Aubuisieres Vouvray Brut
$24.64
Serious bubbles that are consistently the "best value in its appellation" - this is not just a great value, it is also a favourite of both Kensington Wine Market staff AND the staff of our next-door neighbour's Peasant Cheese!
Formerly known as Domaine Bernard Fouquet, until Bernard retired in 2021, handing the reins to Charles Lesaffre. Charles is the grandson of Gérald Bruley des Varannes, the man from whom Bernard's father André acquired his first vineyards, thereby bringing the story of the Domaine full circle. An avid practitioner of viticulture and oenology, Charles joined Bernard as an associate in 2019. Two years into his tenure, Charles has emphasized organic and biodynamic practices. Charles has continued, as Bernard before him, to capture the unique Vouvray mineral tones, along with the wonderfully balanced expression of fruit of the Chenin Blanc grape, in his wines.
Redbreast 12 Year Irish Whiskey 40%
$97.19
Redbreast is one of the best-known Irish whiskies on the market. Check it out: Complex with great depth. Huskier than Powers but that same robustness, with apple notes. This Single Pot Still Irish whiskey is as Irish as it gets. 40%.
What is Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey you ask? It is whiskey made using a combination of malted and unmalted barley. Why do this you ask? Why, to dodge unfair taxation, of course! The Malt Tax came into being in Ireland for a short time starting in 1785, enforced by the (insert expletive said in your best Irish accent here) English. The Irish, being Irish, decided that they didn't need to use malted barley for the entirety of the mash used to distill whiskey and started adding portions of unmalted barley. Necessity being the mother of invention, this eventually became a legitimate style of whiskey-making that is now not just celebrated but codified into law in Ireland with the Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey classification.
Kavalan PX Sherry TM 5th Anniversary Rel
$449.99
Bottled to mark Truth Malters 5th Anniversary as Kavalan importer in Canada, this PX Sherry Matured Kavalan is one of the oldest whiskies ever bottled by the distillery, at 54%, and just shy of its 14th birthday!
Blind Enthusiasm Fruitful Pursuits Plum
$14.12
From the fine folks at Blind Enthusiasm! The Fruitful Pursuits series focuses on barrel-aged fruit beer that you can either drink now or cellar-age for a good amount of time.
6.8% ABV
From The Producer
"Fruitful Pursuits Plum is a Mixed Fermentation blend refermented on freshly picked plums. For 2022 we used hundreds of kilograms of Damson and President plums grown in the Okanagan and supplied by our good friends Steve & Dan’s Fresh BC Fruit. The blend of 1, 2 & 3 year barrels referments on the fruit for 2 months resulting in robust plum flavours, subtle baking spice notes, and a beautiful rose colour. This is highlighted by a balanced tart acidity and velvety plum skin tannins. We hope you like it!"
Mayu Rose
$16.99
Viña Mayu was established in 2005 in the Elqui Valley, the first fine wine producer to enter the wine business since 1998. Mauro Olivier was one of the pioneers, planting vines for fine wine production and sourcing grapes from the different vineyards in the valley. He started working on his family vineyards for table grape production at a young age; years later he began working in Pisco production (the national Chilean spirit, made from white wine). In 2000, he planted the first Carménère and Syrah vines in the valley. 5 years later, in 2005, he decided it was time to embark on his own wine project, under Mayu label. Mayu is an ancient INCA name for the Milky Way, literally meaning "creek of stars." The region lies 400 km (250 mi) north of Santiago, at the southern end of the Atacama Desert in the Coquimbo region, and rises to 2000 metres above sea level. These are great value wines produced from what is effectively a high- altitude desert. The hot arid climate allows for good ripening while the cold desert nights help preserve acidity.
Rosebank `The Roses` 21 Year Unity
$1,799.99
The 6th release from "The Roses" range by Elixir Distillers, Unity is also the second last ever release of these Rosebanks expected to come to Canada. Unity is a 21 year old matured in a mix of ex-Bourbon & Madeira casks before bottling at 52.7%. Limit 1 Per Customer / 91.4pts Whiskybase!
This whisky is sold out in Europe, and already selling at a premium on auction sites... for whatever that is worth!
Boutique-y Clynelish 20 Year KWM Cask
$175.99
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!
Laphroaig Elements 2.0
$184.49
This limited edition Laphroaig was made from spirit fermented for 115 hours, rather than the usual 55 hours. It was matured in ex-Bourbon casks before bottling at 59.6%. 87pts Whisky Fun / Whisky Advocate Whisky of the Year 2024
Producer Description
"Elements 2.0 is a bold, non-chill filtered whisky showing the flavour impact of an extended fermentation process. The result is fruity and smoky, with notes of stewed green apples, zesty orange peel and smoky peat. Awarded Whisky of the Year 2024, by the Whisky Advocate.
“Laphroaig Elements 2.0 is an unexpected fruitier whisky with the same peaty character you’ve come to know and love – made possible by over double the typical fermentation period."
G&M Recollection Rosebank 1991
$3,419.99
This 1991 vintage Rosebank has been bottled as a part of the Recollection Series 3 at 51.2% after 32 years in a First Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel.
Producer Description
"The history of Rosebank Distillery has been directly linked with the Forth & Clyde canal which sits in its shadow. The waterway linked Scotland’s west and east coasts, and therefore its two main cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh. A distillery called Rosebank was operating as early as 1817. From 1840, under the ownership of the Rankine family, Rosebank prospered. The canal, however, became neglected and the distillery eventually closed its doors in 1993. It was reopened under new ownership to great fanfare in 2024. This release, a lost work of art, is one of the oldest and rarest Rosebank single malts ever released."