Celebration of the Cask Ben Nevis 1990
$269.99
Bottled at 27 years of age this single hogshead cask of Ben Nevis was distilled in 1990 and bottled at 57.1% in 2018.
Laphroaig Cairdeas 2018
$127.99
Strictly 1 per customer!
Bottled at 58.1% the 2018 edition of Laphroaig Cairdeas was "double matured", initially in First Fill Bourbon, and then in Fino Sherry."
Producer Tasting Note
Nose: Toasted almonds.
Body: Full bodied.
Palate: Dried fruit and sea salt.
Finish: Laphroaig’s signature peaty flavour.
Producer Description: "With Cairdeas meaning friendship in Gaelic, we can't think of a better way to toast our Friends around the world. This year's release showcases a special double maturation, slowing maturing in first fill bourbon casks and then Fino Sherry casks that were laid to rest in Warehouse 8 and 10. Barrier filtered and non chill filtered, you'll find this whisky has notes of toasted almonds, dried fruit and sea salt, all of which perfectly complement Laphroaig's signature peaty flavour."
Celebration of the Cask Clynelish 1997
$279.99
This 20 year old Clynelish is from a single Sherry Puncheon, cask 9441. It was distilled September 11, 1997 and bottled September 11, 2017. Only 6 bottles came to KWM.
Producer Tasting Note
Nose: malt, mineral aromas, rye spices and brown sugar.
Palate: notes of Christmas cake, mince pies and salted butter.
Finish: a whiff of coastal air followed by sultanas and cocoa notes.
Signatory Blair Athol 1988
$319.99
Only 12 bottles have come into Alberta exclusively to KWM. Matured in a pair of Hogshead casks, 4859 and 4860 Distilled: 24/06/1988 and Bottled: 29/11/2017, 54.0%.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: doughy and fruity; French bakery aromas on an early Winter morning; tallow wax candles and almond paste croissants pulled from the over on parchment paper; slightly green cantaloupes and zesty lime icing.
Palate: sweet, creamy and fruity; the whisky's delivery is delicate but very beautiful; creamed honey, Madagascar vanilla and more lime icing; buttery croissants, almond pastries and other baked / confectionary goods; still waxy with some white fruits developing and more melon tones; a touch of decadent spices.
Finish: light but long, elegant, fruity and waxy; it coats the palate leaving behind decadent suagrs and oak spices.
Comment: phenomenol... my kinda dram; old and delicate, but with lots of bright vibrant flavours.
Signatory Glen Keith 1991 51.6%
$289.99
A 26 year old single cask of Glen Keith distilled in 1991 and bottled in 2018 at 51.6%. For a while, Glen Keith was a closed distillery until it was returned from oblivion a few years ago. Even still the whisky is seldom seen bottled as a single malt, with the bulk of the distillery's production going to Independent bottlers.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: juicy, fruity, creamy and oaky with bright honey tones; floral, creamy and waxy with white chocolate and melons; the fruits start subtle and citrus-y, building in to more exotic tropical ones.
Palate: round, creamy and fruity; still waxy and floral like the 25 year old sister bottling we have, but with more exotic fruits: melons, citrus, banana, mango and kiwi; a very pretty malt with lots of layers and depth; white chocolate, toasted oak and late crips spices.
Finish: long, coating and creamy with loads of tropical fruits, vanilla and crisp oak spices.
Comment: a fine bottle, this is the sort of dram you want to keep you warm while watching the sun set on a cool, but sunny spring day... not unlike today; don't mind if I do!
Signatory Auchentoshan 1992 49.6%
$314.99
Only 18 bottles coming to Alberta - exclusively to KWM. This Signatory bottling of Auchentoshan was distilled in 1992 and aged in a single Bourbon Barrel. It was bottled after 25 years of ageing at a cask strength of 49.6% ABV.
Evan's Tasting Note:
Nose: Vanilla and cupcake frosting, angel food cake, mint tea, green apple, pineapple, mango and peach skin, light wood spice and the barest hint of dunnage.
Palate: Oily with a bit of spice as it settles on the tongue, with almond and sour grape notes leading into shortbread and butter cookies plus more orchard and tropical fruit. Green pineapple and mango, nectarine, plum and apricots.
Finish: After the initial oily and spicy hit it all goes toasty then creamy on the palate with the soft, juicy tropical fruit and limoncello notes sticking around before finally letting the wood take over.
Comments: A beautiful indie Auchentoshan - one of two '92s in recent memory that have been very, very good - the other being a 23 year old single cask from Maltbarn.
Edradour 21 Year Oloroso Finish
$584.99
Distilled in 1995 and bottled in 2017, this one came at us as a bit of a surprise. I don't think any of us at the shop imagined just how enormous the sherry influence on this one was going to be. But I guess 12 years in first fill Oloroso butts will do that. It almost seems to have erased the previous ~10 years in ex-bourbon!
Edradour may still be one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland (though not the smallest anymore), but their whiskies are far from being wee. This old-enough-to-drink-itself malt is bursting with flavour and the 56.2% bottling strength is a perfect vehicle for delivering all of those jammy, mincemeat and fruitcake notes to your tastebuds. Fair warning: you need to be an absolute junkie for sherry to fall for this one. In other words...95% of our whisky-sipping clientele.
2,027 bottles. Natural color, cask strength and non chill-filtered.
Producer Tasting Note
Burnt almonds, apricots, raisins, coconut and a hint of chocolate.
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 44.87
$113.04
IN A SUMMER GARDEN
This 10 year old Speysider was matured in a refill barrel and comes in at 59.9%.
Flavour profile: Sweet & spicy.
Outturn: 204 bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "The nose was clean and fresh – grassy, ‘real’ vanilla ice-cream and lemon-flavoured Turkish Delight – it was like a door into a summer garden – we could almost hear the bees humming. The initial palate had the uncomplicated sweetness of custard creams and fruit gums, but it was definitely lively – toasted oak, cinnamon and nutmeg, with an almost medicinal heat on the finish (menthol and eucalyptus lozenges). The reduced nose seemed more herbal (sorrel) with some lemon and pineapple. The reduced palate was sweeter and juicier – interesting combinations of juicy fruits and spicy heat – like raspberry and ginger or lime chutney."
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 3.306
$241.99
SUMMER ON ISLAY
This 18 year old from Islay was transferred to a 2nd fill toasted hogshead after 17 years in ex-bourbon wood and comes in at 59%
Flavour profile: Peated
Outturn: 222 bottles
Panel's tasting note: "A well-rounded nose of incense smoke and heather moor-burn softened by vanilla, tutti-frutti and orange fondant creams – with almost imperceptible hints of spearmint, leather and tobacco. The palate begins with a whack of intense muscovado and Danish pastry sweetness, before finding earthy notes of staves, roast parsnips, burnt heather and a lick of salt. The reduced nose gets sea water and ash (tide-flooded beach bonfire), honeycomb candy, heather honey and ice-cream – quite an experience! The palate becomes tasty and rewarding – Mon Cheri chocolates, lebkuchen, mango coulis and euthymol toothpaste. Transferred to a toasted hogshead after 17 years in ex-bourbon wood."