Kensington Wine Market -

Blog

KWM 2020 Whisky Calendar Day 3: That Boutique-y Whisky Co. Cambus 27 Year Old

Posted on November 7, 2021

by Evan

Day Three of the 2020 KWM Whisky Calendar gives us a style of whisky we don't see as much of in our Calendars: Single Grain Scotch. This one is a respectable 27 years of age from a once busy distillery named Cambus. It is brought to us by indie bottler That Boutique-y Whisky Company.

Cambus Distillery, or what remains of it - resides in Stirling, Scotland. Cambus was like many grain distilleries in that it was more a large-scale whisky-making factory than a quaint distillery. At its peak, the property employed more than 200 people on site. Also like other Grain Distilleries in Scotland, it was located in the Lowlands, though Cambus stood very near what is considered the border between the Highland and Lowland region and also halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Though there was single malt whisky produced on the same site previously, Cambus Distillery was officially founded in 1836 when two Column Stills were installed for grain whisky production. A large Coffey Still was installed in 1856, making it one of the largest whisky production facilities in Scotland for the time. The distillery remained in production until a massive fire destroyed most operations in 1914. It wasn't rebuilt and put back into working shape until 23 years later.

Unfortunately, it was forced to close soon after for the duration of World War II. It did reopen at the end of the war and remained in spirit production (including Gin production) until 1993 when it was closed as part of company-wide reorganization undertaken by United Distillers which today is known as Diageo. 1993 was the end of the line for whisky production at Cambus Distillery, but the site continues to be used as a massive cask storage location with over 60 warehouses filled, as well as filling and bottling line for many of Diageo's whisky and spirits brands.

So - all that history is well and good, but what makes a Single Grain Scotch different from a Single Malt Scotch? Well, on the more technical side of things, it comes down to this:

Single Malt - has to be 100% malted barley (by Scottish standards) distilled using pot stills. A bottle of Single Malt Scotch also can only use malt whisky from one distillery, and not blend whisky in from other distilleries.

Single Grain - can be made from one or multiple grains. The grains used typically are chosen based on the price of the grain per ton and availability. These grains are distilled in column or continuous stills.

Those are the basic differences when it comes to production. There are also differences in what percentage of alcohol comes off the still and minutia beyond that. It all boils down to this though: Grain whisky is typically a bulk/commodity play that i...

Continue Reading →

KWM 2020 Whisky Calendar Day 2: Craigellachie 13 Year Old

Posted on November 7, 2021

by Evan

We have hit day two of December in the year 2020. Crack today's door open on your KWM Whisky Calendar and you will find the Craigellachie 13 Year Old.

Let's start with a side note: Us Canadians are used to a different pronunciation of Craigellachie than the Scots. We also often know it more as the B.C. town where the last spike in the Canada Pacific Railway was driven into railway tie - and we pronounce it something like "Craig-a-latch-key" - if you drop the key in "key". For proper pronunciation of the Distillery name, the CH in CraigellaCHie is hardened to a "k" sound. I would love to link to the great Brian Cox saying it for our benefit on Youtube, but sadly I don't think he recorded that one. Instead, here is some other guy saying it.

Now, back to our regular programming!

Craigellachie Distillery resides in Banffshire, Scotland in the heart of Speyside - not too far down the road from both Macallan and Aberlour distilleries, among others. Craigellachie was founded in 1891 and is currently owned by Bacardi under their John Dewar's and Sons Scotch Whisky Branch. It is one of five Scottish Distilleries own by Bacardi, all of which are bottled under their Last Great Malts line of single malts.

Craigellachie is one of less than 20 distilleries in Scotland operating today to utilize worm tubs to condense the spirit vapours coming up off the neck of the pot stills. From the neck, the spirit vapour flows through a lyne arm that connects to a long line of copper tubing that is submerged in a large vat of cooling water. Though this piping might be lengthy, it doesn't allow as much copper contact as a more typical spiral tubed condenser would.

The resulting spirit retains more heavy, meaty, sulphury notes that would have been stripped out with increased copper contact. This is what gives Craigellachie its rich, meaty style at such a young age. It is also what makes Craigellachie sought after for blending, just as it does with the likes of Mortlach, Benrinnes and Balmenach - other distilleries that utilize worm tubs. Master of Malt has a short Youtube video on this that provides a good view and explanation.

Craigellachie is primarily used by Bacardi/Dewar's for its Dewar's White Label and other Blended Scotch Whisky the company creates. Beyond that, it is also used by the likes of John Glaser and Compass Box - it plays an integral role in a Blended Scotch that the company bottled just for us: The Great King Street Glasgow KWM Marrying Cask.

Craigellachie is one of only two distilleries to be bottled at a respectable 46% ABV in Bacardi's Last Great Malts family of single malts - the other being Aultmore. What makes it unique in the line is that all official Craigellachie bottlings thus far have been ...

Continue Reading →

AND AWAY WE GO! KWM 2020 Whisky Calendar Day 1: Millstone Rye KWM Cask

Posted on December 16, 2022

by Evan

Welcome to Day One of our 2020 Kensington Wine Market Whisky Calendar. From now until door number 25, you are stuck with me for this journey - at least if you plan on reading along. Whether you do read these blog posts daily or not, you are in for a treat with this year's Whisky Calendar. There is a tremendous variety of whisky to be discovered behind those doors - but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Let us start at the beginning with Door Number One. Crack that door open and you should find a Glencairn whisky glass waiting to be filled with whisky from today's bottle: Millstone Rye KWM Cask.

That is right, we are starting with a Rye Whisky and a Single Cask selected by us at Kensington Wine Market. This is the second cask of rye we have had bottled for us from Zuidam Millstone Distillery of the Netherlands.

The Zuidam Distillery was founded in 1975 in Baarle Nassau, which lies in the southern Netherlands near the border it shares with Belgium The Founder, Fred van Zuidam, had accumulated two decades of previous experience in spirits production before deciding to make a go of it on his own. Under his care, the distillery started by making a line of premium liqueurs using natural ingredients, from grain to fruit to herbs and spices used. This methodology continues to this day, as Zuidam spirits are made with no artificial colouring or flavouring. This goes for all of their products, be it their Cassis Liqueur (which is delicious by the way), Apple Flavoured Gin, Dutch Courage Old Tom Gin, Premium Genever, or Single Malt Whiskies.

Zuidam's first experiments in whisky-making started in 1994, and regular whisky production commenced four years later in 1998. Even then, the Zuidam family showed patience, not releasing their first single malt whisky commercially until 2007. The first bottling was a 5 year old. It was also the first release to use the Millstone name, which was a reference to the use of Dutch Windmills to stone-mill the malted barley. Nowadays, the use of windmills is no longer enough to supply all of the grist needed.

Fred’s son Patrick van Zuidam is now in charge of whisky and spirit production at the family distillery, and under his influence, the distillery’s line of whisky has stretched into a variety of different styles and grains, including Rye and three-and five-grain blends. Further experiments in growing their own barley are ongoing with the stated goal of being self-sustainable when it comes to grain soon.

2020 was a year of change for Zuidam, as it was for all of us. They did what many distilleries have done this year, and switched to producing alcohol for Hand Sanitizer for a while. They also moved their equipment to a new stillhouse, which should be in production right about now.

Let's talk about the rye now, ...

Continue Reading →

Scotch Malt Whisky Society of Canada November 2020 Outturn

Posted on November 7, 2021

by Evan

A new Outturn doesn't make everything right in the world, but boy is it ever a sight for sore eyes these days! Creature comforts indeed. No matter how busy work is, find myself impatiently looking forward to these monthly sessions. I feel privileged to be in a position where I get to try the new offerings from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of Canada every month Below are my thoughts on the bottles from the November Outturn, and more importantly below my drivel are the notes from the SMWS tasting panel on each bottle as well.

We only have one more Outturn to go through for the year, which is both a blessing and a curse. I am sure many of us would love to have been done with 2020 way back in mid-March for reasons I need not go into at this point. 2020 has been memorable in ways we would all like to forget, and it isn't even quite finished yet. We, however, would love to be done with it.

As long as it leaves these bottles behind for us all to enjoy. Enough of that though! Here are my thoughts on the SMWS Canada's November of 2020 Outturn:

35.246 - Is this the first 35 we have seen since January's WALKING INTO A FRUIT PUNCH? Maybe I am wrong, but Glen Moray has not been as prolific in Outturns this year as it was in past years. VITAMIN DE TABLE is a curious name. Hmm, it does have a bit of a chewable vitamin thing going on on the nose. I also get a bit of orange pop, maraschino cherry, vanilla extract, and a light dusting of dunnage and old wood. On the palate, it starts off oily before attacking the tongue with a combination of round but zingy fruit notes and Tang / Orange Kool-Aid. That last note might make this whisky seem anemic on the palate, but it is not. It is round and fruity with a dash of spice and it settles in nicely for an easy finish. First impression: I miss seeing more Glen Moray at this age from the SMWS - this is like seeing a good friend for the first time since Covid: It is comforting to pick back up right where you left off as if nothing happened in between.

71.68 - Chewing gum flavours seem to feature prominently in my own wacky tasting notes, so JUICY FRUIT MEETS BIG RED should be right in my wheelhouse. Let's see. On the nose, the first fill barrel gets top billing but doesn't leave any off-notes in this Glenburgie. Oak staves show up in a big way, but not in an overly aggressive manner. Cinnamon toast and cherry pie plus a dash of mint leaf and waxy fruit skins (mangos, apples, etc). The palate gives exactly what the name says with a combination of fruits and spice all dancing around at once along with a nice waxy note. It even has a chewing gum note to it. At $116, this whisky is worth a look.

58.23 - Onto CURRY CORNER. This is the first Strathisla since May's SWEET AND JUICY - DRY FINISH. Upon my first nosing of this one comes off as a combina...

Continue Reading →

Scotch Malt Whisky Society of Canada October 2020 Outturn

Posted on November 7, 2021

by Evan

I am behind in posting this, so lets get down to it! Here are my thoughts on the October Outturn for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of Canada;

82.22 - SUNSHINE AFTER THE RAIN might just be the first Glencadam SMWS bottling to hit Canada! On the nose: mint, sage, lemons, chamomile. On the palate: Juicy with a spicy zing to it. Nutty notes like pistachios and macadamias along with pear puree and a peppercorn-like heat.. The herbaceousness on the nose gives way to to the fruitiness and spice on the palate. The clean, structured style of this one impresses me. I find it reminiscent of official Glencadam bottles, but having it at cask strength is the way to go!

59.59 - Ahh, Teaninich. I have been really enjoying any Teaninich I have tasted over the past few years. SPOCK'S EARWAX does have some wax notes to it - but at least it doesn't smell Vulcanized. It is also missing the green and grassy notes I get a lot of the Teaninich's I have had. Illogical! The nose evokes creme brulee, tapioca, creamy mango bubble tea plus a dash of citrus and mint. The palate shows starts soft but builds up to a wonderful juiciness. Mango, pineapple and fruit cup syrup all jump to the fore. I cannot tell a lie: The whisky is soft and doesn't have a very long finish, but man is it delicious.

A5.2 - Now, we shift gears, going from distilled grain to distilled grapes with this Armagnac. MUSK-COATED CANDYFLOSS is full of maraschino cherries, maple candies, and fennel along with a touch of leather jacket and shoe polish on the nose. To taste it has plenty of cherries again, plus molasses, earl grey tea, cloves, and orange slices. It is a shame we cannot do in-store tastings right now because this would have been fun to see people react to blind. I feel like there are a decent amount of rum notes in this Armagnac. The duality makes it a fun sipper.

37.131 - Back to Scotch - this time from Cragganmore Distillery. I had to look up the first word in the name for TARANTELLA TONGUE DANCING. Tarantella apparently is a rapid southern Italian dance or piece of music for said dance that is written in a quick 6/8 time. Sounds like this should be an interesting strike to the palate then! Firstly, the nose evokes a lot of the STR cask the whisky was finished in with plenty of polished wood and fruit notes such as mandarin oranges, cherries, and ripe bananas. On the palate I don't personally get the dance, but I do get the intermingling of cask char, fruity wine notes and orange marmalade. It is sweet up front with some nice wood spice notes. I can't really pick it apart more than that at the moment so I will just say if you are a fan of STR casks, you should check this one out.

29.257 - I am almost afraid to talk about this one. It is a 21-year-old single cask Laphroaig, so it be two things at the very least: expensive and good whisky. The SMWS Can...

Continue Reading →

Newer Posts →

← Older Posts