Waterford Heritage Hunter 1.1
$129.99
This Irish Whiskey was featured on Day 11 of our 2023 KWM Whisky Calendar. You can check out Evan's blog post on the Waterford Heritage: Hunter here.
This is one of the most curious Waterford releases, as they have worked to revive an almost extinct barley varietal, named for its creator Dr. Herbert Hunter. The strain was prized for its flavour, but fell out of favour with those looking for larger yeilds. Produced from Hunter barley grown at the Dunoughmore and Rathdowney farms in 2018, the malt was fermented for 169 hours with Mauri yeast. The whisky was matured primarily in first fill ex-Bourbon, but also Virgin American, ex-French Wine, and Vin Doux Naturelle casks. Bottled at 50%. Only 48 bottles coming to Alberta, e
Producer Description
"Arcadian Barley, from our secret garden of delights, explores the natural flavours, intensity & honesty of the old ways. We have had to go to extraordinary lengths to eschew the quotidian varieties — those modern yield enhanced versions that distillers are obliged to use, in order to celebrate the lost flavours – flavours that evolved over centuries in harmony with Ireland’s terroirs. Indeed, to rediscover the flavour of iconic Irish barley we must venture back in time.
"Hunter, named after pioneering plant breeder Dr Herbert Hunter, was introduced in 1959 and was for almost two decades noted for its distinctive flavour. We now reintroduce this game-changing barley to a new era of single malt connoisseurs. Vanished from the Irish landscape since the late 1970s, superceded by more economically rewarding crosses, all that remained of Hunter was a 50 gram bag in the seed bank of the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine.
"Planted in greenhouse grow bags, this 50 grams grew to four kilograms, and the cycle went again and again over two years, until there was enough for ten acres at our partner Minch Malt’s test site in Athy. Test successful, Hunter was sown on a commercial scale on the lime-rich Elton series terroir of Donoughmore, yielding 25.5 tonnes of malting barley — enough to fill 50 casks. It is from that first pioneering distillation that this whisky has been drawn."
Benromach 2007 Bourbon Cask #136
$209.99
Benromach is one of the most exciting distilleries in Scotland right now. Kensington Wine Market has been fortunate enough to bottle a handful of single casks for the store, and hope to continue doing do for a long time to come, so it's not really a surprise we just keep a hand held out hoping that more samples fall into our greedy little fingers.
A few months back, we tasted a couple of brilliant Benromach cask samples and fell pretty hard for a couple of ex-Bourbon matured malts. One we immediately committed to for the shop (mum's the word for now); the other - an absolutely cracking bottle of 15-year-old, moderately-peated (and very old school!) whisky - was bought by a private club. A handful of these bottles will be available in the store to tide you over until the next KWM bespoke release. Cask #136 had an outturn of 206 bottles. Its reputation is spreading, so don't expect these to last long.
Natural colour, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 57.2%.
Benromach 2002 KWM Bourbon 25ml Sample
$11.99
This is a 25ml sample of our Benromach 2002 KWM Bourbon Cask 875. The sample comes with a QR code, linked to a virtual tasting video on our YouTube page, for the whisky with Andrew. This 19 year old Benromach was matured in a First Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel before bottling at 56.2%. For more details on the product please visit the product page!
Our 5th KWM exclusive Benromach cask (3rd in the current packaging) was bottled just shy of its 20th birthday, having matured in a single first-fill ex-Bourbon Barrel. This whisky is bright, creamy, tropical, and decadent with clean smoke. It is the closest thing we've ever tasted to the legendary twenty-something Broras... Only 196 bottles were filled at 56.2%.
Maligne Range Excelsior Batch #1 KWM
$129.99
This single-cask Canadian whisky was made from a 50/50 mash of peated malt and malted wheat, matured 8 years in a First Fill ex-Bourbon cask. The first 'Excelsior' release from the Maligne Range is a collaboration with Kensington Wine Market, bottled at 48%.
7 years ago Andrew made this whisky with Bryce Parsons at Last Best Brewing in Calgary. The whisky was filled into an ex-Bourbon Barrel, which had previously matured a Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon KWM exclusive bottling. When they made the whisky, they had no idea when, or under what brand it would be bottled.
Way back in October of 2016, Kensington Wine Market had a once used Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon Barrel, from one of our store-exclusive bottlings. It had a lot of life left in it, so we set about finding something to do with it. Working with Bryce from Last Best Brewing & Distilling, it was decided we should fill the cask with spirit. A little more than 8 years later, that whisky is spirit. Limit 1 Per Customer!
This 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
"Introducing our first Excelsior specialty release, a Canadian whisky that defies tradition with its bold character and distinctive flavour profile. Crafted in collaboration with Kensington Wine Market, this whisky boasts a robust 48% ABV and a unique blend of peated malt and malted wheat, aged in a first-fill Russell Reserve Barrel. Excelsior is the name of a majestic peak over looking the town of Jasper."
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."
Signatory Linkwood 2012 46% Dark Sherry
$149.99
We won't know for sure until it arrives in-store, but we believe this Linkwood is an 11 year old, distilled in 2012, and bottled at 46%. The producer described it as "Dark Sherry"!
Rest & Be Thankful Strathenry 6 Year B2
$45.00
This unpeated single malt from the InchDairnie Distillery was initially matured in ex-Islay Bourbon casks before finishing in Oloroso Sherry. Bottled at 46%, Strathenry is an unpeated single malt distilled at InchDairnie distillery produced for sale or trade to independent bottlers and distillers.
Berry's North British 1996
$82.50
This 1996 vintage single grain was matured in a Puncheon Cask (#57276) for roughly 27 years before bottling at 52.5%. Exclusive to KWM!
G&M CC Glentauchers 2006 KWM Cask
$127.49
Gordon & Macphail continues to tee up amazing single casks for us. This 16 year old Glentauchers is from a Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel, bottled at 58.8%.
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.
