Doc Swinson's Bourbon KWM Single Barrel
$118.99
Barrel filled on November 24th, 2017 @ MGP Distillery of Indiana. Partially matured in Washington by Doc Swinson's, then selected by Kensington Wine Market. Bottled at a cask strength of 55.85% on August 9th, 2023. The Bourbon is 5 Years and 8 Months old.
This barrel of Bourbon is from MGP's 21% Rye Bourbon Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 21% Rye, and 4% Malted Barley
Harmony and Evan are very excited about this.
Waterford Single Farm Sheestown 1.2
$101.99
This single farm origin single malt was produced from barley grown by Philip O'Brien at Sheestown Farm in County Kilkenny. Distilled in 2016 and bottled at 2020 after 4 years at 50%. Matured in a a mix of 33% ex-Bourbon, 19% Virgin American Oak, 25% ex-French Wine & 23% Vin Doux Naturel casks. Produced from the Irina barley variety, and fermented with Mauri Distiller's Yeast for an impressive 131.5 hours.
About Sheestown Farm
Baile an fhasaigh, the ‘place of the lush grass’, is surely a fitting place to grow barley. The Shees clan settled here to the west of the Nore river in the 15th Century. Defined by a geology of limestone and sandstone, Sheestown is a rolling, lowland terroir of well-drained loamy soil with outcrops of gravel and drier hilltops. Philip O’Brien has farmed here for half a century, while his daughter, Maura, works with us at the distillery.
Sheestown takes its name from the Shees, a family from Kerry who settled in Kilkenny and became loyal supporters of the House of Butler, earls of Ormonde, during the 15th century. Sir Richard Shee was deputy to the Lord Treasurer of Ireland during Queen Elizabeth’s reign but his descendant, Marcus Shee, was outlawed as a Jacobite in 1691 and fled to France. One of Marcus Shee’s descendants was the charismatic Duke of Feltre, who served as Napoleon Bonaparte’s Minister of War.
Glenfarclas 21 Year KWM Cask Strength #2
$199.99
The 4th and possibly final bottling in the "Andrew's Ego Collection" series is a Glenfarclas 21 Year, bottled at 51.9%, bottled exclusively for Kensington Wine Market. This bottling celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the night in 2011 our own Andrew Ferguson, and Glenfarclas' George Grant, were inducted into the Keepers of the Quaich; hence the nickname: "10 Years Keeping Quaich-y with it!" We had originally hoped this bottling would arrive in 2021... but you know the story... logistics! Once more this is not a single cask, but a batch of Glenfarclas 21 Year, bottled at cask strength!
If you are unfamiliar with the story behind the Andrew's Ego Collection, it all started with a cask strength Glenfarclas 21 Year we called Ferg in the Spey! Long story short, it is a play on a bottling Glenfarclas did for an American called "Ferd (Ford) in the Spey," which was bottled to commemorate a visit to Glenfarclas that ended with a Ford rental car in the Spey River. It was intended to be a one-off, but was so popular that it was followed with a cask strength Glenfarclas 15 Year, which we called Ferg in Front of the Store. Now we were starting to have some fun with it...
So a third bottling was commissioned, a 25 Year bottled at 50%, the Ferg in Homage to George Grant. Andrew wanted the third bottling to be even more whimsical or if you prefer, ridiculous, than the first two. It takes its inspiration from an advertisement for Glenfarclas circa 15 years ago featuring a reclining George Grant in a kilt with a selection of whisky in front of him. Our versions features Andrew in homage, with the 5 prior KWM exclusive Glenfarclas bottlings laid out in front of him. Some of our customers referred to it as "Reclining Ferg" and "Homage to Burt Reynolds."
While Andrew's ego would continue to inflate with a 5th release, the 4th bottling may very well be the last in the series. It almost never happened... Demand is finally catching up with Glenfarclas, and all of the whiskies over 21 years of age are going to be tightly allocated in the years ahead.
Glenfarclas Family Cask 1979 S22
$2,089.99
Like the 1978, this Glenfarclas 1979 Family Cask 1979 Summer 2022 (S22) bottling is from a 4th Fill Hogshead, but don't get hung up on that. These refill 40+ year old Glenfarclas are gorgeous... bottled at 41.5%, we expect this one will be going tropical!
Islay Sponge Part 5 Bowmore 20 Year
$624.99
This 2004 vintage, 20 year old Bowmore, was bottled by Decadent Drinks under the Islay Sponge label at 54.9%, after maturing in a Refill Hogshead. 90.76pts Whiskybase
Producer Description
"This is Islay Sponge Part V. It’s a 2004, 20 year old Bowmore, it matured full term in a refill hogshead and we bottled it at natural cask strength. This is a very fruity and saucy Bowmore that will go to your head and cause dopamine spillages if you aren’t careful. Please do not bust out any heavy dance moves or attempt to operate a stylish modern record player while enjoying this outrageously tasty whisky.
"No one knows why Bowmore from these early 2000s vintages seem to possess the fruity spirit of the 1960s, but we cannot complain. And nor should you!
"Now, please buy one of these bottles and sip it reverentially while re-enacting key scenes from the original Planet Of The Apes using only old tweed bed sheets and half coconuts for wardrobe."
Arran Signature Ed.2 Barrel Bonfire
$134.99
The 2nd Edition in The Signature Series from Arran, which is planned to span four releases in total. Barrel Bonfire showcases and embraces the Lochranza Distillery's batches of peated spirit. The 42ppm malt was distilled in and filled into ex-Bourbon Barrels in 2012. It was transferred into ex-Koval Distillery quarter casks that previously matured Bourbon in September of 2018. The result was bottled in early 2024 at 50% ABV.
Producer Description
"Over the course of the secondary maturation, the intensity of the heavily peated whisky has taken on an even more complex and full-bodied character. The smaller the size of cask, the greater the surface contact area between the wood and the spirit, effectively creating an environment for ‘express’ maturation. The resulting whisky has the benefit of more intense flavours which add depth and greater nuance to the final dram. Smokier notes mingle with the well-loved charred citrus and sweet vanilla spices of Arran Single Malt, evoking a bonfire made from barrel staves."
George Remus Gatsby Reserve 2023 Bourbon
$314.99
*Limited to one per customer*
Ahh, the heyday of prohibition. Everybody loves to celebrate the good ol' days of not being allowed to purchase alcohol, and what better way to do so than with this bottle that pays homage to a novel by F Scott Fitzgerald - a writer who plagiarized from his own wife - and the life of George Remus - a bootlegger that murdered his.
The 2023 George Remus Gatsby Reserve Bourbon is a marriage of two High-Rye Mash Bills from MGP/Ross & Squibb Distillery of Indiana. The youngest whiskey is said to be 15 years old, and it is bottled at 49.05% ABV.
Balvenie Portwood 21 Year
$349.99
To create The Balvenie PortWood Aged 21 Years, a marriage of aged Balvenie is transferred to port casks, or pipes, which have previously held fine port wine. Here it is sampled regularly by The Balvenie Malt Master to ensure that just the right amount of character is imparted by the port casks, enhancing and developing the single malt whilst preserving its original characteristics. The Balvenie PortWood Aged 21 Years is bottled at 40% ABV.
Balvenie is the sister distillery to Glenfiddich. Together they represent 2 of but a handful of family owned distilleries. Balvenie is also one of about 7 distilleries in Scotland to malt some of their own barley; though it is just a tiny fraction of their production.
Springbank 21 Year
$429.99
The 2019 Edition of Springbank 21 Year was bottled at 46%, after maturin in 45% Port and 55% Rum casks.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: fudge-y, doughy and leathery with rum and raisin pudding; salted caramel ice cream; Caramilk, milk chocolate and dried dark fruits; jammy, Strawberry Twizzlers and Big Turk candy bars; leaning towards more tropical fruit notes; clean smoke and some tin-y metallic notes.
Palate: thick, coating, oily and rich; earthy and leathery with fruity tobacco and both dark and milk chocolates; the oily peats peak through, with some maritime edges and a more over salted caramel; firm smoke, cloves and fennel; dried dark fruits: dates, figs and Glosset raisins; more Strawberry Twizzlers and Big Turk; so salty and savoury. Finish: long, coating and creamy; more oily peat, salted caramel and jammy fruits; so juicy and thick.
Finish: loads of salted caramel, briny maritime smoke and firm oily peat smoke; still jammy and fruity; long and coating.
Comment: I wish I had some of the 2018 edition at hand to sample beside this; both were at least partly matured in ex-Rum casks; if my memory is correct this edition is nowhere near as subtle or delicate as the 2018, but it makes up for that in richness; fine stuff.
89pts Angus @ Whisky Fun
"Apparently this one was matured in a mix of 45% port and 55% rum. Not sure if that was full term maturations or re-rackings. Colour: amber. Nose: a nice mix of gentle, leafy earthiness, soft tarry notes, embrocations, tobaccos and red fruit jams. Things like raspberry liquorice, jasmine tea and various kinds of glazed, crystallised and dark fruits. Dates, sultanas, quince and plums to be more precise. In time it gets a little more towards mint and eucalyptus. Really harmonious and characterful nose. Mouth: here the different cask types jar a little more I think. Various overripe citrus peels, cornflakes, muesli, caraway and a more pronounced rum note. Golden syrups, brown sugar, dried herbs, cocktail bitters and some slightly farmy/coastal Springbanky goodness underneath. Finish: good length, back to tobacco, tea tree oils, herbal resins, dried dark fruits and red jams. Comments: a tough one to score. There are parts which really work well with this elegance and gentle complexity. On the other hand it can also feel a tad dissonant at times, especially on the palate. Still, perhaps we’re being a tad too picky... "
Limit 1 Per Person - 92pts Angus @WhiskyFun
Unfortunately the allocations on whiskies like this aren’t getting any better, and frustratingly this is one of the best releases in recent years... Only 3700 bottles have been released globally. That may sound like a lot, but the reality is that is just a drop in the bucket. KWM is set to receive just 18 bottles of the 2018 Edition of Springbank 21 Year. We likely won’t see another release until mid-2019. This year’s edition is a curiosity, 70% of the whisky was sourced from Ex-Rum Barrels... we can’t wait to give it a try. Fortunately we’re expecting a visit from Springbank in October, and I have a feeling a bottle just might get opened! It is limited to 1 per customer.
Distiller’s Tasting Note
Nose: A burst of heather and freshly mowed grass followed by honey, pear skin and wood shavings. Hints of butter; cheesecake, fresh cream and digestive biscuit.
Taste: Elegant and gentle. Butterscotch and vanilla, sugar cane and molasses develop as the influence from the rum casks engulfs the palate with apricots, peaches and paprika.
Finish: A soft smokiness is present in the background. Toffee apples, raisins and oat biscuits emerge. In the foreground; peppercorn, almonds and apricot jam are prominent.”
92pts Angus @ WhiskyFun
"This year’s release of the 21yo was composed of 30% bourbon casks and 70% ex-rum casks. Colour: light gold. Nose: if there’s a rum component then so far it’s rather shy. What comes through first is this pretty typical mixture of waxes, beach pebbles, minerals, sheep wool, hessian, bath salts and light medicines. Pretty pure modern-era Springbank and extremely good. There’s some clay, flinty smoke, chalk, lime zest, carbolic soap and a prickle of mustard powder. Also a wisp of peat and wood smoke as well. That distant beach bonfire character that seems to inveigle its way into all contemporary Springbanks. Mouth: lots of soft but emphatic oils. Light peat, black pepper, olive oil, preserved lemons, mineral oil, hessian, soot, seashore minerals and a tiny allusion of dunder funk which may well be the rum, or possibly my imagination. A beautifully supple, textured, oily and characterful Campbeltown malt. Finish: long, some brittle minerals, spry wood spices, a touch of engine grease, lemon rind, wax and some rather fat phenolics. Comments: This combination of characterful distillate, gentle casks, a supportive nudge of peat and plenty maturation time make for a proper malt whisky. Still plenty lessons to be learned from those Karaoke-coveting distillers in Campbeltown it seems... SGP: 472 - 92 points."