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KWM 2022 Whisky Calendar Day 14: Old Malt Cask Benrinnes 11-Year-Old KWM Cask

Posted on December 15, 2022

BONUS CONTENT: Andrew's write-up for today is on one of our past Kilchoman Single Casks - specifically one that was bottled for our 25th Anniversary.

by Evan

Welcome to Day Fourteen for the 2022 KWM Whisky Calendar. Today, we are going cask strength, with the Old Malt Cask Benrinnes 11-Year-Old KWM Cask!

This is the second KWM cask so far in this year's Calendar. It joins the First Editions Mortlach 2009 KWM Cask from Day One.

Looking through our archives, it looks like we have actually featured Benrinnes Distillery in our KWM Whisky Calendar once, back in 2016. It wasn’t bottled under the name Benrinnes, though. It was bottled as the Stronachie 18-Year-Old – a bottling which might not be produced nowadays.

Anyhow, other than that one bottling we had in our calendar six years ago, Benrinnes has not been in the box from the looks of things. So, how about I crack open the good old Malt Whisky Yearbook and read about the distillery, then pass the info on to you? Back in 5…

Time Passes

Okay, I am back. So, Benrinnes.

The distillery was originally founded in 1826 and has an early history that to put it delicately, was tumultuous. In 1826, only barely into production, the distillery flooded and was destroyed. A new Benrinnes was built a few kilometres from the original site. In 1834, the owner went bankrupt and was taken over by another owner. Thirty years later in 1864, those owners went bankrupt and new owners stepped into their place. Thirty-two years after that in 1896, the Benrinnes distillery suffered a major fire and had to be partially rebuilt and refurbished. 50 years and another ownership change later in 1956, and the distillery was completely rebuilt

I suppose, in hindsight, calling this history tumultuous is somewhat absurd. After all – the last five years of all our lives and those of the eight billion or so others on this planet have been somewhat turbulent as well, no? Also, any distillery, building, company, or entity that has survived in some shape or form for centuries is going to have gone through some hectic and interesting times. I couldn’t name a distillery that hasn’t opened and closed and expanded and changed ownership and suffered through war and disaster over such a period of time. It's not like we talk about Bowmore Distillery being founded in 1779, with nothing changing since then. Actually, that might be a bad example – I think Bowmore has been quietly in production for most of that time. Of course, it still went through changes over that time. What was my point again?

Anyhow, Benrinnes as a distillery is not one we see many (read: ANY) official single malt bottles from on this side of the pond. The distillery is owned by spirits behemoth Diageo, and most of its production of single ...

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History In A Bottle Day 14: Kilchoman 2007 KWM 25th Anniversary 10 Year Old

Posted on December 15, 2022

This post is Bonus Content. It has information on one of the KWM Cask bottles that are featured on the back of our 2022 KWM Whisky Calendar box. You can find the blog post for the mini bottle for Day Fourteen of our Whisky Calendar here.

by Andrew

I remember when Anthony Wills offered us this cask, I was in Scotland making my rounds and had popped in to see him at Kilchoman. We’d already bottled 5 prior Kilchomans casks, and knowing we had a big Anniversary coming, our 25th at the time, he offered us a 10 year. At the time, this was by some ways the oldest Kilchoman to come to Canada. One of my staff noted that we had beaten a number of large whisky retailers in the UK on this milestone, which definitely puffed our chest out a little.

I’ve been a fan of Kilchoman since before they legally had whisky. It’s been cool to watch the spirit mature from newmake to 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14 years and even older. The distillery is one of the oldest in the diaspora of Jim Swan distilleries, with long fermentations and slow distillations. They have also always well understood the importance of good wood. We have bottled 11 Kilchomans casks to date, and there is a good chance we’ll see another in the year ahead; if Mr. Wills can see fit to part with a 12th!

Kilchoman 2007 KWM 25th Anniversary 10 Year Old

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: creamy, decadent and briny with a whiff of smoke from the coals of a smouldering beach fire; classic Kilchoman fresh lemon, goat cheese and Old English Butterscotch; smoked mussels and pan-seared scallops.

Palate: big, sweet, oily and malty; sweet vanilla and butterscotch morph into tendrils of vanilla, chewy malt and tarry-medicinal-peat; more lemon and goat cheese, firm toasted oak, fennel and Dutch licorice; underneath it all a thick layer of ripe orchard fruits.

Finish: bold, long and rich yet smooth and so so salty: more Dutch licorice, juicy malt and tarry peat; the smouldering beach fire returns with some sweet vanilla, lemon and orchard fruit.

Comment: we are honoured that Anthony Wills was willing to share one of these precious early vintage Kilchomans will us; bottled just days past its 10th birthday!

Evan's Tasting Note

Nose: Like you decided to hang a bunch of Bounce (TM) dryer sheets from the rafters of your barn, just to freshen the air and get rid of those still lingering notes of hay, leather, and horse hair. When that didn't entirely work so instead of cleaning it all up you set the whole thing on fire. Smoke, peat and dryer sheets. Barbecued prawns, hay, new leather, lime zest, elderflowers honeydew melon and coffee/cappuccino notes.

Palate: Sweet with salt and lemon, Fisherman's Friend lozen...

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KWM 2022 Whisky Calendar Day 13: Port Askaig 110 Proof

Posted on December 15, 2022

BONUS CONTENT: Read Andrew's write-up on two Amrut KWM Casks here!

by Evan

Lucky Day Thirteen is here! This means we are past the halfway point in our 2022 KWM Whisky Calendar. We made it this far everybody – there is no turning back now! What is hidden behind Door Number Thirteen? Well, how about something peated? Wrench open that door and reveal the Port Askaig 110 Proof.

So, with this bottle of Port Askaig being 110 Proof, you should expect it to be higher alcohol than the Port Askaig 100 Proof we tasted last year, right on Day 17 of the 2021 KWM Whisky Calendar, right? Actually, it is not.

Wait, what?!?

The Port Askaig 110 Proof is bottled at 55% ABV, while the Port Askaig 100 Proof is bottled at the higher 57.1% ABV. The reason for this is the difference in proofing systems between The UK and the United States.

Port Askaig 110 Proof is a special bottling of Port Askaig that was made specifically for the American market. In the United States, the Proof amount of a bottle of alcohol is calculated by multiplying the alcohol level by a factor of two. That means 40% ABV is considered 80 Proof in the USA, 50% is 100 Proof, and thus 55% is 110 Proof.

The British proofing system, however, is different. 100 British Proof is actually 57.1% ABV as stated on the Port Askaig 100 Proof bottle. 105 British Proof, as in the Glenfarclas 105, equates to 60% ABV.

It is almost as bad as the battle between metric and imperial or Fahrenheit and Celsius, isn’t it? Only this time, I think the Americans might be right and have the easier version.

Here is a link to the Port Askaig 100 Proof in our 2021 KWM Whisky Calendar on Day 17 last year, just in case you want to check my tasting notes and compare. As of this blog post, I have not tasted them side by side.

Let's do a recap on the Port Askaig label itself.

For many of us that have made the pilgrimage to Islay, Port Askaig is where we the ferry landing where we disembarked from the CalMac Ferry and went off to explore the rest of the island. Port Askaig is on the east coast, on the Sound of Islay. East of the Town and about 1 KM across the Sound is the Isle of Jura. Distillery-wise, Caol Ila is closest to the town and ferry landing and is about a five-minute drive to the North. The new Ardnahoe Distillery and Bunnahabhain Distillery to the north are also within seven and twelve minutes by car, respectively. While the Port has been used for hundreds of years as one of the main berths between Islay and Jura as well as the Scottish Mainland, the town at the port itself only consists of a handful of houses, a hotel, a gas station, and a shop or two.

The Port Askaig Islay Single Malt label is owned by Elixir Distillers. The company also owns a few other bran...

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History In A Bottle Day 13: Two Amrut KWM Casks

Posted on December 15, 2022

This post is Bonus Content. It has information on one of the KWM Cask bottles that are featured on the back of our 2022 KWM Whisky Calendar box. You can find the blog post for the mini bottle for Day Thirteen of our Whisky Calendar here.

by Andrew

Over the years we have bottled 3 KWM exclusive single casks of Amrut; one of which is currently on the water, somewhere between India and Canada. The ETA for our Port Cask Matured Amrut is March/April, but you never can be sure of that these days.

Our first Amrut KWM Cask was a 6-year-old, finished in a virgin oak cask. Distilled in 2010, it was at the time one of the oldest Amruts to come to Canada, and it was thick, decadent and very fruity. It packed a punch too, at 60%. But that was not its cask strength, Amrut routinely dilutes whiskies above 60%, to keep them from falling victim to an insane export tax. If I could sum up this whisky with one descriptor it could be cola cubes.

For those who are curious, our second KWM exclusive Amrut was a Jaggery Rum Cask, personally selected for us by our friend Ashok. At the time it was the only Amrut matured in a Jaggery Rum cask that the distillery had ever bottled. Both Evan and my tasting notes survive for this one.

Amrut 2010 KWM Virgin Oak Cask 891

It has taken nearly 15 months, but our first exclusive Amrut cask is finally here. Bottled at 60% after finishing in a Virgin oak cask, this 2010 vintage 6-year-old whisky is one of the oldest Amruts ever to come to Canada (excepting the Greedy Angels). Only 94 bottles came from the cask, and just 90 of those found their way to Canada. The colour is massively dark and all-natural.

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: massive, big molasses notes, enormous spices and rough leather notes; under the beastly virgin oak notes there are some tropical and citrus fruits; heavy candied orange, barely ripe cantaloupe, green mango, cola cubes and Demerara sugars; the spices cross the gamut from light and decadent to heavy and dark.

Palate: enormous cola notes hit before the whisky is even on the tongue: cola cubes, 1608 Cola, light maple syrup and both Demerara and moist brown sugar; the fruits are still there, struggling under waves of vanilla, sugars and building spices; more cantaloupe (especially into the finish), waxy mango and candied orange; the spices are more restrained on the palate than the nose reminding me of a classic Old Fashioned cocktail.

Finish: long, seemingly never-ending... the sugars, cola, vanilla and maple syrup notes linger long; the gentle wood and spices even longer; the fruits are there but just an accent.

Comment: wow, this is the most decadent Amrut I've ever had; big sugars, bright fruits and the cola notes... this one won't last long once people get a chance to sample it!<...

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KWM 2022 Whisky Calendar Day 12: The Tullibardine 225 Sauternes Cask Finish

Posted on December 8, 2023

BONUS CONTENT: Read Andrew's write-up on two of our many BenRiach KWM Casks here!

by Evan

Day number Twelve is upon us, which means were are nearing the halfway point on our 2022 KWM Whisky Calendar journey. Let's celebrate with something smooth: The Tullibardine 225 Sauternes Cask Finish!

Tullibardine Distillery is located in the southern Highland town of Blackford, just north of Perth. Its nearest neighbours include the Glenturret Distillery which is a 25-minute drive north on the A822 and also Deanston Distillery which is a 20-minute drive west on the A9. The distillery sits on the site that once held a series of breweries over the past 500 years. In 1488 King James IV, then aged 14, paid a visit to a brewery in Blackford to purchase beer for his coronation.

Tullibardine Distillery itself was founded in 1949, making it the first distillery to be built in Scotland after the end of World War II. The distillery was sold by architect and Founder William Delme-Evans in 1953 to a company named Brodie-Hepburn LTD. That company was purchased by Invergordon distillers in 1971, which in turn was purchased by Whyte & Mackay in 1993. The distillery had been operating for four and a half decades but was mothballed in 1994. Tullibardine remained closed and silent until it was purchased along with some ageing stock in 2003 by an independent consortium of owners. It was quickly revised and began production once more while much of the older stock was released in vintages. If you have been into whisky for more than a decade, you might remember seeing various vintages including 1988, 1993 and 1994 on the shelves until around 2011 when the distillery once again changed hands: this time to current owner Picard Vins & Spiritueux.

As Andrew mentioned in his blog post on the Tullibardine KWM Cask from 14 years ago, the ownership change has had both ups and downs. The purchase by Picard hopefully allowed the initial investors that revived the distillery to turn a profit while also offering long-term financial stability to the distillery and its employees. From a whisky geeks perspective though, hindsight shows us that it did coincide with the elimination of some of the more interesting casks that Tullibardine had been releasing and led to a more consistent but possibly less exciting lineup that has not changed much in the past decade.

It is worth noting that the vintage cask and batch series that was around before the Picard Vins & Spiritueux buyout of the distillery was likely not sustainable: there would have been a finite amount of old casks in the warehouse to hold over the distillery until they would have had stock to release an official 10-Year-Old or the like.

If you have been following the Scotch Whisky scene for more than a decade, you might recall that Bruichladdich Distillery was in a simil...

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