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Kensington Wine Market is a Partner in Bowmore on the Rockies Nov 1st - 3rd!

Posted on August 16, 2013

November 1st – 3rd 2013 – Banff Alberta - $1450+GSTpp

This event won’t come as a complete surprise to everyone. I’ve been bouncing ideas off the wall for years and just a few weeks ago one finally stuck. When Bowmore launched the Black Bowmore 1964 42 Year about 4 years ago, they indicated they would be following it with White and Gold expressions. The Black was stunning; we poured it at two separate tastings, and sold close to 30 bottles of the stuff. The White was sampled in the No. 1 vaults at Bowmore and the Gold opened for a KWM event didn’t disappoint either. All the while I had a vision to put on an Epic once in a lifetime tasting of the trilogy that would draw people to it from across Canada and around the world. A sit down in store tasting or whisky dinner wouldn’t do, this range of whiskies is worth nearly $40,000.00 at auction, this would have to be a weekend extravaganza.

For about the last 2 ½ years ideas have been batted around with the good people at Bowmore and their local representatives at Lifford. Whiskies were horded and what was initially just a Trilogy tasting turned into a Trilogy +2. In the wake of the 1964 Trilogy, Bowmore released the 1964 Fino, so we set one of those aside. Around that time I managed to put my hands on one of the original Black Bowmores, the 1995 bottling. Well the time has come; these whiskies aren’t going to sit idle any longer, we’re going to open them all at a never to be repeated event November 1st and 2nd 2013.

Bowmore on the Rockies will be held in Alberta’s scenic resort town of Banff Friday November 1st and Saturday the 2nd 2013, hosted by myself along with Jamie MacKenzie (Director of Sales the Americas) and Iain Macallum (Master of Malt) of Morrison Bowmore. The price for the weekend includes 2 nights of accommodation at the Rimrock Hotel, 4 tastings, 2 dinners, a breakfast, lunch and tickets to the Banff Film Festival. A Bowmore Dinner will be held on the Friday night at a prestigious restaurant in Banff, followed by VIP seating at a dueling pianos bar. Saturday will feature Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch tastings, tickets to some Banff Film Festival screenings and the climactic Bowmore Trilogy +2 Dinner at the Rimrock. This once in a lifetime tasting is limited to just 26 participants.


Bowmore on the Rockies Nov 1-3 2013 – $1350 +GST
(for a single occupant for a standard room)

Includes:

2 nights accommodation at the Rimrock Hotel in Banff
2 breakfasts
2 dinners
1 lunch
4 tastings including the climactic sampling of the Bowmore 1964 Trilogy + 2
Bowmore Black 1964 21 Year (1995 bottling)
Bowmore Gold 1964 44 Year
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Introducing Sexual Chocolate - Our Latest Exclusive Wine

Posted on August 2, 2013



Our latest exclusive wine is just a little bit titillating. "Made in Napa, Sexual Chocolate is a true California wine, blending old vine Zinfandel from Napa with northern California Syrah and Petite Sirah. The Zinfandel presents a rich, warm feel that could be confused with biting into a chocolate covered cherry, while the Syrah adds a finish that does not linger after the party is over. The Petite is blended perfectly to display aromatics of magic and love. Sexual Chocolate pairs well with late nights, friends, and a second bottle of Sexual Chocolate." $34.99 / bottle

The producers are a little tongue and cheek, here are a couple of You Tube Videos they've put together to promote their product. Be forewarned, the content is mature!


SLO Down Wines: Threesomes

SLO Down Wines: Equestrianism


SLO Down Wines: Horticulture

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The Last Samurai Japanese Single Malt Tasting Part I

Posted on August 2, 2013

Last week an intrepid group of whisky tasters joined me at the Kensington Wine Market to sample through a range of very rare, and some old, Japanese whiskies. While sampling the whiskies participants were treated to some photos from my recent whisky tour of Japan. It was a great evening, with an incredible range of whiskies.

In the weeks leading up to the tasitng, while sorting photos and deciding which whiskies to pour it became quickly apparent that we were going to need more than one tasting to do Japanese whisky justice. To that end I have scheduled a second Japanese whisky tasting for Thursday August 8th to feature some other new, interesting and rare Japanese whiskies, as well as the best photos from the other half of my trip. More info on the Last Samurai Part 2 can be found at the bottom of the post.

By way of tempting you to come out to the second tasting, here are my notes on the seven Japaneses whiskies sampled on July 25th. Three of the whiskies are from the now closed Karuizawa distillery and the other four are single casks from the Nikka Whisky Co. The Karuizawa's range from the $110 Asama to a 1969 vintage 42 year old single cask which retails for nearly $1200. The Nikka's included single casks of Yoichi (1989), Miyagikyo (2002) as well as two whiskies distilled in Coffey stills: one from malted barley and the other grain. It was a very good lineup! Tasted in the following order:

Karuizawa Asama -46% - 12 Year – Ex-Sherry European Oak – The name Asama comes from the active volcanic mountain in who’s shadows the distillery is built. – My Tasting Note: Nose: nutty, earthy and leathery; there is a touch of Nutella, clove, burnt orange, struck matches and citric malt; layers of honey and toasted oak; Palate: sweet, nutty and toasty with some firm spice, leather and even a touch of tobacco; honey baked ham with cloves; raisins, dates, figs and burnt bacon; possibly a touch of sulphur (struck matches), but not enough to ruin it; Finish: leathery and fruity with spicy chocolate, brown sugar and more honey glazed ham w/ cloves. - $109.99
Nikka Miyagikyo 2002 – 62% - 9 Year - Cask No. 101127 – Refill Sherry Butt - Distilled: 12/13/2002 – Bottled: 7/4/2012 – My Tasting Note: Nose: thick, creamy and perfumed; big juicy malt, honey and mint with milk chocolate; crisp green apple, Demerara sugars, nougat and intense but rounded floral top notes; Palate: big, chewy and punchy; more nougat, loads of honey, candied apple, more Demerara and hints of dark fruits; thick creamy oak, juicy barley and subtly leathery sherry notes; the spices are a little hot but decadent and tingling with traces of minty milk chocolate; Finish: coating, creamy and fruity; soft toasted oak, tingling mint and smooth milk chocolate; very long, floral and layered. - $268.99 *Only 7 left!...

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Macallan 1824 Tasting Tomorrow Night - Part of Proceeds to Alberta Flood Relief!

Posted on August 2, 2013

There are still a few spots open for tomorrow night's tasting!

Macallan Brand Ambassador Dan Volway will be coming to town to put on a tasting of the new 1824 collection for our customers. The tasting will feature the Gold, Amber and Sienna bottlings pitted against the Travel Retail (Duty Free) Collection releases. As a special treat we will also be sampling Macallan Ruby. $50pp Part of Proceeds to be donated to Alberta Flood Related Charities.



To sign up for this tasting please call the store at 403-283-8000 or register online at: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php .

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Our New Benromach Single Casks are Here!

Posted on July 25, 2013

When Michael Urquhart agreed to being our special guest for 2013's Burns Supper, Andy Dunn of Gold Medal Marketing and I came up with the idea of including a cask selection in the evening's proceedings. Most of the 120 participants had a chance to sample the four cask samples and vote on their favourites. Later that month I sat down with my tasting panel to review the whiskies and count the votes. To my surprise there were not one, but two casks that stood out. We asked Benromach to bottle them for us and the whiskies have only just landed in Alberta. Here are my tasting notes on the two casks:



Benromach 2004 KWM Cask 246 - 60.4% - 9 Year - 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel - 258 Bottles - My Tasting Note: "Nose: very creamy and grassy with celery, toasted coconut chips, honey dew melon and orange slices; doughy with a faint hint of peat and juicy malt; Palate: loads of honey, cream, fruits and malt; there are both citrus and soft melon fruit notes with vanilla milk shake and sweet chewy malt; though more than 60% alcohol the spirit is soft and smooth; Finish: lingering, sweet and malty with more melon notes, late dried orange and vanilla/honey; Comments: proof positive you can have a very complex whisky at a young age!" - $84.99
Benromach 2005 KWM Cask 126 - 60.4% - 8 Year - 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel - 245 Bottles - My Tasting Note: "Nose: very malty and chewy with honey and clean wood smoke; there is some orange peel and a hint of chocolate with aloe like vegetal notes and a trace of cantaloupe; Palate: sweet, smoky and slightly salty to start; honey, chocolate, orange peels and big chewy malt quickly follow; there are notes of melon and white fruits under the smoke, malt and big honeyed oak; peat and chocolate are the last elements to come to the party; Finish: juicy and sweet with soft peat smoke honey and malt; Comments: this is a Benromach for Islay drinkers and those wanting to dip their toes into peatier waters!" - $82.49

 
Drop in to the store to sample these tasty little treats!

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