Glendronach 8 Year Hielan 50ml
$9.99
Bottled at 46% the Hielan is composed of a mix of Ex-Bourbon & Ex-Sherry Casks. The name is a "a heartfelt tip of the hat to the extraordinary Forgue distillery, Glendronach’s spiritual home in the Highlands and one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries." We're not entirely sure what that means, but we'll take it as is. Looking forward to sampling it and providing our own tasting note.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: malty, a touch of barnyard and wet hay; raisins and waxy chocolates; Fig Newtons, juicy orange and Bananas Foster.
Palate: big, rich, nutty and fruity; loads of caramel, more malt and wet hay; Sunrype boxed raisins and Glosset Raisins; more Fig Newtons, juicy orange and cooked banana; soft new leather and a touch of spice.
Finish: medium in length and light; leather, dark fruits and spice last the longest.
Comment: surprisingly pleasant and complex for just 8 years... not mind blowing, but very good for 8 years of age!
Glendronach Peated 50ml
$9.99
The first ever peated offering of Glendronach, and a new core range release. Billy Walker hand his team at BenRiach Distillery Co. have made hay with their peated expressions of BenRiach. It was a logical extension to make a peated version of Glendronach too. It isn't old, BenRiach only bought Glendronach in 2008, so this whisky isn't likely to be older than 6 or 7 years, but don't let that get in your way. Other peated malts like Kilchoman have shown well at as young as 3 years. Bottled at 46% without colouring or chill-filtering the whisky has been matured in sherry from peated malt. In some way it is a truer style to what the distillery would have first produced in 1826, than what they produce today! The whisky was matured in Ex-Bourbon and finished in Oloroso and PX Sherry.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: honey, Glosette raisins and hot apple cider with a cinnamon stick by the peat fire; juicy malt and clean smoke with marmalade and green grasses.
Palate: very honeyed, more dark fruits: Glosette raisins and prosciutto warp figs with date bars; only a hint of smoke at the start but successive waves bring phenols and gradually build up the strength of the peat; still very juicy and malty, the smoke is clean and ashy, not unlike BenRiach's with late soft leather and tobacco adding weight.
Finish: honey, malt, dark fruits and clean ashy smoke linger long.
Comment: not as heavily peated in feel as the BenRiach Curiositas or most peated Islay whiskies, and a little bolder than that in standard Benromachs; the interplay between the sherry notes and the youthful moderately peated malt creates a fine balance!
Kilchoman Sanaig 50ml
$17.99
50ml. New for 2016, the Kilchoman Sanaig is a more lightly sherried expresion than Loch Gorm, consisting of both sherry matured and sherry finished whiskies. Bottled at 46% it is one of the most eagerly anticipated new Islay whiskies of the year. We can't wait to try it!
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: creamy with leather, clean smoke, doughy notes and chewy malt; drying orange slices, honey dew, soft vanilla and honey dew melon; hints of dark fruits, Caramilk and medicinal peat.
Palate: big, creamy, medicinal and smoky with loads more chewy malt; some lavender perfume, big honey tones and soft leather; more Caramilk, dark fruits and spices develop with patience; oily and minty with more orange and melon.
Finish: big, coating, oily and fruity with creamy vanilla and medicinal peat smokes.
Comment: like many of its sister expressions this Kilchoman is both bold but elegant, brash but layered and it doesn't disappoint!
From the Distillery: "Sanaig, a small rocky inlet North West of the distillery is the name given to this continuously available release. Sanaig has a predominantly sherry cask influence owing to the significant time spent in oloroso sherry Hogsheads. These aged oloroso casks contribute a drastically transformed depth of colour and character compared to the mostly Bourbon cask matured Machir Bay. “A beautiful marriage of bourbon and sherry maturation balanced with classic Islay peat smoke and light citrus sweetness” Anthony Wills, Founder. Sanaig was awarded Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Non Age Statement at the IWSC 2016."
Kilchoman 2011 KWM PX Cask 446 50ml
$17.99
New for the fall of 2016, a PX Finished single cask of cask strength peated single malt Scotch whisky bottled exclusively for KWM. Distilled on the 28th of July 2011 the cask was bottled July 25th 2016, just a few days shy of 5 years of age. Our 5th exclusive Kilchoman single cask, 444/2011, has been bottled at 57.5%, just 222 bottles left. We were blown away when we selected this cask, now that it is here it is tasting even better!
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: creamy, scallops in burnt butter with lagostines and a glass of off sweet dark sherry; very briny, oily peat and juicy sweet malt; brush smoke, dried dark fruits in maple syrup.
Palate: round, honeyed and very fruity with loads of malt and building oily peat and firm smoke; doughy, a base of vanilla, more scallops cooked in butter, lagostines and smoked mussels; big chewy peated malt, lovely peat oils and dark spices: licorice and clove; big though the whisky is there is no hiding the fruits ranging from light and soft to dark and dried.
Finish: medium-long, big but balanced; loads of malt, smoke, maritime notes, peat smoke and spices; maple syrup and dried dark fruits.
Comment: we love Kilchoman, I don't know what more to say, other than this is another lovely expression and we know you will love it!
Glengoyne 18 Year 50ml
$7.19
Glengoyne takes pride in having one of the slowest distillations in Scotland, producing one of the most delicate spirits. The 18 year is produced from a high proportion of single malts matured exclusively in First Fill Ex-Sherry casks. Bottled at 40%.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: loads of Christmas cake, Eatmore (the candy bar), Judy's nutty chocolate fudge, grilled figs and moist date squares; very soft spices (cinnamon and cardamom), dark chocolate and soft old leather; thick with some tobacco, caramel apple and candied nuts.
Palate: big, rich, fruity and oily with more Christmas cake and Eatmore candy bars; more smooth old leather leads into gentle spices and fruity tobacco; lots of dried dark fruits, a hint of unburnt salty bacon, earthy dunnage warehouse notes and medium dark chocolate;
Finish: long, rich, coating, earthy and subtly spicy with more smooth old leather, tobacco, Christmas cake and cold tea.
Comment: the only thing I don't like about this whisky is the 43%abv; I know lots of you are still lamenting the loss of the classic old Macallan 18 Year; why not look for solace in this better priced 18 year old; it won't disappoint.
G&M Miltonduff 10 Year 50ml
$10.99
50ml. Featured on Day 16 in our Kensington Wine Market Whisky Advent Calendar, this Gordon Macphail Distillery Label bottling is exclusive to KWM in Canada. Matured in First Fill Sherry Butts and Hogsheads. Bottled at 40%.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: decadent, honeyed with dried apricots and diced candied fruits (before mixing into Christmas cake); buttery with bright pineapple, creme brule and clotted cream on crumbly scones; big notes of candied orange and lemon drops.
Palate: big, creamy, leathery and fruity with layers of spice; still decadent: powdered sugar; more dried apricots and diced candied fruits; Glosset Raisins, cooked pineapple and more creme brule; clotted cream on moist but crumbly scones; nuttier than expected with some darker edges; citrus is still there but just an accent.
Finish: medium short, but very pleasant; the creaminess clings to the palate as the decadent sugars and fruits fade.
Comment: this is a lovely, layered and inexpensive single malt. The closest thing you will find to an official bottling in Canada.
About Glenburgie (Courtesy Gordon Macphail): "In partnership with each respective distillery, all whiskies in our 'Distillery Labels' range are uniquely labeled. In years gone by many of these unique designs were used 'officially' to bottle the whisky under license from the distillery. Today these trusted relationships with distillers enables Gordon & Macphail to bottle whiskies at various ages, strengths and vintages - all with their unique distillery label."
About Gordon Macphail Distillery Labels: "Set close to the A96, near the village of Alves, lies Glenburgie Distillery which looks over the Moray Firth. The distillery was originally called Kilnflat, although in 1878 after a period of disuse, it was renamed Glenburgie. Nearby is Burgie Castle, which dates back to the 16th century. For a short while Glenburgie also produced another single malt, Glencraig. This was produced using Lomond stills and is available in our Rare Old range."
G&M Glenburgie 10 Year 50ml
$10.99
50ml. Featured on Day 16 in our Kensington Wine Market Whisky Advent Calendar, this Gordon Macphail Distillery Label bottling is exclusive to KWM in Canada. Matured in First Fill Sherry Butts and Hogsheads. Bottled at 40%.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: decadent, honeyed with dried apricots and diced candied fruits (before mixing into Christmas cake); buttery with bright pineapple, creme brule and clotted cream on crumbly scones; big notes of candied orange and lemon drops.
Palate: big, creamy, leathery and fruity with layers of spice; still decadent: powdered sugar; more dried apricots and diced candied fruits; Glosset Raisins, cooked pineapple and more creme brule; clotted cream on moist but crumbly scones; nuttier than expected with some darker edges; citrus is still there but just an accent.
Finish: medium short, but very pleasant; the creaminess clings to the palate as the decadent sugars and fruits fade.
Comment: this is a lovely, layered and inexpensive single malt. The closest thing you will find to an official bottling in Canada.
About Glenburgie (Courtesy Gordon Macphail): "In partnership with each respective distillery, all whiskies in our 'Distillery Labels' range are uniquely labeled. In years gone by many of these unique designs were used 'officially' to bottle the whisky under license from the distillery. Today these trusted relationships with distillers enables Gordon & Macphail to bottle whiskies at various ages, strengths and vintages - all with their unique distillery label."
About Gordon Macphail Distillery Labels: "Set close to the A96, near the village of Alves, lies Glenburgie Distillery which looks over the Moray Firth. The distillery was originally called Kilnflat, although in 1878 after a period of disuse, it was renamed Glenburgie. Nearby is Burgie Castle, which dates back to the 16th century. For a short while Glenburgie also produced another single malt, Glencraig. This was produced using Lomond stills and is available in our Rare Old range."
G&M Macphail's Collec Glen Scotia 1991
$17.99
Our Whisky Advent Day 24 bottling from 2016 is a bit of a mystery. Distilled in 1991, we have no idea how old it is, and a cursory glance of the internet seems to indicate that no one knows. This is one of just two bottles in the 2016 Whisky Advent Calendar not available for sale. Bottled at 43%, We can only speculate on the oak type. Only available in 50ml.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: creamy, cultured French butter, fresh picked peaches and apple crumble; dried tropical fruits (they are there, but shy), gentle leather and some soft decadent spice; old and dusty, a touch antique-y!
Palate: very soft, much more spice than expected surging right off the bat; the tropical fruits are more developed, still dried, but leaping at you; there is some orange tang and lots of dusty sugars, malt and oak; still a little on the antique side the salty tones belly its proximity to Campbeltown lock; the spices become bigger and darker, with that steely-oily-mechanical character Glen Scotia is famous for.
Finish: medium in length, light and warming; fading spice, dried fruits and dusty sugars.
Comment: not quite as massive and mechanical as some other Glen Scotia's but an interesting older bottle none the less.
About Glen Scotia (Courtesy Gordon MacPhail): "Glen Scotia distillery kept a very stable existence throughout the last century; it belonged to the original licensees until 1895. Then that point forward, however, it changed hands twice, before falling silent, as did many of its neighbours, in the 1920's. For a while Glen Scotia belonged to the owners of Scapa distillery in Orkney, right at the opposite end of the country. The buildings, including the malt barns and the barley lofts, are Victorian whilst the stillhouse is thought to be original. Glen Scotia maintained cooperage function and there has always been a cooper on the distillery payroll. The distillery has a resident ghost, that of a previous owner, Duncan MacCallum, who drowned himself in Campbeltown Loch in 1930 after losing a fortune in a crooked business deal."
About MacPhail's Collection (Courtesy Gordon MacPhail): "'The MacPhail's Collection' is a small and exclusive range of fine single malt scotch whiskies from distilleries throughout Scotland."
G&M Conn Choice Inchgower 2005 50ml
$12.99
Distilled in 2005 and bottled in 2016 at 46% after 11 years maturing 11 years in Refill Sherry casks. Exclusive to KWM in Calgary, this is the Day 5 whisky in our Kensington Wine Market 2016 Whisky Advent Calendar.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: Toffife and Werther's Original, Scottish Tablet, brown sugar melting on warm creamy porridge and Twizzlers Black Licorice; some dark fruits, chocolate fudge and orange Starbursts.
Palate: more Toffife and Werther's Original with soft earthy leather, chewy malt and more molten brown sugar; there is a base of creamy vanilla, overlaid by sherry notes: more black Twizzlers, dates and figs with very gentle spices; moving towards Christmas cake and musty dunnage notes of old European oak.
Finish: medium long, but big and very sherried; fading fudgy chocolate, dark fruits and leather; spices start to emerge late.
Comment: this is a pleasant surprise, I like it a lot more than the 2000 Inchgower last year; very sherried, but far from over the top.
About the Distillery (courtesy Gordon Macphail): "Inchgower Distillery lies near the mouth of the River Spey, by the coastal town of Buckie. The majority of production goes into Bell's, Johnny Walker and White Horse blends."
About Connoisseurs Choice: "In the mid-1960s Gordon & MacPhail took the unprecedented step of launching a range of single malts under the brand name 'Connoisseurs Choice'. Until this time, many of the whiskies the range featured would not have been available as single malt. Today, 'Connoisseurs Choice' retains this exclusive nature with a range of rare and sought after single malts from distilleries throughout Scotland."