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Beer Meets Cheese

Posted on May 24, 2018

Hang on to your palates because this was one good tasting, and I’m about to tell you all about it. We all hear so much about wine and cheese, wine and food, wine and whatever… Not enough people know that beer is the true partner of cheese (and so much more at that!). It can meet all the same flavour criteria of wine and then some!
I picked 7 beers in a range that covers styles and piques interest. Peasant cheese tasted and picked out some tasty cheeses to match, and the lovely Michelle Chow came to help me by talking about the cheese, and provide better jokes than me. We guided our guests through each pairing, and I’m about to do the same for you!



Freehold Big Chutes Lager: This is a beautifully crafted lager with light biscuity malty tones and a hint of west coast hops. Citrusy goodness with mild pine notes but low on the bitterness. A French soft cheese called Le Dauphin was paired because it’s mild, creamy and matches the delicate tones of the beer.($4.19 for a 473mL tall can)

Dageraad Burnabarian: Lightly spiced with coriander and is brewed with oats for a silky mouthfeel. Low alcohol is true to the table beer style and makes this ultra refreshing. Fleuron de Brugge is the most popular cheese in Brugge, and it has a sweet flavour with a mild funk (just like the beer!), along with a creamy texture to help with the non-bitter finish of the beer.($9.19 for a 650mL bottle)

Wild Rose High Harvest Hemp IPA: This dank, tropical and silky IPA is done in the New England style. Big Piney hops with big fruity tones all over. The fuller mouthfeel is pleasant, cloudy and goes down easy with a mild but slightly oily finish. Le 1608 is one of Canada’s best cheeses, it’s mild with a bit of tang that compliments the hops nicely, and the slight nuttiness  matches well with the silky body of the beer.($12.39 for a 4-pack of cans)

3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek: A legendary Kriek if there ever was one! First time available in Alberta, 3 Fonteinen's is tart and rich and spicy with generous flavours of cherry skins. Secret de Compostelle has a nice tart and lightly fruity tone that fits well with the sour fruity beer. It melts to be velvety creamy in the mouth which mingles with the acidity in the beer just like it’s supposed to. ($39.99 for a 750mL bottle)

La Trappe Oak Aged Quad: Heavy tones from French brandy barrels leave notes of vanilla and almond, on top of the caramel-like, slightly sweet flavour with a good, full body. Prestige de Brugge makes the most amazing pairing (and my personal favourite of the night) for this beer. It’s sweet with hints of nuts, caramel and butterscotch, very similar in tone to the base flavours of the beer. Being 3 years old now, this beer is not drinking near prime and has rounded out into a spectacular beer. (Now 25% off at a steal of $12.75 for a 375mL bottle)

The Br...

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Introducing new wine from Kimberly Jones!

Posted on April 10, 2018

KWM is excited to present these highly sought after offerings from Kimberly Jones. Read what the critics have to say:
"As an admirer of the diversity and quality of California's wines, and with nearly 37 years of experience tasting and visiting the state's viticultural regions, wine-broker Kimberly Jones has consistently demonstrated an incredible talent for representing many of the best producers. With her skilled palate, a limitless enthusiasm, and insatiable curiosity, she has assembled a portfolio of wines that is breath-taking in its diversity, value, and exquisite quality."  Robert M Parker, Jr. July 2017
Kimberly Jones Circus Bear
Circus Bear is Kimberly Jones's latest addition from Maury, a village situated in the foothills of the Pyrenees - a stone's throw from the Spanish border. Made by Jean Roger Calvet, of Calvet-Thunevin, this incredible blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Carignan is made with grapes from 60 year old vines on schist. The label is an homage to the great fighting bears of the Pyrenees. These majestic mountains tower over Maury and form the natural frontier between France and Spain. Production is very small; we feel very fortunate to be able to offer Circus Bear to our customers!
$34.99









Kimberly Jones Brioche Chardonnay


Brioche Chardonnay by Proven Wines (a group of wine enthusiast friends and the assistant winemaker at Babcock) is a Chardonnay made from only the finest grapes grown throughout California. The wine is crisp and bright with hints of stone fruit, apple, pear and a subtle, buttery richness from which it derives its name. Terrific value and one that won't break the bank! $35.99







 
 
 
Kimberly Jones Operation Dragoon

Made by the famous CDR winemaker, Pierre Gaillard, Operation Dragoon (made in  honour of the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Southern France in August 1944, which liberated the area from Marseille to Dijon in just 4 weeks) is a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah. What to expect? Fresh wild strawberries and herbs de Provence with a hint of smoked meat and lavender on the finish. Fine tannins and bright acid. A very clean expression of the Rhone Valley.
Every bottle of Pierre Gaillard's wine is a thrilling, bristling expression of the site from where it came. There is no dead weight in the Gaillard cellar and each wine offers precision and purity of fruit. The quality of fruit he harvests, allied to his fine touch in the cellar, results in some of the most evocative, flavoursome, and stylish Northern Rhône wines available. $34.99




Kimberly Jones Dans La Neige

From celebrated Rhone winemaker, Pierre Gaillard, we are proud to present this utterly del...

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SMWS Canada Outturn for April of 2018

Posted on April 7, 2018

Welcome to April! Is it still snowing outside? I could have sworn it was supposed to be spring by now... Gotta love that Calgary Weather.

Sometimes it is best to avoid what is happening with the weather outdoors, go inside, and settle down with a rewarding dram. Or seven. Good thing it is Outturn time for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of Canada!

A very interesting lineup awaits us this month, featuring:

one cask finish (73.87)
one milestone bottling (66.100)
one distillery never seen before from the SMWS Canada (96.12)
one scotch masquerading as a bourbon (35.185)?
one gorgeously sherried Islay malt from an increasingly hard to come by distillery (29.229)
and for the first time in Canada - an entire lineup made of new-look bottles!

Tired of my preamble and looking specifics? Read on below! If you are looking for other  bottles from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society you can check out what we have in stock here. If any SMWS bottles show as being out of stock on our website please contact us – we might be able to get more.

As always we would like to give a big thank-you to our awesome neighbour’s Peasant Cheese for supplying the small bites for the tastings.

Cheers,
Evan
evan@kensingtonwinemarket.com



41.99 - A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
This 10-year-old Speysider comes in at 58.1% after maturing in a refill barrel
Flavour profile: Light & delicate
Outturn: 199 bottles
Panel's tasting note: "We walked through a well-tended apple orchard on newly mown grass with cracked golden peanut brittle and multi-coloured candy floss in our hands. On the palate like sliced freshly baked sesame, sunflower & poppy seed bread, spread with a delicious, slightly spicy Bourbon vanilla peach jam. Water released the freshness of a cool mountain spring flowing over mossy rocks and iced mocha with whipped topping and chocolate drizzle and the taste was like a breath of fresh air, a summer fruit salad soaking in the juices with a large dollop of mango and peppermint ice cream." $124.99

96.12 - SWEET LEMONS AND SOUR GRAPES
This is SMWS Canada's first-ever release of distillery number 96!  At 9 years old, this Speysider was matured in a refill barrel and is 58.8%
Flavour profile: Sweet, fruity & mellow
Outturn: 193 bottles
Panel's tasting note: "We had a fascinating mix of unusual Middle Eastern aromas at first; Persian sweet lemons and unripe sour grapes called Ghooreh, beside more familiar notes of balsamic vinegar, honeycomb and orange blossom and a rose garden following the rain. The taste neat had the tangy, without being tart, sweetness of a rhubarb raspberry custard pie, Spanish membrillo paste (quince jelly) and green tea with sweet mint. Water released herbal, slight...

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Barrels n' Bugs

Posted on March 19, 2018

Barrels n’ Bugs is quickly becoming a favourite tasting. The theme allows for a really neat range of beers to be poured and, to show off some beautifully crafted things. When combined with the skillful snack magic of Peasant Cheese, it’s not hard to see why this tasting sells out. From light and tart, to heavy and thick, there is definitely something for everyone (except maybe domestic drinkers). Maybe take a look a the lineup and see for yourself so you can make sure to snag a seat for the next one.

Bellwoods White Picket Fence: White Picket Fence is a saison made from blended oak aged beers. Fluffy and bright carbonation with lovely spicy/fruity yeast notes. Mildly tart with splintery barrel on top of biscuits and bread. ($17.99 for a 500mL bottle)
3 Fonteinen Oude Gueuze: A true Gueuze, made up of 1, 2 and 3-year old lambics. Fluffy carbonation and fuuunky. Barny, and full of brett with a lemony zing, and bright acidity. ($15.99 for a 375mL bottle)

De Ranke Kriek: A traditional Kriek blended with a Flemish red. Ripe tart cherry tones with mild spice, and a full lactic tartness. One of the best valued Krieks on the market and one that rarely gets the love it deserves.($18.79 for a 750mL bottle, currently out of stock, stay tuned for the next shipment)

The Bruery Sour in the Rye POG: Sour in the Rye is one of the best sours regularly available in Alberta, and this time, The Bruery turns up the juice -so to speak- by adding Passionfruit, Orange and Guava! So juicy tropical fruits wash in like a wave over-top of the typical spicy, super tart, sour. Still loaded with volatile acids, hints of dry herbs and earthy clove. ($27.99 for a 750mL bottle)

Outcast Boy Meets Barrel Vol 2: The second installment of Boy Meets Barrel is a barleywine aged in Alberta distillers rye barrels. Big and boozy with mild spice and prominent barrel tones make it a sweet comforting and complex brew. ($16.39 for a 650mL bottle)

La Trappe Oak Aged Quad: Heavy tones from French brandy barrels leave notes of vanilla and almond, on top of the caramel-like, slightly sweet flavour with a good, full body. The flavour ends with a slightly burnt tone and a hint of wood tannin. Being 3 years old now, this beer is now drinking near prime and has rounded out into a spectacular beer. (Now 25% off at a steal of $12.75 for a 375mL bottle)

Chimay Blue Label Rum Infused: The Grande Reserve barrel aged is an exceptional beer that benefits from triple fermentation and extended maturing in barrels. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, this beer has an incomparable rounded, wooden flavour. (Limited quantities available, $47.39 for a 750mL bottle)
Now I’m not one for bragging, but I think I selected a pretty stellar range. Everyone was quite pleased, and some new favourites were definitely discovered. We seemed to have some sour fans as opposed to stout/richer beer because the 3 fav...

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Pinot Battle Royale : Oregon vs Burgundy

Posted on March 18, 2018

By Abigail
Burgundy may be the homeland of Pinot Noir, but it seems like Oregon, in some opinions,  is paving the way for Pinot Noir’s new home. The only way to really judge who is doing a better job was to compare and contrast the options. Given, we could only try a miniscule amount of wine compared to the options out there, this would be the first of many tastings to come to see if Burgundy still and will always have it, or if Oregon is giving Burgundy a run for its money.
This was a tasting to showcase and compare Burgundy and Oregon, and the way that we decided to do that compared the two in their respective price categories.

Here are the wines:



Category #1 - $40-$50
Burgundy : Roux Pere et Fils Hautes Côtes de Beaune Bourgogne 2015 - $38
This wine was a perfect way to start off the wines for the evening. With a light ruby colour, and subtle aromas and characteristics  of red berries, blossom and mushroom, this wine is a great introduction into Burgundian wines.
Oregon: White Rose Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2015 - $50
This wine turned out to be the favourite of the evening. With a little more life and energy than the Roux Pere et Fils, this wine seemed to go down smoother than the first, according to the tasters this evening. Ripe notes of raspberry, cherry, cranberry with a touch of oak spice, blossom and salt, this is definitely a Pinot to warm you up on those harsh winter nights.
Category #2- $60-$70
Burgundy: Michel Clair et Fils Santenay 1er Cru Clos de Tavannes 2015 - $63
This wine was the one that showed Burgundy’s rustic and earthy side  in this tasting. Damp, burnt firewood with cranberry, raspberry, wet stone and blossom were the main characteristics in this wine, but there seemed to be never ending layers to this wine.
Oregon: Purple Hands Holstein Vineyards Pinot Noir 2015 - $72
Holstein Vineyards is considered to create the best wines in the Purple Hands production. This wine is well balance, with notes of raspberry, cherry, cranberry, blossom, english garden and spice. It was also joint second favourite of the evening, with the next two wines also scoring the same points.
Category #3 - (bit of a jump) $150-$160
Burgundy:  Roux Pere et Fils Vougeot 1er Cru 2015 - $155
Same producer as the first wine of their evening, but definitely a different quality level. This wine was full of complexity, and even though subtle, the characteristics beautifully danced on the palate. Blossom, cranberry, strawberry bush with minerality, flint and mushroom perfectly intertwined to create a elegantly long finish. Also, second favourite of the evening.
Oregon: Antica Terra Ceras Pinot Noir 2015 - $160
What a perfect way to end the evening with this beautifully rich Pinot. This wine was less about those red berries, and more about the minerality the soil had given ...

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