The Battle of the Whisky Tasting Notes! Our End-of-Year 2019 Whisky Special

The Battle of the Whisky Tasting Notes! Our End-of-Year 2019 Whisky Special

Cam Millar of Highland Park and Glenrothes joins Jamie and Mark on the podcast. In the spirit of the holidays, we have a competition. Mark reads out tasting notes, and Jamie and Cam battle out for which whisky was described in that particular way. Someone wins! There is a promise of a prize. 

Read More

LCBO Gift Guide - Issue 4: The High-End Single Malt (and some Irish) Whisky Edition

LCBO Gift Guide - Issue 4: The High-End Single Malt (and some Irish) Whisky Edition

Expensive single malt scotch isn’t for everyone, but when you’re shopping at a price-point of over $100 Canadian, it’s important to get the right expensive single malt scotch. 

Read More

The Balvenie 26 Year Old - A Day of Dark Barley Review

The Balvenie 26 Year Old - A Day of Dark Barley Review

I 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 More

The Balvenie Stories Collection: A Week of Peat 14 Year Old Review

The Balvenie Stories Collection: A Week of Peat 14 Year Old Review

The 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 More

The Balvenie Stories Collection Review: Sweet Toast of American Oak 12 Year Old Review

The Balvenie Stories Collection Review: Sweet Toast of American Oak 12 Year Old Review

While it’s sister distillery, Glenfiddich, has been releasing a bunch of innovative products, Balvenie seemed to be in a slumber (with the exception being the Balvenie DCS Compendium series for the mega rich). But in truth, there were products brewing, and we finally have a taste of what’s to come. The Stories Collection is here! It starts with a series of three single malts at three different price-points. The first of the series, The Sweet Toast of American Oak, is finished in virgin American barrels. This has been a growing theme in single malt scotch the last handful of years, so did Balvenie manage to do something different?

Read More

Balvenie Peated Triple Cask & Peat Week Reviewed

Balvenie Peated Triple Cask & Peat Week Reviewed

There are a few misconceptions around Scotch whisky that I still hear today. First, I often hear how scotch is ‘smoky’ with strong iodine notes, and therefore a big turn-off for whisky drinkers. In truth, most scotch sold contains very little in terms of smoky notes. The second misconceptions is, only Islay distilleries make peated whiskies. In truth, peat was a main fuel source up until the 1950s in many parts of Scotland and was commonly used in the whisky making process. 

Read More