Whisky and Chocolate
Posted on February 26, 2019
by CurtI've never been super comfortable with the idea of whisky and food pairings. Not because I don't believe you can find complimentary flavour profiles, but because I don't think they make the best of bedfellows. Food fights the whisky. Whisky fights the food. And at the end of the day, you lose a little of the best of each.
Alcohol, by nature, is going to anesthetize the tastebuds. And, as any professional taster will tell you, food is going to taint the palate for maximizing how receptive you are to nuance and subtlety. Hence the reason most of them insist that 'tasting' should be done in the morning and on an empty stomach. Hmmm...perhaps they're more inclined to maximize the effect of alcohol, too.
Notice that I have highlighted the word 'tasting' above. That's the key here. And you had to know there was a catch to my disclaimer above. Otherwise, why would KWM propose a night of malts and chocolate, knowing each would be at odds with the other to some degree? It's not much of a leap, actually.
The simple reality is that most people aren't 'tasting'. In other words, they're not overly worried about cobbling together a notebook full of tasting notes or sussing out individual flavour notes when they sit down to a drink and a bit of something edible with their friends. Most just want a great experience. You know...a cigar and a dram; some peat and some sweet; a beer and a brat. Something along those lines. A smashing together of vices to compound the enjoyment of each. And that's what this event was all about.
We decided it would be a treat to work our way through a baker's half-dozen (is that a thing? (maybe if you round up... - Evan)) of malts - largely composed of our store exclusives and private casks - paired up against some of the best, award-winning confections in the country. We at KWM have always been vain enough to believe we pick the best single casks for our customers. Andrew set the bar on that vanity and the rest of us follow suit. While preparing for this tasting, we quickly learned that the philosophy at Cococo is very much in line with our own.
So, in one really tough day at the office, Shawn and I sat down with Kristi Mehr from Cococo Chocolaterie (Bernard Callebaut), several glasses of whisky and a heaping tray of chocolate. I know, I know...it's a hard knock life, aye? We did our best to pair these treats together and, all modesty aside, think we did a pretty bang up job.
And what do I know about chocolate? To be honest...next to nothing. Except that I really like to eat it. But Kristi was kind enough to share the cocoa gospel, and I think we learned enough to get by. At least, in that 'if you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullsh*t' kinda way. And those in attendance were either in agreement with our taste pairings or kind enough to humor us. Ultimately...I didn't see...
Gin Crazed!
Posted on February 25, 2019
by ShawnWe are definitely in the middle of a Gin renaissance or Gin Craze, if you will. With distilleries popping up left and right, and the difficulties of laying down barreled spirit for years and years, gin is both a stream of revenue and an outlet for sensational creativity. You can extract nearly any flavour you can think of from many herbs, spices, nuts, berries and, really, nearly anything you can think of, and this, combined with the use of varied grains and distilling practices means that ethanol is more or less a blank canvas on which an artist can paint and layer swaths of sensations and create their vision rather than see what evolves out of wood and time.
[caption id="attachment_8330" align="aligncenter" width="378" caption="Gingredients."][/caption]
For this little adventure through Gin land, we were lucky enough to have Last Best’s own Master Distiller Bryce Parsons to help guide us through some of the nuances of the practice, along with some first-hand knowledge of 3 of our 6 gins for the evening. We are equally if not more lucky to have our neighbour's Peasant Cheese to provide food to gorge on while tasting! We started off with a simple cocktail I’ll describe later on, and dove right in!
Last Best Gin Craze #39 Loral
This is one of three gins made with a single varietal of freeze dried lupulin powder from hops (aka, Cryo Hops). Fruity, herbal notes are pungent and saturating with a fresh green note underneath it all and a generous citrus tone. The lightly sweet spirit gives it a homemade candy-like feel to it. Great for both tonics and cocktails. $55
Last Best Gin Craze #43 Mulan Szechuan
This unique gin was made with szechuan peppercorns and marcona almonds. The nuts add a gentle sweet and almost savoury note that compliments the zingy, ethereal pepper notes and helps to stimulate senses that have been long forgotten. $55
Confluence Manchester Dry Gin
Confluence is a fairly new distillery in Calgary. Their flagship gin is named after the neighborhood they call home. heir Gin is Red Wheat grain based and New Western Dry in style. It is created using six botanicals: juniper, coriander, wild rose petals, lemon peel, cucumber, and saskatoon berries. Bottled at 42.6% ABV.. It has a hint of berry skin fruitiness along with delicate floral hints. Fantastic with tonic, or even a martini! $50
Black Tomato Gin
The unlikely partnership between a seller of socks and a seller peanuts. A gentleman from each of these industries have come together in this work of passion. Wanting to make use of hobby-grown Sicilian Black Tomatoes, gin seemed to be the natural outcome. Said tomatoes were macerated and steeped in a traditional gin, then redistilled. A full-bodied feel and savoryquality is the outcome. Great for ceasars (obviously), or try it with a delicately fruity t...
Pinot Noir: Battle Royale
Posted on February 22, 2019
by AbigailWhat Makes Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir?
Pinot noir is not a grape to be messed with. It is notoriously difficult to grow, with it being nicknamed the heartbreak grape. It’s thin-skins burn easily in hot temperatures, and are too delicate in cold areas, so there are only a few areas where it thrives. The epicentre of Pinot Noir is Burgundy. Burgundy is located in central-eastern France, where is a mild continental climate, making ita suitable area for Pinot Noir. Another reason why Pinot Noir does so well there is because of the terroir. Millions of years ago, Burgundy was part of a vast, tropical sea, which in time created limestone soils famous in the region. Because of this geological makeup, Burgundian Pinot Noirs develop some zesty minerality that makes them irresistible.
Burgundian wines are the heart and soul of Pinot Noir or have been previously, but because of rising prices, people have started to look elsewhere for their pinots. But what other regions could compete with the OG Burgundy? That's where this tasting comes in.
In this tasting, we explored Pinot Noirs from other regions, and if they could stand up to Burgundy. Given the restrictions of the tasting, we didn't get to explore every region we wanted, but we chose wines that would best represent the main opposing regions; New Zealand, Australia, British Columbia, Oregon, and California.
The Wines
Marie Courtin Resonance Extra Brut
Dominique Moreau took over a small vineyard of mostly 40 to 50-year-old Pinot Noir, with a vision of producing single-vineyard, single varietal, single vintage Champagnes from biodynamically grown grapes- farmed with meticulous care, and vinified au naturel. Brut Resonance is 100% Pinot Noir. It is a brilliant, energetic wine endowed with gorgeous richness and depth. Succulent apricots, peaches, flowers, and crushed rocks are some of the many nuances that take shape in the glass. Chalky notes linger on the precise, beautifully articulated, eternal finish. The winery is named after Moreau's grandmother, Marie Courtin. $81.99
Torlesse Pinot Noir
New Zealand produces some of the world's best Pinot Noir. Torlesse has sourced grapes from vineyards in the Waipara and Canterbury regions to produce the character of this rich and complex red wine. It has delicious sweet berry fruit and spicy oak aromas. Pinot Noir likes cool climates so it's settled in very nicely here. Very well priced and a great choice for those who like a lighter style red. Delicious sweet berry fruit and spicy oak aromas make this one a staff favourite. Pinot pairs quite nicely with grilled salmon, pork or chicken kabobs, and of course cheese. $25.99
Labruyère Prieur Bourgogne Pinot Noir
Since 1868, Domaine Jacques Prieur has created one of the rarest mosaics of terroirs in Burgundy. Today it is probably the only estate owning vineyards o...
Rum named Ron, etc.
Posted on February 16, 2019
by ShawnWoo! This was my first rum tasting! So much fun deciding my lineup, figuring out what to talk about, research the points I’m not quite as clear on. Tasting through my lineup to set the order and prepare notes. It’s definitely one of the most fun parts of the job. It’s even more fun when I get to share all my knowledge and these tasty spirits with you all.
We went from India to Central America and the Caribbean and down to South America to taste some of the more interesting rums on my shelves. On the way, we got to talk a bit about Rhum Agricole Rum, along with the spirit’s ties to the navy, trade and -like all things back then- slavery.
We snacked on some specifically selected cheeses and sweet accompaniments from Peasant Cheese, and dove right in to taste the following.
Amrut Old Port Rum
Amrut uses the wonders of climate-assisted rapid spirit maturation for more than just whisky! 100% cane sugar rum reaps the benefits of the main part of Amrut's business and spends time in their ex-whisky barrels, along with some new oak. It’s richly coloured and filled with flavours of dried fruit and vanilla with a hint of sweetness. $30
Rum Malecon Anejo 12 year
Malecon is an old-school Cubano rum recipe made in Panama. It spends its 12 years in re-charred bourbon barrels. Light and creamy custard notes with light toffee and hints of caramelized marmalade. $55
Rum Nation Guadeloupe Vieux
Like all Agricole rums, this is AOC is made with cane juice rather than molasses. Likely at least 3 years old, this NAS rum has notes of exotic vegetables and honey. Light grassy notes along with a hefty bourbon note (likely form the barrels). An excellent rum for those who want to stick to the lighter side. $82
Rum Nation Panama 18
This is most likely column still rum from the Don Jose distillery (makers of Ron Abuelo). Generous brown sugar and tobacco flavours along with candy syrup and confectioners sugar. The rum boasts a decent sweetness, likely from additives that are almost the norm among the industry (don’t take it as a negative). $88
Flor de Cana 25 year
The “25†statement on the bottle is actually an average year, just as it in with tawny port. Flor de Cana has a silky feel with loads of caramel and figs. Hints of caramelized pineapple syrup with brown sugar, on a platter of exotic wood. $190
Brugal 1888 Double Aged
This Dominican rum is matured both in ex-bourbon barrels, and then first-fill sherry casks. The Edrington Group-owned brand is held to the same barrel standards as The Macallan and Highland Park, and the quality of the wood shows in the palate of the rum. $50
Dictador Best of Rum 1973 Altisimo
The Altisimo series is a small selection of single casks, seen to be among their best. Each is bottle...
Scotch Malt Whisky Society of Canada February 2019 Outturn
Posted on February 28, 2019
by EvanFebruary typically marks a shift here at Kensington Wine Market. You would think that January would slow down for us, but it doesn't - at least not much. Christmas and New Years might be done but the first month of the year was crammed with events. We hit the ground running with the January Outturn on the 3rd and 4th followed by plenty of other wine, whisky and beer tastings over the following two weeks. Then the already fast pace became even more frenzied with three festivals, our sale weekend and then inventory all happening within only eleven days from the 17th to the 28th.
We are finished our big winter holiday rush and it almost feels as if there is time to breathe. Don't get me wrong: I love the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, especially working in a small shop like KWM. We are a tight-knit crew that typically gets along with little to no issues cropping up. Not that we would time for personality clashes or friction to come into play. The importance of momentum cannot be understated. Any serious strife would take too much planning and effort when you have to keep all of these plates spinning as well.
Those plates will keep on spinning, too. There is always plenty that needs to be done at the shop and seemingly never enough time to deal with it all. The pace may not be quite as chaotic and frenetic as it is from November (actually, more like early to mid-October) until the end of January, but that means we can look up, calmly take in our surroundings, and thank our lucky stars that we are all here, scoping out these wonderful green bottles once more.
It is quite the Outturn this month. Here are a few teasers:
Two distilleries have come to Canada as SMWS bottles for the first time!
One of these distilleries is Knockdhu (115), which in my opinion boasts a great regular lineup of official bottlings. The SMWS bottle from this month would fit right in with their own line style-wise. It personally reminds me a bit of the old An Cnoc 16-year-old with it's structured, creamy and citrusy style. Not bad considering it is only 8 years old...
The other distillery is not in Scotland at all - it is from the Bas Armagnac region in France. I have had two SMWS Armagnacs now. Both have left me craving more. Cask strength Armagnac is quite a treat!
Also impressive is what is likely the oldest SMWS bottle from Dailuaine (41) that we have seen yet. It is soft, smooth and elegant in style.
After seemingly getting a Glen Moray (35) just about every other Outturn for much of 2017 and 2018, we had a five-month dry spell. Good news though - the wait for another 35 is over! And it is a good one (are there any bad 35s though?)...
We were also welcomed by two Islay malts - one unpeated and one peated. Both are solid. Both won't last. One likely won't even make it through the tastings.
As I said - quite the...
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