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Archive for the ‘Whisk(e)y’ Category

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Review: Black Velvet Reserve Canadian Whisky 

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 23, 2020

The Black Velvet brand has a long history in North America, originally produced at the Schenley Distillery in Valleyfield, Quebec in the late 1940s. The whisky was initially called Black Label; but because of its perceived smoothness, the producers soon changed the name to Black Velvet. It has been a staple of the Canadian whisky scene ever since and is now produced at the Black Velvet Distillery (also called the Palliser Distillery) in Lethbridge, Alberta.

According to the Black Velvet Website:

Using crystal clear Canadian water, plus the finest rye, grains, and corn, the whisky is painstakingly distilled, blended at birth, and put up in premium oak barrels to gently mature. Black Velvet Reserve was started in 1991 and has steadily grown in popularity due to its smooth taste from longer aging.

Review: Black Velvet Reserve Canadian Whisky

“… A nice combination of butterscotch, vanilla and almond combined with sweet corn drifts into the breezes above the glass with baking spice and wood spice climbing up as the glass breathes …”

Please enjoy my review which concludes with my serving suggestion, The Canadian Caribou.

Chimo!

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Review: Canadian Club Chronicles Issue 2 (42 Year Old)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 22, 2020

According to the original press releases, Canadian Club Chronicles Issue 2 is a 42-year-old whisky called The Dock Man. which celebrates dock workers who loaded sea freighters with crates of Canadian Club Whisk to be delivered whisky to bar owners and consumers during the American Prohibition. This ‘Dock Man’ bottling follows the launch of the original Canadian Club Chronicles: Issue 1 (Aged 41 Years) which I reviewed (here) earlier this year.

At it’s heart, the 42 Year Old whisky is an ultra aged Corn Whisky which was barreled in 1977. This corn whisky was first revealed to Collectors and whisky enthusiasts in 2017 when Canadian Club released the 100 % Corn distillate as Canadian Club 40 Year Old Whisky (reviewed here).

However, the Canadian Club blenders couldn’t resist tinkering with this sublime whisky. In 2018 they blended some of this whisky (now a year older) with small amount of cognac, rye and sherry (This was issued as the aforementioned Canadian Club Chronicles Issue 1. And last year (2019), with the whisky one more year older again, the spirit was blended with a 16 Year Old Rye Whisky, a 12 Year Old Pot Distilled Rye and a small amount of Brandy as Canadian Club Chronicles Issue 2 (42 Years Old). It will be interesting to find out whether this ‘stretching’ of the ultra aged 42 Year Old corn spirit was a good thing in terms of flavour. (It has the potential to go either way.)

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Canadian Club Chronicles Issue 2 (42 Year Old)

“… the breezes bring me dusty grain and wood spice mingling with ginger, almond vanilla and light butterscotch. Both the rye and the corn are speaking to me and the effect is quite enchanting. As the glass breathes orange marmalade begins to appear followed by rich toffee, maple and baking spices …”

Please enjoy this review of what is I believe, the oldest Canadian Whisky currently produced.

Chimo!

 

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Review: Perth Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 16, 2020

Top Shelf Distillers are located in Perth, a town in Eastern Ontario, located on the Tay River, about 80 kilometres southwest of Ottawa. At one time, Perth was home to four distilleries the two most famous of which (McLaren and Spalding & Stewart) were located in limestone buildings alongside the Tay River catering to the tastes of the early Scottish settlement by producing malt whisky similar to the Scottish style of the day. Prohibition (the Ontario Temperance Act of 1916) is largely blamed for the demise of the distilling industry in Perth; but now, just over one hundred years later, Top Shelf Distillers have began to once again bottle whisky in Perth.

Their Perth Whisky is a recent release and they have only limited quantity available, (35 cases currently in the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Control (AGLC) warehouse in a 500ml format bottle). They have also began to bottle the spirit in a 750ml format, and one of those bottles was sent to me for review. According to the information given to me, Perth Whisky is produced from from locally sourced ingredients, and is aged in both new American Oak charred barrels, as well as various used barrels from some of the larger distillers.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Perth Whisky

“… I like the leathery smells which remind me of both fresh leather and graham wafers. Light baking spice and almond round out the aroma, which while not being overly complex, nevertheless promises a robust grain flavour …”

Please enjoy my review of Top Shelf Distillers brand new Perth Canadian Whisky!

Chimo!

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Review: Wilson and Morgan Glen Elgin 1988 – 30 Year Old Single Malt

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 15, 2020

Wilson and Morgan is an independent bottler of Scotch Whisky based in Italy. The company was founded in 1992 by Fabio Rossi who also founded Rum Nation. Wilson and Morgan specialize in single grain and single malt whiskies which have been purchased by the barrel from selected Scottish distillers.

Wilson and Morgan Glen Elgin 30 Year Old Single Malt (1988) was distilled in 1988 and bottled in 2018. The whisky is part of Wilson and Morgan’s Special Release Barrel Selection of whiskies which don’t exactly neatly fit into their other range categories. Usually “one of a kind” encounters, these whiskies are unique but with no strict rules in terms of age, strength, type of casks and finishing.

The Glen Elgin Distillery (currently owned by Diageo) was the last distillery to be built during the boom years of the 1890s. The whisky produced at Glen Elgin is a key component of the White Horse brand, a blended whisky which is exported to over 200 countries worldwide.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Wilson and Morgan Glen Elgin 30 Year Old Single Malt (1988)

“… Oak sap and a firm sherry character have wrapped around each other with neither one dominating, but neither one submitting to the other either. Dry fruit (raisin, apricots, prunes, and dates) and bright citrus flavours combine with fudgy chocolate and dark black coffee …”

Please enjoy my review of this wonderful single malt from Wilson and Morgan.

Chimo!

Posted in Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Wilson and Morgan Glen Elgin 1988 – 30 Year Old Single Malt

Review: Black Fox Canadian Whisky (100% Triticale)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 9, 2020

John Cote and Barb Stefanyshyn-Cote

This will be an unusual review for me. It is of a whisky, which hasn’t actually been finished yet. In fact the whisky is still aging in new American oak barrels under the Saskatchewan prairie sky allowing the climate of the Canadian prairies to influence the maturation process. The harsh conditions of the Canadian Prairies with the hot dry summer followed by a cold dry winter create a unique environment during the maturation process which further intensify the flavours.

The whisky is a 100% Triticale (Triticosecale) spirit produced at the Black Fox Distillery (located at 245 Valley Road Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)  founded by John Cote and Barb Stefanyshyn-Cote, two third generation farmers who have farmed, studied, consulted and participated in agriculture on five different continents. The distillery comes by its name from a fortunate visitor to the Cote’s farmyard at Leask, a municipality about 80 kilometers southwest of the City of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

The triticale grain that they use comes from a breeding program at Swift Current Saskatchewan with genetic lines going back to the CIMMYT breeding program in Obregon MX, which was originally started by the famous Norm Borlaug. This line of triticale has a unique flavour profile, and when grown under prairie conditions with strict attention to specific agronomic factors, John and Barb believe they are able to intensify these flavours found naturally in this grain variety.

Here is a link to my review of Black Fox Triticale Whisky from Cask Six:

Review: Black Fox Canadian Whisky (100% Triticale)

“… I really like it when everything I sense on the nose comes through clearly in flavour notes. And that is the case hear. Robust grain flavour swamps the mouth carrying just enough butterscotch and maple sweetness to make it taste delicious. The vanilla and baking spices have combined with the oak tannins to deliver a yummy toffee, and this toffee is melding into the grain …”

I hope you enjoy the review as much as I enjoyed the whisky!

Chimo!

 

 

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