Cadenhead Small Batch Caol Ila 1984
$539.99
SOLD OUT
Only 6 bottles of this single cask Caol Ila came to Canada, exclusively to KWM. Bottled after 34 years at 57.6% from a single Refill Hogshead Cask.
Cadenheads Tasting Note
Nose: Cigar box, dried orange peel, tobacco leaf.
Taste: Peaches, toasted mars
hmallows, smokey bacon crisps.
Finish: Smoked kippers, campfire embers.
Port Askaig 14 Year Islay Bourbon Cask
$109.99
Bottled at 45.8%, this 14 year old mystery Ileach is believed to hail from the Bunnahabhain Distillery. It is the product of a peated run distilled in 2004 and filled into 11 First Fill Ex-Bourbon barrels.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: creamy and velvety with salt vanilla icing and a wood fire burning nearby; briny seaweed salad and smoked mussels in a creamy broth.
Palate: creamy, honeyed, malty and tarry; creosote soaked logs, honeyed-ashy smoke and more maritime tones: seaweed salad and smoked mussels in a creamy broth; the sweet vanilla oaky tones slowly pickup speed with melons, citrus and Strawberry Twizzlers.
Finish: medium in length it gently clings to the palate with lovely barley sugars, ashy smoke, vanilla, citrus and maritime tones.
Comment: peated Bunnahabhain is hit or miss for me, but fortunately this one is a hit!
Producer's Tasting Note
Nose: Stewed fruits and barbecue coal with sea spray and coastal rocks. Sweet smoke dissipates as core flavours of fresh citrus and salted caramel come to the fore, combining classic Islay flavours with refreshing fruity notes.
Palate: Burnt honeycomb and baked raisins infused with five-spice and peat smoke. Candied fruits and sherbet lemon build as an underlying earthy peat brings together a superbly rich and juicy mouthfeel, with crème brûlée notes and a delicious peat-infused caramel layer.
Finish: Long and heavy with maple-cured bacon and liqueur-soaked sultanas. A beautifully fresh and peaty finish.
Ledaig 18 Year
$149.99
G&M Strathisla 1972
$1,399.99
A wizened old beauty from arguably Scotland's prettiest distillery. 1972 is starting to become reknowned as an absolute bumper vintage for Scottish distillation. And to say these early '70s malts are as rare as hen's teeth nowadays is hardly doing it justice. They're more like unicorn's teeth now. (Though come to think of it...in Scotland, unicorn teeth may be a little more readily available, being the national animal and all. Hmmm. May need to rethink that analogy.)
And lest you need reminding, G&M have probably the most spectacular warehouses in Scotland. Even at $1400, this one is a steal.
Producer Tasting Note
Nose: Rich perfumed oak influences with a subtle sweet Sherry edge, rum and raisin. Hints of strawberry and marzipan are also present.
Palate: Hints of dark chocolate and hazelnut. Dried apricots and prunes with a lingering charred oak edge.
Finish: Long, sweet and smooth.
700 ml
G&M Smith's Glenlivet 1974
$1,249.99
Distilled around the time when Glenlivet and Glenfiddich were just beginning to champion the idea of single malt as a more flavoursome alternative to blended whisky. Rumours are this was a marriage of refill American Oak and Refill Sherry Casks, but knowing how meticulous Gordon & MacPhail are with their wood policy, I would suspect these casks were utterly pristine.
We're coming to the tail end of 1970s whiskies, I think, so this is a real treat to find at this sort of price point.
43% abv
Producer Tasting Notes
Nose: Fragrant, fresh rose petals and newly cut grass. A lingering subtle sweetness follows. With water - Fresh with a heavily fragrant nose, freshly cut roses. A burst of vanilla and ripe soft fruits emerge.
Palate: An initial burst of chilli spices, with a sweetness emerging. Soft fruit influences linger and a hint of vanilla comes to the fore. With water - A peppery edge develops, with a touch of aniseed. Hints of creamy butter develop.
G&M Glen Grant 1965
$1,849.99
This is a legacy bottling of Glen Grant, bottled under the discontinued Rare Vintage line at 40% after maturing 48 years in a Refill Sherry Butt and American hogsheads. Whisky Base Score 91.65%.
Producer’s Tasting Note
Aroma: Delicate Sherry influences with sweet vanilla and stewed fruits. A subtle smokiness with a hint of oak developing. Aroma with Water Delicate floral aromas with stewed apple and a touch of menthol. Hints of marzipan and oak develop.
Taste: Black pepper initially with pear and orange flavours complemented by a creamy milk chocolate edge. Taste with Water Mulled wine flavours, cinnamon and nutmeg. Creamy milk chocolate with citrus fruit flavours, orange and lime. Body Medium.
Finish Long, smooth, and creamy.
G&M Tamdhu 1971
$1,499.99
1971. Apollo 14 lands on the moon just months after the Soviets launch the first ever space station. The Vietnam War rages out of control, still four years from its inevitable end. The Colts beat the Cowboys in only the fifth Superbowl ever to be played. Disney World opened its doors for the first time ever. Louis Armstrong, Duane Allman and Jim Morrison all passed on to the great gig in the sky. And Tamdhu distillery, in the heart of Speyside, was busy distilling some of the greatest malts that have ever crossed these lips.
All hyperbole aside, every...single...one...of the Tamdhu I have tried from the '60s and '70s have been utterly spectacular.
And the sad, simple reality of it is that whiskies from nearly five decades ago are nearly extinct. This '71 Tamdhu is a buy-before-it's-too-late kind of dram. Whiskies like this don't stick around long. But regret from missing out does.
43% abv
G&M Strathisla 1949
$8,999.99
!!!Only 2 Bottles are Coming to Canada - Exclusively to KWM!!! - 1 Has Sold...
Bottled in 2006 at 57 years of age, this is the oldest vintage of Strathisla we have ever seen at KWM. Matured in a Sherr Butt and bottled at 40%. You will never see a 1949 vintage whisky for less, again!
Producer's Tasting Note
Nose: Sweet, floral and perfumed aromas with spices and a slight oily element.
Palate: Peat and smoke initially with a developing fruitiness - grapes and raisins. Sherry wood flavours are also present.
More About Strathisla - Gordon Macphail
"Strathisla Distillery, the oldest continuously operating distillery in Scotland, is a delightful distillery to visit because of its fairy-tale quality with its distinctive double pagodas and old cobbled courtyard. Founded by George Taylor and Alexander Milne, the distillery originally known as Milltown became operational in 1786. The distillery flip-flopped between names (Milltown, Strathisla, Milton) until 1951, Chivas Brothers officially settled on Strathisla as this was the name of the actual whisky produced. Today, much of Strathisla's production is used for blending and the distillery is the home of one of the world’s most famous blends – ‘Chivas Regal’."
G&M Strathisla 1957
$4,209.99
This is a historic or archive release of Gordon Macphail whisky. A 53 year old Strathisla, bottled in 2011 from a Frist Fill Sherry Butt. A sister cask Scored 92pts with Whisky Fun. Although not inexpensive, it is very well priced of its age and vintage. You won't see pricing like this again anytime soon!
Producer's Tasting Note
Without Water
Nose: Sweet with soft fruit aromas - brambles and blackcurrants. Hints of menthol and spearmint with toasted oak.
Palate: Black cracked pepper and rich Sherry influences initially with orange peel and grapefruit flavours. An aniseed and cinnamon edge develops.
With Water
Nose: Rose petals with almond oil and nutmeg. A crème brûlée and orange peel aroma lingers.
Palate: Sweet with white pepper initially. Green apple and strawberry flavours combine with a touch of charred oak.
Finish: Long and sherried.
92pts Whisky Fun (Review of 2006 Sister Cask Bottling)
"Strathisla 1957/2007 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail) Five stars Colour: deep gold. Nose: oh, this is much less sherry influenced and much more on fruits and honey – in other words, one of these winning exuberantly fruity old Strathislas, or so it seems. Don’t get me wrong, there is some sherry but it’s not the very chocolaty kind of sherry. Figs, quinces, beeswax, orange marmalade and rosewater, then ripe apples, gooseberries and even hints of pomegranate, all that coated with quite some nougat, praline and a mildly vanilled oak. Superb! Also hints of olive oil and mint flying around. Mouth: once again, the oak is louder on the palate but the deep fruitiness and ‘jamminess’ make for a great counterpoint here. Big mouth feel for a 43% malt whisky. Mirabelle jam, apricot cake, tons of sultanas, cane sugar, then quite some cinnamon from the oak, cloves, orange blossom water… Finish: unexpectedly long, all on milk chocolate and blackberry jam. The balance is perfect. Comments: look, I don’t want to insist but this is sold for less than 300 f*****g Euros a bottle, it’s fifty f*****g years old, and it’s f*****g good whisky (while most distilleries sell their 40yos for 1,500 Euros a cruet when not more). Do you get the drift? SGP:551 - 92 points."
More About Strathisla - Gordon Macphail
"Strathisla Distillery, the oldest continuously operating distillery in Scotland, is a delightful distillery to visit because of its fairy-tale quality with its distinctive double pagodas and old cobbled courtyard. Founded by George Taylor and Alexander Milne, the distillery originally known as Milltown became operational in 1786. The distillery flip-flopped between names (Milltown, Strathisla, Milton) until 1951, Chivas Brothers officially settled on Strathisla as this was the name of the actual whisky produced. Today, much of Strathisla's production is used for blending and the distillery is the home of one of the world’s most famous blends – ‘Chivas Regal’."