Category Archives: Whisky of the Month

Posts of each month’s taster!

Whisky of the Month

Kavalan Solist Amontillado

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Kavalan Solist Amontillado

Single Malt Whisky

Bottled at Cask Strength 56.3% ABV

Cask #: AM110216009B

Bottle #: 367/377

This exploration into Kavalan started with a chat with one of my co-workers who was about to travel to Taiwan to visit family and friends.  They are also pretty big fans of whisky and said they were planning on taking an excursion to the Kavalan distillery while on their vacation.  The Kavalan Solist Amontillado is what he brought back for me from his travels overseas, thanks so much Wayne for picking this up for the club to enjoy.

First impressions upon seeing the packaging is wow!  It’s a lovely, sturdy wood case, it’s lined with a golden silk liner under the bottle.  On the inside of the opening cover there is a panel with a story of the distillery and some basic tasting notes for this single cask expression.  The packaging really takes this to the next level and has an exclusive feel while protecting the nectar inside.  Kavalan also include a rolled-up scroll that shows additional tasting notes with a note that this expression won the World Whisky Awards Best Single Cask in 2016.

Amontillado is a dry sherry characterized by nutty aromas, tobacco, aromatic herbs and often ethereal, polished notes of oak, these casks are certainly unique to the whisky world but still carry the familiar sherry finishing notes on the whisky.

Some notes from the distillery:

Colour: Dark rich bronze similar to, the darker brown of the wood packaging box

Nose: Very rich and fruity, warm heat from the cask strength, sweetness with notes of almonds and a touch of oak

Palate: Exotic soft sherry with a hint of caramel, longer finish backed by nuts and pepperiness

This whisky packs a bit of punch and you will be well served to let spirit breathe for a few minutes after pouring it into your choice of whisky glass. You get the warming alcohol note on the first waft from the glass. The sweetness comes through backed by a touch of oak in the back end as you breath in the aromas. The spirit is quite dark taking colouring from the Amontillado Sherry casks, it imparts some serious legs on the glass as you swirl it in your glass. Once the spirit hits your lips you get the immediate warmth from the high ABV, however that quickly dissipates into the sweet notes of the sherry backed by caramelised nuts. It is so smooth for a cask strength whisky. The finish imparts a sweet oaky wood backed by a bit of pepper.  I still got the flavour of the whisky for up to 10 minutes after the first sips. The alcohol on the nose is quickly replaced by the nuttiness and overall dry sweetness of the Amontillado sherry cask finish.

There is no age statement on this range of Solist single cask expressions from Kavalan, however some research puts it anywhere from 8-12 years, notes on the Kavalan website show that the warm climate and the heat in Taiwan allows the spirit to take on notes of the casks at a much higher rate that the traditional scotch whisky processes.  For me and the club members this expression did not taste like a young whisky that was boring and was gone on the palate instantly.  This was a complex spirit that would normally have an aging of over 20 years.

I have not seen Kavalan for sale in Ontario through the local LCBO, it is available in other parts of Canada so this was a fantastic and rare treat for us to taste and sample. I cannot wait to get a hold of more Kavalan expressions if they are all special like this one.  Bottle was $300 Canadian after exchange. Highly recommend this expression and from what I’ve heard the other Solist expressions are just a great, well done Kavalan.

Whisky of the Month

The Sovereign: 30 Year Old Cambus Distillery

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I was excited to try this unique Lost Distillery bottling at our July Expensive Taste Meeting. Cambus distillery in the Speyside region closed in 1992, the building and remaining casks are owned by Diaego. Most of the Whisky still currently sitting in the warehouse are used for blends so coming across a Single Malt offering from independent bottler The Sovereign was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up when the chance to buy was presented.

Coming in at 45.6% ABV and bottled at Cask Strength and Un-Chillfilrered, this expression was aged in a Re-Fill Hogshead cask that was selected exclusively for TheWhiskyBarrel.com. This Golden and Honey coloured whisky looks beautiful as it sits in my glass, the nose hints of sweet fruit like peach or apricot and is very mild, much of this carries over on to the palate with notes of a tangy tropical fruit and light oily texture. The finish carries a mild tangy zip of sweetness and provides a quick mild to medium quick burn in the chest followed by a quick finish which leaves sugary taste.

It was a great dram for a warm Canadian summer night, but overall I felt a little underwhelmed as this whisky lacked the complexity I was expecting from a 30 year old scotch bottled at Cask strength. It was very much what you would expect from a Speyside, easy to drink, light and almost refreshing! For the price of $110.00 USD I couldn’t resist a try, I’m glad to say i was able to have a Single Malt from Cambus distillery since there will never be whisky produced from there again, however I wouldn’t go out of my way to seek another bottle.

Whisky of the Month

BenRiach Single Cask Head to Head Double Tasting – Sauternes Cask 2006

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From the distiller BenRiach:

BenRiach Distillery has unveiled Batch 15 in its popular series of single cask bottling’s. The distillery is known for its experimental nature and this latest batch of single cask whiskies demonstrates this, once again offering whisky connoisseurs a multi-faceted range of casks in both unpeated and Highland peated styles. Each bottle is filled exclusively from one of these individual casks.

As with all of the BenRiach single cask releases they are individually hand-numbered, non chill filtered, natural colour and presented in a gift tube, each single cask is truly unique.

BenRiach 2006 Single Cask

Cask No. 2406 

Cask Type: Port Pipe

Bottle No. 327 of 809

Cask Strength 58.7 % ABV

Colour: darker gold, almost a bronze

Nose: Toffee, butterscotch, sweet heat, cherries, dried figs, you can really smell the strength of the alcohol, but it is rounded out nicely by the sweetness and warmth of fruit

Taste: figs, raisins, bit of liquorice, sweet warmth of some fresh baking, a little touch of spice, berries, the alcohol dissipates quickly and does not over-power the palate

Finish: smooth sweetness, Christmas pudding, caramel sauce, warmth

This dram invokes a sense of déjà vu and transports me back to the onset of a brisk Ontario winter right around the Christmas holidays.  My Grandmother makes a  Christmas pudding with caramel sauce, which invokes the smell an aroma that I get from this dram.  The sweetness, the fruit, the caramel sauce, all that’s missing is some vanilla ice cream, but hey why not drizzle a bit of this BenRiach Single Cask onto a fresh scoop?  The Port Pipe Cask is a fantastic finish on some top notch juice in this expression.  Highly recommend should you come across a bottle. Not available in Ontario via the LCBO but it can be found out of province.

BenRiach 2006 Single Cask

Cask No. 1855

Cask Type: Sauternes Barrique

Bottle No. 184 of 277

Cask Strength 56.5% ABV

Colour: Bright summer gold, bit more of a lighter red hue vs the Port Pipe expression

Nose: hint of lemon, subtle honey, toast, freshness, toffee, apple, smells almost dry like a cider

Taste: green apple slices, hazelnut, drizzle of Billie Bee honey on morning toast, dry sweet wine from the Sauternes Cask finish, overall brightness

Finish: smooth light dry finish, much more delicate that the Cask Strength would suggest, fresh cut green apples, touch of honey sweetness

This dram is completely different from the Part Pipe finish.  The Sauternes Cask is a much smaller finishing vessel and it imparts the dry sweetness that the Sauternes region wine is known for. This one is more fresh and uplifting and I would be right at home drinking this one on a warm summer evening. I keep coming back to the dry finish of a glass of cider, however one with a much warmer finish as dictated by the Cask Strength finish. It’s hard to believe that these 2 BenRiach’s are the same distillate as they impart completely different flavours and finishes based on the Cask treatment.  Once again this was not available at the LCBO and had to be sourced out of province. Should you come across one I’d say investigate an purchase should budgets allow.  Overall fantastic work with these expressions BenRiach.

Whisky of the Month

Edradour Caledonia 12 Year

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Edradour Caledonia 12 Year

Highland Single Malt

Bottled at 46% ABV

  • Ballechin
  • Caledonia

Our club recently sampled the Edradour Caledonia. Edradour is a distillery I always look forward to sampling. If my blurry memory serves me, the Edradour 10 was the first whiskey I ordered while i was in Scotland at the Speedwell pub in Dundee. They also have a surprising number of offerings given their small size.


The nose has a complex floral, fruity aroma. It’s definitely evident that there’s a lot going on here. Overall it presents itself as sweet and clean on the nose but certainly exerts its presence.


On the palate the sherry finish was evident. This came together with the fruit that was on the nose to again deepen the character. The long legs that you’ll note in the glass really lead to coating your mouth.

The finish develops in a lengthy way. The heat creeps up on you and hangs out for a while but not in an overpowering way while things dry out a bit and the flavors from the palate fade.For the price I think this a pretty enjoyable spirit. I think this would land well with most whiskey enthusiasts. There’s nothing mind blowing, but there’s really nothing objectionable either. It’s enjoyable dram which does perhaps get too warm for a summer night poolside which is where we sampled it. But as a springtime whiskey I think the floral & fruity clean nose this has would make you want to enjoy it outside. If this were readily available in Ontario, this would certainly be in my bar by now.

Ballechin Edition

Aged 14 Years

Burgundy Cask Matured, 411 Bottles from Cask 7

Bottled at cask Strength 51.9% ABV

Notes from the distillery:

14 year old single malt from Edradour, distilled using peated barley – and as such, it’s been released under the Ballechin name! It was filled into a Burgundy wine cask in January 2004 and bottled in January 2018 (four days after its 14th birthday), and bottled at cask strength. 411 bottles were produced.

Nose: A generous waft of coastal smoke filled the nose, with underlying blackcurrant sweetness.

Palate: The red berry notes from the wine cask take the lead on the palate, with a hint of chocolate developing along the way. Still richly smoky.

Finish: Cardamom, cinnamon and toasted oak.

Personally this was one of the most unique tastings I have ever participated in. Edradour starts right at the beginning of the experience with the fantastic visuals and feel of their wood packaging. Immediately it looks like nothing else in the market place. Traditionally I’m not the biggest fan of heavily peated whiskies but this was more of a sweet finish rounded off by the burgundy wine finishing. The tasting notes above came through for the most part but still left me puzzled as it was truly one of the most unique flavour combinations I have had the pleasure of enjoying. We weren’t able to source within Ontario and had to reach out to our friends and family in Alberta to find this gem. If you are interested in something exciting, daring, unique and truly tasty look no further that the cask series from Edradour.

Whisky of the Month

Little Book II

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Little Book II

Bottle: Little Book II

ABV: 59.4%

118.8 Proof

139.90 CDN

Limited Availability at LCBO

Review and notes by member Chad Nagle:

At a point in history when there is more political divide across North America since the war of 1812, what better way to come together and celebrate than to share a glass or two of Whisk(e)y together. Using a blend of 8 Year Kentucky Rye, 13 Year Canadian Rye and 40 Year Canadian 100% Corn Whisky, Little Book II is a harmonious blend of Canada / U.S relations, in bottle form! This is the second Chapter or Release from Beam Distillery recognized world wide for Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon amongst others. This is the creation from Freddie Noe who is the son of current Master Distiller Fred Noe and an eighth generation Beam family member, he wanted to make a blended whiskey to honour the legacy of his ancestors Whisky distilling past.

I am not sure of what percentage of each whisk(e)y is used or which Canadian Ryes have been selected, if I am able to find this out I will re-post at a later date.

The nose was typical of an American Bourbon, although it seemed a bit heavier and more congested which muffled the aromas, But i was able to get a bit of fruit through the ethanol.

The palate was rich and mildly sweet, pepper spice and honey were the most noticeable, there were hints of the Canadian Rye grains but not enough to offset the heavy oily American Oak.

The finish was surprisingly smooth and warming, at 118.8% Proof I thought it would hang around longer than the In-Laws visiting from out of town, but it was over quickly as the black licorice dominated and took over.

I must say I always prefer my American Bourbons or Whiskeys with a heap of ice, I think it enhances the flavours and makes it more sippable, usually at the $40-50 Canadian price point you can justify lots of ice, but for $140 Canadian for this release it had to sit in my glass sans ice.

Truthfully I would much prefer to spend this type of money on a Single Malt but I get the appeal for collectors or American Whiskey enthusiasts, the packaging is great and the uniqueness makes it desirable, however I feel it lacks any qualities of Canadian Rye Whisky and is more of a novelty than a true contender in the High-end whisk(e)y market.

Whisky of the Month

Springbank 18 Year Old

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Submission and notes by member Josh Bruce:

This one was a special treat to sample. Despite some choice bottles in my collection my Springbank 10 remains one of my favorites. When the club first tried this years ago, I was blown away by how unique the nose was on this single malt. Even now, nothing relaxes me like pouring a glass of the 10, and just breathing it in for a few minutes before I even draw a sip. But to date, the 10 is all I’ve ever been able to sample of Springbank. So for the 18, my expectations are high.In the glass the 18 has a light gold color indicative of the bourbon cask aging. Rolling it around the glass shows long legs and it’s somewhat oily demeanor.


On the nose I wasn’t disappointed detecting a similar briny sea air that is clean and crisp like the 10. Unlike the 10, there’s also the faint sting of alcohol on the nostril just reminding you that it’s there. Accompanying this was a faint citrus & sweetness note.

The palate had a spicy warmth that I’d compare to pepper or paprika maybe. The citrus continued in from the nose. The palate had a flat dryness that came in just after the spiciness and the citrus.

The finish was long and mouth watering with the return of the briny character from the nose, and some of the citrus carrying through.So conclusion time…. judging solely on what’s in my glass, it didn’t disappoint. It had the character I hoped I would find, and that relaxation that comes with the briny sea breeze in every breath.

But what I can’t get past is that for 40% of the cost of this, you can still get a stellar Campbeltown whiskey in the Springbank 10. The 18 has a lot of character, but so does the 10 – they’re just different. So given that, I would recommend this bottle for someone who very much wanted to see the range of what Springbank offers – the 18 certainly would not disappoint. Or someone who wants a high profile bottle from a lesser known region. You’d be sure to have guests commenting on just how unique this offering is. 


But then again, the 10 would do that for you too!

Springbank 18
Whisky of the Month

Springbank Single Cask 19 Year Old

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Springbank 19 Single Cask

Notes by member Tamara Maurer.

Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Aged: 19 years

Distilled on: May 1997

Bottled on: May 2016

Matured in: Sherry Cask

Bottles: 390

Alcohol: 55.6%

Our purchase price: $390 CAN

Club rating: 4.01/5

When I saw this rare Springbank sitting on a dusty shelf in a private liquor dealer in Santa Monica California, there was no doubt that it would be one of the bottles I lugged back to Ontario.

Such a treat to have this as part of the collection. When I finally found an occasion to crack it open 3 years after nervously standing at the luggage carousel praying it made the journey unharmed, it did not disappoint. A beautiful colour (the last of a dying sunset over Lake Huron under a cloudless sky? Too much?) with no colour additives per Springbank’s usual practice, this whisky could have been a song of sweetness, but is muted due to its high alcohol content, at 55.6%. With an unmistakable sherry influence, this gem is genuinely unique, mixing vanilla sweetness with the saltiness of the Campbeltown sea influence. Peppery and spicy, with nothing floral or too funky.

Pure elegance, in a quirky way that is so, so Springbank.

(Note: we did sample this whisky with and without a drop of water, as recommended by past reviewers. It made a significant impact on the palate, becoming much creamier tasting with the water, with a stronger sherry punch. The club seemed to prefer it with water overall).

(Note 2: Although not a fair inclusion in a review of the whisky itself, I will add that my one criticism of this whisky is its packaging. Springbank continues to bottle its whisky in a decidedly “oldschool” fashion. Although I enjoy the love of tradition, this particular bottle should have packaging to match its specialness, rather than a nondescript bottle with a flimsy open cardboard box)

Whisky of the Month

Scapa Glansa Single Malt

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Scapa Glansa

Scapa Glansa,

The name Glansa is taken from Old Norse and means ‘shining storm-laden skies’

Limited Availability at the LCBO

40% ABV

$83.60

I’m reminded of an early damp spring morning, with a blustery wind at my back. I have selected my driver as I’m not sure I can reach the par 3 220 yard 10th hole at Orkney Golf Club. This old style classic Scottish links course is providing quite the test for my amateur at best golf skills. With the salted bite of the cool sea air in the breeze, I am reminded of my hip flask full of this warm mysterious dram, picked up on a visit yesterday to the nearby Scapa distillery about 2 kms down the Scottish countryside. I pause to look over the the lush green landscape and the nearby shoreline. I take a swig of the Scapa Glansa… I’m instantly warmed by the light peated flavour and taken back to days gone by.  The sweet palate brings a euphoric sense of pleasure to my taste buds. As the finish finds me like the sunshine that has opened the clouds and has brightened up this old style links course. I am warmed by not only the rays of sunshine, but the warmth of this succulent dram, shame I am drinking it out of the hip flask as this whisky needs a proper Glencairn. I take a deep breath and a whisper of the salty warm delicate smoke fills my nostrils and tickles my senses. I smile and know that this will be a dram that provides the inspiration to approach this daunting par 3. I tee it up and unleash my swing, the swing and contact is pure. The brisk breeze knocks my drive down short of the green but in relative safety. I go for another nip and I am reminded why I made the trip from the mainland to the Orkney Islands during my travels to Scotland last year. As I sit crafting these notes in my basement bar, all it takes is the pop of the cork on my bottle of Scapa Glansa to transport me right back, to a place I would love to visit time and time again. Hey, maybe one of these times I’ll even par that 220 yard par 3.

Scapa Glansa is highly recommended, let this dram transport you on a taste adventure to the Orkney Islands.

For more information visit
http://scapawhisky.com/

Joshua Campbell