The Macallan Edition Series celebrates inspiration. This is a review of the fifth edition, and it’s a beautiful single malt scotch. Each of the limited releases are inspired by unique collaborators. A lot is said about the stories behind these whiskies, and you can read about all of that here. Let’s focus on the whisky, because there’s already plenty to talk about!
Read MoreSecret Spirits asked me if I’d like to participate with their advent calendar this year. I don’t know why, but previous years I haven’t even shown an interest in advent whisky calendars, and this year I’m all about them.
Read MoreThere’s plenty to say about Bearface One Eleven, the Agave Spirit blended into it, and what this means for the Canadian whisky market. Firstly, let’s start with the basics—Bearface is Canadian whisky through and through. There’s a lot of mezcal influence in the flavor, but it qualifies as whisky under Canada’s 9.09 rule. A rule many whisky producers use. A rule that’s rarely disclosed.
Read MoreAerolite Lydnsay Islay isn’t the name of a distillery. It’s a brand. But this is a single malt product; meaning it came from one distillery on Islay. That distillery remains a mystery.
Read MoreMike Brisebois, the Canadian brand ambassador, handed me a sample of this scotch noting it’ll really “screw with my palate.” The direct quote is less family friendly. And it did, it really did.
Read MoreNewly introduced Traigh Bhan is the second core range Ardbeg with an age statement. The first, the ten year old, was introduced almost two decades ago. This is, in the Ardbeg world, a big deal.
Read MoreThe Irishman at Cask Strength is a limited run vintage release. In the year of 2018, only 3716 bottles were produced, and it’s being sold in limited markets. There aren’t many cask strength variations of Irish Whiskey that make it to North America.
Read MoreI’ll stand out on a (not so high) limb and say that Nikka Whisky from The Barrel is the best Japanese whisky that you can both find, and actually afford. There are lots of issues with Japanese whisky, and as far as drinking, this is one of the few solutions available to those that want to explore the category.
Read MoreMiyagikyo Distillery makes both malted barley and grain whisky for the Nikka lines of Japanese whisky. The pot stills used to make this single malt are plentiful, large, and heated slowly to focus on floral notes.
Read MoreThere’s a tongue-and-cheek nature to Diageo’s Orphan Barrel Collection that often places them in conflict with whisky geeks. The original concept included barrels from distilleries that have long-since stopped producing whisky. At least, that was the concept. But whisky geeks quickly sought after the origins of the whisky, and found that sometimes they weren’t orphaned, and sometimes they weren’t accidents.
Read MoreIn 2016, Glenmorangie started a new line of single malts named after their featured warehouse; The Bond House No. 1 Collection. Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1990 was the first release of this set. It has, as one can tell, a very grandiose name! It’s listed at about $600 US. Some have said this is the best Glenmorangie ever released, and I was fortunate enough to get a sample from Bry Wilson, the Canadian Brand Ambassador for the distillery.
Read MoreArdbeg’s annual special releases come in two flavors: Regular, and Committee Release. The latter is typically a few points higher proof, and distributed specifically to the Ardbeg’s fan club and select stores.
However, sometimes a bottle apparently sneaks through into retail. Back in 2017, I was able to pick this one up in Kentucky the day of its official release. I also seemed to have purchased it at the regular non-Committee Edition price. Miracles do happen!
Read MoreAlberta Distillers has new limited released out—Cask Strength Rye and a 20 Year Old. And I got samples! Like many of Canada’s large distilleries, Alberta Distillers is an enigma of delicious whisky.
Read MoreCanadian Club continues to move forward to fifty years with their Canadian Club Chronicles series with this year’s release; the 42 year old. The Canadian whisky industry is a blender’s paradise, and this is another great example of what can happen with ingenuity. More importantly, the allotment of barrels this whisky comes from is probably one of the oldest allotments available at quantities to produce a collectable product of this magnitude.
Read MoreGooderham & Worts 49 Wellington demonstrates two rarely used components from Hiram-Walker Distillery that hint at where future product development is going. First, the whisky is partially matured with red oak inserts. Second, the four grain blend includes whisky matured in barrels made from 100% red winter wheat. Both these elements are a look into the exciting products that’ll be coming out from the distillery in the future.
Read MoreI was recently listening to a podcast that outlined all the weird riders that rock bands have had over the years. Many included whisky; usually something from Tennessee or Kentucky. I briefly thought, what would be on my list? I didn’t have an answer because I always want to drink something a little different. Would I be in a mood for an oaky bourbon? A smoky scotch? A rye spicy Canadian whisky?
Read MoreIf it’s only going to do a few things, it needs to do them well. That’s what J.P. Wiser’s 23 Year Old brings to the table. This is a clean beautiful whisky with a ton of intense flavours, and I think it’s going to be a favorite of many.
Read MoreIn this year’s vintage release of the Northern Border Collection (Canada’s version of BTAC), Pike Creek 21 Year Old is finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks. Aged Canadian whisky comes with a heavy fortitude of flavours, and this rich sweet Oloroso casks compliment those rich char and caramel notes perfectly.
Read MoreThe Balvenie continues to flirt with peated whiskies. A Week of Peat is the second in The Balvenie Stories Collection, and this one focuses on Balvenie’s lesser-used flavor component. In fact, they only use heavily peated barley for a week each year! Ian Miller calls peat week the most joyous week of distillation because of the new smells that come from the distillery. After releasing Triple Peat, and Peat Week, how’s A Week of Peat differ from the other expressions?
Read MoreGreat Northern Distilling is a new Irish distillery that primarily sells vodkas and gins, as most young distilleries do. However, they were able to get their hands on older barrels of whisky, and Burkes Single Cask 14 Year Old is a product of one of those barrels. Bottled at 59% ABV, I was really excited to taste a rare high-proof Irish whiskey.
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