Berry's Tobermory 2008 KWM Cask
$149.99
Distilled in 2008, this 13-14-year-old Tobermory was matured in a Sherry Butt, cask 900166, before bottling at an impressive 64.8%. This is our first ever single cask of Tobermory, and it is a massive and sherried coastal dram! 504 bottles in total.
A missive from Evan on this bottle, and Tobermory in general:
The spirit distilled by Tobermory typically falls into the sabre-rattling love-it or leave-it categories with most whisky fans. There is no middle ground: a vast and barren no man's land keeps these conflicting groups apart. As you would guess, I am well-dug into the trenches on the love-it side of the battlefield. So is my comrade in arms; Harmony. She and I happily spread the good word of Tobermory and Ledaig with evangelistic fervour to all who would listen. Sadly, Curt and Andrew - being the philistines they are - have found less to enjoy from this remarkable island distillery. Keen to wallow in their closed-minded wrong-headedness, they spend much of their spare time rabble-rousing and lobbing insults at us from the safety of their pathetic ditch across the way.
Amazingly, this specific and singular single-cask of Tobermory has managed to create a sort of detente, with the four of us being so utterly impressed by the cask sample we tasted of this that we had to have it for the store. Andrew's own tasting notes mention something akin to Ledaig simmering in the depths of the high-octane liquid (64.8% ABV!). I believe he means that as a compliment. If that is true, then it is truly shocking, but I have no choice but to agree! We are all glad we selected this single cask, which is unpeated but bursting with flavour nonetheless.
Scroll down to find my tasting notes which are sure to provide you with even more reason to join Harmony and me on the front lines, fighting the good fight and defending against any haters. For, this isn't just another bottle of whisky: it is a rallying cry meant to be taken up by all Tobermory lovers everywhere!
G&M CC Bladnoch 1988 KWM Cask #2107
$1,399.99
This bottle was featured on Day 23 of our 2023 KWM UBER Whisky Calendar. You can read the post on it here.
Once again our friends at Gordon & MacPhail have outdone themselves by offering us the opportunity to bottle this gorgeous cask. At 33 years of age, this 1988 vintage Bladnoch is the oldest KWM exclusive cask we have had the privilege of bottling since our Berry's 40-Year Blend more than 5 years ago. Filled into a Refill Sherry Hogshead on August 17, 1988, there were only 53 bottles left in the cask when it was bottled on the 21st of July, 2022 at 54.1%. A sister cask to this whisky, filled on the same day, is currently scoring 89.43pts on Whiskybase. I expect ours is even better!
This is another one of those KWM casks, where prior to sampling the whisky, Andrew said there was no way we were going to buy a full cask at that price. But the whisky is stunning, and when it was sampled by the KWM whisky team we knew we had to have it. It didn't hurt that the cask had only 53 bottles of liquid left in it at the time of bottling... those are some greedy angels!
Berry's Inchgower 2009 KWM Cask
$154.99
This 2009 Inchgower was matured in an ex-Oloroso sherry cask for 13 years, before bottling at 54.2% exclusively for Kensington Wine Market.
Kavalan Solist Oloroso Sherry KWM Cask
$259.99
Our first-ever store-exclusive cask of Kavalan is a Solist Oloroso Sherry cask, S1705181510, to be specific. It was bottled at 52.4% after 6 years and two months in cask. We haven't seen much of the Solist Oloroso Sherry expression in recent years, so we asked if they'd consider sending us a few samples so we could bottle our own cask. They did, and one of them stood head and shoulders above the other... so naturally we had to have it!
Hot climate maturation supercharges aging process, and also the angels share. So there are only 205 total bottles. Get em while they're hot!
Guinness Zero 4 Pack
$15.69
All of the stout, none of the alcohol!
Producer Description
"To create Guinness 0 the St James’s Gate brewers, start by brewing Guinness exactly as they always have, using the same natural ingredients; water, barley, hops, and yeast; before gently removing the alcohol through a cold filtration method. The cold filtration process allows the alcohol to be filtered out without presenting thermal stress to the beer, protecting the integrity of its taste and character. The brewers then carefully blend and balance the flavors to ensure the distinctive flavor profile and taste characteristics of Guinness
The resulting product is a non-alcoholic stout that is unmistakably Guinness, inspired by the same dark, ruby red liquid and creamy head, hints of chocolate and coffee, smoothly balanced with bitter, sweet and roasted notes."
Torabhaig Allt Gleann Batch Strength
$124.99
ETA March 27!
The only differences between the regular Torabhaig Allt Gleann and the Batch Strength, are the ABV (61.1% v. 46%), the effective phenols in the whisky (22.8ppm v. 17ppm as a result of less water), and the availability... less than a 1/3 as much Batch Strength is coming compared to the 46% bottling!
Allt Gleann is the second release from Torabhaig Distillery on the Isle of Skye, and the first whisky from this distillery to find its way to Canada. The Batch Strength is made the same as the 46% bottling, produced from peated Laureate and Concerto Barly, fermented with Saspirit M-1 & Pinnacle MG+ yeasts, and matured in a mix of 80% first fill and 20% refill casks before bottling at 61.1%. The barley was peated to 77ppm with highland peat, with just 22.8ppm in the resulting spirit. The distillery's tag line is that their whiskies exhibit "well-tempered peat!" The 46% version scored an impressive 89pts from Whisky Fun!
Producer Description
"Our second release in The Legacy Series, Allt Gleann is named after one of two burns that feed the distillery. An evolution on the 2017 inaugural release, Allt Gleann introduces Laureate malted barley alongside Concerto, Safspirit M-1 yeast alongside Pinnacle MG+, and re-fill whisky barrels in maturation alongside first-fill bourbon barrels. There is a little more peat and added complexity compared to the 2017 inaugural release, elegantly showcasing the evolution of our spirit."
"This release has all the typicity of Torabhaig that you would expect – bonfire smoke, salinity, maltiness, and sweet, vanilla-led oaky spice. The Allt Gleann Batch Strength is bottled at 61.1% without chill filtration or colouring, and with a residual phenols level of 22.8ppm."
Tomatin Cu Bocan 12 Year
$131.99
The first batch of Tomatin 12 Year had been bottled at 46% after finishing in Caribbean Rum Casks.
Producer Description
"Cù Bòcan 12 Year Old transports us to long Scottish summer nights, spent with friends by a campfire on the beach. Finished in Caribbean rum casks, Cù Bòcan 12 Year Old is fresh with grilled pineapple, ginger, and white chocolate."
Blind Enthusiasm Fruitful Pursuits Riesl
$19.69
From Blind Enthusiasm's Monolith Brewery in Edmonton, Alberta. 8.7% ABV
From The Producer
"Fruitful Pursuits Riesling 2022 is a Spontaneous Fermentation blend refermented on Riesling grapes. We used hundreds of kilograms of the highest quality wine grapes grown by Nathan Goltz in the Similkameen Valley and supplied by Steve & Dan’s Fresh BC Fruit. The blend of 1, 2 & 3 year barrels spent 2 months refermenting with the crushed fruit and skins. This hybrid of beer and wine showcases the complexity of Spontaneous Fermentation, while the grapes bring citrus, apple, light pepper & floral flavours, highlighted by wine-like acidity, round texture, and subtle tannin."
Maligne Range Tekarra
$119.99
The first core release from the Maligne Range, Tekarra is an unapologetically Canadian whisky, made from an Imperial Porter mashbill with Demerara sugar, matured in First Fill ex-Bourbon and Virgin American Oak casks before bottling at 48%.
The whisky was distilled at Last Best Brewing & Distilling in Calgary, though in time the brand's spiritual home will be the Maligne Distillery under construction in Jasper.
Producer Description
"Named after Mount Tekarra in Jasper National Park, this is a whisky of unique depth, with a bold 48% abv. It features a unique grain bill inspired by Imperial Porter (a beer style) that uses a masterful selection of malts - superior pale, crystal, dark crystal, chocolate, and midnight wheat. Rooted in the Canadian one-eleventh rule, Tekarra artfully combines malted barley and the unique addition of Demerara, creating a cascade of flavours."
About The Maligne Range
"The Maligne Range is an independent Canadian malt whisky-maker and blender. We distill small batch whiskies that are the vital essence of our expressions. These highly-flavoured whiskies from unique grain bills are the character actors on our whisky stage. We allow them to age in oak casks for a minimum of 5 years, affected by the capricious Alberta climate. We then blend with an ensemble cast of blending whiskies – some we distill, others are collaborations with renowned Canadian distilleries. The result is a range of Canadian whiskies that blaze new trails into the remote Western Canadian wilderness of possibility.
"The Maligne Range is the result of decades of experience brewing some of Western Canada’s best craft beers. The people who created Jasper Brewing, Banff Ave Brewing, Last Best Brewing & Distilling, and Campio Brewing have built on their experience and passion for craft spirits with this uniquely Canadian whisky brand. Like those breweries, The Maligne Range aspires to become a community cornerstone through the celebration of the craft of making Canadian whisky.
"In late-spring 2024 we will be inviting visitors to our new home in Jasper. The Maligne Range experience centre will be a celebration of Canadian whisky and elevated dining with a unique Jasper twist. Set against the spectacular backdrop of the Athabasca Valley, our guests will discover the full Maligne Range of products including house exclusives, curated cocktails and gastronomy that complete the experience."