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New beers April 22, 2015

Posted on April 24, 2015

You just know spring is coming when not one of the new beers coming into the shop are stouts or porters (sorry stout fans...). It's about time for some refreshing wheat beers, pales, and since this is Canada, IPAs! You can see the light passing through all of these beers in a glass to some extent, and that is not unlike the groundhog seeing his shadow.

This week's offerings include a new brewery to the province, some local, some not. All of them, however, will scratch that new beer itch.



I beat you IIPA from Mikkeller.
Our favorite gypsy brewer enlists the help of our favorite brew dogs (Scotland's own brew punks) to make this huge American style Imperial IPA that's made with Herkulese, Centennial, Warrior, Amarillo, Simcoe and Columbus hops. Expect crazy citrus and floral notes accompanied by robust caramely malt and big alcohol (9.75%abv). $6.89 for a 350mL bottle.

10 Finger Discount IPA from To0l.
For those who don't know, To 0l are former students of Mikkeller's very own Mikkel Bjergso. They've been showing off what they've learned commercially for about 5 years now. This IPA is a collaboration between them and Siren Brewing out of England. It’s single hopped with Citra hops and aged on Cedar wood. I know that sounds exciting, so it's not a huge surprise that it's one of To 0l's highest rated beers, and it's finally made its way to our fair province! Caramel and bready malt, beautifully piney, spicy and that tell-tale cedar characteristic, delicious. $8.59 for a 350mL bottle.

Argyle Dragon from Alley Kat brewing.
The latest in Alley Kat's dragon IIPA series, the argyle dragon is made with Citra, Centennial, and Cascade hops. A very north American blend for a very north American beer, this gives the piney citrusy notes that we've all come to crave, all on a well balanced malt backbone along with the obligatory bitterness that comes with the style. $6.99 for a 650mL bottle.

Catch 23 from Gigantic brewing.
At least that's what the brewers had to say about this experimental pale ale, made with an experimental "527" hop variety. Light and pale malts give a lightly toasty profile, but leave way for the big tropical hops to come through all over the place. $8.99 for a 650mL bottle

White Bark Wit from Driftwood brewing.
Dry and very drinkable, Driftwood brings a touch of craft to a style that has been popping up in macro-beer taps for the last year or so. Coriander and Curacao orange peel are added to this Belgian wit, adding a lovely spice along with a non-hop bitterness. Don't get me wrong though, this is not a bitter beer. It's the citrus and wheat that really give this beer it's refreshing quality. Spring is here! $6.29 for a 650mL bottle.

Fresh Roast from Rogue brewing.
Rogue brewing takes fresh ingredients to the next level with this brown ale. They take their very ow...

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50 Shades of Pinot tasting, April 17, 2015

Posted on May 14, 2015

APRIL 17, 2015
Eric Southward
Another great night of wine at The Kensington Wine Market.  Sorry to all of those who were expecting leather whips and racy language.  Luckily, the room was full of fans of wine from the Pinot family of grapes.  The night started out on the right foot as the Dumangin Brut Champagne 1er Cru “La Grande Reserve” was showing incredibly well out of magnum.  And the night seemed to climax – see what I did there?! – with the absolutely stunning Dumol Pinot Noir “Finn.”  From the cool region of the Sonoma Coast, the wine was explosive, loaded with… everything.  It had everything.  What a wine.  It was the overwhelming winner of the night as voted by the group.  A lovely Pinot Blanc from the Pfalz region in German by Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan took home the silver medal, and the Dumangin was voted the third favourite of the night.

Thank you for everyone who attended – you made the night special.  Here are some notes on what was tasted.  Cheers.


NV Dumangin Brut Champagne 1er Cru "La Grande Reserve" 1.5L (Champagne, France) - $109.  "Light-weight and graceful, showing floral, apple and lemon notes that stay lively and persistent courtesy of its bright structure. The supple texture holds it all together. 4,000 cases made."  - Wine Spectator.

2013 Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan Weisser Burgunder (Pfalz, Germany) - $29.  Another name for Weiss Burgunder is Pinot Blanc.  You need to drink more Pinot Blanc.  It's such an underappreciated grape variety that is a great value alternative to varieties like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris (Grigio), or unoaked Chardonnay.  This wine from a German region known for its dryer wines is loaded with yellow apple, mineral and pear skin flavours.  Refreshing, intense, and finishes long.
2013 Casa Girelli Pinot Grigio “La Borgata” (Veneto, Italy) - $18.  This is a great value patio crusher.  Nice, approachable flavours of green apple and pear.  Really nice before a meal with appies, and fantastic with anything lighter.

2012 Domaine Weinbach Pinot Gris “Cuvee Ste Catherine” (Alsace, France) - $78.  Biodynamic.  This is a wine for people who love rich, decadent and low acid wines.  This is loaded with flavours of peaches, honey and peanuts.

2012 Barra Pinot Noir Rosé (Mendocino County, USA) - $20.  Organic.  A rich and savoury rosé that really did well with the meats and cheeses that were provided by the Peasant Cheese Company.

2011 Anam Cara Pinot Noir “Vineyard Selectionââ‚...

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Crude Awakening tasting - April 14, 2015

Posted on April 20, 2015

The outlook for oil  may look gloomy, but there’s a huge upside when it comes to buying well priced wine. At our first Crude Awakening tasting we discovered that excellent quality in wine can come for a fraction of the cost, if you know what to look for. There is a set view that cheap means crappy and well-made equates to expensive (all depending on your threshold). It may come as a surprise that there are many expensive wines that are not well-made and many inexpensive wines that are very well made. There is a big difference and that’s precisely what we explored at the tasting on Tuesday.



We started with Domaine des Aubuisieres Organic Brut. Sparkling vouvray wines are highly prized world-wide and this one was made by the méthode champenoise, or “traditional method”. Traditional method is used for the production of Champagne (and is more expensive), so this lovely boutique sparkling wine is as close as one can get to Champagne without actually paying Champagne prices.‎ $24.99

Our very own Reschke BOS 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon was a roaring success as the favourite of the night. Coonarwara is known for producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. The region’s terra rossa soils and maritime climate make for perfect growing conditions. The Reschke is beautifully aged and drinking at it’s peak. At $39, it's no wonder that everyone wanted a bottle!

A close second was the Umberto Cesari Riserva Sangiovese. An absolute show-stopper! Umberto Cesari is considered one of Romagna's finest wine producers. If you’re used to paying Chianti Classico or Brunello prices, this full and dark Riserva Sangiovese is exceptional, and is available for only $27.99!

To finish the evening, we were treated to the 2011 Roumieu Sauternes (80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc). Time and again, buyers willing to spend the high prices commanded by Sauternes find it to be the best in the world for what it is. This may not be Chateau d’Yquem, but it is a great alternative. The best part is it’s only $22.99. The Roumeiu married perfectly with the Bleu d'Élizabeth semi-soft blue cheese from Peasant Cheese Shop (right next door) and the next time you’re entertaining, try pouring some for dessert!

Below you will find the list of the entire line up and a huge thank-you to everyone that came!

Do you feel like you missed out? June 2, 2015 is your second chance to join us as we try to separate the diamonds from the rough while saving you money!

Domaine des Aubuisieres Organic Brut NV $24.99
Chateau Marjosse Blanc 2011 $25.99
Barra of Mendocino Organic Pinot Noir 2011 $26.99
Lamadrid Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2010 $20.99
Umberto Cesari Sangio...

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New beers April 15th, 2015

Posted on April 17, 2015

Here we go again! Yet another week with a generous beer delivery, this one with some very special treats! This week we brought in the rest of the Boulevard beers along with restocking the Tank 7 (which was a favorite last week). On top of that some old favorites from Lagunitas and the long anticipated Driftwood beers! Now, without further ado:

Bourbon Barrel Quad by Boulevard Brewing.
This sought after release is a massive abbey-style quad that is put in several bourbon barrels to age for up to 3 years (some barrels don't age quite as long), and cherries are then added to make up for lost volume.  Huge vanilla and toffee notes come through the crazy bourbon characteristics with just a hint of cherry coming through. Treat yourself before it's gone.  Try it or age it for longer!) $20.69 for a 750mL bottle.

Harvest Dance by Boulevard Brewing.
This 9.2%abv wheat heavy ale is aged on both French and American oak. The addition of North American hops help give this beer tropical and citrusy notes on top of the mild oaky spice. The partial oxidation imparts a mild wine-like note that help round it all out. $16.29 for a 750mL bottle

Gnarly Wine by Lagunitas Brewing.
It takes about a month of brewing and conditioning for this beautiful American barley wine to finally be bottled, but boy is it worth the wait! This is the first time we've seen this release in about 5 years, and I couldn't be happier to see it again! The first sip was like hugging an old friend. The huge amount of piney and resinous hops on the nose remind you of where this comes from and nearly fools you into thinking it's an IPA. On the palate, however, you'll find that intense toffee and caramel with rich dried fruit sugars that you'd expect with a barley wine, though even all this is decorated heavily with candied citrus peel and all sorts of hoppy oils. $7.79 for a 650mL bottle.

Undercover Investigation Shutdown Ale by Lagunitas Brewing.
This American strong ale is brewed in remembrance of some particular (the Feds were looking for contraband!) events that occurred in 2005.  Heavy aromas of citrus and tropical fruits give way to toffee and softer fruit notes. The sweet malts hide the 9.3%abv very well, and give off more toffee, along with deeply caramelized sugars and a pronounced bitterness that lingers with an oily resinous feel. $22.99 for a 6-pack of bottles.

Allegro Coffee Porter by Rogue Brewing.
A full (but not heavy) bodied porter made with a local coffee that was brewed for Whole Foods, but recently released in Calgary. The mild chocolaty and roasted malt is met in full force with sharp, slightly acidic coffee notes that help balance out the sweetness and make for a very smooth beer. $9.59 for a 650mL bottle.

Smoke Boss by Dandy Brewing.
This is a local take on a classic German style. The malts are smoked over Beech wood and ...

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Best in the West tasting - April 2, 2015

Posted on April 15, 2015

Albertans are still seeing a huge influx of craft beer from all over the world enter the market, with no signs of slowing down. The craft brewing industry has taken the world by storm in both industry and culture. With so much sheer brewing talent out there, and so much of it making its way into the province, how do we possibly try them all?  You could pick a style and just try a bunch of products, or you could choose by country to see how each style varies from region to region. There really isn't a wrong way, you just need to expose yourself to all of the styles, old and new, and immerse yourself in the positive, welcoming and very social culture of craft beers.

Tonight I had 18 wonderful people join me in tasting some of the best beers in our market from one of the busiest and most talent filled regions for brewing: the west coast! The styles ranged from light and crisp, to dark and complex, and everything was complimented by some amazing cheeses and charcuterie from our friends and neighbors at Peasant Cheese Company. A few of the beers are rarities that may not be in the province for long, but some have found a loving home and a permanent spot on our shelves. Here's a little more information on what we tasted why they are so superb.



Gramarye Pale Ale by Heretic Brewing.
One of the hottest style trends of the past year and a half has its newest participant. While most breweries are focusing on making the so-called ISA, a few others know what makes a real session ale. It's not all about the hops, the malt is oh so important in making a light, and balanced beer! Not only has Heretic made a thirst quenching and well balanced session pale ale, but with the addition of rye into the mash bill, and moderate but specifically selected hops, they made one of the most balanced, mildly spicy and fruity session ales this beer geek has ever had! ($7.99 for a 650mL bottle)

Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale by Lagunitas Brewing.
Not everyone knows that Kensington Wine Market was the first store in Alberta to carry Lagunitas' beers back in 2001. The beers of one of the top 3 craft breweries (in terms of growth) in the whole US was exclusive to us back then! Sorry, I always get a little giddy when I think about that. Anyways, I'm sure most of you know Lagunitas' modus operandi right? Big beers, big malt, and big hops (mostly). Here we have their main variant on their Little Sumpin' line. Tons of citrus and piney notes are laced throughout the robust sweet malts and mild wheatiness. The malt, hops and alcohol work harmoniously together, showing that big beers can be balanced too! ($22.99 for a 6-pack of bottles)

Enjoy By 04.20.15 by Stone Brewing.
Simply a powerhouse from the brewing titans of Escondido California! The "Enjoy By" series was brewed not to last. They've utilized a number of relatively new hopping techniques that pump the beer just full of super flavo...

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