although not a tasting for the faint of coronary heart, Curt has pulled collectively some particular bottles for this vary!
Thursday, October twenty seventh @ 7 PM
Boutique-y North-West Euro Specific w/ Dave Worthington
· Date: Saturday, October 29
· Time: 5 PM
· Price: $50
· Digital Tasting
Are you able to consider a greater strategy to spend an early Saturday night in October than geeking out on whisky with Boutique-y Dave and the KWM crew? We now have chosen 8 whiskies for the tasting, launched as part of Boutique-y’s North-West Euro Specific. The vary highlights single malts, ryes, and a buckwheat spirit (that may’t legally be known as whisky) from North West European Distilleries. We’ll be sampling drams from Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, and Switzerland.
Saturday, October twenty ninth @ 5 PM
Glenfarclas Household Casks 2021 – The Nineties
· Date: Tuesday, November 1
· Time: 7 PM
· Price: $100
· Digital Tasting
On the one hand, this tasting was an awesome alternative for us to function our new Glenfarclas 1992 KWM thirtieth Anniversary Household Cask… Nevertheless it additionally has the additional advantage of permitting us to pattern a few of the wonderful Summer time 2021 Glenfarclas Household Casks we acquired within the Spring. There have been too many to suit into one tasting, so we broke them down into the 1990 and the 2000s. This tasting will function the next S21 vintages: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998; in addition to our personal unique 1992 cask.
Tuesday, November 1st @ 7 PM
Elixir Distillers Single Casks w/ Celine Tetu
· Date: Friday, November 4
· Time: 7 PM
· Price: $50
· That is an in-person tasting!
Elixir Distillers has develop into one in every of our greatest companions in recent times, and so they preserve feeding us some completely wonderful single casks. The latest batch was chosen within the Winter or Spring of 2021, however as a result of all of the challenges round logistics nowadays, they solely simply arrived within the late Spring! We did a model of this tasting in the summertime with Elixir Distiller’s Celine Tetu, and now she’s coming to city, so we’ll function the identical vary in-store. Company will pattern 7 Single Malts of Scotland bottlings, with 6 of them being cask energy, single cask whiskies. Individuals will strive the 4 most up-to-date KWM casks: Ardmore 11 12 months, Glenburgie 22 12 months, Imperial 22 12 months, and Mannochmore 13 12 months, and three others: Ben Nevis 1997, Linkwood 11 12 months, and Reserve Casks Glencadam 10 12 months.
Friday, November 4th @ 7 PM
…By Any Different Identify: Secret Whiskies from Not So Secret Distilleries
· Date: Tuesday, November 8
· Time: 7 PM
· Price: $40
· Digital Tasting
“What’s in a reputation? That which we name a rose by some other identify would scent as candy.”
Slightly little bit of Romeo and Juliet for you, people. However what’s in a reputation? We sorta suppose that’s a subject for group dialogue. And a dialogue is sort of at all times extra satisfying over a couple of drams (that is incontrovertible fact). There are a couple of distilleries in Scotland which can be very protecting of their model. There are others that merely produce a handful of in-house types underneath totally different names. In each circumstances, we frequently discover labels that make us second-guess our distillery information. For this occasion, we’ll be tasting a couple of very well-known distilleries bottled underneath some very totally different names. We’ll inform some tales and perhaps even speculate a bit in some circumstances. Be part of us for a night of sipping, sleuthing, and secret revealing. Curt was actually enthusiastic about this vary, and we are able to guarantee you it gained’t disappoint.
Tuesday, November eighth @ 7 PM
Fall Single Malt Competition – Evening 1 & Evening 2
· Date 1: Tuesday, November 10
· Date 2: Tuesday, November 24
· Time: 7 PM to 9 PM
· Price: $75
· That is an in-person pageant tasting!
As we did within the Spring for our thirtieth Anniversary, we’re providing two more-or-less equivalent Fall Single Malt Festivals, two weeks aside, each for a reasonably smaller crowd than ordinary, to present as a lot of our whisky buddies as potential an opportunity to attend. There will probably be as much as 100 whiskies to pattern, and the worth features a thirtieth Anniversary KWM brand glass. As at all times, our neighbour Peasant cheese will probably be lining your stomachs with scrumptious cheese, charcuterie, sausage rolls, and different treats! Each Festivals are restricted to 80 contributors and we’re asking folks to solely register for one date or the opposite, not each, out of respect for different prospects.
Thursday, November 10, 7 PM – 9 PM & Thursday, November 24, 7 PM – 9 PM.
Boutique-y Cool & Uncommon Whisky w/ Dave Worthington
· Date: Saturday, November 12
· Time: 5 PM
· Price: $70
· Digital Tasting
This may certainly be one of the crucial enjoyable ranges we pattern with Boutique-y Dave. It consists of 4 just lately launch That Boutique-y Whisky Co. Blends at 22, 32, 42 and 52 years of age! The final one is an actual curiosity, as having fallen under 40% it isn’t legally whisky… however it is going to be attention-grabbing to strive! To spherical out the lineup we’re including Ledaig 21 12 months, Allt-A-Bhaine 23 12 months, and a teaspooned presumably Glen Scotia 24 12 months. 216 years of liquid historical past, with one of many trade’s most entertaining hosts!
Saturday, November twelfth @ 5 PM
Glenfarclas Household Casks 2021 – The 2000s
· Date: Tuesday, November 15
· Time: 7 PM
· Price: $65
· Digital Tasting
No, we gained’t be sampling the KWM thirtieth Anniversary Household Cask on this session, however we nonetheless have an unimaginable lineup of Glenfarclas single casks. We held again a bottle every of a few of the highlights from the Summer time 2021 Glenfarclas Household Cask releases. On this session, we’ll pattern bottlings from 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Tuesday, November fifteenth @ 7 PM
Kinship Assortment 2021 +1
· Date: Tuesday, December 6
· Time: 7 PM
· Price: $225
· Digital Tasting
Who doesn’t love outdated Islay malts? We purchased a few units of the 2021 Kinship Assortment from Hunter Laing as a result of we knew we had been going to wish to open one for a tasting. The set consists of:
Ardbeg 19 12 months, Bowmore 33 12 months, Bruichladdich 29 12 months, Bunnahabhain 31 12 months, Caol Ila 40 12 months, and Laphroaig 23 12 months. However that’s solely 6 whiskies, and we wish to have not less than 7 at our tastings, so we’re tossing in a beautiful sherried First Version Laphroaig 14 12 months to spherical out our vary. Be part of the KWM staff as we sip our approach by 189 years of Islay glory!
Tuesday, December sixth @ 7 PM
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