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1257 Kensington Road NW
1 (403) 283-8000 / atyourservice@kensingtonwinemarket.com
They can't tell you this is Clynelish... but we are under no such restrictions! This 2010 vintage matured 12 years in a Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel before bottling at 100° British Proof... 57.1%. 90pts Whisky Fun / Limit 1 Per Customer!
Producer Description
"Whisky Sponge Edition No.78 sees the return of the deeply mysterious Candlekitty. What distillery could this be from? Why does this surreal make conjure flavours and phantasmagorical images of wax, seashore and fruit? Why is it so bloody difficult to find casks of this stuff nowadays!?
"This 2010 refill barrel has been bottled at 12 years of age and 100° proof. It contains a superbly vivid waxiness along with top notes of citrus fruits, seashore minerals and Clynelish. Please sip luxuriously and enjoy it while pondering whether independent bottling has a future."
700ml ml90pts Whisky Fun
"Did you notice the 100°proof? A very conceptual label on this one, but between us, you could put a portrait of Trump or Putin on any such Clynelish and still get away with it. Didn't Aristotle state that the liquid always transcends the design anyway? Colour: white wine. Nose: a tad less oak, a little less roundness, a notch more refillness (what?) Other than that, same whisky and no-one will ever complain. Certainly not me. With water: no elderflowers this time, rather chalky apples and sorb. Mouth (neat): fresh tart lemons, grapefruit skin, waxes, green gooseberries, yuzu, brine… Even olives. Olives are the Jimmy-Pages of any spirits (IMHO). With water: ah there, this firmness, this inscrutable brutality to which we surrender (S, better drop those old cigarettes that you just found in your son's drawer). Finish: long and amazing. Top-four distillate, as ever. Remember, HP, Clynelish, Ben Nevis, Springbank. But don't ask me to rate the distillers themselves, there are some real unpleasant individuals among them. I agree, what a surprise. Comments: marvellous Clynelish yet again, I could have gone even higher than…SGP:562 - 90 points."
I have a personal connection to the Clynelish Distillery - one that goes well beyond my love of their whisky. This connection is a little bit at odds with my love for the whisky if I am being honest. The distillery was founded by the Marquis of Stafford, aka the 1st Duke of Sutherland, one of the worst actors in the dark period of Scottish history known as the Highland Clearances.
The Highland Clearances took place between 1750 and 1860 in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Tens of thousands of tenant farmers were cruelly and systematically evicted from their homes so that their farmland could be used for the more profitable grazing of sheep. Many were forced out of their homes at gunpoint and shepherded away to live in towns and villages while their meagre possessions went up in smoke. The displaced peoples were compelled to become fishermen, kelp harvesters, or hard labourors.
In later stages of the clearances, after it became apparent that the displaced peoples were struggling to support themselves and were suffering from famine, landlords turned to “assisted passages.” Tenants who were selected for “emigration” had little choice but to board ship and depart for places unknown. This is almost certainly how my mother’s ancestors found their way to Canada.
I am a member of the ancient Clan Gunn on my mother’s side. The Gunns claim Gunni as their founder, who was himself the descendant of Viking raiders. Gunni’s wife, Ragnhild, was the sister of the Earl of Orkney, who granted her estates in Caithness. The Gunns would play a prominent role in the far northeast of Scotland - the lands of Caithness and Sutherland - for the next 500 years. There is still a strong Gunn connection to these lands, but the Clearances did much to break the Clan system and Gaelic culture.
In just six years between 1814 and 1820, the 1st Duke of Sutherland alone evicted more than 3000 families - no fewer than 15,000 people from Caithness and Sutherland. One old woman was burned alive after refusing to leave her home.
The Cylnelish Distillery was founded by the Duke of Sutherland in 1819, ostensibly to give some of his newly unemployed tenants something to do. But I recall another version of this story, which implies that the distillery was opened, not out of commercial intent, but rather to drive the illicit distillers operating on his lands - the last holdouts to his Clearance - out of business. It seems this man’s cruelty knew no bounds, at least by modern standards. Whatever the truth is, the distillery has survived to this day, and has somewhat of a dedicated following for its whisky.
The original Clynelish Distillery was closed in 1968, after a new modern Clynelish distillery opened adjacent to it in 1967. The old distillery, renamed Brora after the town, was temporarily revived between 1969 and 1983 to supply demand for the booming Blended Scotch industry. In the years since, Brora has become a highly sought after and collectible whisky. This might have had something to do with its owner Diageo’s decision to reopen it after nearly 40 years.
The Brora (the original Clynelish) and Clynelish Distilleries are located side by side on the outskirts of the picturesque seaside town of Brora. The latter recently opened a state-of-the-art visitor center and, like its older sister distillery, has developed a bit of a cult following - in this case for a specific trait. Clynelish has a distinctly mouth coating waxy profile which sets it apart from all other Scottish single malts. There was a bit of a panic many years back when the spirit temporarily lost some of this character after an overly thorough cleaning of the distillery’s equipment during the silent season. The collection of “gunky” oils in the feints receiver is behind this signature trait and is now carefully replaced after its cleaning.
The Clynelish 14 Year distillery bottling is a classic but has been harder to find in recent years. The whisky is also of signature importance to, and one of the biggest components in Johnnie Walker Gold Label blend. Keep your eye open for independent bottlings of Clynelish, especially from Gordon & Macphail and Signatory, they are always excellent.
The town of Brora is located a little over an hour north of Inverness and boasts a few nice hotels and a lovely oceanfront links course. There is also plenty of great hiking and mountain biking in the nearby mountains. One peak in particular, Ben Bhraggie, looms over the scenic nearby town of Golspie and boasts spectacular views of the Dornoch Firth, the Black Isle (a peninsula) and the Moray coast beyond. While you are there, you can pay your respects to the notorious 1st Duke of Sutherland, who built an imposing monument to himself atop the Ben. How you choose to do that is up to you, but I have a few ideas...
On that final note, I've taken my own small little bit of revenge out on the infamous Duke... Our friends at That Boutique-y Whisky Company even helped us immortalize said event, with our to
Boutique-y Clynelish* 20 Year KWM Cask!
$219.99
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!
May Clynelish's waxiness never wane!
$109.99
Although the current Clynelish distillery was founded in 1967, it's origin can be traced to it's now demolished sister distillery, Brora. Founded in 1819 it was originally known as Clynelish. Interestingly in the 18thC. it was held in such high regard that the whisky was privately sold. Today the majority of Clynelish is destined for blending, with only a small amount for bottling as single malt.
Producer Description
Clynelish whisky is closer to an Island style than other mainland malts, with a complex and fragrant nose and an agreeable, long finish that leaves a lingering fresh-fruity flavour. This 14-year-old is a less heavyweight whisky that's deliciously drinkable and makes it an excellent aperitif.
$254.99
First Fill Bourbon American Oak. What a perfect way to showcase 'the waxy one'. Unquestionably, one of the most exciting of the 2023 Special Releases.
57.5% abv
May Clynelish's waxiness never wane!
