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New beers July 17, 2015

Posted on July 17, 2015

Shawn Young
Friday July 17, 2015
Greetings! I hope you all were able to avoid the $9 Buds at the Stampede this year! Luckily I dogged this bullet, though I also missed the Stampede altogether. Not such a big deal as it's been a bit of a grey and moist week anyways right? It’s cold enough that I've been reaching for some of the darker beers like one of the few Prairie Bomb! I have stashed away (has anyone opened one lately? Drinking fantastically!). I've definitely been keeping myself warm with that and maybe a dram or two.

Anyway, there were a few new things to get excited about this week and a few at the end of my list that are particularly special to my heart. Read on!



Mellow Moon Pineapple Hefeweizen
Kelowna's finest comes in with a refreshing fruit Hefeweizen that screams tropical citrusy goodness. The pineapple mingles oh so well with the banana esters and mild spice. Floral and citrusy hops let you know that this came from an north American brewery. ($14.69 for a 6 pack of bottles)

Go Big or go Homebrew by Toolshed Brewing
Local brew stars, Tool Shed, brew the recipe of a fellow brewing enthusiast and award winner, Chris Nowlan. This ESB is a malt wonderland with biscuity, caramel, profile and with noble hops backing it up; not overwhelming it at all. Great balance and very quaffable! ($18.49 for a 6pack of cans)

Hef Nelson by Wild Rose brewing
The second Hefeweizen to hit the shelves this week, and this time with a southern hemisphere kick! Calgary's most mature craft brewers took this classic style and modernized it with Nelson Sauvin hops (originating from New Zealand!). Nelson's white grape/wine and tropical fruit characteristics bring this style straight out of Germany and right into the tropics! ($9.09 for a 650mL bottle)

Horal Geuze Megablend 2015
I hope you are already initiated into the Brett brotherhood, but if you aren't then I suggest you come and ask me which Lambic is right for you. Ok, so maybe I made that brotherhood thing up, but there really should be one right? Then again, I guess that's kind of what Horal is. The High Council for Artisanal Lambik style beers is indeed such a brotherhood! They are a council of traditional lambic brewers who exist to protect and promote the brewing tradition. The megablend is put together with lambic from the members and by the members and released every 2 years. The 2015 edition is exceptional and is not expected to last very long. ($24.49 for a 750mL bottle)

Oude Geuze Vieille By Oud Beersel
If consumed right away this light, crisp and lightly funky geuze is a great introduction to the style. Though to be honest, it’s still on the young side and could stand a little time in a loving cellar.... YOUR loving cellar! If tasting notes including “funk, horse blanket, and sweat sock” sound great to you, then this bot...

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Now Taking Pre-Orders for the Kensington Wine Market 2015 Whisky Advent Calendar

Posted on July 17, 2015


Kensington Wine Market's Whisky Advent Calendar is back! Last year's calendar, our second and the first one we produced entirely in house, was a huge hit. It sold out  before it hit the shelves. This year's is even better.  It still includes 24 x 50ml whiskies and a custom Glencarin whisky glass. But, that is not all! We are offering an even wider range of whiskies and we are also including an extra 25th bottle. As a special treat for Christmas morning, there will be a 100ml Scotch Malt Whisky Society single cask bottling. This is a rare treat indeed, and usually only available to Society members. All of this year's whiskies are different from 2014 and we are really excited about the range. There are 23 single malts from Scotland, Ireland, India and Taiwan, as well as a boutique blend and a boutique blended malt. Whether it is for yourself or to give as a gift, we know it won't disappoint. Don't hesitate! This one is sure to sell out fast, and the price goes up September 15!



You can pre-order the 2015 Kensington Wine Market Advent Calendar online, by phone 403-283-8000 or in store. A $150 deposit will be taken for each calendar requested at the beginning of August. The calendars will be available at the "early bird price" of $375. until September 15th. After September 15th the Calendar's price will go up to $400. The calendars should be ready for pickup before the end of October.

The image shown is a sample of what the final product may look like!...

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New beers July 8, 2015

Posted on July 11, 2015

Shawn Young
July 8, 2015

So, I know you may have missed me seeing and hearing from me as there wasn't an update last week, but I was on my way out of town for a super awesome beer tasting in Vancouver with our in-house spirit expert, Hunter. We were invited to a BBQ/blind beer tasting in Vancouver by some fellow beer lovers, and we couldn't pass up the chance to try some amazing brews with some great people! Of course, being in Vancouver I had to take that opportunity to check out some of the local breweries and this included: Brassneck, Strange Fellows, Four Winds, Yellowdog, Steel and Oak, as well as some other favorite nosh spots: L'abattoire for some of the best veal sweetbreads I've ever had, the Pourhouse for -hands down- the best cocktails and  best lounge experience ever! This was quite the west boast beer vacation; drop by and ask me about the details and my pics!
Good excuse right?! To make up for it, I made a nice long post here... however that means there is a bunch of reading, but it's all good, I promise!




Last week's arrivals are as follows:


Apricotopus Sour Saison with apricots by Parallel 49 Brewing.
This mildly sour, funky saison has a moderate but pronounced fruit character from the added apricots. Along with straw like character and a light to medium body, this is an exceptionally quenching and super refreshing saison from one of Vancouver's finest. ($5.79 for a 650mL bottle)


Eye Be Use IIPA from Spiderbite Brewing.
About as west coast IIPA-y as you can get, with huge grapefruit/orange zest in these huge aromatics. Not-quite-full body with a lively carbonation and generous caramelized sugars. ($13.19 for a 650mL bottle)


De Achste Hond Peach Sour by Laughing Dog Brewing.
Like a lot of fruit sours, the fruit (peach) is definitely a defining characteristic on both the nose and the palate here. Lightly sour, and a bit of sweetness round out the fruit wonderfully, and all of it is accented with the oak of the wine barrel.  Our first sour from this Idaho brewery, and definitely worth trying, and possibly aging for just a wee bit of time! ($9.59 for a 650mL bottle)


Moo Drool by Big Sky brewing.
Big Sky had to rename and re-label this just to bring it into Canada (because of legal conflicts with a brewery with a similar product name). Toasted grain and roasted nut aromas. Huge deep caramel and dense roasty malts, along with a hint of smoke make the palate on this truly special. ($3.69 for a 350mL bottle)


Denison's Weissbier by Denison's brewing.
Denison's true to style German Weissbier is a fantastic Canadian take on one of the most recognizable beer styles in the world. Huge carbonation, large head, citrus and banana, and just so much wheaty character. This one specifically is an absolute steal as well! ($2.49 fo...

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Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada July 2015 Outturn

Posted on July 5, 2015



The warm weather and Stampede Spirit did not deter our members from this month's release of six single cask, cask strength, Scotch whiskies. Anyone who's attended one of these tastings knows, we always pour 7, so we introduced another single malt featured at the Kensington Wine Market Spring Single Malt Festival to round out the lineup. Here is the Scotch Malt Whisky Society's July Outturn:



123.10: Sweet treats on deck - 57.6% - 9 Year - First Fill Barrel - Highlands -Flavour Profile: Sweet treats on deck - Outturn: 238 Bottles - Panel's Tasting Note: "The panel were whisked into a flurry of fresh linen on board a freshly varnished yacht. They found sliced pear with angelica, vanilla ice cream and wafers. The taste delivered flavours of continental bakeries heavy with butter icing, French fancies, amaretto biscotti, iced gems, butterscotch and honey. Water released elderflower cordial, lemon and lime jelly sweets while reclining on warm, newly polished decking with elements of burlap rope. It had a fizzy quality that reminded the panel of champagne tea with bread and butter pudding, chocolate truffles. Kick back and relax!" Drinking Tip:  "A good holiday dram" - $119.99
35.114: A Southern gentleman - 58.9% - 19 Year - First Fill Toasted Oak Hogshead - Speyside - Flavour Profile: Spicy & sweet - Outturn: 241 bottles - Panel's Tasting Note: "Mild nosefeel and quite closed to start, then presents ‘a box of After Eight mints’ with a shake of white pepper. Soon there is a scent of Rye whiskey - coconut oil and linseed oil: oak lactones (for those who know!). The taste at full strength mirrors this: smooth, oaky, sweet and spicy in the finish – “bourbonesque’. It drinks well straight. Water advances the coconut theme – macaroons, toasted coconut, even Bounty Bar, but still with linseed oil and peppery wood spices. Soft and sweet and easy to drink; toasted marshmallows, warming syrup sponge. Much influenced by the American oak cask, but elegant: a southern gentleman in a white suit – and the initial mintiness even recalls mint juleps at the Kentucky Derby!" Drinking Tip: "At sunrise, in paradise" - $188.99
121.74: A box of chocolates - 55.7% - 14 Year - Refill Hogshead - Highland Island - Flavour Profile: Juicy, oak & vanilla -Outturn: 315 bottles - Panel's Tasting Note: "Sweet caramel on the nose – Tunnock’s Caramel Wafers to be exact – then Newberry Fruits (sugar-covered fruit jellies with runny centres), then a host of other fruity scents – mango, light orange, raspberry, apricot. The first taste matches some of this – ‘mango cream fondant chocolate’; ‘Thornton’s Summer Fruit Chocolates’ – but there is also a tropical spiciness like mango chutney with a dash of chili. With water the nose folds into emulsion paint for a moment b...

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Canada Day Whiskey tasting - June 25, 2015

Posted on July 1, 2015

June 25, 2015
Shawn Young
There is no better way I can celebrate Canada day than sipping on Canadian whiskey with friends. Of course being a beer guy, beer might be one of those “other” better ways, but our Canada Day Beer Tasting isn't until Tuesday so just forget about that! The Canadian Whiskey tasting was a fun and intimate tasting, with some really great people. We talked whiskey, sipped whiskey, and ate some tasty snacks. Can you think of a better way to start your night? I think not (again, forget about that whole beer thing... for another day or two).

I chose the evening's lineup attempting to highlight value as well as quality and considering Canadian whiskey, I had too many choices! We have so many good values, I found myself juggling choices before settling on the following:



Alberta Premium Rye

It can't get much more Albertan right? I mean it's right there in the name... and it's premium! All joking aside though, this is one of the few Canadian whiskeys made with 100% rye (and one of three we tasted tonight), and the depth of the grain is certainly present in this super affordable spirit. Aromas of citrus zest and nuts give way to more fruit notes, spice, and a sweet grain tones. ($24.99)

Crown Royal Monarch

A wonderful release in honor of the 75th anniversary of the brand. The age of the whiskey is not given, but at least a portion of it was distilled in Crown Royal's one of a kind (in North America) Coffey still. A fair amount more spice than the flagship CR, and a much richer palate, with rye bread and a good amount of oak on the nose. The palate boasts caramelized sugars, barrel char, and more oaky spice, with a bit more breadiness. ($69.99)

Alberta Premium Dark Horse

This is a whiskey that pushes the legal boundaries of "Canadian whiskey" with 10% bourbon and 1% Oloroso sherry added for depth and richness. Don't let that scare you away though, the result turned out to be a real favorite for cocktail bartenders and sippers alike. The whiskey has a moderate sweetness, and a soft texture along with flavors of dried fruits, and dry spices such as anise and nutmeg. ($32.99)

40 Creek Confederation Oak Reserve

About as Canadian as it gets! This is a marriage of corn, rye, and barley spirits, aged separately in ex bourbon oak then married in Canadian white oak for finishing. Delicate and nutty with vanilla and caramel aromas, and creamy, nutty flavors with char, pepper. ($65.99)

Wiser's Red Letter Day

A tribute whiskey to J.P. Wiser, this whiskey is at least 10 years old and was matured in bourbon oak, finished in virgin American oak, and it's one of the few Canadian whiskeys that is not chill filtered. Aromas of vanilla, corn sugars, new oak, and spice come out of the glass. The palate is a little on the sweet side, with cinnamon, nu...

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