Ardbeg 1815
$7,999.99
It has taken more than 2 years for them to find their way to Canada, but the Ardbeg 1815 is finally here. KWM has access to just 2 bottles. This whisky was released on Ardbeg Day 2015 to mark the distillery’s 200th Anniversary. Unlike the Perpetuum which was a global release, the 400 bottles produced of the Ardbeg 1815 were initially only available at the distillery. When I asked how many had come to Canada, I was told: “Less than a handful!” by the importer. Details on the whisky are somewhat scarce. It was bottled at 33 years of age and 50.1% after maturing in Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry. The whiskies were distilled in 1974 and 1975 and spent 8 years “marrying” in glass vessels to preserve the spirit.
Distiller’s Tasting Note
Nose: A beautiful fragrance of sweet wood smoke to start with, interwoven with a pungent aroma reminiscent of rum and raisin ice cream. Then comes an array of scents from the bakery, croissants, brioche and freshly baked bread. Befitting a whisky of this vintage, rich notes and dark chocolate truffle are encountered, along with black cherry and aniseed.
Taste: A texture which is creamy and smooth carries into a breath-taking spectrum of flavours, jasmine and Lapsang Souchong teas, abundant sweet toffee notes, a cornucopia of spices (cinnamon, star anise, pepper & mixed spice) and juicy ripe Seville oranges. The smoke is almost unbelievably well integrated, persisting through the sumptuous taste experience, yet never overpowering the other myriad and complex flavours.
Finish: Long, with an abundance of raisins and dates. A finish as sweet as the memories it leaves behind.
Ballechin SFTC Bordeaux 55.2%
$134.99
This peated Edradour, called Ballechin after a closed farm distillery, was matured 11 years in a Bordeaux cask #383. Distilled December 6 2005 and bottled September 11 2017 at 55.2%. 382 bottles, just 60 have come to Canada.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: big, thick, oily and perfumed; firm leather, dried dark fruits and wine tannins; malt and smoke emerge from underneath; red berry fruits and Maroccan marmalade.
Palate: big, massive actually, bordering on Octomore territory here; loads of chewy barley and heavy ashy smoke; very spicy with more firm wine tannins and peppery spicy; dried dark and jammy red-berry fruits; firm leather.
Finish: ashy smoke lingers long with big leather and spice; long and lasting.
Comment: this is a massive whisky, a nuclear bomb in the mouth; get your protective gear on and strap in!
Edradour SFTC Sherry 59.4%
$135.99
Bottled "Straight from the Cask" at 59.4% this 10 year old Edradour was distilled and filled into Sherry Butt 395 in December 2006. It was bottled the 11 of September 2017, filling 973 500ml bottles.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: wet jujubes, leather and nutty oloroso sherry tones; dark chocolate, tobacco and cooked figs; woody with a hint of espresso.
Palate: big, thick, spicy and oily; maple syrup, pecan pie and more cooked (slightly burnt) figs; espresso beans covered in dark chocolate; Jujube-like candied fruits with some fresh California orange.
Finish: medium, warming and spicy; the big leathery sherry tones and chocolate espresso are in charge.
Comment: very sherried, just on the right side of over the top; perfect for fans of sherry bombs and anyone looking for a proper cigar malt.
G&M MacPhail's Balblair 10 Year
$89.99
Featured on Day 13 of the 2017 Kensingon Wine Market Whisky Advent Calendar. Bottled at 43% from Ex-Bourbon Barrels.
Andrew’s Tasting Note
Nose: honey and orange strike out first with a slight maritime hue and almost, curiously, some clean smoke; malty, dried apricots and peach eau de vie.
Palate: thick, honeyed and malty; oily and then bang… a wave of fruit: orange, apricot and peach; more salt and a whiff of smoke with some creamy-vanilla-oak-tones; very savoury with salted caramel.
Finish: light and fresh the oils, salt, honey hang on even after the fruit has vanished.
Comment: seems light but it catches you a bit by surprise; very fresh!”
Arran James MacTaggart 10th Annv Ed
$110.99
This is a limited edition 10 year old Arran bottling released to celebrate James MacTaggart's 10 years of service at the distillery. Distilled in 2007 and bottled at 54.2%. It is a fitting tribute to one of our whisky heros!
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: rose petals, bright orange, loads of vanilla, honey and creamy oak; baked apple and poached pear; chewy-grassy malt and a whiff of the sea.
Palate: soft, chewy and malty; very honeyed and toasty, warm almond paste filled croissants with a side of sliced citrus fruits; fresh floral barley notes and decadent spice with a touch of brine; wine gums and quince paste.
Finish: light, coating and sweet; this is all about the interplay between chewy malt and sweet toasted oak; elegant and fruity to the end.
Comment: for a 10 year old whisky this is a standout; lots of layers and complexity; well balanced; this is a tribute to how far Arran has come, and the impact James has had on this thriving distillery over 10 year tenure.
Andrew's Reflections on James MacTaggart: I still remember the first time I met James MacTaggart, before he took on the post of distillery manager at Arran. It was in 2006 or Islay, where he was the Assistant Distillery Manager of Bowmore. It was my first ever trip to Scotland let alone Islay. I was struck by how warm and welcoming everyone was. As James showed me around Bowmore for the first time I was struck not just by his warm and welcoming Ileach (someone from Islay) nature, but also by the enthusiasm and excitement he had for his craft. I was thrilled to hear in 2007 that he had taken on the mantle of distillery manager at Arran, a post in which he has excelled as the distillery has built on success after success. 10 years on he still has that glint in his eyes and passion for his craft. He is, in my opinion, one of the most underappreciated figures in the Scotch whisky industry.
From the Distiller: “In 2017, Master Distiller James MacTaggart celebrates his 10th anniversary at the Isle of Arran Distillery. This fresh and vibrant expression of The Arran Malt has been carefully created by James to mark his 10th anniversary at our Lochranza Distillery. A selection of first fill 10 year-old Bourbon Barrels from James’s first months of production with us in 2007 form the much loved citrus fruit and sweet spice character of this dram. A memorable and classic expression of The Arran Malt.”
Distiller’s Tasting Note
Nose: freshly made cider, coconut water/fresh shavings, lemon oil and a hint of sea brine.
Palate: the warmth of white pepper is immediate and then softens as boiled sweets start to show. Apple pastries, barley sugar and a complex winey note are in the mid-palate.
Finish: the finish is long and has all the freshness of a well-made whisky-sour cocktail which sweetens to candy floss as it fades slowly. A delightful expression of Arran where the true character and complexity shines through beautifully.
Cadenhead Small Batch Balmenach 2005
$121.99
This bottling of Balmenach was distilled in 2005 and aged in two Bourbon Hogsheads before being married and bottled in 2017 by Cadenhead. Bottled at a batch strength of 55.4% ABV. 576 bottles, with only 12 coming to Canada.
Cadenhead Small Batch Glen Moray 1992
$224.99
This Cadenhead Small Batch bottling of Glen Moray was matured in bourbon hogsheads for 24 years, bottled at a natural batch strength of 50.9%.
Producer Tasting Note
Nose: Peaches and slightly earthy.
Palate: Golden syrup and quite floral. Green apple skins, touches of cocoa powder, mango and passion fruit.
Finish: Growing syrupy fruit notes with a soft earthy note.
Cadenhead Small Batch Glenrothes 1996
$179.99
Distilled in 1996 and bottled in 2017 at the age of 20 years old, This Cadenhead bottling of Glenrothes is from a marriage of four Bourbon Hogsheads. Bottled at a batch strength of 51.3%.
Producer Tasting Note
Nose: Gingerbread, strawberries and lemon bon bons.
Palate: Grassy and herbal. Big and oily, faint white pepper, custard tarts and peaches in syrup.
Finish: Slightly drying with lingering syrupy fruit cocktail.
Cadenhead Small Batch Invergordon 1973
$424.99
Only 6 bottles are coming to Canada of this 43 year old single cask of Invergordon. Bottled at 51.3% after maturing in an Ex-Bourbon Barrel.
Producer Tasting Note
Nose: Warming, dried spices with honey, toffee sauce and dried apricots.
Palate: Creamy with faint rye spicy notes. Faint nutmeg, white chocolate and praline.
Finish: Melted white chocolate, soft caramel, star anise and growing toffee.