Malt Messenger No. 81 – by Andrew Ferguson “Whisky Galore and the Winter 2018 Tasting Schedule”– Whisky News

Malt Messenger No. 81 –  Whisky Galore & the Winter 2018 Tasting Schedule!

It has been a busy couple weeks since the last newsletter. Tonight is the launch party for our sold out Kensington Wine Market 2017 Whisky Advent Calendar. But I have just enough time to push out a full edition of the Malt Messenger before the party gets started.

If you missed out on the KWM Advent Calendar, but would still like to celebrate the month of December with a whisky Calendar, we have limited stock available of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 4th Edition, $480+GST by Secret Spirits. If we run out in-store, we can probably get more next week.

Lots of new whisky to tell you about, but before we get to that we have a newsletter and some tastings to tell you about. The December 2018 “Wine Times” Newsletter is in the mail, and  also available online! Lots of wine, whisky and beer news and other tidbits from KWM.

The Wine Times newsletter is also the official announcement that our Winter 2018 Tasting Schedule is open for registration. We have lots of great whisky, wine and beer tastings planned for the new year. I have highlighted a small selection in the newsletter below. The full Winter 2018 Tasting Schedule can be viewed online! 

One last event to tell you about before getting to the whiskies. This coming Monday, December 4, we are hosting our last tasting event of 2017… Islay Night will serve as the Canadian launch for the  Elements of Islay and  Port Askaig whisky lines. We are very honoured to have the opportunity to introduce these whiskies to Canadian consumers. The tasting cost is $30, includes a glass, and proceeds will be donated to the Calgary Interfaith Food Bank. Join us for a tasting of some exciting new whiskies, and donate to a great cause at the same time.

There are so many new whiskies to tell you about that this newsletter has grown into a monster… I just sampled last night a new bottled for Canada cask of the Kavalan Solist Vinho, “Celebrating Canada”. It is excellent. As is the newest edition to the Ardbeg core range, the Ardbeg An Oa. The first new edition to their core range in nearly a decade. While on the subject of Ardbeg, we also have a new Ardbeg Committee bottling, the Ardbeg Kelpie Committee Edition. I have written up my own tastings notes on both, as well as for the soon to be released Glenmorangie Private Collection Bacalta.

After disappearing from the market for a few years, The English Whisky Company (St George’s Distillery) is back with a pair of fine new releases: Original & Smokey. There are also a pair of tasty new releases from Shelter Point: Montfort District Lot 141 Single Grain and French Oak. For whiskies in the 5-7 year range, they are very impressive. We also have new whiskies from Laphroaig, Highland Park, Tyrconnell and Duncan Taylor.

I also took the time to write-up tasting notes on a pair of older Duncan Taylor whiskies: Miltonduff 31 Year and Glen Moray 26Year, both of which are lovely!

Last but not least, some increasingly rare and old expressions of Highland Park and Macallan have briefly returned to the market.

Lots to digest, I hope you enjoy this full 81st edition of the Malt Messenger.

Sláinte!

In This Edition

1. The December 2017 Wine Times & Winter 2018 Tasting Schedule
2. Islay Night: Introducing the Elements of Islay & Port Askaig
3. Introducing: Kavalan Solist Vinho “Celebrating Canada” Cask
4. Introducing: Ardbeg An Oa
5. Introducing: Kelpie Committee Edition
6. Introducing: Glenmorangie Private Collection Bacalta
7. The English Whisky Company is Back
8. Two New Shelter Point Whiskies
9. Introducing: Laphroaig 25 Year 2016
10. Introducing: Laphroaig Cairdeas 2017
11. Introducing: Highland Park Full Volume
12. New Tyrconnel Whiskies
13. New Duncan Taylor Octaves
14. Our Whisky Advent Calendar is Sold Out, but there is another, the Secret Spirits Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar
15. My Tasting Notes: A Pair of Old Duncan Taylors
16. Macallan & Highland Park Whiskies Back in Stock

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

PS – Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter:

@scotch_guy, Instagram: @thescotch_guy/

or @kwmwhisky and Facebook: facebook.com/scotch.guy.1

Also, as indicated above, our Winter 2018 Tasting Schedule is out, and open for registration. Here is just a taste of the exciting tastings we have planned in 2018:

1. Glendronach Batch 15 & One More – Tuesday January 16 – We’ll sample 6 heavily sherried, single cask, cask strength vintage whiskies from Glendronach Batch 15, and a 7th bottle from Batch 14 to round out the lineup. A range 21-27 years in the making!  – $80
2. MS Calgary Whisky Festival – Thursday January 18 – For the 7th straight year, KWM is the presenting sponsor of the MS Calgary Whisky Festival. Over 200 whiskies will be served at Arts Commons. Tickets available at: www.calgarywhiskyfestival.ca 
3. Tomatin Takedown – Tuesday January 23 – KWM is thrilled to welcome Tomatin Brand Ambassador Scott Frazier for an epic Tomatin range tasting including our new exclusive 1999 Tomatin PX Sherry Cask. – $30
4. Burns Bash – Thursday January 25 – Join us for a mini-festival event the night before our Year End Inventory Sale. We’ll raise a glass to the Bard while you taste your way through a preview of some of the weekend’s great deals! Includes a KWM 25th Anniversary Glass. – $30
5. Cadenhead 175th Annivesary Malts Part 1 – Tuesday February 6 – Part 1 Scotland’s oldest independent bottler, established in 1842, is celebrating with some special bottlings. We’ll sample the whiskies from seven closed distilleries, including five 175th Anniversary releases. – $125

And much, much more.  Check out the website for the full listing of tastings and to register. You can also register in-store and by phone!

Islay Night: Introducing the Elements of Islay & Port Askaig 

A Special Tasting to Launch These New Whiskies in Canada! 

Join us on Monday December 4th as we launch the Port Askaig and Elements of Islay whiskies in Canada. It has taken a few years of work and begging on the part of Pacific Wine & Spirits and the Kensington Wine Market to get these whiskies to Canada, but we finally have our first release of Port Askaig and Elements of Islay. There are four single malts from Port Askaig, two of them exclusive to KWM: the bold Port Askaig 100 Proof and sublime Port Askaig 19 Year. There are also three Elements of Islay single malts exclusive to KWM and a very reasonably priced peated cask strength whisky appropriately called “Peat”. We will be cracking all 8 whiskies for the occasion, giving away a glass and donating all of the proceeds from the tasting to the Calgary Interfaith Foodbank. $30

Register online or by calling 403-283-8000.

Introducing: The Kavalan Solist Vinho “Celebrating Canada” Cask 

A Kavalan Vinho Cask Selected by Fountana Beverage and Bottled for Canada! 

This just came into the shop yesterday, and it is excellent. Like the best of the other Kavalan releases, this one is very fruity, layered and complex. It has some of the richness of other single casks of Kavalan Solist Vinho, but it is a little lighter, not quite as heavy and more nuanced.

The Vinho is matured in toasted American oak wine barrels which have been re-charred. It is always bottled from a single cask at 57.1%. It won the “World’s Best Single Malt” in the 2015 World Whisky Awards.

 Kavalan Solist Vinho “Celebrating Canada” Cask – 57.1% – Matured in Charred American Oak Wine Barriques which have been re-charred. – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: big, rich and spicy; loads of dark and candied fruit; a balsemic vinegar reduction, Demerara sugars, peanut brittle and with patience some soft, delicate fruits: dried apricots, melon and peaches. Palate: big, creamy and decadent with loads of fruit: more dried apricots, and diced pineapple with cooked apple and poached pear; more Demerara sugar, French roast coffee dregs, peanut brittle and more balsemic vinegar reduction notes. Finish: fruity, spicy and nutty; very silky and smooth. Comment: more balanced and less over the top than most of the other single casks I’ve sampled; this is a lovely single cask!” – $285

Introducing: Ardbeg An Oa 

The first new Ardbeg core range expression since Corryvreckan! 

The Ardbeg An Oa is the first new release in the Ardbeg Core Range since the Corryvreckan was launched. An Oa” is named for Islay’s wild Mull of Oa on the south-west coast. The prominent headland offers the Kildalton coast a bit of shelter from the tempestuous North Atlantic. The area was in centuries past the scene of much illicit distilling. The whisky is the first new core release in the Ardbeg range for close to a decade. Crafted to offer a more approachable take on Ardbeg whisky, the spirit was matured in a mix of PX Sherry, Virgin Oak and Ex-Bourbon casks. The mix was then rested in the distillery’s new Gathering Vat.

From the Producer: “A welcome new addition to the  Ultimate range. Ardbeg An Oa is  singularly rounded, due in no small part to time spent in our newly established bespoke oak Gathering Vat where whiskies from several cask types – including; sweet Pedro Ximenez; spicy virgin charred oak; and intense ex-bourbon casks, amongst others – familiarise themselves with each other. The result is a dram with smoky power, mellowed by a delectable, smooth sweetness. Hallmark Ardbeg peat, dark chocolate and aniseed are wrapped in smooth, silky butterscotch, black pepper and clove, before rising to an intense crescendo of flavour.”

Ardbeg An Oa – 46.6% – Matured in a mix of PX Sherry, Virgin Oak and Ex-Bourbon – My Tasting Note: “Nose: Old English Butterscotch ice cream, dark milk chocolate, fresh picked oranges, briny maritime tones and a frim base of earthy smoke; coffee liqueur, brandy soaked cherries and melon liqueur. Palate: round, malty and smoky; the Old English Butterscotch ice cream hits first with cream soda and honeycomb; the chewy malt slowly rolls in with more dark milk chocolate and some soft tarry peat; more coffee liqueur and brandy soaked cherries; there is some bright orange and melon here, but they are thoroughly buried. Finish: maritime, malty and creamy; cream, fruit, butterscotch and tarry peat; medium in length and light but layered in weight. Comment: this malt slides nicely in between the 10 year and Uigeadail; a touch of sherry but not too much; an excellent complement to the rest of the range.” - $98

Introducing: Ardbeg Kelpie Committee Edition 

A higher proof even more limited version of the 2017 limited edition release! 

Having tried both the regular and Committee Editions of the 2017 Kelpie release, I can unequivocally say the Committee Edition is better, as was the case with Dark Cove.

Ardbeg Kelpie Committee Edition – 51.7% – Matured in Virgin Russian Black Sea Oak Casks – Producer Description: “Nose: A wonderful, intense, ‘dancing’ nose, with lots of different, intertwined aromas – powerful, oily peat, dark chocolate, smoked fish, hints of seaweed, and a curious, sharp herbal note. Waves of spicy, black pepper. A splash of water brings forth some classic Ardbeg notes, such as creamy coffee, smoked fudge and pine resin. Even some hints of smoked coconut. Palate: A peppery mouthfeel is followed by a crescendo of rich flavours. Treacle toffee, Turkish coffee, smoky bacon and lots of dark, dark chocolate. A curious burst of peachy, estery fruit, hickory wood, clove oil and a suggestion of black olives on the aftertaste. Finish: Seemingly lasting forever, with deep, deep.” – $195

My Tasting Note

Nose: tarry, malty, medicinal and oily; smoked mussels, salted caramel and dark goats milk chocolate; muscavado sugars, seaweed salad and hotdogs boiled in a salty broth; some lovely creamed honey notes emerge on the nose after the first sip.

Palate: big, bold and brash; the tarry-medicinal Islay notes hit first, with the sweet chewy malt fast on its heels; honeyed and briny; fried kale, seaweed salad and dried kelp chips; more salted caramel, smoked mussels and more briny boiled hot dogs; there is orange, dark chocolate, rough leather and some firm tobacco too.

Finish: long, oily and drying; the leather, tobacco and chocolate fade first leaving the maritime, seaweed and orange notes to linger longest.

Comment: bigger and bolder than the standard release; this is an unapologetic Ileach, not for the faint of heart.

Introducing: Glenmorangie Private Collection Bacalta 

A Madeira finished extension to the Private Collection series! 

The 8th instalment of Glenmorangie’s annual Private Collection releases is the “Bacalta”, Scots Gaelic for baked. The whisky was matured in Ex-Bourbon and finished in bespoke heavily toasted American oak casks, seasoned in Madeira with “Malmsey – the sweetest and most prized of the Madeira wines.” The whisky is bottled at 46% with natural colouring and without chill-filtering. 91pts Whisky Advocate

 Glenmorangie Bacalta – 46% – Finished in Madeira Casks – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: butter tarts, ginger-molasses cookies and candied orange chunks; leathery with some tobacco, lemon drops and grapefruit juice. Palate: sweet and creamy with a lush vanilla base, overlayed with crisp decadent spice; candied ginger, fennel, clove and all-spice; loads of orange: candied and lightly burnt orange rind; Demerara sugars with some firm leather and dry tobacco. Finish: medium long it remains creamy, coating and decadent with some firm spice. Comment: the Madeira has given the whisky a very spicy edge; I love the crisp, decadent spice, but this is not IMHO the best of the Private Collections line to date; good but not great!” - $120

91pts Whisky Advocate: “The 8th Private Edition release. This one is finished in sun-baked casks which previously contained Malmsey Madeira. A predominantly sweet and fruity whisky, with caramel, honeyed almonds, peaches in syrup, and orange scone. Soft, soothing finish. Delicious!”

The English Whisky Company is Back! 

Two New Expressions, Original and Peated.  

It has been a few years since the English Whisky Co. has had a presence in Canada. The whisky hails from the St. George’s, the first of a wave of new English distilleries. Two releases have returned to the market: Original and Smokey.

1. English Whisky Company Original – 43% – Producer Decryption: “The English – Original. Aged to perfection in specially selected Bourbon Casks. An unpeated single malt whisky. A great easy-drinking classic single malt.” Producer Tasting Note: “A gentle aroma with hints of vanilla and tropical fruits. Like a soft whipped vanilla ice cream. Melts on the palate. Slightly nutty with a long malty finish. Finish is clean, dry and slightly salty.” – $82
2. English Whisky Company Smokey – 43% – Producer Description: “The English – Smokey. Aged to perfection in specially selected casks. A peated (45ppm) single malt whisky. A lovely waft of smoke on the palate, ideal alternative for the Islay fan.” – Producer Tasting Note: “A gentle aroma with hints of vanilla, aniseed & ginger, a creamy palate, a little peat initially and then the smoke bomb! Finish is long, spicy and smokey.” – $82

About St George’s

“St George’s is the home to The English Whisky Co. The beautiful distillery was designed and built by the Nelstrop family for the specific purpose of producing the very finest English Single Malt Whisky.

“Why England and more specifically Why Roudham, Norfolk? Well, there are only two main ingredients in whisky, barley and water and we have them both. We draw the purest, cleanest water from the Breckland aquifer deep beneath our distillery. Norfolk is one of the world’s premier growing barley regions, so our supply is plentiful and local.

“The only other thing needed to create the very best malt whisky is oak casks. We don’t add colour, we don’t add flavour, we let the barrels do that for us, so we have to buy only the very finest oak casks. Most of ours are supplied by direct from America, having first been used for the maturation of bourbon. We also mature in sherry casks, and various other wine casks.

Our whisky is batch made by hand with no computers, filled into casks and then left to sleep until our distillers consider it perfect for bottling, which of course we do by hand – one bottle at a time.

“We are really proud of these things and believe you will taste the difference too.”

Two New Shelter Point Whiskies 

And They Don’t Disappoint!  

Shelter Point Distillery has made a name for itself, at least in Canada, since it launched its first whisky a little over a year ago. We have two new releases to tell you about, and they are good! These will both be in-store next week:

1. Shelter Point Montfort District Lot 141 Single Grain -

46% – Producer Description: “Raised right here on our family farm on Vancouver Island, Montfort DL 141 is a truly unique field-to-flask whisky. The name itself is the very lot in which the single-grain barley was grown, and the coordinates to the exact field are included on every bottle. Distilled in our traditional copper pot stills, aged in American Oak at our oceanfront warehouses, and bottled on-site by the Shelter Point family, Monfort DL 141 is a proud product of our distillery home. This limited-edition run is only 1,400 bottles.” – My Tasting Note: “Nose: shortbread dusted in refined sugar; tarte tatin, poached pear and vanilla cream and white chocolate; beeswax candles, tropical fruits and floral tones. Palate: light, fruity and floral; it is delicate, creamy and fruity; more dusty shortbread and citric sugars; still waxy with some melon and white chocolate. Finish: light, clean, floral, creamy and fruity; very pretty and elegant. Comment: wow, this is a very drinkable elegant grain whisky; I am a bit dumbfounded! – $88

1. Shelter Point French Oak Single Malt - 50% – Producer Description: “Our long-awaited Special Edition Single Malt Whisky is now available! Aged in American oak for 6 years and then matured in a French Oak barrel from the local Coastal Black Estate Winery!” – My Tasting Note: “Nose: very nutty, hard toffee and fruit flan; doughy and fruity, apple crumble, lemon drops and fresh cut flowers; decadent with loads of vanilla and clotted cream. Palate: big, rich and creamy; very layered, spicy and lush; layers of fruit, more hard toffee and glazed fruit flan; even darker than the nose let on with some Demerara sugar, licorice and baking spices. Finish: medium-long, still coating, creamy fruity and spicy. Comment: this is but the fifth release of Shelter Point whisky we’ve seen, and like the others it does not disappoint… look out world! ­- $112

Introducing: Laphroaig 25 Year 2016 Edition 

And it is a step up on the 2014 and 2015 IMHO! 

The 2016 edition of Laphroaig 25 Year wasmatured in a mix of Oloroso sherry and Ex-Bourbon barrels. Bottled at 48.6%.

Laphroaig 25 Year 2016 – 48.6% – Oloroso Sherry & Ex-Bourbon – My Tasting Note: “Nose: doughy, waxy and fruity; a touch medicinal and smokey with a hint of mesquite BBQ sauce; baked apple pie with cinnamon; honeycomb, tallow candels and vanilla icing sugars. Palate: starting soft, it builds into something more decadent, peaty, malty and fruity; loads of vanilla, baked apples with cinnamon, green magoes, honeydew melon and peaches in cream; a building spiciness, hints of sherry and dark chocolate. Finish: long, coating, elegant and oily with a backbone of medicinal peat; it becomes more leathery, tarry, spicy and peaty as it slowly fades out. Comment: an improvement on the previous two releases, the 2015 and 2014 Laphroaig 25s; this is much more interesting, layered and complex.” – $670

Introducing: Laphroaig Cairdeas 2017 

The 2017 Friends of Laphroaig “Friendship” bottling! 

Limit 1 Per Customer!

Producer Description: “For several years, our Friends of Laphroaig have been interested in tasting a Cask Strength version of our popular Laphroaig Quarter Cask – which offers an irresistible doubling of flavour, due to the double maturation in two barrels made of American oak.  This year we decided to bring this dream into reality.

“First fill Makers Mark casks have been used for the first maturation of 5+ years in Warehouse 1 next to the Atlantic Ocean.  Different ages have been awoken temporarily to be brought together, before laying to rest for a second time in our smaller quarter casks (125lt).  After a further 6 month maturation, the liquid from 177 of these casks were put into the bottle at Cask Strength, with no colour, no chilling and a simple barrier filtration.

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2017 – 57.2% – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Gentle coffee cream and freshly sliced vanilla pods, builds into sweet mint with notes of old hay, a background of beach bonfire and then freshly sanded wood. Body: Full bodied and complex. Palate: A sweet vanilla dryness that develops into a creamy, oily mouth feel with bitter liquorice root and a throat full of smoke. Finish: A long, creamy smoky finish.” – $125

Introducing: Highland Park Full Volume 

A 1999 Bourbon Matured Vintage Highland Park! 

We aren’t 100% sure this is an 18 year old, just that it was distilled in 1999 and matured exclusively in Ex-Bourbon. It was bottled at 47.2%. We are just getting a handful of bottles!

Highland Park Full Volume – 47.2% – Producer Description: “FULL VOLUME is a perfect illustration of the fine skills of our Master Whisky Maker, ensuring that every individual wave of flavour finds its perfect place in the beautifully harmonised final spirit.” – Producer Tasting Note: “Vanilla | Coconut | Mango | Pineapple | Cedar Wood | Lemon peel | Vanilla pods | Light smoke” – $135

Producer Story

“For musicians, amps and equalisers maintain critical balance at high volume by fine-tuning musical frequencies – at Highland Park, our Master Whisky Maker, Gordon Motion, does a similar job.

“FULL VOLUME was created using 100% ex-bourbon casks rather than our traditional sherry-seasoned ones. During 1999, a combination of 481 casks – 200 litre barrels and 250 litre hogsheads – were filled at strengths of between 63.6% and 63.7%. The whisky was filtered at just over 4oC and delivers flavours of creamy vanilla and sweet citrus fruits from the bourbon casks, balanced by Highland Park’s characteristic aromatic smokiness.”

New Tyrconnell Whiskies 

Three Wine Finishes and a 16 Year! 

The Tyrconnell is an iconic Irish whiskey brand with roots in the 18th Century’s Watt Distillery. The Whiskey is a double distilled single malt named after a legendary horse who won the iconic National Produce Stakes in 1876, against all odds. We have four new expressions of the whiskey which is today produced at the Cooley Distillery.

1. Tyrconnell 10 Year Madeira Finish – 46% – Matured in Ex-Bourbon Finished in Madeira – Producer Description: “This version of The Tyrconnell® is aged 10 years, then is finished in casks previously used to age Madeira, a fortified wine hailing from a group of islands off the coast of Portugal. Bottled at 92 proof to bring out the flavour nuances of its casks, The Tyrconnell® Madeira Cask Finish begins with a salty, red fruit flavour-filled nose before finishing dry, with prominent notes of cocoa, caramel, and allspice.” – $98
2. Tyrconnell 10 Year Port Finish – 46% – Matured in Ex-Bourbon Finished in Port – Producer Description: “After a decade resting in bourbon barrels, The Tyrconnell® Port Cask Finish is transitioned into port wine casks from the Duoro Valley in Portugal for an additional 6-8 months of aging. Bottled at 92 proof, the additional time spent in hand-selected port casks gives this single malt whiskey a nose that evokes baked apples and notes of roots. A warm sweetness recedes, allowing a finish characterized by a multitude of spices to move to the forefront.” – $98
3. Tyrconnell 10 Year Sherry Finish – 46% – Matured in Ex-Bourbon Finished in Sherry – Producer Description: “After ten years spent in bourbon barrels, The Tyrconnell®Sherry Cask Finish spends an additional 6-8 months in Oloroso Sherry casks from Spain. The casks exert their influence on the whiskey, creating a noticeably darker finished product. The interaction of single malt and fortified wine casks creates a veritable dessert in a glass, in which thick notes of sherry find themselves melding amongst hints of tarte tatin and custard.” - $98
4. Tyrconnell 16 Year - 46% – Producer Description: “The Tyrconnell® 16 Year Old is the highly anticipated limited release expression that builds on the legacy of the original incarnation of The Tyrconnell®. This is the result of sixteen years spent in bourbon barrels, and the first general release of an aged expression of this magnitude. The nose evokes citrus with underlying notes of oak, then the palate reveals a light and approachable taste.” – 91pts Whisky Advocate: “Whiskeys made from 100% Irish barley are not abundant, so at sweet sixteen, there is much to celebrate about this grown-up version of Tyrconnell. Honey, pear, crème brûlée, clementine peel, tinned peach, and pencil shavings on the nose. Citrus, candied peel, lemon, and grapefruit mingle among the sweetness, but it’s anchored by layered spices and rounds out with a finish of juicy spiced oranges and peach. Moreish and delicious.” – $125

New Duncan Taylor Octaves 

Wee Sherry Cask Finished Curiosities! 

Another release of Duncan Taylor Octaves are here. These are whiskies finished in bespoke wee sherry casks. A couple of curious whiskies here. “The Huntly” is supposedly a Balfiddich, or Glenvenie if you will. And I will leave it to you imagination exactly which distillery the “An Iconic Speyside” comes from. Rhymes with Benfarclas!

“For many years, Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Ltd. has experimented in the use of differing cask sizes for the maturation of Single Malt and Single Grain Scotch whiskies. The research stemmed from a simple premise that there is more interaction between the wood and the spirit over a shorter period of time in a small cask than in a large cask, therefore allowing a more rapid “melding” of wood, air and alcohol.”

1. Duncan Taylor Octaves “An Iconic Speyside” 2008 – 53.2% – 8 Year – Finished 3 Months in a Sherry Octave – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: beer nuts and candied almonds; licorice jujubes, raspberry-rhubarb jam and Moroccan marmalade; citric sugars and sour keys. Palate: round, toasty and citric; more licorice Jujubes, Moroccan marmalade and beer nuts; burnt brown sugar, musty old wood, dark spices and firm Dominican tobacco. Finish: long, spicy and leathery; more big licorice, firm spicy and earthy Dominican tobacco. Comment: pretty tasty for a spirited young Glenfarclas.” – $106
2. Duncan Taylor Octaves North British 2007 – 51.9% .- 10 Year – Finished 3 Months in a Sherry Octave – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: lemon drops and orange hard candies; honeyed with smooth leather and a hint of firm spice Palate: sweet, silky and fruity; wine gums, lemon drops and more orange hard candies; toasty and woody with some firm leather and spice. Finish: light, floral and toasty; tingling leather and spice. Comment: a touch spirity with light sherry tones.” – $110
3. Duncan Taylor Octaves The Huntly 1997 – 52.0% – 19 Year – Finished 6 Months in a Sherry Octave – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: honeyed, doughy and nutty; Demerara sugars and cold tea; cigar tobacco, dark chocolate shavings and candied nuts. Palate: big, rich, leathery and nutty; very spicy: clove, fennel and anise; musty old oak and dunnage warehouses. Finish: long, rich, nutty and spicy. Comment: this is big, leathery, earthy and nutty; a malt in need of a cigar.” – $250

My Tasting Notes: On a Pair of Old Duncan Taylors 

26 Year Old Glen Moray and 31 Year Old Miltonduff! 

Everyone knows I love Miltonduff, and this one is good. I have more mixed feelings about Glen Moray, but not this one. It is also excellent.

1.  Duncan Taylor Miltonduff 31 Year - 51.5% – Matured in Sherry Oak – Andrew’sTasting Note: “Nose: buttery and waxy; French toast with maple syrup; crème brule and both maple bacon and carrot cake donuts. Palate: classic waxy old whisky, soft leather and antique-y tones; more French toast, exotic donuts and some sweet Cuban tobacco; cooked raisins, dates and grilled prosciutto wrapped figs; very layered with tropical fruits. Finish: long, coating, creamy and fruity; fades out slowly in waves. Comment: this is a beautiful old Miltonduff; I just wish there was more left in the bottle… it is all gone!” – $530
2.  Duncan Taylor Glen Moray 26 Year - 45.7% – Matured in Sherry Oak – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: big time Jujubes, chocolate fudge and classic Christmas cake; treacle sauce on sticky toffee pudding drowning in cream; ripe figs, maple syrup and mincemeat. Palate: big, round fruity and juicy; more nutty sherry tones, some firm leather and building spices; the Christmas cake is still there with some candied and tropical fruits, mincemeat pie and sticky toffee pudding with treacle sauce; thick, fruity and coating and very layered. Finish: long, fruity, woody and spicy; more layers, big sherry, Christmas cake and cooked figs. Comment: a lovely big rich sherried whisky; this is one to tuck into an armchair with and enjoy the night.” – $450

Macallan & Highland Park Whiskies Back in Stock 

Four of the World’s Most Iconic Whiskies! 

A couple of these have been gone for a while. They are not likely to be around for long. Global demand is directing them to other markets, and it has jacked their prices up…

1. Macallan Fine Oak 21 Year - 43% – Matured in American & European Oak Ex-Sherry and Ex-Bourbon – Producer’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Intense and rich with a hint of vanilla and passion fruit. Palate: Soft, rich and spicy with a hint of oranges and peat. Finish: Lingering with a hint of wood smoke.” – $820
2. Macallan 25 Year Sherry Oak – 43% – Sherry Oak – Producer’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Citrus, balanced with cinnamon, sherry and wood smoke. Palate: Full and rich with dried fruits and wood smoke. Finish: Long with dried fruits, wood smoke and spice.” – $1600
3. Highland Park 25 Year – 45.7% – Producer Description: “The casks impart an astonishing flavour to the whisky as it matures – at once dark and full bodied with a rich and nutty spiciness, yet brimming with sweet dried fruits, cinder toffee and soft fudge. 25 years encased in oak has not only created a whisky with impressive depths, but time has delivered a vibrant sweetness too. Renowned whisky writer F. Paul Pacult named it Best Spirit in the World in the 2013 Spirit Journal – an accolade of which we are particularly (but typically quietly) proud.” – Producer Tasting Note: “Dark chocolate | Fudge | Heather honey | Nutty toffee | Dried fruits.” – $765
4. Highland Park 30 Year - 48.1% – Producer Description: “In Malt Advocate, John Hansell commented “Whiskies like this one remind me why I fell in love with whisky in the first place” and we know exactly what he means. There’s that fudgy sweetness that characterises the more mature Highland Park, but here it’s combined with complex aromatic spices as well as dark chocolate orange and floral peat notes. Dry at the finish, it leaves an aromatic smoky flavour and a mouth-watering hint of mild, salty sea spray – the result of 30 years’ maturation on Orkney’s windswept island environment.”  – Producer Tasting Note: “Nutmeg | Dark chocolate orange | Aromatic peat smoke | Sticky toffee pudding | Sea salt.” - $960

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 and 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

Owner & Scotchguy

Kensington Wine Market

403-283-8000

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

www.kensingtonwinemarket.com 

Kensington Wine Market

403-283-8000