Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,
As I write this I am contemplating a glass of Peat Monster Reserve (see below) from Compass Box. I hadn’t intended to write anything further on the Malt Messenger before the New Year, but I’ve some big news, two exclusives we’ve long awaited are finally here, and the word must be spread. Further, Saturday’s free drop in Kilchoman Duhies Tasting was so successful I’ve decided to put another event together for this coming Thursday. So while the buttery vanilla and soft oily peat roll around my palate like lovers under the covers I’ve found the time to flesh out one final Malt Messenger Bulletin for 2010.
John Glasser of Compass Box is without doubt one of the world’s finest blenders of Scotch whisky. His whiskies are soft, elegant and complex. Kensington Wine Market has exclusively acquired two of his 10th Anniversary releases as exclusives. The first is a reserve bottling of Peat Monster($154.99) his most famous bottling, in a 1.5L bottle. The whisky is great and the magnum(1.5L) format very cool! The second is called Hedonism Maximus($259.99), an older finer version of the now discontinued Hedonism bottling, and is a Blended Grain Scotch Whisky. Both whiskies are very limited, with only 24 of each coming to Canada exclusive to Kensington Wine Market. These whiskies will be available for sale and sampling as of 5PM on Wednesday, December 22nd. More on both whiskies below!
Thursday December 23rd, between 2 and 7PM Andy Dunn of Gold Medal Marketing and I will be conducting another free drop in tasting and mini sale. Thursday’s focus will be Gordon & MacPhail, Benromach and our exclusive single cask bottlings: Glen Grant 1966, Springbank 1996 Oloroso, Kilchoman KWM Fresh Bourbon Cask, Glendronach 1995 KMW PX Sherry and Jack Daniels KWM Single Barrel. The whiskies will be on sale in store, on the wesb www.kensingtonwinemarket.com and by e-mail scotchguy@kensingtonwinemarket.com during this 5 hour window. So please feel free to drop by for a wee taste or two and some great deals on whisky whether it be for your bar or gift. More details below!
Thank you for reading the Malt Messenger and once again let me wish you and yours a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Slainté!
Andrew Ferguson
GORDON & MACPHAIL BENROMACH DROP IN TASTING AND MINI SALE – Thursday December 23rd 2-7PM – Free
Kensington Wine Market brought in 4 new Gordon & MacPhail whiskies this fall, all of them exceptional, and all of them from closed distilleries. We have brought in whiskies from Rosebank, Glen Keith, Convalmore and Imperial, and still have a few bottles of our private cask of Glen Grant 1966. Andy Dunn of Gold Medal Marketing and I will be pouring samples of these and other Gordon & MacPhail bottlings, as well as whiskies from the Benromach distillery and our exclusive Kensington Wine Market bottlings from 2 until 7 PM on Thursday December 23rd. For the duration of this free drop in tasting all of the whiskies on offer will be on sale in store, on the web www.kensingtonwinemarket.com and by e-mail scotchguy@kensingtonwinemarket.com..
The list:
1. G&M KWM Glen Grant 1966 – Bottled Exclusively for KWM – $449.99 – Save 20%
2. G&M Cask Strength Rosebank 1993 – Exclusive to KWM – $175.49 – Save 10%
3. G&M Cask Strength Imperial 1997 – Exclusive to KWM – $114.99 – Save 10%
4. G&M Conn Choice Glen Keith 1993 – Exclusive to KWM – $87.99 – Save 10%
5. G&M Conn Choice Convalmore 1984 – Exclusive to KWM – $184.99 – Save 10%
6. G&M Cask Strength Old Pulteney 1993 – $119.99 – Save 7%
7. G&M Cask Strength Highland Park 1995 – $111.99 – Save 7%
8. G&M Cask Strength 1996 – $119.99 – Save 7%
9. G&M Smith’s Glenlivet 21 Year – $119.49 – Save 7%
10. Benromach Traditional – $49.49 – Save 7%
11. Benromach 10 Year -$68.99 – Save 7%
12. Benromach 21 Year – $129.99 – Save 7%
13. Benromach Organice Special Edition – $71.49 – Save 7%
14. Benromach Peat Smoke – $69.49 – Save 7%
15. Benromach Origins #2 – $83.49
16. Benromach Origins #3 – $83.49
17. Springbank 1996 KWM Oloroso Cask – Bottled Exclusively for KWM – $109.99 – Save 20%
18. Glendronach 1995 KWM PX Sherry Puncheon – Bottled Exclusively for KWM – $114.99 – Save 10%
19. Kilchoman KWM Fresh Bourbon Cask – Bottled Exclusively for KWM – $114.99 – Save 10%
20. Jack Daniels KWM SingleBarrel – Bottled Exclusively for KWM – $49.99 – Save 10%
COMPASS BOX PEAT MONSTER RESERVE – $154.99
Only 5,300 magnums (1.5L) bottles of this whisky have been bottled, and for the time being but 24 have come to Canada, all of them to the Kensington Wine Market. When Compass Box launched the original Peat Monster more than 5 years ago it was as the name implied, intended to be a peaty beast. In the years since we’ve seen the likes of Port Charlotte, Octomore, the Big Peat, Supernova and more, all of which make the Peat Monster seem tame. This special bottling has combined whiskies from Caol Ila, Ardmore and Clynelish. In the words of its creator it is “even peatier, smokier, richer and higher strength than the classic version”. Jim Murray scored it 92pts in the Whisky Bible:
The Peat Monster Reserve Towering Over Its Lesser Namesake!
“Nose: comfortable, thickish smoke and a dusting of peppers: complex and well balanced; Taste:silky soft malt oils cleverly disguise the big punchy peat which is to follow; lovely touch of golden syrup here and there, but mainly towards the delivery; Finish: smoky sweetened mocha; Balance: at times a bit of a Sweet Monster… beautiful stuff!” 48.9% – 92pts
I’ll write my own tasting note for the next Malt Messenger.
COMPASS BOX HEDONISM MAXIMUS – $259.99
Hedonism Maximus is a Blended Grain Scotch whisky created by blending select casks of 42 year old invergordon with a smaller quantities of 29 year old Cameronbridge. Cameronbridge is interestingly Scotland oldest continuously operating distillery! The constituent parts, distilled in 1965 and 1979 respectively were matured in first fill American Oak bourbon barrels. It is deeper, sweeter and richer than the original Hedonism bottling hence the designation of “Maximus”. 46%
The whisky’s label is an homage to one of the Scotch industry’s long lost brands, Andrew Usher & Co.s “Old Vatted Glenlivet Whisky”. The label was inspired by an advertisement from OVGW from 1905 found in the National Archive of Scotland. Only 1500 bottles were produced, with but 24 coming to Canada, all of them to the Kensington Wine Market.
An elegant whisky packaged with sophistication!
“Nose: the kind of aroma your nose was invented for: lots of rich bourbon swirls, with butterscotch, liquorice and chocolate-covered honeycomb arriving—big time!—on cue…; oh, and a few gooseberries and greengages tossed in for an extra dimension: it just doesn’t get any better… Taste: the oak is a bit top heavy on arrival, but lush malt cushions its impact to a degree; still juicy tongue-teasing; Finish: retains its overtly bourbon character to the end with massively chewy oak extract, but always enough sweetness in reserve to cope; Balance: Bourbon Maximus…”
As with the Peat Monster Reserve I will include my own tasting note in the next full Malt Messenger.
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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!
You can follow me online on Twitter at www.twitter.com/scotch_guy..
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
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