Test3

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.

On 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!

Glencairn is the original whisky glass. To mark their 20th anniversary, they’ve released a limited number of colourful whisky glasses:

Sick 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. 

Only 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.

Mark 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. 

What’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.

Lot 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.

It’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!  

Bearface has a brand goal to flip the script on what we consider blending. The Wilderness Series is the start of their story, a clear direction in where they’re going, and an understanding of the market.

Lot 40 Cask Strength whisky enjoys a cult following among Canadian whisky drinkers, one that is spreading worldwide as it continues to win awards. Lot 40, in all varieties, is 100% rye whisky. It’s aged in new oak and is more similar to American ryes than traditional Canadian ryes.

At first glance, it seems crazy to call Knob Creek 9 an underrated Bourbon. It’s been a successful brand for decades. And yet, the newly released 9 Year Old is a more modern take on Bourbon, especially when compared to the one discontinued in 2016. That’s my take. It’s going to gather even more fans.

The winner of the 2021 Canadian Whisky Awards happens to be the oldest Canadian whisky (likely) ever sold. Aged for 43 years, Canadian Club is a twist on age statements and themes.

Templeton Rye is not (what most people would consider) a real rye. It is, though, legally a rye. It’s just not a straight rye which is what most people assume when they drink rye. It’s history is largely 💩. It’s not the first whisky with a questionable past, and won’t be the last, but Templeton has the distinct honour of being sued for their dishonesty. It stands along side with Tito’s Vodka claims to be hand made. Tito’s continues to be the best selling brand in North America, so I just 🤷‍♂️ at that, and whether it matters at all.

Wee Beastie. The name is adorbs. The single malt scotch is aged for five years, two years longer than minimum. Non-chill filtered, no added coloring, and no cask finishes—matured in a mix of European (Oloroso) and American oak. And to quote Bry Simpson, the Canadian Brand Ambassador’s, favorite phrase: “It’s a banger!”

The source of this rye makes for an interesting story, but in the case of Barrel Rye Batch Three, it’s a footnote rather than a defining characteristic. One might hear that this batch is a blend of ryes from Tennessee, Indiana, Poland, and Canada and think it’ll taste otherworldly or weird or funky. It does none of those things. It tastes like a terrific American cask strength rye, with a floral (almost Lot 40 rye-like) nose to it. It’s a beautiful blend.

Barrell Bourbon uses their large stock of procured barrels, and blends the best complimentary set of straight bourbons. Each batch is different, and each batch is uniquely created toward a specific flavour profile.

Lisa Wicker is taking Widow Jane Distillery in an interesting direction with the Vaults series. Like with other Widow Jane Bourbons, its a blend of multiple producers, but this series is finished in staves that have been seasoned for eight years. From the perspective of flavouring, there’s a lot going on, and it all fits in nicely.

This Brooklyn distillery has undergone a few changes since I last wrote about them. The distillery is under new ownership, and they’ve hired Kentucky’s Lisa Wicker as their head distillery (Lisa was more recently named the president as well). Under new management, gone are the criticisms of the past.