ScotchBlog tag:www.scotchblog.ca,2009-02-17:/scotch_blog//1 2022-03-22T19:03:38Z ScotchBlog is a site devoted to Scotch whisky, and world whiskies in general. Movable Type 5.11 So Long, But Not Goodbye tag:www.scotchblog.ca,2022:/scotch_blog//1.647 2022-03-22T18:41:58Z 2022-03-22T19:03:38Z Scott
It was our great privilege to share our opinions and more importantly, give rise to opportunities to enjoy some very special whisky in great company.  We'll be keeping the site content online for posterity / archival value.

Slàinte Mhath
]]> Glen Scotia Victoriana tag:www.scotchblog.ca,2020:/scotch_blog//1.646 2020-04-20T16:13:04Z 2020-04-20T16:07:04Z The Campbeltown distillery of Glen Scotia has recently revamped their bottling lineup, and the Victoriana is the new "premium" non aged stated offering. "Inspired by Victorian times", and bottled at 51.5% ABV, this whisky has been finished in heavily charred... Jeff http://www.jeffmoon.ca GlenScotiaVictorianaThe Campbeltown distillery of Glen Scotia has recently revamped their bottling lineup, and the Victoriana is the new "premium" non aged stated offering. "Inspired by Victorian times", and bottled at 51.5% ABV, this whisky has been finished in heavily charred oak casks.

Nose: Lovely aromas of toasted nuts, raisins, sweet toffee. There is a tiny hint of smoke here, along with vanilla and fresh ocean air.

Palate: Dark, syrupy, and chocolaty. There is a very soft gentle peat smoke here, but it doesn't reveal itself until the 2nd or 3rd sip. Adding water at this point subdues the heat of the younger components of the whisky, and brings out orange rind and toffee flavours. If you look for it, you can find hints of charcoal & ever-so-slightly burnt toast.

Finish: The burnt spicyness continues through the finish, however moderated by a generous vanilla & lingering cocoa.

Overall: I received a miniature of this whisky as a gift, and to be honest, I really wish I had a full bottle of it. While not presenting itself as a "stand-out" dram, it is pleasant enough, but for $99 at the LCBO the price is a bit too high for a NAS bottling that has clearly has some younger components.
]]> Glenglassaugh - Revival tag:www.scotchblog.ca,2020:/scotch_blog//1.645 2020-01-02T20:19:17Z 2020-01-06T21:55:38Z The Glenglassaugh distillery, located just outside the Speyside region had been mothballed for close to 22 years, when in 2008 it changed ownership and restarted production. The appropriately named Revival was the first single malt expression produced after resuming operations.Interestingly,... Jeff http://www.jeffmoon.ca glenglassaugh_revival.jpg
The Glenglassaugh distillery, located just outside the Speyside region had been mothballed for close to 22 years, when in 2008 it changed ownership and restarted production. The appropriately named Revival was the first single malt expression produced after resuming operations.

Interestingly, this expression has been matured in a combination of red wine, and ex-bourbon barrels, then has gone through a second maturation in Oloroso sherry casks

Nose: Marachino cherries, burnt toffee, sweet caramels note all indicate that this whisky is going to be a rich one. 

Palate: Sweetened stewed plumbs, with a creamy toffee punch. Rasins, prunes, and grapes combine beautifully to create a very full-bodied whisky. 

Finish: Full and long, lingering with an aftertaste of hard candies.

Overall: The fairly rare use of red wine casks for ageing has done great things for this whisky. I'd love to get my hands on a cask strength version of this, as its already full and rich profile would just go through the roof with a higher ABV.
]]> Blackadder A Drop of the Irish tag:www.scotchblog.ca,2019:/scotch_blog//1.644 2019-03-13T13:30:00Z 2019-03-12T04:46:19Z Ryan 2017072615_blackadder_a_drop_of_the_irish_2015_cask_strength_original.jpg
A couple of weeks back I tried my first whisky from the UK-based independent bottler Blackadder. A family run affair since 1995, Blackadder was founded by Robin Tucek, whose mantra: "Cask is King!" guides the company's practice of bottling single cask whiskies at full strength without colouring or filtration. 

Among the several product lines within the company's portfolio, "A Drop of the Irish," is the sole release dedicated exclusively to bottling single cask Irish single malt whiskeys. The name of the distillery is kept a mystery and, while an age statement may appear on some releases, the one I tried was non age-stated. 

It did however contain other interesting information; the one I sampled was bottle number 43 of 286 and was bottled in May 2015 at 60.4% ABV from a hogshead cask. 

Nose: Fresh cut apples and pears, caramelized bananas, sweet malty vanilla and a light note of toasted wood.

Palate: At full strength, it's full-bodied with an almost creamy texture. Big, "fancy" fruit salad flavours of mandarin oranges, caramelized bananas along with apples and pears drizzled in waxy honey. 

Finish: Medium long and fruity with loads of honey and a touch a oaky vanilla. 
]]> Overall: Blackadder's treatment of this mystery Irish single malt whiskey strikes an intriguing balance between the cask and spirit flavours. Even at its high ABV, I find this release of "A Drop of the Irish," relatively easy drinking and quite smooth. Although cask strength whiskies sometimes benefit from dilution, in this case a splash of water doesn't do much for the dram aside from sweeten it up a bit and tease out a slightly bitter orange oil tone. In my opinion, it's fine in the glass just the way it's bottled. 

As my first introduction to Blackadder I am impressed with the quality of the whiskey even if the dram is rather straight-forward in profile. That said, it's a rare treat to sip a single cask, Irish single malt, at cask strength and I would love to try an age-stated release of "A Drop of the Irish," from this independent bottler. 
]]> Ballantine's The Glenburgie 15 Years Old tag:www.scotchblog.ca,2019:/scotch_blog//1.643 2019-02-28T23:30:00Z 2019-03-01T01:32:56Z Ryan glenburgie15.JPG
A couple of years back I was turned onto Glenburgie during a chance encounter at a New Brunswick liquor store and since then I've kept my eye out for other bottlings of this somewhat hard-to-find Speyside single malt. 

So, when I discovered this distillery label release of Glenburgie 15 years old on LCBO shelves this past December, I leapt at the opportunity to try it. For the first time in Ontario, the so-called "heart of Ballantine's" blended Scotch whisky is available as an aged, stand-alone offering and is bottled at 40% ABV. 

Similar to Dewar's "Last Great Malts" product launch a couple of years back which released a handful of single malts typically destined for blending as stand alone bottles; the Chivas and Glenlivet Group is offering whisky enthusiasts access to the core malts that make up it's flagship Ballantine's blend: Miltonduff, Glentauchers and Glenburgie. Typically, these malts are only available through independent bottlers and so it was quite a surprise to me to see them all appear under their original distillery labelling and aged to a very respectable 15 years. 

I quite enjoyed the Gordon and MacPhail 10 year old expression but how would this older bottling, matured exclusively in ex-bourbon American oak, hold up to my reference point?
]]> Nose: Fruity notes of red apples and pears along with a whiff of vanilla.

Palate: Muddled stewed fruit flavours of apples, pears, lychee and citrus peel with a texture and sweetness of thinned honey. This light-to-medium bodied dram shows additional notes of white chocolate fudge and warming ginger 

Finish: Dry and relatively short-lived with caramel, orange peel, and something almost nutty on the finish.

Overall: This distillery labeled release of Glenburgie 15 years old is a straight-forward dram with a dry, fruity profile. While I think I prefer the G&M bottling over this one, it's still worth a buy at $73.80 in the LCBO especially given its relative rarity. Although it's not particularly complex, this version of Glenburgie offers great value to whisky geeks seeking single malts from distilleries whose output is typically relegated to blending. After all, it's not often you can find a 15yr old single malt in the LCBO under $80!

]]> Bearface Canadian Whisky tag:www.scotchblog.ca,2019:/scotch_blog//1.642 2019-02-01T14:30:00Z 2019-02-01T05:12:11Z Sourced and blended whiskies might just be the next big trend in Canadian whisky. More and more of these sourced, non-distillery, bottlings keep popping up on the landscape.After all, it takes a small fortune and several years to build, staff... Ryan bearface-bottle-EN-front.jpg
Sourced and blended whiskies might just be the next big trend in Canadian whisky. More and more of these sourced, non-distillery, bottlings keep popping up on the landscape.

After all, it takes a small fortune and several years to build, staff and launch a new distillery not to mention the lag time between the first run of spirit off the still and the requisite three years of waiting around for the liquid to age before it can legally be called "Canadian whisky."

Canadian brands like Whistle Pig, Signal Hill, Twelve Barrels, and now Mark Anthony Brands' Bearface Canadian whisky have bypassed the risk and sunk costs of operating their own distilleries and instead have sourced their whiskies from established Canadian producers. More than independent bottlers, these brands try to put their own spin on their sourced spirit through additional barrel finishing and blending.

Bearface is refreshingly upfront about its status as a sourced whisky, epitomized by it's "hide nothing, fear nothing" slogan. Using three types of casks in its production, Bearface is a single grain whisky that was first aged 7 years in ex-bourbon barrels "on the shores of Georgian Bay," before being shipped across the country to Mission Hill B.C. where it spent time in red wine casks made from French oak. But, for master blender Andres Faustinelli, that wasn't enough wood influence! 

Something was missing, so the finishing touch was a few months in bespoke new Hungarian oak casks to add a "unique spice finish", before it was finally bottled at 42.5% ABV. 

The whisky has a lovely reddish hue and the bottle packaging shows evidence of thoughtful and careful design touches from the Bearface branding on the cork and cap to the "claw marks" on the bottle and the "tear" out of the labelling. 

It certainly looks nice but how does it taste? 


]]> Nose: Sawdust and toasted wood loom large with sweeter notes of marzipan and caramel as supporting players. 

Palate: Surprisingly not as woody as the nose would suggest. Instead, this full-bodied dram shows a restrained wood influence that's balanced against rich, vanilla-tinged caramel, muddled berries, chestnuts and a lightly astringent orange oil flavour.

Finish: Smooth and long with a gentle warming finish showing spicy, toasted oaky tones, more chestnuts, and a hint of mocha capped off with juicy citrus.

Overall: I fully expected Bearface to be an over-oaked mess but my assumptions were pleasantly shattered with the first sip which I chalk up to the skill of the master blender, Andres Faustinelli. This sourced whisky is incredibly smooth, approachable and very drinkable. While the website features several complicated cocktails in which to mix Bearface, I think it's probably best appreciated neat or possibly on the rocks as it's a flavourful dram that needn't be masked with other stuff. At $39.95 in the LCBO, Bearface is a remarkable value buy for fans of Canadian whisky.


]]> Jameson Caskmates - Beau's Irish Red Ale Cask tag:www.scotchblog.ca,2019:/scotch_blog//1.641 2019-01-25T14:30:00Z 2019-01-25T03:07:18Z Ryan beaus-jameson.jpg
It's a rare treat for us in Ontario to have access to an exclusive bottling of anything, let alone an Irish whiskey and so, imagine my surprise to see that Jameson Caskmates' Beau's Edition had finally hit LCBO shelves this past December!

The partnership, described here in a post from early 2018, has yielded a transatlantic cross pollination of flavour between eastern Ontario's Beau's All Natural Brewing Co. and a giant in the Irish whiskey category.

Bottled at 40% ABV, this limited edition expression is unique to the Ontario market and features the classic triple distilled Jameson whiskey finished in casks that previously held Beau's Strong Patrick Irish Red Ale.  

Nose: Green apple and pear drop hard candies mixed with herbal resin tones accompanied by a delicate vanilla note. 

Palate: Butterscotch sweetness meets geraniums. There's a muddled fruity flavour that's hard to pull apart and quite a bit of resinous woody spice in this full-bodied dram.  A generous splash of water brings out more butterscotch and takes some of the heat out of the herbal and spicy elements.

Finish: Dry and medium long with bitter cocoa powder and loads of spice showing up on the warming finish. 


Overall: Jameson Caskmates Beau's Edition is an interesting experiment but I must say that it's not a particularly compelling dram. As I've written before, beer finishes seem to be a difficult trick to pull off for whisky makers as the hop flavours seem to concentrate and distort the flavour of the whisky and bring out bitter herbal notes. A resinous astringency and spicy herbal note dominate the palate on this one and, while the addition of water softens their presence by bringing out more butterscotch sweetness, I'm left with a dry, somewhat bitter, whisky lacking in nuance. For the price, $41.95 in the LCBO, it's not a bad whisky but beyond it's novelty it doesn't do much for me. 
]]>





]]> Signal Hill Canadian Whisky tag:www.scotchblog.ca,2019:/scotch_blog//1.640 2019-01-17T14:30:00Z 2019-01-17T15:16:45Z Signal Hill is one of Newfoundland's most iconic historical landmarks. This rocky outcrop at the mouth of St. John's harbour was the site of possible Viking landings, fierce battles between the English and the French, and perhaps most famously, the... Ryan SignalHillBottle.jpg
Signal Hill is one of Newfoundland's most iconic historical landmarks. This rocky outcrop at the mouth of St. John's harbour was the site of possible Viking landings, fierce battles between the English and the French, and perhaps most famously, the world's first transatlantic wireless transmission by Guglielmo Marconi.

To celebrate the history of this unique place, Jonathan Hemi, Brian Meret and Kristina Cappellini of Globalfill Inc. and Crystal Head Vodka fame decided to launch the namesake Signal Hill brand of Canadian whisky back in 2014. 

However, it would be another four years before this vision became reality. After partnering with a legend in the Canadian whisky world, Master Blender Michael Booth - formerly affiliated with Corby Spirit & Wine Ltd.- along with Rock Spirits, the St. John's-based blending and bottling division of  the Newfoundland Labrador Liquor Corporation, the founders had a team in place with which to source, blend and package their tribute whisky. 

Nearly forty blending experiments later, they landed on the recipe for Signal Hill: a 95-5 blend of column distilled corn and pot distilled malted barley aged in three types of casks and then reduced with Newfoundland water to 40% ABV.

Interestingly, all along the way, none of the spirit from the new white oak, ex-bourbon, or ex-Canadian whisky casks used was chill-filtered and the final product is also non chill-filtered; a relative rarity in the Canadian whisky landscape. 

My bottle, which was graciously donated by the folks at Lux 9, is from batch 18025 and was bottled nearly a year ago on January 25, 2018. 


]]> Nose: Loads of toffee, buttery vanilla, a smear of beeswax and is that a hint of maple? With some air, a delicate fruitiness and a light charred wood note appear.

Palate: Very smooth with an almost syrupy texture. Quite sweet and showing big toffee flavours, with plummy jam, dried fruit, cinnamon, and subtle oak.

Finish: Long, lingering with a molasses sweetness alongside gentle oaky spice, bitter orange peel, and more raisins.

Overall: Beautifully textured and smooth, Signal Hill is a great choice for those who like the sweeter side of Canadian whisky or who may be new to whisky in general. The body on this whisky is remarkable and it's due in large part to the skill of the blender but also it's a testament to the difference that comes with an NCF whisky. In many ways this dram reminds me of Forty Creek's Copper Pot Reserve mixed with J.P. Wiser's 15 year old yet somehow more polished and sweeter.

Given that this is a blend of "sourced" whisky, I will be interested to see how future years' bottlings compare with this batch. Will they be able to secure spirit from the same producer? Three types of maturation means three times the possibility of variation somewhere along the line; can the blender recreate the profile? Is Michael Booth signed on for "the long haul"? While these questions and the  providence of the whiskies in this blend will likely remain a mystery, there's no doubt that this bottle offers good value with its $39.95 price tag in the LCBO. 
 

]]> Glenfiddich Fire and Cane tag:www.scotchblog.ca,2019:/scotch_blog//1.639 2019-01-08T14:30:00Z 2019-01-07T23:13:36Z Ryan firecane.jpgFire & Cane is the fourth release from Glenfiddich's "Experimental Series" which seeks an answer to the question: "What would happen if we lightly peated our house style of whisky and then finished it in ex-rum casks?"
 
Malt Master Brian Kinsman was an apprentice at Glenfiddich when they first ran this peated spirit through the stills. Using peat from the surrounding Highlands to dry the malt, a grassy smoky flavour made its way into the spirit. Years later, and now master of his craft, Kinsman blended this aged smoky whisky with spirit matured in ex-bourbon casks. After marrying the aged peated and unpeated single malts, the mixture was placed in South American rum casks to finish for up to six months resulting in a non age stated single malt that's peated to 5 ppm and bottled at 43% ABV.

Nose: At first, a blast of pungent campfire smoke with a light bready note that gradually dissipates to reveal toffee, crème brûlée and apples.
]]> Palate: Rich, full-bodied and smooth on entry with the typical fruity Glenfiddich pear notes taking a backseat to cinnamon and nutmeg-spiced toffee. Smoky vanilla and toasted oak combine to form an interesting, almost marshmallow-like flavour.

Finish: Warming, gentle and lingering with a chewy, tarry, smokiness that goes on and on and on...

Overall: The results are in: Experiment Number Four is a delicious consummation of flavours! 

Just a sip of this dram practically conjures up images of wood-paneled rooms with overstuffed chairs and a roaring fireplace. Fire & Cane is a robust, food-friendly whisky with a dessert-like profile that could either accompany your sweet course or stand in for it.  

Sampling this whisky, I'm struck by a wish for Glenfiddich to make a smoky version of their highly quaffable 15 year old. I think the combo of the the sherry influence and Highland peat would probably be as close to perfection as one can reasonably expect this side of Heaven. 

But I digress. 

My desires for a smoky addition to the Glenfiddich core range aside, Fire & Cane is probably unlike anything you've tasted recently from this iconic Speyside distillery. It's not the first time the distillery has experimented with rum finished whisky to great effect (see the Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 year old) but it's the first time with a lightly peated spirit. At $79.95 in the LCBO, it may be worth grabbing a couple of bottles before this limited run is gone for good. 


]]> The 2018 Gift Buyer's Guide to Whisky tag:www.scotchblog.ca,2018:/scotch_blog//1.638 2018-12-17T16:30:00Z 2019-01-04T02:16:22Z Ryan Season's Greetings!

ScotchBlog.ca's Gift Buyer's Guide to Whisky is back with another holiday installment aimed at the price-conscious shopper with a whisky-loving recipient on their list. Whether you're looking for a hosting gift, a celebratory bottle, a gift for a new drammer or a seasoned enthusiast, this year's list has something for every taste. As always, this guide is written to give you a short-list of the best valued whiskies currently on LCBO shelves with high availability province-wide. With a price limit of $100, you are sure to find a gift idea in in this list that's bound to delight your recipient. 

For Ontario readers, make use of the embedded title links to check stock before heading out to your local store. It is important to remember that the LCBO does provide inter-store transfers of bottles, though delivery times will vary from 3 to 7 days depending on the distance between your chosen store and the store of origin. Lastly, for any locations showing one bottle of something, be sure to phone ahead to confirm availability. 

Finally, each whisky listed below is available in the LCBO at the time of publication. The title link navigates to the LCBO page while the links in the description will direct you to one of our reviews of the whisky - if available - so if you'd like more detail, the full notes are a click away.
]]> Whiskies

Jameson Caskmates Irish Whiskey -  $39.95 on sale now for $34.95
Caskmates Stout Edition offers an interesting twist on a well-known and beloved Irish whiskey brand.  The standard, triple distilled, Jameson's blended whiskey is finished for four months in a cask that formerly held Irish stout beer and the result is like a liquid, boozy, tootsie roll. Rich chocolate tones, candied citrus peel and ginger combine with a dash of peppery spice and bitter hops. It's one of the best beer-influenced whisky experiments I've tried to date; well-balanced and highly drinkable it makes a perfect addition to a holiday party. 

A newcomer to the Canadian whisky landscape, Bearface is a sourced single grain Canadian spirit that's been previously aged for at least 7 years in ex-bourbon barrels. At this point the whisky is brought to Mission Hill B.C. where its finished in a combination of ex-Bordeaux red wine casks and barrels made from virgin Hungarian oak before being bottled at 42.5% ABV. All that wood influence makes for a bold whisky that tears out of the glass with big, oaky vanilla and toffee on the nose with juicy, red berries, camphor, cigar box and a hit of warming spice on the slightly bitter finish. Bearface is a remarkable value buy for the Canadian whisky lover on your list.

Named in homage of Highland Park founder Magnus Eunson this non age-stated single malt was matured in sherry seasoned American oak casks. Hailing from the the old viking outpost of Orkney, Highland Park's house style shows heathered peat smoke, honey and citrus with an occasional sherried influence. Magnus showcases that well-known house style but at a fraction of the price of the rest of the core range. Consider it a "value buy" that can do the heavy lifting as either a party "bring along" or as a hosting gift for the whisky lover on your list who likes things a little smoky.  

Food-friendly, approachable, polished, the Singleton of Dufftown is a great choice as a hosting gift. This Speyside single malt was made for holiday gatherings with it's smooth, full-bodied texture and flavours of toasted coconut, toffee, raisin bread, orange marmalade leading to a finish that fades through hazelnuts, coffee and a hint of black licorice. It's a delicious, quaffable, dram that will appeal to both casual and seasoned whisky enthusiasts.

Independent bottler Douglas Laing & Co.'s Rock Oyster is a small batch blended malt that contains whisky from almost all of Scotland's whisky producing islands like: Jura, Islay, Arran and Orkney. Perfect for the adventurous connoisseur on your list, Rock Oyster is non chill-filtered and naturally coloured with robust flavours of smoke, malt, waxy honey, and peppery spice leading to a briney and slightly peated finish. And yes, in case you're wondering, it pairs wonderfully with oysters on the half-shell.

It's baaaack! One of the most beloved single barrel bourbon's is back on LCBO shelves with it's distinctive bottle shape that bears a remarkable reminiscent to Monty Python's Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. Because it's a single barrel bourbon, each time Blanton's shows up on our shelves it's slightly different due to batch variation. The bourbon lover on your list will enjoy the sweet vanilla, toffee and cherry notes alongside roasted nuts and salted chocolate with a long, mouth-coating, finish. It's a true sippin' bourbon that will keep your recipient company through the long winter to come. 

Glenfiddich Fire & Cane - $79.75 on sale now for $74.75 
Released earlier this year as part of Glenfiddich's "Experimental Series," Fire and Cane is unlike anything your recipient has probably ever tasted from the iconic Speyside distillery.  First off, it contains an unconventionally smoky and peated version of it's spirit from a distillery better known for its pear notes than its peat smoke. Then, after maturing in ex-bourbon casks, this special run of peated Glenfiddich was finished for up to six months in Caribbean rum casks. The result is a whisky with a pungent campfire smokiness, toffee, and dried fruit on the nose and baked apples, pears and toasted marshmallows on the palate with a gentle, warming finish. This year, blow up your recipient's preconceptions about Glenfiddich with a whisky that's pretty much unlike anything they've made in recent memory.

A bit of an oddball on this year's list is from Welsh whisky producer Penderyn with the distillery's first "peated" expression. Instead of peating the malt for their single malt, as you'd expect, the whisky was first matured in ex-bourbon casks and then underwent further maturation in ex-Laphroaig quarter casks. That extra time spent in the smaller casks from one of Islay's peat-reekiest distilleries imparts big flavour on the otherwise light and fruity single malt. A fumarole of charred wood and smoke erupt from the glass along with fresh citrus zest. On the palate expect a dry whisky with a blast of rubbery peat smoke, muddled tropical fruit like guava and citrus leading to a mouth-watering finish with lingering notes of menthol and peppery spice. Limited to just 5,000 bottles annually, Penderyn's Peated Cask would make a great gift for the whisky enthusiast on your list that seems to have "everything." 

Aberlour's A'bunadh may appear a bit off-putting with it's seemingly high price tag until you realize that its cask strength 59.5% ABV means that it should be consumed with a splash of water, which translates into a bottle that will have considerable stamina on the shelf. Deep red in colour with flavours of cloves, nutmeg, red apples and brown sugar means that this single malt is basically Christmas morning in a bottle. It's also worth mentioning that the A'bunadh is batch produced so each release is slightly different which heightens the gift cache of this beloved Speyside "sherry-bomb." 

The final entry on the whisky list is a limited edition release from Glenglassaugh which was brought back to life almost ten years ago after a two decade slumber. Not much from this Highland distillery makes it onto LCBO shelves which makes it a good option for the whisky connoisseur on your list. Cask strength, naturally coloured and non chill-filtered, Torfa ticks most of the boxes on the whisky geek's checklist for an "authentic" whisky experience. Rich, smooth, and practically billowing with grassy peat smoke the dram shows fruity notes of apricot, pineapple melon with custard. Layered and complex, Torfa has a long chewy finish of charred meat and fruit leather studded with candied ginger and black pepper. At the time of writing there's still a few left in the province but they're a bit scattered. Act fast and you'll still have enough time to ask the LCBO to do an inter store transfer to get it before Christmas or the New Year, depending on your needs. Can't swing it? Try Glenglassaugh's Evolution instead; same connoisseur cache but without the peat and smoke.

Stocking Stuffers

Whisky Snacks - Price varies
A shareable, snackable gift is a great complement to any dram and there are no shortage of combinations. This year's list is a mix of old and new favourites:

  • Walker's Shortbread - is it even Christmas if these cookies don't get passed around?
  • Walker's Oatcakes - is it even a proper night of whisky nosing if these don't get pass around to clear the palate?
  • Mackie's of Scotland Haggis & Cracked Black Pepper crisps - these vegetarian-friendly crisps are spiced to pair with whisky.
  • Smith's Scampi Fries OR Bacon Fries - A popular bar snack in the UK, the Scampi Fries are my fave. Imagine a bag of crispy bits from a fish and chips fryer with a squirt of lemon...heaven with a Gin and Tonic or a peated Islay whisky. Bacon fries are a decent backup option.
  • Roasted Seaweed Snacks - no particular brand to look out but I prefer low sodium versions. Pair this up with Rock Oyster and watch the vanilla and honey notes leap to the forefront.
The Glencairn Glass - Available in Downtown Toronto at Tap Phong Trading 

A perennial favourite, this is the international standard for discerning palates when nosing any type of whisky. The Glencairn glass has a unique tulip-shaped design based on the nosing copitas used by Master Blenders in the whisky industry. Unlike the oft-used tumbler, the Glencairn glass provides a more focused olfactory experience allowing for a more nuanced appreciation of all the aromas in the whisky. Designed with the input of Master Blenders in the Scotch whisky industry, the Glencairn glass was the first - and for many - the best glass with which to appreciate a dram. Chances are your recipient could always use an extra one or two!

Amber Glass Boston Round Sample Bottles - Available online: SKS Bottle & Packaging Inc., Amazon.com and others.
NOTE: on some sites you need to buy the caps separately from the bottles! 

For the ultra-enthusiastic connoisseur the gift of 12, 24, or 48 amber glass Boston round bottles with black phenolic cone lined caps might just be the BEST on-the-cheap gift money can buy. Let's break it down: your recipient likely has several bottles on the go at varying fill levels and a number of bottles on their last legs. Step in like a hero and help de-clutter their life by giving them amber glass Boston round bottles with black phenolic cone lined caps. Now they can pour off the bottoms of all those bottles they have laying around that they just can't bear the thought of finishing "right now." Trust, the anxiety about finishing a treasured, rare or exclusive bottle is a real thing. In addition to helping clear the shelves for new whisky, your recipient can now trade samples with their other whisky geek friends without resorting to carrying around clunky glass, or worse, plastic bottles. Should you decide to go this route it's critically important to remember that you need to buy these specific sample bottles: amber glass Boston round bottles with black phenolic cone lined caps. Amber will prevent damaging UV rays from oxidizing the whisky while the black phenolic cone lined caps will ensure that none of the precious liquid seeps out. In our experience, 2oz is a good size for most applications though sizes vary from 1/2oz all the way up to a guargantuan 32oz bottle. There's a reason this gift idea is on the list every year: it's truly the gift that keeps giving! 

Remember, as always, if you find yourself struggling and short on time, please do reach out via email, Twitter, or Instagram along with a quick snap of the recipient's whisky shelf, or the bottles you have in mind as a gift or, simply ask "what should I get this person?" is all we need to start working with you to help guide your gift-giving in real time! 

Thank you for reading and on behalf of everyone at ScotchBlog.ca, I wish you all the very best for the holiday season along with a happy, healthy and prosperous 2019.

Slainte!
]]> Bruichladdich Octomore 8.1 tag:www.scotchblog.ca,2018:/scotch_blog//1.637 2018-11-13T14:30:00Z 2018-11-13T13:51:22Z When searching for strongly peated single malt whiskies, a few Islay distillery names are bound to immediately spring to mind: Ardbeg, Laphroaig, or maybe even Caol Ila. Perhaps not well known outside the circles of connoisseurs and stinking reek-fiends, is... Ryan octomore8_1masterclass.jpg
When searching for strongly peated single malt whiskies, a few Islay distillery names are bound to immediately spring to mind: Ardbeg, Laphroaig, or maybe even Caol Ila. Perhaps not well known outside the circles of connoisseurs and stinking reek-fiends, is Bruichladdich's Octomore series of "super heavily peated" single malt whiskies. This limited edition Masterclass bottling isn't the "peatiest" they've ever made but at 167 parts per million its nearly four times more "peaty" than any other standard Islay whisky currently on LCBO shelves. 

As with all of Bruichladdich's whiskies, the entire production cycle from distillation and maturation to bottling is performed on-site; a point of pride for the Islay distillery. Octomore 8.1 Masterclass was matured for eight years in first-fill American oak casks and was bottled without colouring and un-chill filtered at a potent 59.3% ABV. 

Nose: Pungent aromas of tarry smoke, peat and iodine with a light wisp of buttery vanilla but, every now and then, I swear I get a whiff of Oreo cookie wafer! 

Palate: A wallop of peat smoke, more tar, and charred meat register first. With time, more delicate flavours begin to emerge in the relatively light-bodied dram: malty sweetness, vanilla, cantaloupe, candied citrus, and cocoa.
]]> Finish: Whoa! This one goes on forever. The mouth-watering finish shows lingering, almost grassy, smoke, a drop or two of iodine, old leather, cocoa and a surprising touch of mint.

Overall: Everything about this dram is big and dialed-up; from the ABV to the peat level, Octomore 8.1 is a masterclass in how to walk the line between relying upon a gimmick and creating a compelling whisky. This one is decidedly for the peat freaks but it's so well-crafted and balanced that it also plays really well with food; especially oysters, roast lamb, or even strong cheeses. While you may initially balk at the $225 price tag in the LCBO for a cask-strength 8 year old whisky, it's worth remembering that age isn't everything and Octomore proves that you can get big, complex, flavour from a young whisky. 
]]> Ezra Brooks 7 Year Old tag:www.scotchblog.ca,2018:/scotch_blog//1.636 2018-10-05T18:08:00Z 2018-10-05T18:07:29Z It was the price tag that first caught my eye; $47.70.I was on the hunt for a bargain table whisky to bring to the a meeting of the club. Stalking the spirit aisles of the LCBO, I noticed an unfamiliar... Ryan ezra7.jpg
It was the price tag that first caught my eye; $47.70.

I was on the hunt for a bargain table whisky to bring to the a meeting of the club. Stalking the spirit aisles of the LCBO, I noticed an unfamiliar brand: Ezra Brooks 7 year old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and I remember thinking something like, "Hmmm, a 7 year old bourbon under $50, ok, what else we got...waitaminute, a 7 year old, 50.5% over-proof bourbon under $50 in the LCBO!?"

And then, 

"Who or what is Ezra Brooks?"

The brand dates back to the late 1950's and was the creation of Frank Silverman of the Hoffman Distilling Company in Lawrenceburg. The story goes that he came up with an idea to add a bourbon to the distillery's product line to compete with the ascendant Jack Daniels which was suffering from it's success and was under stocked to meet demand resulting in market shortages and strict allocations. Looking to capitalize on the whiskey boom, Silverman pretty much copied everything about the whiskey right down to the charcoal filtration and honed in on the action. 

Ezra Brooks was made at Hoffman until the late '70s and then was revived in 1993 when the brand was picked up by Luxco. This year, Luxco opened it's Lux Row Distillery in Bardstown and moved production from Heaven Hill to the new location. The change in address is bringing about a change to Old Ezra too as the new product site showcases not only a redesigned label but also an increase in the ABV to a muscular 58.5%. 

The new Old Ezra is due out this month in American markets but who knows when it will appear up here... but in the meantime and, in between time, let's see how the old Old Ezra stands up to its reputation as a sippin' whisky.
]]> Nose: Aromas of vanilla, roasted peanut shells, a light dusting of cinnamon and something vaguely fruity like red licorice. 

Palate: Sweet with woody, peppery spice. Rich caramel tones alongside a mix of banana, cherry lozenge, roasted peanuts, and a tannic element reminiscent of damp cardboard. 

Finish: Dry, warming, with a wave of medicinal and slightly bitter cherry cough syrup.

Overall: I gotta say, this whisky didn't disappoint; it's a good value sippin' bourbon that works well neat or on the rocks. Ezra Brooks 7 year old is well-balanced with just enough bitterness to keep things from getting too sweet or floral. While there's not much going on in terms of complexity, it is polished and remarkably easy-drinking for a dram of this strength. There a still a fair number of bottles left in the province and I think I may pick up another to squirrel away to compare with the new formulation when it eventually arrives. 
]]> Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon tag:www.scotchblog.ca,2018:/scotch_blog//1.635 2018-09-20T13:30:00Z 2018-09-20T13:42:10Z Ryan ew2010v1.jpg
Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon is a yearly release by Heaven Hill Distillery, the same producers behind the much-loved Elijah Craig, Parker's Heritage, Bernheim et al.. Single barrel offerings are special because they've not had their "rough edges" or unique characteristics blended out for the sake of consistency and so every batch is a little different. Every year since 1995, the Master Distillers select an assortment of barrels from their vast warehouses in Bardstown, Kentucky to be bottled as part of the annual single barrel edition. Each bottle is then marked with the serial number of the barrel from which it's drawn along with its vintage date.

It's uncommon to see single barrel expressions of anything in the LCBO, so I leapt at the opportunity to score a couple of my own this year. My bottle, from the 2018 release, was from barrel #547 and was put in oak on April 12, 2010 for just shy of 8 years before bottling - unblended - at 43.3% ABV. 









]]> Nose: Warm cherry Twizzlers along with crushed walnuts, buttery vanilla, with a fresh whiff of mint and talcum powder.

Palate: Rich with a smooth, butterscotch toffee sweetness. A supporting cast of fresh tobacco, bitter orange and more walnuts round out the palate.

Finish: Dry and slightly bitter, with dried fruit and cocoa tones leading into a moderately long, warming finish.

Overall: Heaven Hill Distillery's annual Evan Williams Single Barrel release is by far one of the best deals going right now at $54.55 in the LCBO. Although it's relatively young at 8 years old, the whisky is bursting with flavours of charred oak, tobacco, chewy toffee and orange zest before trailing off with a distinct cocoa note on the finish. Evan Williams' yearly single barrel releases are a treat not to be missed for any serious bourbon fan.


]]> The Hakushu 12 Years Old tag:www.scotchblog.ca,2018:/scotch_blog//1.631 2018-09-01T17:15:00Z 2018-09-01T17:09:01Z Ryan hakushu12.jpg
Surrounded by forest at the foot of Mount Kaikomo in the southern "Japanese Alps,"Suntory's picturesque Hakushu distillery has been making single malt whisky since 1973. The highly awarded distillery has three core expressions the 12, 18 and 25 year old and occasionally produces limited runs of peated or sherry matured expressions. 

Suntory's single malts are a relatively uncommon sight on LCBO shelves and, as of May 2018, they've become even harder to find. Whether they're a victim of the success of the Japanese whisky category or simply the result of poor forecasting, the Hakushu 12 year old single malt and the 17 year old blend are being pulled from "certain markets" and will have limited availability in others. Moreover, Suntory's CEO Takeshi Ninami said it could take up to a decade for Beam Suntory's Japanese whisky distilleries to meet demand from consumers and retailers. 

I found this bottle on a trip to Buffalo a couple of years back at Premier Wines & Spirits; it's bottled at 43% ABV and is most likely chill-filtered and contains some colouring.
]]> Nose: Fresh yet delicate with aromas of sliced pears, vanilla, and subtle grassy notes.

Palate: Full-bodied and smooth with flavours of candied lemon, Bosc pears and a gentle malty sweetness underpinned by a whisp of waxy smoke. 
 
Finish: Off-dry and slightly fruity with good deal of minerality and a lingering tang of smoke.

Overall: The Hakushu 12 year old is a stunning whisky. Aperitif in style but with enough heft to pair with food, the dram strikes an elegant balance of fruit, herbal tones and smoke. Fans of the "old school" Highland profile e.g. Brora, Clynelish, Dallas Dhu, Glen Elgin, etc. will love this whisky. Pity it's going to be a lot harder to find soon. But, then again, maybe this is just the excuse I need to make a trip to the distillery?
]]> Stalk & Barrel Single Malt Canadian Whisky tag:www.scotchblog.ca,2018:/scotch_blog//1.634 2018-08-02T13:30:00Z 2018-08-01T21:34:04Z Ryan stock-and-barrel-single-malt.jpg
A few weeks back I happened upon a massively marked down bottle of Stalk & Barrel Canadian single malt whisky at an LCBO in Ajax. While I can recall enjoying some of the Stillwaters Distillery's whiskies in the past, I could never really go in on the price point. It always seemed to be too high for such young spirit given what else is available. 

But this time I had a sign; I had to try it! 

The Concord, Ontario micro-distillery has taken a real hands-on approach to their whisky-making and do everything: mashing, fermenting, distillation, and warehousing on site. The single malt is made from 100% Canadian two-row malted barley and is aged in ex-bourbon casks for at least 3 years. Each barrel is bottled individually as a single cask offering in individually numbered bottles, offered at either cask strength or at 46% ABV. 

My bottle was number 128 from cask 109 at 46% ABV, it's natural coloured and non chill-filtered.
]]> Nose: Intense aromas of new oak, a dusting of powdered ginger and a smell reminiscent of soggy card-stock sprayed with a fruity perfume, like what you might find in a damp, women's interest, magazine. 

Palate: Medium-bodied with a heavy wallop of peppery spice. New oak flavours dominate and all I taste is wood, apple cores and ginger.

Finish: Ultra dry with a long, lingering, almost sour woodiness, lightly sweetened by starchy apple cores.

Overall: Hot, woody, bitter and bland, there's nothing going right for this Canadian single malt. I have to give Stillwaters credit for their DIY approach and the commitment to a single cask whisky but this is simply a bad single malt. I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one, and considering the breathless praise from the drinks press about this expression, maybe I just had an overactive barrel; a batch variant. Maybe that's why it was on sale in the Ajax LCBO for $20 off the regular retail price of $69.95? Regardless, even with the sale, this one wasn't worth the buy.


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