Orphan Barrel Entrapment Batch 0630

There’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.

Barterhouse is probably the darling of the Orphan Barrel range. I’ve reviewed Gifted Horse previously, to mixed results. Here we have Entrapment, the first Orphan Barrel that’s not made in the U.S. This is Canadian whisky, from Crown Royal’s Gimle Distillery. Gimle has a terrific distillery. There’s a complex method to their whisky making, which includes several different ‘recipes’ of whisky. Most whiskies that come from Gimle are a blend of these recipes.

Entrapment is a 25 year old whisky from Canada. It’s an outlier. It lacks the caramel bam of old American bourbons and rye. It’s loud, zesty and youthful. The peppery notes are intense. The expected Canadian caramel notes are overpowered by zest. This whisky is a chameleon; it's tough at first, but it settles. Add a touch of water, or let it sit out for a little bit, and it becomes a gentle, smooth whisky.

Entrapment shouldn’t have the oaky notes found in an old American bourbon, but it lacked the candied caramel intensity typically found in Canadian whisky from Gimle. While aged equally as old as the oldest Orphan Barrel, Entrapment is muted by comparison. It has plenty of elements people love in whisky, but they’re not quite winning me over. Yes, there’s spice, but it’s not quite the right spice. Yes, there’s candied lemon and caramel, but it’s overpowered too easily.

I have plenty of mixed feelings about Entrapment, but ultimately, I don’t feel entrapped.

Orphan Barrel Entrapment Batch 0630
Distillery: Gimli Distillery
Category: Canadian Whisky
Score: 81

Nose: Bright candied lemon zest, rich caramels, and plenty of char notes. It has that ‘smelling the inside of a barrel’ note that’s common in older whiskies, though dissipates quickly within the glass. There’s a nice weight to the nose. It’s reminiscent of old wine in that same way.

Palate: The palate is a fresh sharp twist of a cut lemon, smack-dab hit on the face. It’s aggressive. The peppery spicy notes warm the palate, offering a electrified hug. The sweet buttery caramel notes we’re accustomed to from Gimli Distillery aren’t there until later in the sip.

Conclusion: The nose is terrific, but the palate is abrasive. Abrasive is good! It can be great. I love abrasive whiskies. But there’s a thin line between abrasive whiskies that miss, and rewarding flavour-aggressive whiskies that keep you wanting more. Beyond these beautiful old-whisky notes on the nose, this one is a miss for me.

Other reviews from around the Internet:

The Whisky Jug
In Search of Elegance
New Bourbon Drinker (thanks for the sample!)

Disclaimer: I’ve been given two samples of this whisky; one from the distillery, and one from a friend. They both tasted identical, and the fact that Diageo gave me a sample in a beautiful package (with a compass!) did not influence the results of this review.