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Tight Wad Oenophile – January 19, 2017

Posted on January 24, 2017

Hosting a wine tasting is never an easy thing to do. In my case, there is always the usual stress of being in front of people, having to be eloquent in a second language, and the paralyzing fear of spilling wine all over myself while trying in the most elegant way to use a spittoon in public... But our Tight Wad Oenophile class elevates the stress level even more. When I teach a Bordeaux class, I know for sure that the people that are going to be in front of me are going to be Bordeaux lovers. Easy. Reassuring. But who are going to be the people sitting in front of me this time? Are they mostly new to the world of wine and attending their first wine tasting or long time wine lovers and customers that are eager to discover new gems? Old world, new world? More red or white? Traditional grape varietals or more “exotic” ones? A lot to think about for me to be able to build a tasting that has some cohesion and select wines that people will both enjoy and that respect the theme: no wine over 25$. Stressful, hard on the instructor, but what a stimulating challenge! Here is my latest selection:


NV Zorzal Metodo Tradicional Extra Brut $18.99
Semillon & Chardonnay
Mendoza, Argentina

Established in 2008, Zorzal belongs to Canadian partners and to the Michelini brothers. The brothers are outstanding in their passionate, personal leadership in both the work in the vineyards and winery. The winery is located in Gualtallary, one of Argentina's most outstanding vine-growing valleys, situated at 1,350 meters above sea-level in the highest vine-growing zone in the Province of Mendoza. Dedicated to the production of high-quality wines, Zorzal finds its expression in respectful, non-invasive wine making, preferring fruit to oak and elegance to exuberance. This lovely bubbly has a fresh sourdough bread character, with notes of yellow apple and chamomile. Distinctive and racy, with Champagne-like quality… for a fraction of the price!

2014 Quinta Da Aveleda Vinho Verde $14.99
Loureiro & Alvarinho
Vinho Verde, Portugal

90 Points for this vintage, and for a third consecutive year, Quinta da Aveleda has been listed among the Top 3 of Wine Enthusiast magazine’s Top 100 Best Buys. Tropical flower and melon on the nose, with pomelo and green fig on the palate, and a vivid, almost briny finish. Ideal on its own, but a perfect pairing for your grilled salmon and prawns salad. I wouldn’t hesitate as well to pair this wine with a rich lobster mac-n-cheese, or your next sushi dinner. One of the most versatile white wines in the store!

2015 Megyer Tokaj Száraz (dry) $19.99
100% Furmint
Hungary

Hungary is famous for its sweet, botrytis affected wines - but the country's winemakers make beautiful dry table wines such as this one. Furmint is the grape here, and while it's a common one in Hungary, it's no...

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Finishing School - January 17, 2016

Posted on February 8, 2017

Cask finishing has come into prominence in the past decade or so with just about every producer experimenting with with different casks - including the venerable Scotch Malt Whisky Society - the Canadian Chapter has released multiple Sauternes cask finishes recently which have been stellar and there are likely more surprises on the way.

On Tuesday, January 17th we held a tasting at Kensington Wine Market focusing on whisky and cask finishing. Cask finishing refers to taking whisky from one barrel and transferring it to a different barrel - in this case a cask that once held something that was not your typical bourbon or sherry.

Because the cask once held a different spirit - the liquid that worked its way into the oak now has a chance to influence the whisky now held within it. Producers have different terms for this. On the bottle and in articles on whisky you might see this referred to as extra or secondary maturation, double casking, cask enhancement, and a slew of other names.

There can be many reasons for a producer to do this:

It could be that a certain barrel of whisky has gotten as much character as it could from the cask it was aged in - perhaps even too much and it is now considered over the top or out of balance due to some of the character it exhibits.
Or maybe it was aged in a barrel that was already used too much and it didn’t manage to get any character at all.
It affords you the opportunity to experiment with different flavours and profiles that you otherwise would not.
It allows you get the chance to put the prestigious name of a wine or spirit on the bottle. That top tier Chateau sells their bottles of wine for hundreds of dollars a bottle. If you put your whisky in the same barrel then maybe you will be able to do the same thing...
It is also possible that you produce plenty of whisky and cask finishes are part of your product lineup - you have actually planned to finish this batch of whisky in this way all along.

If you are cynical you could see this entire concept as trying to cover up some flaws. Like trying to put lipstick on a pig. If you are more of a cask half full type of person you could say that they are adding more character and nuance to a whisky that would not have it otherwise. It adds spice and variety to something that might otherwise be bland and plain.

Here is the lineup that we tasted our way through:

1 - Tullibardine 225 Sauternes Cask Finish - 43% ABV - $70

Tullibardine dubs this bottle the ‘225’ because it is finished in 225-liter casks that previously held Sauternes dessert wine from Chateau Suduiraut. It spends about 12 months in these wine casks.

Sauternes cask finishing seems to be one of the more popular wine cask finishes around with examples from Glenmorangie and Arran typically a...

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Ginapooloza - January 12, 2017

Posted on February 22, 2017

Ginapooloza is about enjoying gin. Straight and simple. What most people don't realize is that gin is a very exciting experience, figuring that the drink is intended for those of old grit. Such a statement is terribly false, the drink has been reinvigorated as the spirit for all, defined by the local botanicals of each distillery (at least in most cases in current times). With each new release we gin enthusiasts are treated to a new expression of botanical terroir alongside the artistry of the master distiller. Such is the nature of the current gin market, and here we are, treated to a variety of unique and new releases almost weekly. This has lead us to do a gin class once per quarter to show off all the new products that have reached our lonely gin outpost here at the Kensington Wine Market. Here are the new releases we tried at GINAPOOLOZA!



Beefeater 24 - Not your grandma's gin, this release of Beefeater is for those that want hard core gin quality on a lean budget. 24 different botanicals go into this bottling of Beefeater, showing Beefeater's true colours. Elegance, a velvet glove containing the raw power of Beefeater. Though this release is not for the faint of gin heart, it holds a quality that is not found in the standard Beefeater bottling, more catered towards the gin enthusiast. - $32

Aviation Gin - A throwback to the days of airbuses, first class and gin cocktails all at 30,000 feet. Versatile and useful for just about any cocktail, just think of it and this gin works. The price is nothing to scoff at either. Clean, floral toned spirit with little heat and delicate citric character. - $42

Noteworthy Gin - KWM is one of the few lucky stores to receive this glorious liquor showing fine potential while offering a challenge to all those gin inclined. Noteworthy is one of those spirits which holds tons of trapped potential requiring a real expert to unlock such intricacies. Do not fret my gin friends, for though this spirit is inclined to challenge gin savants it does not hold out on basic and delicious qualities that reminisce of the woods. Though the Noteworthy does not take well to most standard cocktail ideas it is definitely one to experiment with offering great rewards to those who tinker. - $48

Daffy's Gin - A pretty, affable spirit with so much care put into its creation that I am astounded at the execution. At first the gin appears simple, almost so delicate that it is difficult to discern any specific tones or character. Upon applying Daffy to any cocktail, an absolute miracle of character, perfectly imbibing any standard gin drink with a new level of interest, far beyond the capabilities of the standard fare. A real treat. - $68

Park Gin - One of the newest distilleries in Alberta, Park shows us an expression of our world renowned natural beauty, the Banff National Park. Oily and round, tonally sweet with a soft, silken edge...

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Silky Soultry Stouts - January 13, 2017

Posted on January 29, 2017

Hello beer fans!

Hopefully you’re not tiring of my weekly “what’s new” blog posts. To change it up a bit here is a quick blurb about my recent stout tasting I hosted at the store.

We have just started out our first of four 2017 beer tasting seasons, and my first one is one of my favourites. Silky Sultry stouts has been a January treat for 3 years now, andit sells out each and every time.

18 guests, one host, 7 beers, and wooden boards filled with cheese and meats from our wonderful neighbor’s Peasant Cheese. How can a night like that go wrong!?

Here is the lowdown on the seven tasty, roasty, malty goodies we had on hand for this tasting:



Hey! Porter by Trolley 5: This stout tasting had a pretty intense lineup, so I figured we should start off with something on the relatively slow and mellow side. This light chocolaty porter hit this nail on the head. Not too filling, but with great body and a nice dry finish.(Currently sold out on our growler bar)

La Corriveau by Bilbouquet: Making use of oats to provide a more rich body and pleasant mouthfeel is not uncommon at all in the craft beer world. The decadent body of La Corriveau is made all the more rich by the heavy dark chocolate, molasses, malty notes. The richness meets a dead end though when it hits a moderate roasted grain and hop bitterness (in a good way). ($6.89 for a 500mL bottle)

By Udder Means by To 0L: This is a non-imperial stout made to be big bodied and dense by the addition of lactose. Though not coming across sweet, the lactose adds body and density to a style that demands it! Tons of coffee, milk chocolate and a generous roasted barley character. ($8.79 for a 330mL bottle)

Mocha Marlin by Ballast Point Brewing: A round, English style porter with chocolate and coffee added with a hint of vanilla. Medium dry on the palate, but full flavoured nonetheless. (currently out of stock)

Share This - Coffee by The Bruery: A fresh roasted coffee infused imperial stout like you've never had before. Burnt toffee, dried fruits and plenty of roasted grains combine with a warming coffee note and a dense sweetness to make an incredibly comforting and definitely share-worthy stout.($21.49 for a 750mL bottle)

Saurkirsche by Evil Twin brewing: An Imperial Stout made with sour cherries. A rich and chocolate filled roasty malt bomb. Elevated slightly from the tart cherries this is on the lighter side but still manages to have rich, fruitier tones with a hint of tartness cutting through through the dense stout. ($5.19 for a 330mL bottle)

Tenfidy by Oskar Blues: This titanic, immensely viscous stout is loaded with inimitable flavours of chocolate-covered caramel and coffee and hide a hefty 98 IBUs underneath the smooth blanket of malt. ($26.49 for a 4-pack of cans)

Some of you may ...

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New beers - January 11, 2017

Posted on January 12, 2017

Hey everyone!

After a little timing mix up, I think I'm fully caught up now with these weekly posts, thanks to this super sized one. There is a figurative ton of new beers from the past 2 weeks, with some truly exciting gems along with a special new keg freshly tapped!

Before I get to the new bottles and cans, I just want to let you know that local newcomer Outcast brewing hooked us up with a keg of his latest creation, Alex Ale. A super juicy and intense hop explosion of a pale ale. Aromas of tropical fruits, lightly floral, caramel apples, blood orange and herbs all upon a medium sweet malt body with a hint more caramel and very balanced bitterness. It's open right now on our growler bar, and at $8.50/$16.00 for 1 or 2 Liters, I don't imagine it's going to last too long!

Alright, and now for the rest of it. And away we go!



Nest Sweet Stout by Hitachino: Dark opaque brown, with aroma of vanilla, caramel, roasted malts, chocolate, dry minerals, and light coffee. Flavours of roasted malt, minerals and earth. Medium-bodied, Finishes drier than the name might suggest. ($4.59 for a 330mL bottle)

Pale Death Mosaic IIPA by Double Mountain: A big robust, tropical forward IIPA fermented with Belgian yeast to bring out more fruity notes along with notes of spice. Big malt with a more than noticable bitterness. ($9.69 for a 500mL bottle)

Cluster Single Hop IPA by Double Mountain: This IPA is meant to show off one of the first prevalant US hops. Medium bodied with mild notes of citrus and pine wafting off, then herbal and slightly grassy notes follow. Finished moderately dry with a firm bitterness. ($9.69 for a 500mL bottle)

Saison Brett by les Trois Mousquetaires: A nice and herbal Saison with light citrus notes, and a noticable funk. The beer is fermented with both saison yeast, and Brettanomyces, and the results are very impressive. The malt hides a little behind all the crazy aromatics, but gives a hint of sweetness to round out the beer.($14.59 for a 750mL bottle)

Nectarous dry-hopped sour by Four Winds: Decently tart with huge fruity notes is the name of the game here. A great balance between sweet and tart, with plenty of peach, nectarine and citrus all over. Alberta has waited long enough to get a taste of this superb dry-hopped sour. Nectarous holds the 14th spot in Ratebeer's top 50 Canadian beers, and this is very limited. Please respect a 2 bottle per customer limit. ($10.99 for a 650mL bottle)

La Maison Grisette by Four Winds: A light bodied farmhouse style made with rye and spelt, and fermented with wild yeast. A mildly grainy base with tropical fruity notes wafting off the nose. A crisp and delicious table beer. ($9.19 for a 650mL bottle)

La Corriveau By Brasserie Bilbouquet: Aromas of chocolate, coffee and malt along with sweet molasses. Slightly creamy with a more ...

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