Is Glenfiddich’s Snow Phoenix worth the hype?
/This limited $80 bottle released in 2011 has sold for as much as $1,000 on the secondary market. A blend of marketing and whisky making, it stands (almost) alone for its story.
Read MoreThis limited $80 bottle released in 2011 has sold for as much as $1,000 on the secondary market. A blend of marketing and whisky making, it stands (almost) alone for its story.
Read MoreOn a recent post on social media, someone new to the whisky world asked for what a favorite Japanese whisky was of the group. They got a response of a bunch of single malt distilleries, and this caused a great deal of confusion. The truth is, the posters forgot to mention all the Canadian whisky that also goes into a bottle of Japanese whisky!
Read MoreAfter being part of a fourteen-person panel that judged hundreds of samples from artisan distilleries from across Canada, I have some thoughts on distilleries in Canada. Spoiler—they’re all positive.
Read MoreGlencairn is the original whisky glass. To mark their 20th anniversary, they’ve released a limited number of colourful whisky glasses:
Read MoreSick of Black Friday yet? LCBO is joining the Black Friday craze. I’m highlighting my personal favourites from the list of whiskies. Use the promo code BFCM2019 at check-out to get these discounts. Shipping is free for orders over $200.
Read MoreOnly 1,000 of these unique Black Glencairns are being produced. It’s a limited run product that’s completely sold out, but there are still chances to win a pair through various partners (including this website) that Glencairn is working with.
Read MoreMark Reynier and the Waterford team have launched a whisky terroir project with the intention to prove terroir. Along with the results of this three year study, they plan to release their first bottles of whiskies in early 2020. These whiskies will be terroir focused, with each brand coming from one specific farm. Later, they’ll release the cuvée style whisky that’ll be a mix of many farms from a specific vintage.
Read MoreWhat’s with the *e* in whisky?
When noting American and Irish whisky, a sense of tradition obligates writers to add the extra vowel. But how traditional is the extra letter? The truth is the use of the *e* has less to do with tradition and more to do with marketing.
Read MoreLot No. 40 Cask Strength is Canada’s version of George T. Stagg in rye format—it’s a powerhouse rye with plenty of peppery notes, deep new oak caramel flavours, and a wallop of herbal notes, orange citrus, and other complex flavours.
Read MoreIt’s time for blunt talk: Today’s whisky enthusiast is (generally) not a fan of Collingwood whisky. This is a whisky for a casual whisky drinker—the whisky drinker who has a few pours a month. The sort of whisky drinker that doesn’t need to describe a whisky in any other adverb but ‘smooth.’ This is a big market, and Collingwood deservingly sells plenty of whisky!
Read MoreLot No 40 Rye is, by far, Canada’s most award winning whisky. It’s won plenty of praise in Canada, as well as the United States and world wide. What’s not as well known, however, is the evolution of flavour that’s been achieved by the constant stride to perfect this whisky.
Read MoreThe release of the highly anticipated Northern Border Collection (read my writeup) is coming out in a trickle within the LCBO here in Ontario. If you want your hands on Lot No 40 Cask Strength and the other great whiskies as part of this collection, here are some rules to follow:
Read MoreRoss Hendry, Pernod-Richard’s director from premium Canadian Whisky, is bullish on his company’s next move: “Mark this moment in your memories. Years from now we will look back at it as pivotal in the journey we are on to drive the reappraisal of our national spirit.” After the success of J.P. Wiser’s Rare Cask releases (including Union 52, Dissertation, and Last Barrels), the Canadian division of Pernod-Richard (Corby’s Spirits and Wines) is ready to make the big move.
Read MoreWhen I started this website two years ago, I thought I was being clever by using a domain name without any vowels. It was, I thought, a clever play on the controversy on how one spells whisk(e)y. Sadly (for me), it wasn’t so clever. Autocorrect kept insisting on changing whsky to whiskey, making the domain a pain to interact with.
Read MoreThe following list are whiskies to buy today, because they will be gone tomorrow. If you have a whisky friend on your gift list, any of these purchases will not only impress them, but they'll soon realize that they're not likely to see them at the LCBO again.
Read MoreMaking whisky is not unlike writing—you do it because you love the craft. You hope there's a big windfall, but in most cases you know that to simply be able to work on your craft and pay the bills is a win. Every person I've met that's in this business is passionate about making whisky. The passion, the enthusiasm, that drive is shared among whisky makers from the smallest to the largest distilleries.
Read MoreJim Murray's The Whisky Bible is one of the more influential book releases of the year. Each year a new book names the best whiskies in the world. Not everyone is a fan of Jim Murray's list, but the this list is hugely influential in the whisky world. Let's see what you can actually buy.
Read MoreThe attention Jim Murray's annual "Best Whisky" award receives is often met with eye-rolls from whisky enthusiasts. Often this award winners are unavailable or expensive whiskies. Last year's winner, Yamazaki Sherry Cask, was selling on the grey market for $1000 for 30ml samples (it was already an expensive bottle before the win).
Read MoreThe Canadian Whisky Awards were held last night in Victoria, with Lot No. 40 taking home the title of “Whisky of the Year” for the second time.
Read MoreMost media outlets got it wrong. The Internet, in its outrage, got it right. Jim Murray named Crown Royal North Harvest Rye as the best whisky he’s tasted in 2015. Everyone went: What?
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