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Wine Gift Club Selections for August

Posted on September 22, 2017

Trecciano Chianti Colli Senesi 2015
Italy - Sangiovese - Red
Made from 100% Sangiovese grapes, this easygoing, friendly red opens with aromas of fresh plum and crushed blue flowers. The juicy palate offers up fleshy black cherry, raspberry and a hint of Mediterranean herb alongside round, soft tannins. Enjoy tonight paired with thin crust oven fired pizza, spaghetti and meatballs or vegetarian lasagna.
Red Sedan Cabernet/Shiraz 2016
Australia - Red
This exceptional Cabernet Shiraz comes from Red Heads Studio, the most exciting and dynamic winemaking project in Australia. It's where young winemakers can come, in their spare time, (haha) to make wine they want to make, not what their boss tells them to make. Powerful, smooth and racy, just like the car! Huge but beautifully balanced.

Viranel Cuvee Viognier 2016
France - Languedoc-Roussillon - White
This white shows a beautiful golden straw colour with green highlights. Delicate nose of white flowers and citrus fruits. Sweet palate marked by good acidity and dominated by lemon and grapefruit notes, along with apricot aromas. The finish is fresh and lingering. This would pair wonderfully with grilled salmon.

Castello D'Alba Reserva White Douro 2015
Portugal - Douro - White
Bet you've never heard of these grapes - Codega, Viosinho and Rabigato. Sound Greek? Just joking, it's Portuguese and we're really impressed with the character, texture and price that we see from the Duoro these days. With three months in oak, this white is smooth, full-bodied with good acidity. It starts with aromas of sweet dried fruits and ends with a very firm long finish. We think you'll enjoy it.



We pick a variety of unique bottles for our gift club members each month. More information about our Gift Club for both Wine and Beer take a look here.

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GIN! An exposé on Gin and Hunter

Posted on August 12, 2017

The wonderful and ever growing world of gin strikes again, and this time with more craft. The momentum of craft distillation is growing, more distilleries are cropping up and even more are creating gin. A logical step for any new distiller, but I wonder if it is a means to an end for most. Even if the gin is the end itself, will the market continue to bear so many new gins?
One must consider that even the gin enthusiasts scope is generally limited to single bottle adventures with an eventuality of settling down on a favourite, perhaps a reasonable analogy of youth to maturity. As the market matures, along with the gin appreciators, one might speculate on the ranks of producers thinning out, a distilling Darwinism that will culminate in the strongest of the producers surviving.
Such simple observations mean little at the moment, but what this does entail is a large proportion of distillers flooding the market with all sorts of botanical spirits, usually locally harvested, sometimes organic, grain sourced from only the most choice of farmers. Catch phrases of these sorts are becoming tired, it now requires a little more razzle dazzle to captivate the thirsty audience. I poured a sampling of subjectively interesting spirits for the class, all of which seem to hold some modicum of intrigue that goes beyond what is held in high regard or status quo. Keeping in mind, all gin still holds a distinctive quality of juniper, but this each bottle in this selection breaks out of the boundary line - even if just a little.
Here is what we tasted:

Spirit of Hven Organic Gin
Soft and round, the elegance Hven is definitely the forefront feature. This is an obvious symptom of being a wheat based spirit, which translates beautifully to the palate. The mad scientist behind the magic of this distillery does things differently with his gin, maturing the spirit for a while in American oak, then distilling it once again after it has rested in the barrel. This process adds a richness to the mouthfeel and makes for a sultry gin. Peppery, lemon and lime zest, along with refreshing wafts of juniper are all found in experiencing this gin. $69.99
Arbutus Empiric Gin
A grain bomb from Nanaimo with no desserts in sight. Huge grist and barley dust tones, this thing smells like sticking your head in the malt bin. Meyer lemons, limestone rocks from the riverside and tones of coriander plus slight hints of summer blooming greenery. I loved this stuff, quite impressed by the overall tone achieved, even with the grain heavy characters looming in the background. $54.99
Sipsmith London Dry Gin
A revisiting of the blueberry infused, oddly sweet, London dry. When I first tasted this I thought I could pinpoint the exact botanical being used, specifically Kalamata olives, but was thoroughly shocked when I found out it was blueberries. Now, this may sound strange, but I am convinced that there is some strange miswir...

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Patio Crushers with Abigail

Posted on August 11, 2017

It’s that time of year, where you’re trying to snag up as many hours outside before we get some random surprise snowfall at the beginning of September again (remember 2014?), so we thought it would be a great idea to host a tasting just for that.
Patio Crushers welcomed an array of wines, yet there were no bottles of rose. Now, I love Rose, but everyone knows it’s a crusher on a patio (aka, the bottle is 100% being consumed, probably within the hour), and so I decided to shake things up:

Andreola Mas de Fer Prosecco Extra Dry - Veneto, Italy
Prosecco seemed to be the most suiting way to start this tasting and getting everyone excited for what was to lay ahead. In Valdobbiadene which is the heart of Prosecco product, lies The Andreola Estate. It was established in 1984 by Nazareno Pola. His son Stefano Pola, now the winemaker, believes in following the evolution of Prosecco and abiding his father’s philosophy so they can produce the best product they can. This particular wine is 100% Glera grapes and is extremely refreshing. With notes of citrus, pear/apple and gooseberry, this wine is extremely easy to drink and is a must for the patio season. KWM Exclusive. $29.99
Domaine des Aubuisiere “Le Petit Clos” –  Loire Valley, France
Chenin Blanc is a chuggable favourite amongst the staff, so it obviously had to be included. Loire Valley is home to some of the best Chenin Blanc, where it beautifully capturing the essence of terroir and tradition. Winemaker, Bernard Fouquet, elegantly shows his passion in his wines, with them being some of the best of the grape available in Calgary. The Le Petit Clos has very little residual sugar, meaning it is higher in acidity and definitely bone dry. With notes of tart apple, pear, honey and blossom, this wine is perfect for an afternoon in the sun. KWM Exclusive $29.99
Carlisle Compagni Portis – Sonoma Valley, USA
I could talk all day about the production of Carlisle and this white blend. Made from vines planted in 1954, this field blend of Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Trousseau Gris, and Roter Veltliner is a must, especially in Summer. Displaying notes of lychee, ginger, allspice and preserved lemon, it’s a wine is perfect when chilled. If you aren't already lounging out on your balcony then this wine will help transport you there - if not in body then at least in mind. KWM Exclusive. $48.99
Hain Riesling Kabinett Goldtropfchen – Mosel, Germany
Riesling is probably my favourite grape juice to drink during the summer months (or any other month of the year) when it is fermented. The wine it helps create is typically crisp and refreshing, sometimes with a touch of sweetness. Coming from the Mosel region in Germany (aka, the motherland of Rieslings), as it beautifully captures the truest personality of the grape. Green apple, blossom, citrus and honeysuckle, with a touch of...

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SMWS Canada August 2017 Outturn

Posted on August 8, 2017

This August marks the 70th Outturn for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of Canada. As was pointed out on Twitter - this month also sees the 500th bottle released by the SMWS Canada!

This is a rollercoaster of an Outturn that contains some exciting changes in nuance and flavour from one bottle to the next. We go from vibrant and zinging flavour to an oak driven cask finish right into some decadent, well-aged grain - and it just keeps going from there! A stunning toasted oak Speysider is followed by our first peated single malt of the Outturn - a very well smoker coming to us from the Highlands. And it is all capped off by a bracingly bold young Islay malt.

I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I did!

Cheers,
Evan



7.165 - DANCE OF THE BUMBLEBEE

This 13 year old Speysider comes in at 60.7% after maturing in a 1st fill barrel
Flavour profile: Juicy, oak & vanilla
Outturn: 180 bottles
Panel's tasting note: "The flavours tiptoed on the tongue in a delicate dance, twirling through rosewater, peach, mango, dried papaya and white chocolate. With little pirouettes it displayed Turkish delight, hazelnuts, Bakewell tarts and strawberry jam before revolving into marmalade, orange blossom honey, pears, raw chocolate and black pepper. It swiftly turned into a jig of sticky figs and skipped its way through olives, spiced red apple chutney, salted caramel, old leather, candied fennel seeds and dusty chalk. Velvety smooth and exceedingly complex movements, the finish was resplendent with green apples, lots of sweetness and huge, long lasting spice."
Drinking tip: "For a refreshing and vibrant dance around the senses"
$142.99


41.85 - ADD A LITTLE SPICE!

After 11 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead this Speysider was finished in a virgin oak hogshead with a heavy toast and a medium char, and comes in at 57.6%
Flavour profile: Spicy & dry
Outturn: 270 bottles
Panel's tasting note: "The nose neat had plenty of foodie associations; honey, orange and thyme glazed duck breast, steak cooked in Chinese Five spice powder with plum sauce and sweet mangos in fragrant steamed rice. The taste delivered the drinks; cocktail of green ginger wine and whisky, warm spiced pomegranate orange juice and dry Sercial Madeira wine. Diluted, an almond apricot cake and a sweet creamy Sherry trifle appeared and on the taste a Masala chai spiced tea with almond milk and fresh ginger. Eleven years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, finished in a virgin oak hogshead with a heavy toast and a medium char."
Drinking tip: "After a round of golf"
$122.99

G4.10 - COFFEE TOFFEE


This 34-year-old single grain whisky was matured in a refill hogshead and is 52.8%
Flavour profile: Spicy & sweet
Outturn: 180 bottles
Panel's ...

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New Beers of July 2 of 2

Posted on August 1, 2017

Well, it seems the store and neighbourhood survived Diagon Alley! Between that, Folk Fest, smoky skies and the Stampede, July was certainly a fun and eventful month. And with that, I'm about caught up catching you up on the delicious new beers we've been getting through the month.
Check out the bottles, cans, and kegs we've got going on!
Chinook Wind Session ale by Hell’s Basement: A light and fluffy beer with plenty of citrus and orchard fruit notes. Decently dry with good grainy flavours, and all in all goes down super easy. ($16.99 for a 6-pack of cans)
Citrus Shore Session Ale by Lighthouse: Plenty of candied citrus aromas come across a slightly caramelly malty base. Citrus oil and forest fruits are accentuated by the slightly sweet malt, and the finish has plenty of pithy bitterness. ($18.79 for a 6-pack of cans)
Holiday Kolsch by Yukon: Yukon twists up the traditional style by adding Vienna and wheat to give complexity and tone. Lightly floral, and slightly sweeter malt than usual, with mild citrus and spice notes. ($4.09 for a tall can 792711)
Tide and it’s Takers by Anchorage: Bread, oak, citrus and funk... Not sure what else you could want? Anchorage makes some of the best beers to enter the province, and this is certainly one you don't want to miss. A Barrel aged, funky Belgian-style tripel. Spicy, fruity, and full of wood and yeast. Perfect! ($17.69 for a 750mL bottle)

Bat Out of Helles by Alley Kat: A light, crisp, and bright lager with generous crackery malts and a touch of floral honey. Mildly spicy hops give a good, clean finish, leaving your palate ready for more! ($8.59 for a 650mL bottle)

Saison Framboise by Dunham: The strong raspberry aromas cover any real saison character. Though the flavours of malt and yeast poke through on the palate, giving you a better idea of what you're dealing with. Mildly tart with a hint of spice, and still decently fruity, and overall quite delicious. ($15.69 for a 750mL bottle)


 
Chinook RIPA by Grizzly Paw: Soft caramel sweet malty tones provide a good amber ale-like base on which fruity, citrusy and floral hops float. Piney hop aroma gives a little more of the pale ale character, but the beer is still a tasty red ale. ($15.09 for a 4-pack of tall cans)

Tom Green Summer Stout by Beau’s All Natural: This is one of those so-called White Stouts you've heard about. Moderate body with semi-sweet malts. Light cacao and coffee flavours through and more malty sweetness come up with it. About as summery as a "stout" gets! ($8.19 for a 600mL bottle)

The Fuzz Milkshake IPA by Bridge: That's right, a milkshake IPA. Sweeter, creamy feels with orchard fruitiness. Tasty, if at least a little different. Super enjoyable and needs to be tasted! ($9.59 for a 650mL bottle)
Sanguinem Auriantico by Evil Twin: More blood orange beers please! I'm not kidding on ...

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