NEON CACTUS WINES

At Neon Cactus Wines
between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
on Friday, January 29
we held a Scottish event!

Have a look at the pictures.

Attendees tasted some Scotch
with accompanying snacks
including haggis!

We were entertained by a piper!

For the 11th consecutive year, Neon Cactus Wines held a successful Scotch tasting at Cochrane Men of Vision Pipes & Drums 11th Annual Robbie Burns Night!

Here are the pictures.

BRUICHLADDICH PEAT
Peat is a new multi-vintage bottling, matured in bourbon casks, that has been crafted to offer a heavily peated flavour with a hint of medicinal sea iodine. The bold packaging features an atmospheric image of the Rhinns of Islay. Taste vanilla wafers, pear, melon, cracked black pepper and smoke. $59.95*

BRUICHLADDICH WAVES
A mix of different ages of Bruichladdich matured in Bourbon and Madeira casks create an incredibly rich, medium-peated Scotch. The bold new pack design evokes the power of the Atlantic shores of Islay. Taste cranberry, dates, juniper berries, citrus tang and fresh mint. Wave after wave of layers of sweet fruit and smokey flavours. $54.95*

In addition to the previous two new Bruichladdichs, Neon Cactus Wines also carries Bruichladdich 20 Year Old  and:

BRUICHLADDICH ROCKS
An unpeated Islay single malt whisky of beguiling elegance and sophistication. Bruichladdich uses ultra-pure Islay spring water that has filtered through the oldest rocks in the whisky world ~ the 1800 million-year-old rocks upon which the distillery stands. This multi-dimensional bottling shows the purity of spirit distilled in Bruichladdich’s unique Victorian stills. Jim McEwan, the innovative brewer, suggests you try Rocks on ice. $56.95*

A beautifully crafted, complex single malt matured for at least 12 years in American and European oak casks of exceptional quality, all individually tended by an experienced team of coopers. The fragrance of the whisky is distinctively fresh and fruity ~ a delicate balance of the fruitiness of pear with the richness of subtle oak. Characteristic sweet, fruity notes on the palate develop into elements of butterscotch, cream, malt and subtle elegantly rounded oak flavours. Long, smooth and mellow finish. $46.95*

Gold Medal ~ 2007 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC)

Coopers Creek Gisborne Malbec
Malbec has commenced a love affair with New Zealand. This forgotten grape from Bordeaux is thriving in the maritime climate. Warm, sunny days and cool nights produce fruit with stunning aromas, flavour and colour. This Malbec is a full-bodied, dry red wine, and is great matched with red meats, pasta and hard cheeses. $18.95*

Coopers Creek Gisborne Viognier
Stonefruit dominates the nose of this wine: peaches, nectarines, apricots. Mingled with this are floral notes (lemon flower and orange flower) backed by gentle spice notes.Viognier is a low-acid varietal so the palate is broad, rich and weighty. The wine coats the tongue from front to back and side to side and the finish lasts and lasts. The wine is technically dry, but the fruit character is so strong that it seems sweet. This adds to the flavour intensity and length. Drink this while it’s young and fresh with fish, white meats and salads. Also, a very good match for creamy mild chicken curries or butter chicken! $19.95*

“The Scots do not drink. During the whole of two or three pleasant weeks spent lecturing in Scotland, I never on any occasions saw whisky made use of as a beverage. I have seen people take it, of course, as a medicine, or as a precaution against illness, or as a wise offset against a rather treacherous climate, but as a beverage, never.

“There are seventeen reasons advanced in Scotland for taking whisky. They run as follows: Reason one, because it is raining. Two, because it is not raining. Three, because you are just going out into the weather. Four, because you have just come in from the weather. Five; no, I forget the ones that come after that. But I remember that reason number seventeen is ‘because it canna do ye any harm.’ On the whole, reason seventeen is the best.”

~ Stephen Butler Leacock, Ph.D , FRSC (1869 ~ 1944) Canadian writer and economist

“The Peacock,” released August 13,  2009, is the first in the “Icons of Arran” Limited Edition series.
 
The proud peacock that roams the grounds at the Isle of Arran Distillery has become an endearing symbol of Arran’s distinctive whisky. His vivid character is reflected in this glorious single malt, from 20 casks, chosen exclusively by Distillery Manager, James MacTaggart. This 1996 distillation, aged for 12 years, is typically Arran in style, with orchard fruits and rich vanilla sweetness followed by a spicy twist in the tail, resulting in a truly impressive display. $86.95*

Matured wholly in air-dried, hand-selected ex-bourbon casks, the ‘unashamedly excellent’ Old Pulteney 12-years-old is the definitive expression in the Old Pulteney family. Traditionally crafted using techniques that other distillers have long abandoned, this winner of numerous gold medals at the most prestigious international competitions is a high water-mark of quality spirits.

The colour is deep amber with a slight pink hue. Medium- to high-intensity nose with a hint of sea air. Dry, medium-bodied, smooth palate with a clean finish: faintly salty with a slight sherry note. Intricately balanced with a delicate mineral-salted spiciness, Old Pulteney is a distinctive and evocative spririt ~ truly the “Genuine Maritime Malt”! $64.95*

This is “The Quincentennial Malt” celebrating the 500th Anniversary of King James IV’s coronation.

The 1988 is a light, refreshing malt that exhibits all the quaffable characteristics of the Tullibardine family of single malts. With hints of vanilla on the nose and white chocolate in the finish, this is a well-mannered malt, an easy-going whisky that’s simply a pleasure to drink. Fine, rare, smooth and mellow. $92.95*

This nectar of life fuses single malt whiskies made from barley grown and malted from two geographically distant regions. The bulk of the barley originates at the feet of the great Himalayas and the rest is peated barley from Scotland, both mashed and distilled independently and matured in old and new American oak barrels at the Amrut Distillery (established 1948) in Bangalore, India. These special malts are combined to give your palate an exquisite fusion of East and West, denoting the spiritual values of Unity, Peace and Prosperity.
Tasting notes: Fresh oak, hints of vanilla and fruit with sublime peat on the nose. The taste is initially fruity, transcending to sheer delicacy of fruity peaty notes. The finish is long with the supremacy of the peat-fruit combination excellently balanced. $74.95*

Oyster Bay Marlborough Pinot Noir
Here is elegant cool climate pinot noir at its best. Fragrant, soft and flavourful with aromas of ripe cherries and sweet fruit tannins that provide structure and length. On the palate, fragrant cherry, ripe black plum and red berry fruits accentuated with seductive savoury notes and svelte tannins. Enjoy with prime rib, turkey, pork tenderloin, mushroom and truffle dishes, coq au vin, beef bourguignonne, grilled salmon, cassoulet, roasted and braised lamb, pheasant, duck, shark, swordfish and tuna with rosemary. $21.95*

Oyster Bay Merlot

“Ripe plum, berryfruits and hints of spice, accentuated with a nuance of oak and an elegant, lingering soft texture.”
~ Michael Ivicevich, Chief Winemaker

The subtle, toasty, smoky characters, spicy complexity and structural tannins create enhanced mouthfeel. Well-balanced fruit with stunning varietal concentration for an intense flavour profile. The hero is always freshness of ripe fruit, spice and soft tannins on the palate. $17.95*

Neon Cactus Wines also carries Oyster Bay Chardonnay and Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc for your sipping pleasure.
$17.95* per 750 ml bottle

 CBC’s feature wine this month is:

Dunavar Pinot Gris from Hungary
This medium-bodied, well-balanced Pinot Gris has aromas and flavours of citrus, green apple and mineral. Pairs well with Alaskan king crab, halibut in dill sauce, sautéed swiss chard and shrimp salad rolls.

Laurie McKay tasted and talked about this wine on Winers on CBC radio’s Homestretch on Friday, January 15 at 5:45 p.m.

Each month, get the featured bottle at Neon Cactus Wines and enjoy some sipping pleasure with Laurie while you learn about the wine!

We try to keep NeonCactusWines.com  up to date. Our banner picture, appearing at the top of every page of the website, is replaced regularly.

If we have upcoming wine tasting events or sales scheduled, there will be details on a
Special Events or SALE page, accessible by a tab at the top of the website. 

There will also be a tab to access the
Case of the Month page if we have a selection chosen for the current month. Enjoy a lovely discount along with the opportunity to try 12 delicious wines selected by Neon Cactus Wines staff members. 

In the New Products category ~ we post information about our new wines.

And we regularly try to add some information about wine or a little humour, to make our site one of your favourite online destinations.

We hope you enjoy NeonCactusWines.com. The website keeps changing so check in every week to see what’s happening at Neon Cactus Wines, Cochrane’s best wine store!