This whisky is one of my personal favourites, and I wish it was mass produced so it could be on my bar at all times!
It is a most impressive dram, the colour is a wonderful pale gold. But folks, I’m hear to tell you not let the paleness fool you, because what it lacks in clout it makes up in flavour and soul. The nose of this whisky is peaches and warm brown sugar and the palate is all spice. Pepper general spice and warm citrus notes lead the way to the long warm finish. Overall 12 out of 10. – Josh C.
A double-header of Irish whiskey rounded out the end of summer for the club. A fresh tasting offering with lots of fruit, vanilla and honey, plum and cinnamon. A regular Irish crowd-pleaser, crisp and light. 46% in an ex-bourbon barrel. $175 at the LCBO.
The second of our Irish Whiskey double-header, Glendalough Single Malt Mizunara Cask was aged in a bourbon barrel and finished in a cask crafted from Japan’s mizunara oak trees. Mizunara oak is a rarity in barrel making given the difficulty inherent in working with the crooked, porous wood, as well as the fact that one of these trees has to be at least 200 years old to be considered a barrel candidate. Vanilla, stone fruit, chocolate, coconut and oaky spice make for a unique dram. “Stunning stuff from the Glendalough range” – Masterofmalt.com. “This is a rare gem among Irish whiskies” – Jonny McCormick.
Bottled by Signatory Vintage as part of their fascinating cask strength collection (49.9%), it is always exciting to sample a whisky that will never be repeated as the distillery is simply now closed. Opened in 1799 and followed by a tumultuous history, Carsebridge was closed in 1983 and is now demolished. An obscure Lowland single grain in a refill sherry butt, this ghost wasn’t raved over by the club for any extraordinary complexity or surprise, but was surely appreciated as a 1-in-169 bottle privilege in which to partake. An easy drinker. It was available until recently in Alberta for $515 CAD.
I have no complaints about any Auchentosan I’ve tried, usually not a whisky that makes you go Wow, but consistent in quality. This 15 year-old is a bit of a different bird as it was bottled by Distiller’s Art from a refill Hogshead. At 48% ABV, it is pretty mild.
The nose is sweet honey and has hints of fresh grassy fields. The palate delivers a pepper spice, albeit mild and short, with hints of salt and mild citrus. The finish has a nice short burn that doesn’t linger.
Definitely a bottle you could sit around and keep pouring out on a summer night. Once again, Auchentoshan does not disappoint with a consistent and well manicured dram. $182 sourced from the LCBO in 2020 – Chad N.
The nose reminds me of walking into a well maintained Century Home, this whisky is from a first fill Hogshead. Wood comes though on the nose, as well as floral notes and black liquorice.
The first sip definitely reminds me of black liquorice candies and maybe a tiny hint of pepper. It makes my throat feel like it’s been washed in chloraseptic spray, which isn’t actually a bad thing. It has a mild finish, with ginger, and is slightly warming but not overpowering.
A pretty decent whisky, maybe not perfect for my personal palate, but different than anything else I’ve tried before and enjoyable. Not something I’d sit down and drink more than one of, but a nice bottle to share with a fellow whisky enthusiast. 54.4ABV. $200 and sourced from Alberta – Chad N.
When a bottle of Bunnahabhain 18 became available to us, it was a no-brainer to snap it up. I first sampled this whisky at Spirit of Toronto in 2016 and it stood out as one of my favourites of the evening. With sherry notes that do not overwhelm, it comes across as complex and warm, a touch oily and nutty. Delicious. [Some online critiques mention batch variation for this particular whisky…quality certainly wasn’t an issue with this specific bottle, but an interesting note to keep an eye out for as this will be repeat buy!]
This bottling is the 10th in Glenmorangie’s Private Edition Series (and I understand it is the last of the series). It is bitter-sweet in taste, with mild vanilla and citrus flavours and woody-earthy tones. The highlight of this whisky is the claim that the distillery used wild yeast grown on their own local barley, creating a creamy, “old-style” feel. Some criticism is the casks utilized in aging killed the complexity of the yeast, leaving a fairly simple tasting whisky with too much wood on the palate. A beautiful deep gold colour, it looks lovely on the shelf. “Allta” is Scots Gaelic for “wild”.
Another selection from our 12 Year Anniversary meeting, which featured one whisky from every classic whisky region of Scotland, as well as a popular Japanese Whisky. Bunnahabhain is a general club favourite, hailing from Islay, near Port Askaig.
This year we are running a raffle for the “Glass Turkey”. Details can be had by contacting any member of the club. Tickets are being sold for $2 each or the 3 for $5 deal. The draw for the “Glass Turkey” will take place on Friday May 31, 2019 at approximately 9pm and the winner will be notified immediately to make arrangements for prize delivery. In past years we have donated upwards of $200 to a local charity in KW, this year we have selected KidsAbility. The more tickets we sell the greater the donation to this fantastic organization. May luck be on your side in this years’ “Glass Turkey” raffle. Further details can be had by contacting eboard@expensivetastekw.org
