Newsletter
Sign up for our newsletter for information on our latest products and promotions.
Sign up for our newsletter for information on our latest products and promotions.
Please confirm that you are of legal age
to purchase alcohol in your region.
You currently have an active checkout session
open already, would you like to clear it?
1257 Kensington Road NW
1 (403) 283-8000 / atyourservice@kensingtonwinemarket.com
$129.99
This mystery-peated highland single malt was created by marrying whisky from an ex-Bourbon Barrel and a Oloroso Sherry Octave. It has been bottled at 50.9% and 18 years of age.
Producer Description
"A brand new Secret Highland single malt for your tasting pleasure, and a brand new label from the pen of Emily Chappell! An 18 Year Old single malt from the Highland region of Scotland, from 2004/05, and a marriage of an ex-Bourbon barrel and Oloroso octave."
About the Label
"There are a few more distilleries in the Highlands than Islay, but not quite as many as Speyside. That said, ALL Speyside whiskies are indeed Highland whiskies, so it’s going to be hard to figure out where this could have been distilled. Can you tell which one it is? We actually don’t know, and despite finding a few possibilities, we’re really not certain… Our label brings the whole Whisky Team together (at the time when we briefed this label!) It’s starts with Toby whispering the distillery name to the team through a children’s game of broken telephone and finishing with our artist, Emily, with her finger over her lips. She hasn’t got a scooby… It’s a secret never to be told…"
500 ml
Producer Tasting Note
Nose: Sweet smoked honey, rich toffee, with some orchard fruits behind some delicate campfire smoke.
Palate: A rich, sweet, smoky character. Toffee apples coated in warming spices, A long finish with wood smoke, caramel, and vanilla.
That Boutique-y Whisky Company (TBWC) is part of the Atom Group, which also owns the UK retailer Master of Malt and a number of other subsidiaries. They are a dynamic and innovative firm, who by example invented the Whisky Advent Calendar concept. Established in 2012, TBWC is famous for its playful and colourful labels, which often feature prominent whisky industry figures, tell a story, and or elude to an inside joke. The labels are typically laced with hidden elements and "Easter Eggs."
TBWC bottles whiskies from around the world, though the bulk of their offerings are of Scottish origin. Most of their offerings are small-batch releases, Blended Malts, and Blends. Their "Head of Whisky" is Canadian Sam Simmons.
We are big fans of not only their whimsical labels but also the consistently high standard of liquid they bottle.
Browse all in-stock products from That Boutique-y Whisky Company.
$164.99
It is finally here... we have been teasing and talking about this whisky for months, and it was worth the wait. We are thrilled to introduce you to our first ever KWM exlcusive single cask from That Boutique-y Whisky Company. Although the bottle doesn't explicitly tell you which "Highland" distillery the whisky is from, there are clues on the label... 578 bottles have been filled exclusively for Kensington Wine Market at 51%. But we have nothing holding us back from telling you that Boutique-y Highland #2 is Clynelish... That's right, this is 20 year old Clynelish!
Andrew's Note on the Whisky & Label
Could that be a cat in the clouds, a Wild Highland Cat perhaps? Is it not strange to see a waxy candle-powered balloon? Incidentally, it is lifting the KWM whisky team aloft. And what of the monument? If we told you it was a controversial monument near the town of Golspie dedicated to the infamous Duke of Sutherland, would that give you all the information you need to know? What Highland Distillery has a Wild Highland Cat as its symbol, a waxy profile, and an infamous Duke as its founder?
This label is a cheeky take on a shared memory, with embellishments, embedded details, and Easter eggs, in the tradition of the best Boutique-y Whisky Company Labels. More importantly, it tells a story, which is personally important to my family. My mother was born into the Clann Gunn in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Her ancestors roamed swaths of what is now Caithness and Sutherland in northern Scotland. That is until they were compelled to leave Scotland in the late 18th century, cruelly and rudely displaced to make way for sheep during the early days of the Highland Clearances.
On the label there is a ship at sea, heading to Canada presumably, as hinted at by the flags (the Canadian flag as it is today was only introduced in 1965). On the flat coastal plain at the base of the mountains sheep can be seen grazing. In front of the monument stand a pair of Canadians stand in hockey jerseys. Sam Simmons, Head of Whisky at Atom Brands, and a native Torontonian, stands closest to the monument in what appears to be a hockey jersey. Further back, a native Calgarian, yours truly can be seen waving a white hat, an iconic symbol of "Cowtown", whilst sporting a local hockey team jersey of his own. In the balloon Keith, Evan, Shawn & Curt can be seen waving at Andrew & Sam below. Speaking of those two, what are they doing atop Ben Bhraggie? Funny story that.
When TBWC offered us this cask of Highland Malt, they asked us what we wanted on the label, and I had a cheeky idea. In 2006 I made my first trip to Scotland, and on that trip, I hiked up Ben Bhraggie, a small mountain (really a foothill by Canadian standards) to see the monument of the infamous Duke. Someone had spraypainted the word "Monster" in neon green at the base. When I was sure no one was looking I dropped trow and relieved myself on it. I sent Sam an email of this tale, my connection to the area and my idea for the label. I was sure it was just a little too edgy...
Minutes later my phone was ringing... it was 3 AM in the UK, but Sam wanted to make sure I had seen his reply. He too had hiked Ben Bhraggie in 2005, and he had also paid his own respects to the infamous Duke of Sutherland...
One last little nugget, Keith, who is a personal trainer and headed to Beijing as a Team Canada Skeleton coach, felt his arm didn't look appropriately burly, in an early draft of the label. So we had the artist, Emily Chappell, 'bugs bunny' his arm... In case it isn't already apparent, nothing is sacred (especially when it comes to The Duke of Sutherland and Keith's pipes)!
And the rest as they say is history. On the back of every bottle, That Boutique-y Whisky Company includes the following text: "We are passionate about great whisky, we don't take ourselves too seriously and we LOVE a good story." No wonder these chaps are such a great fit to work with!
