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New beers August 23rd, 2016

Posted on August 24, 2016

Hey everyone!

Back again for a quick update on all the neat stuff coming in this week on the beer side! I want to give a quick note that both the Anchorage beers and the Pretty Things beers are flying off the shelf, but I was able to secure a little more for those who haven't been able to come grab any yet. After tasting through each and every one (rough job hey?) I can safely say they are all superb and are not to be missed! Both Bryan and I have come to the conclusion that Anchorage is one of the absolute best breweries to come into Alberta, though it's a shame that we only see a tiny bit and very seldom at that!

Aside from that, there are a few new products hitting the shelf, and a couple of gems if I do say so. Here they are.



Oude Mure Tilquin: Belgium's master blender is at it again! This fruity, tart lambic has 350 grams of blackberries per liter of beer. It is one of the most refreshing lambics you'll taste! This rare treat from one of the greats is absolutely not going to last, so don't hesitate! Unfortunately considering how little of it is coming into the province, we have to limit this to 1 bottle per customer. ($20.99 for a 375mL bottle)

De Witte by Dageraad brewing: BC's Belgian beer authorities have crafted a real treat with this Flemish wit. The usual suspects are all here, malted and un-malted wheat, coriander and orange peel, but the addition of Lactobacilius gives this beer a refreshing, lovely tartness. ($9.99 for a 650mL bottle)

Groundbreaker IPA: The brewery seems to like to change things around from beer to beer. Trying different starch sources in order to produce the body and profile they desire. Roasted chestnuts seem to be their staple, but things like tapioca, lentils and candi sugar have also been used. Typically their IPA is hopped with generous northwestern hops in order to provide that big citrus and pine punch we've all grown to crave. ($10.59 for a 650mL bottle)

Farmhouse Cider from Cider Creek: This cider offers an effervescent apple bouquet that delivers authentic cider aromas. It is a blend of the best New York State apples, handpicked and pressed, never from concentrate. This is one of our favourite North American ciders - back in a new format! ($5.59 for a 355mL can)

On the note of Tilquin, I have the his standard Gueuze and Quetsche (plum) in this week as well! These have been favourites for years now and are quite sought after in many parts of the world. Don't miss out on these special brews!

And there you have it, another amazing week of equally amazing beers! Our fall tasting schedule is coming out right away, but if you look on our website now, you'll see our FIRST EVER growler party is on September 9th! You can join me in cracking four new kegs on our growler bar, have a taste of all four plus anything else I can muster up. The price includes a 1L growler filled with ...

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Boutique Bourbon - August 18, 2016

Posted on August 20, 2016

On Thursday, August 18th we hosted a Boutique Bourbon session at Kensington Wine Market. Just for fun I decided to run the tasting blind.



We tasted through the lineup once before taking a vote on everybody’s two favorites. After that was done we tasted through the eight whiskeys once more - this time revealing what we had tried.

The Lineup:



1 - Jefferson's Ocean Aged Bourbon Voyage 5 - 45% ABV - $125

Jefferson’s now has a partner distillery but most of their bottlings up until this point have been sourced from undisclosed distilleries and blended. What is known about this whiskey is that is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon with a high rye mashbill (25-30% Rye) sourced from Kentucky distilleries. Beyond that - either by choice or by binding agreement - they do not say which Kentucky distillery this Whiskey comes from.

This is the 5th release of Jefferson’s Ocean. It is given this name because the barrels making up this batch are actually put on an ocean vessels and taken on a voyage on a ship which stops at 30 ports and touches five continents. The ocean air, extreme temperature changes, and constant movement of the liquid in the barrels is said to impart some influence on the whiskey - giving it more of a salty/briny note and more oak influence.

2 - Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon Batch 36 - 44% ABV - $70

This bourbon hails from the Wyoming Whiskey Distillery in Kirby, Wyoming. It is what is sometimes called a “Wheater” - being a bourbon made with wheat in the mashbill instead of rye. Other popular wheated bourbons include Maker’s Mark, the elusive W.L. Weller, and the White Whale known as Pappy Van Winkle.

This bourbon has been produced in small batches since 2012. Current releases are around five to five and a half years old and unlike some craft distilleries they use standard sized 53 gallon/ 200 liter virgin oak barrels aging. The mash bill for this whiskey is 68% corn/ 20% wheat / 12% malted barley. All grains are sourced from within 100 miles of the distillery.

3 - High West American Prairie Bourbon - 46% ABV - $80

Blended and bottled by High West Distillery in Park City, Utah. High West tend to do a masterful job at sourcing and blending their releases and to me this is no exception. They are even kind enough to list what goes into this bourbon on their website. The makeup is as follows:
- Whiskey #1: 2-year-old bourbon (MGP Seagrams, Indiana): 75% corn/ 20% rye/ 5% malted barley.
- Whiskey #2: 6-year-old bourbon from Kentucky (cannot disclose source).
- Whiskey #3: 13-year-old bourbon from Kentucky (cannot disclose source).

4 - Cedar Ridge Iowa Bourbon Batch 328 - 40% ABV - $65

From Cedar Ridge Vineyards and Distillery in Iowa. Cedar Ridge was founded in 2005. They releas...

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New beers August 17th, 2016

Posted on August 17, 2016

You know when I said we had a lot of stuff to talk about last week? Well that was nothing compared to what I have coming into the shop this week. So many new beers, I can't even contain my drool. I'm writing this pretty late so I'm going to get right to them.




Jack D'or by Pretty young things: Pretty things is a project of Boston couple Dann and Martha Holley-Paquette. Two passionate individuals who wanted to make amazing beers. Jack D' or is made simply but resulting in greatness. This American Saison is made with just barley, hopped with nugget and palisade and fermented with 2 yeasts. Light and fruity with present bitterness and lively carbonation. ($13.89 for a 650mL bottle)

Field Mouse's Farewell by Pretty Young Things: A slightly more traditional Saison, Farewell is made with rye, spelt, oats, and wheat. The addition of Alsacian hops gives a more spicy, floral aroma to match the complex malt base. ($14.69 for a 650mL bottle)

Rondy Brew Saison by Anchorage Brewing: Always a treat when we see beers from Anchorage, because they are all simply beautiful. Rondy Brew Saison is a little different every year, and the 2016 edition is done with spelt, Motueka hops, hibiscus and Brett! So think funky pepper, grass, but with fruity and tropical aromas. ($20.79 for a 650mL bottle)

Anadromous Belgian Black Sour by Anchorage Brewing: Another treat from Alaska's greats! 3 fermentations, 3 kinds of oak, and -of course- brett! This beer goes through French oak Foudres, pinot noir barrels and whiskey barrels. Super black, dry, sour, with tons of oak character and a generous funk. Don't miss this one! ($23.69 for a 650mL bottle)

Whiteout Wit by Anchorage Brewing: It takes a skilled brewer to make a Belgian wit that can turn heads like this one. Aside from the traditional lemon peel, peppercorns and corriander, Anchorage ages this one in French chardonnay barrels with Brett. Citrusy and funky with the pepper and corriander being on the mild side. ($20.79 for a 650mL bottle)

Blueberry Sour by Cascade Brewing: This NW style sour ale blends wheat & blond ales that were oak aged in barrels for 6 months, then additionally aged 4 months on fresh blueberries. Huge herbal notes of dense blueberries in the nose give way to hints of oak & a dusty floral note. Rich earthy notes of dark fruit on the palate lead to a tart finish that dries out to a base note of blueberry skins. ($44.19 for a 750mL bottle)




Beer Run IPA by Ninkasi Brewing: Big citrusy hop notes mostly dominate the nose along with some pine. Mild malt, but noticeable sweetness comes across along with more citrus and pine. No mistaking this style! ($10.79 for a 650mL bottle)

Big Rig Ale by Deschutes Brewing: We could always use more ESBs in the province. Deschutes loads this one up with 3 different crystal malts, and all crystal hops (I s...

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Maltbarn Whisky Agency tasting August 11, 2016

Posted on August 28, 2016

On the evening of August 11th we hosted a single malt tasting showcasing the new KWM exclusive bottles from The Whisky Agency. This independent bottler has only become available to us recently so this was an excellent chance for the attendees to try some whisky that they have never tasted before.

There isn’t a huge amount of information available on the Whisky Agency and what they bottle. Their own website is just barely a half step passed “Under Construction”. What I can tell you (mostly thanks to the Malt Whisky Yearbook) is that one main people behind this independent bottler is a man named Carsten Ehrlich. Carsten also happens to be one of the founders of the annual Limburg Whisky Fair in Germany.

The Whisky Agency was founded as an independent bottler in 2008.

Bottlings come under a plethora of titles including:
The Whisky Agency
Maltbarn
The Perfect Dram
Sansibar
Liquid Sun
Liquid Library

How they choose the title to put the bottle under I am not sure. Perhaps it is a case of multiple groups or clubs sourcing different barrels to bottle. Or perhaps a dart board is involved? One thing about them is they seem to have some eclectic designs and art for their bottlings ranging from art-deco font-centric designs to compelling nature shots to World War II era propaganda posters.

EDIT - I have since been informed that I was wrong about the above. Maltbarn, The Whisky Agency and Sansibar are all separate entities and their own Independent Bottling companies that come to us from Germany.

For our tasting seven bottles were selected from the KWM exclusive Whisky Agency, Maltbarn, and Sansibar bottles we have available. The tasting lineup was as follows:



1 - The Whisky Agency Glen Keith 19yr  - 51.6% ABV - $240
Distilled in 1996 - Bottled 2015 - Refill Hogshead

This Speyside distillery was founded in 1957. It’s recent tumultuous history includes being mothballed in 1999 before being reconstructed, refurbished, and resurrected back to production in 2012/2013.

2 - Sansibar Tomatin 18yr - 50.6% ABV - $250
Distilled 1997 - Bottled 2015
For Heads & Tails Canada

Tomatin is a distillery in the HIghlands founded in 1897. For a period in the late 1970s to the early 1980s it was actually the largest production malt distillery in Scotland with a total of 23 stills. It produced as much spirits as a distillery like Glenfiddich does today. The company that owned it back then went belly up in 1986 and it was bought by a Japanese conglomerate Takara Shuzo. Over time production has been scaled back immensely.

#3 - The Whisky Agency Speyside Region 17yr - 50.3% ABV - $200
Distilled 1998 - Bottled 2015 - Refill Sherry

It is always fun to taste my...

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New beers August 11th, 2016

Posted on August 12, 2016

Hey everyone,

I'm back again with some new beers arriving in the store! This week we have some really special arrivals (especially for all you sour fiends) and I'm really excited to tell you about them. So I'm not even going to wait...  here we go!

First and foremost, we've received a small allotment of vertical vintage packs of fruit sours from Cascade Brewing. The packs include 4 separate vintages (2012-2015) of Kriek (cherry), Strawberry, or apricot (each pack is 4 bottles of the same fruit). It's quite rare to be able to get pre-aged beers, and the fact that these are small batch fruit sours from one of America's most cult producers makes these packs all the more special. It's the perfect way to experience what time can do to a beer, and these packs are perfect to put on a tasting with a few people! Contact the store to reserve one if you can't make it in as I have no idea how long these will last. ($204.99 for 4X750mL bottles)



On top of that, we've also received a new range from Washington's Sound Brewing in the theme of the Midway Games' Mortal Kombat series. The three beers produced were named for characters in the series:

Sub-Zero is a big west-coast IPA with generously sweet malt and a big hoppy punch of sappiness, citrus fruits and a lingering bitterness to bring it into a nice, dry finish.

Scorpion is an Imperial stout that brings both fire and ice to the palate with southwest chilies and Madagascar vanilla bean. Rich, sweet, and toasty with a spicy kick!

Raiden is an Imperial Saison that will satisfy both hop heads and Saison lovers, with a hefty, citrusy character giving way to the grassy and earthy saison notes you crave, all on a generous malty sweetness.

Each beer is $14.09 for a 650mL bottle.

Aside from the new stuff, we're also restocked on 2 different Canadian Altbiers from 2 different sides of the country! Dieu Du Ciel's Rescousse is back in 6-packs, and Driftwood's Crooked Coast is back in bombers!



Not a terrible week if I do say so!

A quick reminder that there are still seats left in both my Saison tasting this coming Friday (August 12), and my wild yeast tasting on Tuesday August 23! Each is only $20 which is a steal of a deal considering the caliber of saisons and sours available here!

One last thing before I go. If you haven't heard yet, Kensington Wine Market now has a growler bar! This is the perfect time to jump on the growler train if you haven't yet. Come grab a KWM 1 or 2 liter growler and fill it with one of four rotating taps!

We are currently pouring:

-Last Best IPA
-Banded Peak Plainsbreaker (super dank hoppy wheat ale)
-Dandy kettle sour (the only keg of it they sold!)
-Wild Rose Peach and Apricot Berliner Weisse

OK, that's about it for this week. Th...

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