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KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar Blog Day 16 - Maligne Range Tekarra

Posted on December 17, 2023

by Evan

This whisky hasn’t actually been bottled yet. Well, that is not entirely true, since you have a small bottle of it in front of you. However – official, full-sized bottles of this whisky have not yet been released. What we are tasting today is a little bit of a preview. This whisky is called Tekarra, and it is named after a mountain which is part of the Maligne Mountain Range – on the Northwest end of it - in Jasper National Park. Mount Tekarra itself has an elevation of 2,694 Metres, or 8.839 feet, and is usually visible from the town of Jasper. Runoff from snow and rain on Mount Tekarra flows into Tekarra Creek and the Maligne River, which both in turn feed into the Athabasca River.

Mount Tekarra is named after the First Nations guide who accompanied and aided explorer James Hector of the Palliser Expedition, which explored between Lake Superior and the Rocky Mountains from 1857 to 1860. James Hector also named a river and a lake near the mountain after Tekarra.

Photo by Sang Trinh CC BY 2.0, Link

Beyond the Tekarra whisky that we are previewing today, other planned Western Canadian Whisky releases in the works will be named after the mountains in the Maligne Range as well. These include limited special editions or casks under the Excelsior series – with the first release planned being a Kensington Wine Market cask that was filled back in 2016. Core expressions beyond this are also in the works.

To promote the Tekarra and future Malgine Range bottles, a whisky Experience Centre will be launched in Jasper in the spring of 2024. It was started by the founders of Last Best Brewing and Distilling, which is located in Calgary, Alberta. Master Distiller Bryce Parsons leads the whisky program.

The distillery at Last Best is small, but mighty, and has been used for quite a bit of spirit experimentation since its inception by Bryce Parsons and his cohorts. Bryce spent a year creating and releasing a different small batch gin every week back in 2018. Before then, and since, whisky distillation and creation have also been a major goal. Bryce also created a whisky called The Beast, which was a whisky distilled using malt that was exposed to smoke in the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire. One bottle of The Beast sold for $10,000 Canadian at auction, and all proceeds from the limited release of 50 bottles were donated to Fort McMurray Firefighters Charities Association, which distributes money to other local organizations.

Back to the Tekarra. The whisky we are tasting today is a preview, with the full bottle release planned for mid-January 2024. It is made up of two components.

The first component whisky was distilled at Last Best from malted barley, then matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon barrels and New American Oak barrels with a level 3 Char made at The Barrel Mill Cooperage of Avon, Minnesota.

The second component is a little bit different. It was a distillation of what was essentially an Imperial Porter recipe without the hops. It included four different types of malted barley: two crystal malts, one chocolate malt, and a brewer’s malt, PLUS roasted wheat and Demerara sugar. The Demerara sugar would be considered a flavouring component under the Canadian Whisky 1/11 or 9.09% rule. This flavouring component was mashed, fermented, distilled, and aged together with the first component.

The result is the whisky in front of us, bottled at 48% ABV. Shall we give this sneak peek a taste?

Maligne Range Tekarra – 48%

This bottle is not yet available. If you would like to put your name in for a pre-order, please email [email protected] to do so!

From The Producer

“Discover Tekarra, a whisky of unparalleled depth with a bold 48% ABV. This exquisite expression unveils layers of malted grains, featuring a unique grain bill inspired by imperial porter that uses a masterful selection of malts—superior pale, crystal, dark crystal, chocolate, and midnight wheat.

Rooted in the Canadian one-eleventh rule, Tekarra artfully combines malt barley and the unique addition of demerara, creating a symphony of flavours. This exceptional whisky invites you to indulge in a rich, complex experience that transcends the ordinary. Savour the craftsmanship of Tekarra, a celebration of malted grains that promises a memorable journey for whisky enthusiasts.”

Evan’s Tasting Note

Nose: A wild combination of candied fruits and earthy components. Double Bubble bubble gum – grape flavour – right out of the wax wrapper, cotton candy, sponge toffee, Swedish Berry candies and more, plus chocolate fudge, dark roast coffee, black licorice, Rooibos tea and banana flambe.

Palate: Candied and roasted with Juicy Fruit gum, milk chocolate coated raisins, Crunchie Bar, Smores around the campfire, strawberry, watermelon, and maraschino cherries.

Finish: Soft and warming with candied almonds on the fade.

Comment: This is a crazy ride, and not your typical bottle of Canadian Whisky with soft aromas and flavours cut down to 40% ABV. It is bold and bursting with character.

Cheers,
Evan
[email protected]
Facebook & Instagram: @sagelikefool

You can find all blog posts for Kensington Wine Market’s 2023 Whisky Calendar Here

This entry was posted in Whisky, Whisky Calendars, Distillery, KWM Whisky Calendar 2023

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