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New beers May 6, 2015

Posted on May 8, 2015

What can I say about Beer Fest this year? I was invited to judge the best gluten free beers and ciders at the festival, meet up with all the awesome agents, brewers, and fellow members of the scene that I love chatting with, and taste all the beers we don't have in the store yet and see which ones we should bring in!

As always, there are a number of awesome new things to introduce you to, but first I have some unfortunate news. The Cantillon shipment we have been expecting for about 2-3 months now has been pushed back (again...*groan*) a wee bit longer until early June. Your patience is appreciated and I assure you MY lack of patience will make up for all of yours combined because... Hell, I want our Cantillon!

Aside from the delay of our precious, precious sours, I still have these awesome offerings this week for you and I assure you they are the best of all that has come into the province this week!



Bourbon Barrel Aged Arrogant Bastard by Stone Brewing.
Escondido's brewing magicians bring you yet another variant on their iconic Arrogant Bastard American strong ale. This time, they entomb the beer in ex-bourbon barrels for "months", imbuing it with sweet oaky spice and vanilla. The barrel also gives the beer a note of whiskey on the nose and enhances the caramelized malts. $4.49 for a 350mL bottle.

Mut Brown Ale by Stone Brewing.
The stone spotlight series is a result of a brewing competition between Stone's very own brewing employees. They are pit against each other in direct competition, and the winning beer is produced as a special release! This year's winner is the "Imperial Mut Brown Ale" by Drew Neldon and Steve Via. This English style brown ale has a modern twist with the addition of a raw sugar called Turbinado Sugar (think "sugar in the raw"). Beautiful nutty, chocolaty malt with a pronounced booziness, likely as a result of the added sugar. $12.29 for a 650mL bottle.

Rye IPA From Black Market Brewing.
An old-school American IPA with a generous spicy rye profile. This Temecula brewery gives a lovely refreshing change from this wine country's signature fermented beverage (not that I don't like my wine...) with this 35 IBU RYEPA with its citrusy, tropical, and spicy hop notes that are very much balanced by bready malt and spicy rye. $8.69 for a 650mL

Liberation IIPA from Black Market Brewing.
One more from Temecula's gluten-filled wine alternative, this time with huge IBUs (100) combined with American hops, Pale, crystal and wheat malt make for a big in-your-face IIPA. Grapefruit, orange, and pine on the nose along with floral notes. Caramely and malty but balanced like most other beers these guys do! $9.79 for a 650mL bottle.

Along with all of the beers I also want to mention a couple of excellent ciders we've added this week.

Fruit Salad Cider by Rogue Brewing. This limited e...

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Gin Glorious Gin tasting, Tuesday April 28 2015

Posted on May 12, 2015


Hunter Sullivan
Tuesday April 28
Today, gin can be summed up simply….. it’s one of the best summer drinks with its thirst quenching ways, its ease of use in a great many cocktails and its necessary presence at any balmy, midyear social event. Intriguingly, this was not always the case. Gin in history has had quite the questionable and shadowy past which brings us to the premise of the class so aptly named Gin, Glorious Gin. A tasting based on Olivia Williams book "Gin, Glorious Gin", we as a class explored the recesses of seldom talked about gin lore, aided, of course, by a few samples of the devilish liquid to lubricate the journey.



To start was Hayman's Old Tom, the name itself just stinking of gin's checkered past. This sweeter style of gin was easily a favorite, being so quaff-able on its own and requiring little to no mixer. Historically, the Old Tom style perpetuates this taste due to its origins (i.e.. bathtub distilling) in which cheaper gin was flavored with liquorice or cane sugar to mask the more "unappealing" notes. Coming in second for the night, this steal of a deal stole the show right from the get go. $32.49

Next on the roster was Canada's own Dillon's 22 Botanical. As everyone dug their noses into their glasses, I was met with many quizzical looks. This spirit was quite the oddity, a loop after the first. Heavier than the first (even though the Old Tom was sweetened), this gin exhibited a unique density. Not a definitive favorite for the night, but an agreeable cocktailing gin that anyone could enjoy. $44.99

The stunning color of this gin always stands out amongst the crowd anytime it’s included in a lineup. Ungava, another of Canada's unique releases, shines a lustrous golden yellow making it quite the eye catcher. With its many accolades, we had no choice but to throw this spectacle into the pit and see what the crowd would do with it. With many shocked by its appearance alone, it left a lasting impression until the end of the night,  just barely being edged out by another in the favorite’s poll. Check their site for some fantastic cocktail options!  $34.99

Breuckelen Glorious Gin, the name says it all, what more could you say? True to style, it is a gob smacking gin, perfectly perfumed, dry as a bone and crisp as can be dream. This gin belongs on the top tier alongside the legends. My favorite of the night, I can tell you what I'll be drinking all summer long. $59.99

From the folks at Anchor Distilling, the Junipero (like the aforementioned bottle, the name says it all) unloads wave upon wave of gin's defining quality unto your senses. An overload of juniper, we couldn't have asked for a more "ginny" gin. With its slightly boosted alcohol strength coming in at 47%, it can sure pack a wallop. Great...

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Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada - May 2015 Outturn

Posted on May 2, 2015

May's Scotch Malt Whisky Society releases in Canada were sampled at three sold out tastings at KWM. There is something interesting every month, and the malts never disappoint. Highlights this month included a 27 year old Mortlach, a very creamy Highland Park and a very pleasant Coastal Laphroaig.



Here are May 2015's Scotch Malt Whisky Society Outturn whiskies:



76.118: We ♥ Whisky! - 49.5% - 27 Year - Refill Hogshead - Speyside - Profile: "Sweet, fruity & mellow" - Outturn: 203 Bottles - Panel's Tasting Note: "This reminded the panel of delicious buttery toast with slabs of marmalade and raspberry jam. Mint toffee and a lively lemon sherbet took time before more creamy rhubarb and custard took over. It made all participants a little dreamy, we all felt relaxed as if we’d been on a tropical holiday. Water opened more waxy apple, greengage and lemon hanging from the tree. The sweet, earthy orchard carpet was laden with pine needles. It became extremely juicy and the panel were in no rush. Roasted sweet potato sprinkled with white pepper and macadamia nut concluded this enjoyable journey." Drinking tip: "Stop the clocks"- $246.99
121.76: Close shave from a tipsy barber - 57.95 - 12 Year - Refill Barrel - Island/Arran - Profile: "Spicy & dry" - Outturn: 210 Bottles - Panel's Tasting Note: "The initial nose spoke of the barbershop – old leather chairs, razor-strops, sharp blades, after-shave and band-aids (the barber, who’d been drinking gin, had shaky hands) – plus beeswax polish and dried flowers. With water, we got hot linen and laundry detergent (hot cloth slapped on your close shave) but also marzipan, Dr Pepper, caramel, digestive biscuits and bath bombs. The neat palate was herbal (fennel seed, absinthe) but complex and very tasty – chocolate fudge cake, popping candy and ‘liquorice allsorts from an engineer’s overall pocket’. In reduction – tree bark, chalk, Chartreuse (herbal again) interesting citric fizz and some ash – satisfyingly unusual." Drinking tip:  "After any close shave, or when looking for something unusual" - $139.99
55.23: Chow mein on a workbench - 55.1% - 20 Year - Refill Hogshead - Speyside - Profile: "Spicy & sweet" - Outturn: 248 Bottles - Panel's Tasting Note: "Panel's tasting note: "Despite cut grass, herbal notes, citrus, pineapple and watermelon, we could not describe the nose as clean – an almost grubby fascination kept drawing us back – we found toasted oak and pistachios, nutmeg, ghee, an engineer’s workbench, burnt eucalyptus and chow mein noodles. The palate was concentrated and intense (‘an espresso of a dramâ...

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New beers April 29, 2015

Posted on May 2, 2015

Look at all these Hawaiian beers! We've been having such an amazing spring in Alberta that I couldn't leave it another week before bringing in some of these tropical goodies! Things sure are ramping up for summer, and as this happens you better believe you'll be seeing more and more IPAs, Pale ales, and of course the quintessential ISA and sours. Of course darker beers have their place during any season!

Before I get into this week's beers, I would like to say one thing. Barbecue! The season is more or less here, but what are the absolute best beers to have with that saucy pulled meat? Come find out at our Holy Smoke and beer tasting on May 12 where we'll order in a bunch of barbecue from Calgary's Holy Smoke grill and open some of our best beers to pair with it! It's only $35 so there's no way you can go wrong. The only way that could get better is if there was bourbon involved... but that's a different tasting entirely!
Call 403 283 8000 to register or online www.kensingtonwinemarket.com

Now make sure you are standing on something that can soak up all the drool, because this is truly a mouthwatering batch of new beers that arrived.



Big Swell IPA from Maui brewing.
This fruity and resinous IPA is sure to quench the thirst in any climate, be it our unusually warm spring, or Hawaii's sweaty tropical nights. Loads of grapefruit and floral notes lift up the medium weight malt and balance the sweetness, with a nice crisp bitterness throughout the finish. $17.49 for a 6-pack of cans.

Lorenzini DIPA from Maui Brewing.
This is a special release for the winter of 2015. It was made in collaboration with the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, and part of the proceeds go to their shark research lab. It's brewed with blood orange, local citrus and local cane sugar, along with an exotic hop blend that includes Azacca, El Dorado, and Sorachi Ace. Loads of fresh citrus flavors and aromas are all over this, and you can definitely pick out the blood orange. Mild spice notes accompany things until it's all washed away in a lasting tide pool of mildly bitter citrus oil. $15.29 for a 4-pack of cans.

Fire Rock Pale Ale from Kona brewing.
A regular offering from "the big island" is selectively crafted with specially roasted malts, and -like any good American pale- plenty of north American hops. Mildly toasted, and biscuity malt are reminiscent to a light amber, but the body is light and crisp, and the citrusy hops let you know exactly the style they are going for. $20.39 for a 6-pack of bottles.

Castaway IPA from Kona Brewing.
This relatively new offering from Kona is like a tropical vacation in a bottle. Mango and Passion fruit notes accompany the huge citrus punch of this IPA. Along with that, there are definite aromas of a particular green recreational plant. This isn't too surprising seeing as both hops and cannabis belong...

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Three Exciting New Kensington Wine Market Whisky Tastings

Posted on April 28, 2015

Glenfiddich Rare & Old Malts w/ Elizabeth Havers




Sunday May 10 4PM - $80

Join Glenfiddich Canadian Brand Ambassador Elizabeth Havers for this special tasting with proceeds to the Wounded Warriors, a Veterans charity. We’ll sample an exceptional range of whiskies from one of the Speyside’s most iconic distilleries including the 21 Year Havana Reserve and the yet to be released (in Alberta) Glenfiddich Excellence 26 Year. The event will also feature some other treats, including barrel samples selected for the occasions by Brian Kinsman, Glenfiddich's Malt Master.

Hudson Craft Small Batch Whiskies w/ Beth Havers

Monday May 11 7PM - $40

In addition to Glenfiddich and Balvenie, Beth Havers is also the Canadian Brand Ambassador for Hudson Whiskies. These small batch craft American whiskies are made at the Tuthilltown Distillery in Gardiner New York, north of the Big Apple. the distillery produces a wide range of whiskies and we'll sample six different expressions, including three not yet available in Canada! All proceeds to the Red Cross Nepal Earthquake Relief Effort.

Glenfarclas 1966 Fino Launch w/ George Grant

Friday May 29 7PM – Ranchmen’s Club - $120

Join us at the Ranchmen's Club (710 13 Ave SW) for a special Glenfarclas tasting and dinner hosted by the incomparable George Grant, the sixth generation of his family to own the Glenfarclas Distillery. The event is an occasion to mark the launch of the Glenfarclas 1966 Fino, the first in a series of six whiskies, one each for six family members to have owned the distillery. George will also lead us through a tasting of five other rare old malts, including the 1985, 1974 and 1966 Family Casks. This will be an evening to remember with great whiskies followed by a nice meal.

Register In-Store, Online or by Phone 403-283-8000!

 

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