November 15, 2007

WHISKY IN THE WAREHOUSE

By CINDA CHAVICH

A large Calgary liquor store was  buzzing Wednesday night – as were its patrons – thanks to the release of a rare bottling of Glenfiddich and dozens of other single malts to sip.

More than 700 attended the Willow Park Wines & Spirits annual whisky festival, many to taste a dram of the rare 1976 Glenfiddich – an oak hogshead of cask 16389, bottled exclusively for the country’s largest private liquor seller.

“They offered us the cask for a private bottling which is really an honor,” said Peggy Perry, the company’s vice-president, of the 220 bottles that will be sold for $595 each. “In the past, they’ve only offered casks for maiden voyages of the Queen Mary or for events like royal weddings.”

Glenfiddich owner Peter Gordon, great-great-grandson of the famed distillery’s founder William Grant, was there to pass the first bottle to Willow Park president Wayne Henuset, before the whisky went on sale to the gathering of, mostly male, scotch collectors and aficionados.

For the $85 cover charge, guests could sneak a sip of this rarity and a few others. Willow Park also purchased casks from other single malt distillers this year – with a special private bottling of a 1977 cask strength Glenlivet, and a 23-year-old cask of Dewar Rattray Coal Ila.

“We do a few special cask bottlings but mainly in western Canada,” said Andrew Gray, managing partner of Bruichladdich & bottler Murray David, which bottled the special Glenlivet for Willow Park. “There’s another one going to the West Coast Whisky Society in Vancouver.”

With a cask yielding up to 300 bottles (depending on the age and evaporation) and costing $30,000-$100,000, it’s only practical for large buyers or clubs, he said.

Gray was one of a dozen distillery representatives who arrived in Calgary from Scotland for the annual scotch tasting event, and poured samples throughout the evening. Dubbed Whisky in the Warehouse, the event included food and whisky tasting stations throughout the large, multi-level retail space, which was cleared to accommodate the large crowd of scotch lovers.

It’s part of Willow Park’s annual charity auction week – culminating Saturday, Nov. 17, with the gala $175 Charity Wine Auction for its Vintage Fund, a charity trust fund that supports educational and seniors’ health causes in the community. Lots on the block include four vintages of Opus One, a magnum of 1970 Graham’s Port, a magnum of 1955 Chateau Pichon Comtesse de Lalande, and a signed bottle of the 1976 Glenfiddich Private Vintage Single Malt.

There were plenty of other unique and rare malts to savour at the event this week – from the traditional, sherried 21-year Glenfarclas to the 25-year Benromach from the smallest distillery on Moray,  and several vintages of Glenrothes, in its contemporary, minimal packaging.

The first 50 buyers of the rare $595 Glenfiddich received a special presentation box, a tin of Glenfiddich fudge and a copper “whisky dog” – a vessel made from a copper pipe and a penny, on a long chain, designed to dip samples surreptitiously from the barrel, then hide down a trouser leg. While the barrel on display was already empty, a single bottle was opened for sampling - a sweet, floral malt with hints of citrus, vanilla and caramel, sure to taste fine in front of the fire for the lucky few who will be sipping the rare whisky this winter.

MORE SCOTCH NEWS...

Glenfarclas has just launched their exclusive Family Cask series – 43 single vintage, single malt whiskies, one for each year from 1952 to 1994. Two Calgary stores - Willow Park and Kensington Wine Market - will be the first stores in North America to stock the Family Casks, which will range in price from $500 to $3,000 per bottle, depending on the vintage.  Three bottles of each year are expected to arrive in Alberta in April 2008. For more details, contact Pacific Wine and Spirits at 1-877-716-9463.