Canadian Rye Whisky. On Canada Day Weekend 2020, we supported this local distillery located in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Hand sanitizer made at the distillery during the pandemic rounded out the purchase! Oh Canada!
Category Archives: Whisky of the Month
Posts of each month’s taster!
Kinsip Headland’s Hearth
See our previous post, #184, for our comments on this Kinsip, support local, double tasting.
Lagavulin 16
A lovely, rich whisky from this popular Islay distillery. Often called the “benchmark” for all other Islay offerings. Smoky and dry, its heavy peat reputation does not mask some complex flavours, with a surprising sweetness and hint of vanilla. Everyone seems to taste something different. A go-to for big peat lovers worldwide. 42.9% ABV and a very reasonable $144.95 at the LCBO.
Lagavulin Distillers Edition
Finished in a Pedro Ximinez cask, this dram is both a peat and sherry bomb. Lots of dried fruit amongst the smoke. Warm and inviting, bold and unapologetic. 43% ABV, distilled in 2001 and bottled in 2017. $159.95 at the LCBO.
Bunnahabhain 18
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!]
Glenmorangie Allta
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”.
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 135.5 – Intriguing? Captivating? Fascinating!
The Club’s second selection from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Coded as their fifth bottling from Loch Lomond Distillery (Highand Region), this 17 year-old whisky certainly lived up to its name by the reaction of members, ranging from “Not for me thanks” to “Interesting…?” to “Pass me another!”. Some odd tasting notes including Chinese Chrysanthemum tea, basmati rice and cactus juice liqueur are noted by the SMWS on the bottle….we didn’t taste much of these flavours, but certainly had an interesting time trying! An enjoyable 1-time bottle.
Glen Scotia Victoriana
This Campbeltown whisky obtained at the LCBO was finished in a heavy-char barrel, but is a very easy drinker for cask strength (54.2%). A fairly sweet flavour, with definite vanilla. Mildly smoky. A drink to enjoy on a warm summer night. $98.80 and sold out. This whisky was paired with an SMWS bottling for the Club’s first ever virtual meeting – a result of COVID-19.
Speyburn 18
This was not the Club’s favourite whisky, although it came in at a reasonable price for an 18 year-old at $190.45 at the LCBO. Matured in American and Spanish Oak Casks. Perhaps a touch sweet with not much complexity, ending in a smokiness that didn’t quite fit the
Glen Breton 19
This Single Malt Whisky comes from Glenora distillery on Cape Breton. Generally mild flavours make it an easy sipper, with light notes of salty brine and smoke, layered under honey and citrus. The Club has sampled 2 Glen Bretons in the past – a 10 and a 15 – and we are happy to support a Canadian distillery once again, particularly given the immigrated Scottish tradition this distillery touts as the heart of its approach to whisky-making. Cheers to a truly Canadian dram!