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Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada April 2014 Outturn

Posted on April 8, 2014

Another month, another slew of incredible single cask whiskies from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada. We're so excited about this month's lineup we're literally bounding!



There were some stunning entrants at the tasting Thursday April 3, but to my mind the 77.28  and 46.21 stole the show. 77.28 may be one of the finest SMWS bottlings we've ever had come through the doors at KWM. Here is the April Outturn:

9.73: Frighteningly easy to drink - 57% - 16 Year - Refill Barrel - Speyside - Outtun: 325 Bottles - Panel's Tasting Note: "For some, the nose indicated leather books on polished oak tables and, somehow connected with that, tobacco, white pepper and Murray mints; most of us found fresh, fruity sweetness (Bounty Bars, apricot Danish, Twizzle lollies, sherbet). The palate was a beautiful mix of dark chocolate, glacé cherries and dates with tingling lemon and tonic, spicy chilli, leather and wood – intense flavours yet mellow at the same time. Water brought a complete afternoon tea to the nose (marshmallows, fruit scones, clotted cream, Garibaldi’s and Jammy Dodgers). The palate developed lemon French Fancies and flapjacks – frighteningly easy to drink.From Rothes’ first distillery." Drinking Tip: "At a summer garden tea party - or in a bookshop." - $149.99
7.93: A complex cornucopia - 57.6% - 11 Year - Refill Barrel - Speyside - Outturn: 246 Bottles - Panel's Tasting Note: "The nose held almost everything – lemonade, sherbet, cake mix,buttery flapjacks, pink wafers, chocolate bourbons, light tobacco,leather satchels, honey, golden syrup, Deep Heat, root ginger, dunnage warehouses and forests after rain. The palate started sweet(chocolate chip cookies, sweetie cigarettes) before developing heat(rich Jamaican ginger cake, chilli) finally lemon-scented air freshener and light woodiness. The reduced nose evoked an old-fashioned Steamie, with linens hung up; then delicate suggestions of iced lemon cakes and buttercup meadows and the inside of a new shoe.The palate now developed Fry’s Chocolate Cream and almond fingers.The distillery is next to Benriach." Drinking Tip: "A reward for reaching the end of wash day,surviving the rain or breaking in new shoes?" - $120.99
77.28: Tropical nights - 54.9% - 25 Year - New Charred Oak 2nd Fill Hogshead - Northern Highlands - Outturn: 236 Bottles - Panel's Tasting Note: "Candlewax and scented wood – sandalwood, cedar wood – in the foreground and an exotic fruity/floral complex behind – mango and papaya, toasted pineapple, bougainvillea, moon flowers. We were reminded of dining under candlelight in a tropical garden,especially when dark chocolate, marzipan and strong Arab coffee (with cardamom seeds) began to emerge. At natural strength the texture is distinctly waxy, ...

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Lisa's Italian Adventure, Day 2, April 4 Verona Italy

Posted on April 7, 2014

How exciting! I slept well and late. Lazy morning.  I dragged myself to breakfast just before cut off @ 11 am. Espressos x 3, a little piece of bread, eggs and bacon and off I go to the city.

Cathedral Verona is where I have decided to start. I was amazed at how few tourists there are and am thankful for the peaceful space. It was the perfect start to the day’s adventure. I wanted to go with the flow and see where I ended up.



http://www.cattedralediverona.it/allegati%20visita/lingue/Duomo_ING.pdf

I was amazed at the simplicity of the front entrance and was certain I was not in the right place. I paid my nominal fee and walked in. There was a group sitting in the Centre of the pews and then all of a sudden they started to sing. Everyone stopped in their tracks. I have no idea if that was a regular occurrence or not. They sang 3 songs and then quietly left the building. We all wanted to clap and cheer however my Old Catholic self kicked in. I sat in awe and shed a tear for the randomness of the act. I ended up spending 3 hours!



There lies comfort in a church with such beauty. It is best to stick with what I know.  The art speaks for itself and makes me want to paint.  Dance I can master, I fear there is no hope for visual arts.

The rest of the day I get lost in the streets. Every corner had beauty surrounding itself. I stumbled over a wine store. My church! I asked how long they have been there, not long, 15 years.  Imagine, that's a long time in our world.

The walls were swallowed by wine and spirits, mostly local, floor to 20 feet ceilings. It looked to be an estimate of 20 x20 feet.  Talk about utilizing your space! I splurged. The older man assisting me gave me no option.

I picked up 2005 valpolicella superiore ,2008 IGT from Guiseppe Quintarelli. I thought a rose prosecco to celebrate with the other guests arriving in a day or so.



Back to hotel, I thought I would chance dinner in the restaurant.  What a pleasant surprise! There were 3 other tables in a huge room. Wine splayed throughout the space, obviously preparing for the rush of Vinitaly guests. The best part, my meal was superior to any meal I have had in a chain hotel:

Grilled vegetables splashed with local olive oil and goat cheese paired with Custoza by a small local winery.
Beef carpaccio with Valpolicella from Masi
And to finish, the best gnocchi I have ever had! I now comprehend what those people mean by, " the pillow " effect. It had a hint of fresh tomato sauce paired with Bardolino.

Now I am wide awake at 1:30 am excited for my adventures tomorrow.  I will have to walk this off tomorrow.

Ciao

 ...

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Lisa's Italian Adventure, Day 1, April 3 Verona Italy

Posted on April 5, 2014


Verona Italy! Where Shakespeare’s star crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliette, played out their tragic end.

Verona, once part of the great Venetian Empire and where Soave, Valpolicella and Bardolino are the vineyard stars.

My trip, organized in secret by Nancy Carten, owner of KWM, is being sponsored by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada –West. The trip is in conjunction with Vinitaly  http://www.vinitaly.com/EN , a large and equally famous wine show based in Verona.  After a long flight I arrived at 6:30 pm, tired tainted, hungry and thrown off -center with the time change. But, ready and eager to taste wine!

I arrived a few days early to learn the ropes, get acclimatized and to generally discover the area.

My hotel is just outside of Verona in the small town of  Bussolengo, and it stands tall and very slick behind the backdrop of 2 much older buildings.  I am happy to unload my heavy, over packed, luggage in my room. (Why do we all over pack??) What next?

My view is enticing: 4 church steeples (a good start) and the snowy peaks of the Alps in the distance. Big Sigh! I know I am in Italy.

First things first, food and wine! I pass a little pizza place, fresh ingredients, clean, a mental note to  check it out.

A few doors down the street I see what looks like a new sign, Fucina... www.ristorantefucina.it.  It’s  hard to see inside but it smells very promising. The menu looks good, fresh pizza; people are hanging out, another good sign.

Still not convinced, I keep walking.  Just at the end of the block I stumble onto a grocery store. I’m on a mission, but this is not looking promising. Very basic, local, branded products. But, there’s wine and beer and water; I have the essentials!  I’m sold. I load up, grab a few random varietal wines and start looking for meat and cheese.

Just as I turn the corner (my eyes lit up and my energy is lifted....  I even think I’m drooling) I find my morning stomping ground for the week!  A fresh deli/ bakery. The bread is almost sold out for the day, so I make a note to get there earlier tomorrow.

I grab a tellegio, tasting young and fresh, not quite its stinky aged self, piave , beautiful texture and looking alive, a caciotta and a few slices of melt in your mouth bresaola.

Oh so happy, back to my room. No knife, no plate, no wine glass. It doesn’t matter. Thank goodness I brought my Laguiole corkscrew; it has a healthy sharp knife that cuts effortlessly into the cheese. It also opened that bottle of Valpolicella Superiore , Duca Del Frassino 2012 (turns out they introduced the boxed wine concept). The wine was enjoyable an...

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Spring Beers Tasting - Thursday March 27

Posted on March 28, 2014

With spring in the air (at least metaphorically) and the season changing, it's to to turn our focus to refreshing spring beers. We opened a selection of beers ranging from Lagers and Belgian style ales to IPAs and an oak aged stout. Our resident Nuclear Physicist and Beer Expert Marty Rozon lead our guests through the following lineup:



Rogue Keels Irish Style Lager - A European style pilsner brewed with Great Western 2-row and French Carapilsner malt, Sterling Hops and Czech pilsner yeast. - $8.49/650ml
Moa Reserve Blanc Evolution - A Belgian style white beer, bottle refermented with a small amount of coriander added during maturation. - $6.79/375ml
Alameda Klickitat Pale Ale - An amber coloured brew with a perfect balance of caramel malt and spicy hop flavours. Munich malt lends a rich mouth feel, while generous amounts of northwest hops complete the balance. - $8.09/650ml
Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Pretzel, Raspberry & Chocolate - The third edition of the Voodoo series is a brown ale with big notes of chocolate and raspberry on both the nose and palate. It is biscuity with notes of salty pretzel on the finish. - $13.99/650ml
Muskoka Detour Session IPA - The relatively low alcohol make this a great session beer, while the big hop flavours give it a fresh aroma and a clean finish. - $15.49/6 Pack
The Bruery Tart of Darkness - This stout is aged in barrels with wild yeasts to add layers and depth. Reasonably low alcohol at 5%, it is fruity with some tart flavours. - $22.66/750ml

The Evening's Top 2 Beers:


Muskoka Detour Session IPA
Moa Reserve Blanc Evolution

Our spring tasting schedule, which will be chalk full of beer, wine and whisky events is due on April 1st! Stay tuned......

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Ancient Malts at Kensington Wine Market

Posted on March 25, 2014

Over two nights, March 20 and March 21 2014 we put on two Ancient Malts whisky tastings at Kensington Wine Market. Our Ancient Malts tastings typically involve a marquee bottle, and a range of complimentary whiskies at least 30 years of age. This time around the Glendronach 1968 Recherche ($4,799.99), at 44 years, the oldest bottle of Glendronach ever released held the honour as the events marquee bottling. It was complimented by a blended Scotch and six single malts between 30 and 42 years of age.



At both tastings the whiskies were sampled blind, with the exception of the Glendronach Recherche. As the pour size on it was slightly smaller, and because this was the whisky people had come to taste, we felt it was important that it was declared. The whiskies were all tasted blind, here are my tasting notes:



Duncan Taylor Black Bull 40 Year Batch 3 - 41.6% - 85.6% Malt/14.4% Grain - Andrew's Tasting Note: "Nose: toasty, creamy and tropical with some soft floral malt; melons and citrus with ripe pineapple and sugary hints; silky smooth little if any trace of grain; Palate: soft, toasty and floral with growing sweet spice and top notes of soft decadent grain; more pineapple and melon with some white fruits, crisp citrus and waves of candied spices; the oak starts to show its age, but is kept largely in check, loads of vanilla, some honey and lots of fruit; Finish: light, clean, toasty and faintly floral with fading soft spice, sugars and fruits. - $302.99
Glenglassaugh 1972 KWM Cask - 42.6% - 39 Year - Ex Sherry - Andrew's Tasting Note: "Nose: heavenly, silky and fruity; molten brown sugar, candied fruits, toffee cake, Demerara rum and candied orange; hints of melons, mangoes, coffee and chocolate too; Palate: sweet, sugary and spicy with more Demerara rum, molten brown sugar and an assortment of festive spices: ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon and fennel; there are elements of chocolate covered coffee beans, candied orange and treacle sauce too; layers of fruit are present too with some tart orange peel, more melon and unripe mangoes; Finish: exceptionally smooth, rich, spicy and sweet with soft fading oak, lingering spices and more Demerara rum; melons and tropical fruits come out with a flourish of Dolce Leche at the end." - $699.99
Wilson & Morgan Glenturret 35 Year - 48.5% - Distilled 1977 - Bottled 2012 - Andrew's Tasting Note: "Nose: creamy, honeyed and very nutty; caramel sauce, overripe oranges, melons, burnt raisins and brown sugar; the body of the nose feels big, doughy and chewy with banana cream pie; Palate: very big and toasty with flambeed bananas, Demerara, more nuts and some tingling spice;  notes of orange peel and juicy melons slowly emerge with more soft caramel and vanilla cream; becomes progressively spicier with hot ginger and cinnamon and toastier too; Finish: long, creamy and toasty with fading fruits and spice; the whisky dries...

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