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Posts Tagged ‘Canadian’

#Top100CanadianWhisky of 2017 – #69 Glen Saanich Single Malt Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 16, 2017

John & Cathy Windsor manage the family owned and operated de Vine Vineyards on Vancouver Island (near  Victoria British Columbia). As well as growing grapes for wine making the vineyard houses a small still from which they distill both grapes and grains producing a variety of spirits including Vodka, Gin and Single Malt Whisky.

I had an opportunity to taste Glen Saanich Single Malt Whisky when I acted as a juror for the 2017 Canadian Whisky Awards. While judging, I wrote up tasting notes for each dram as I scored them (in a blind tasting format). I also saved a wee bit of each sample such that I could revisit them after the judging when it was revealed to me which sample belonged to which whisky. From those tasting notes and from my last sampling session afterwards I wrote this review.

Here is a link to the #69 Canadian Whisky on my 2017 List:

Review: Glen Saanich Single Malt Whisky:

“… The whisky has a ribbon of corn-like bourbon in its profile which is melded into impressions of oak spice and barley malt. Sweet and sour fruit (apples pears and canned peaches come to mind) hang in the breezes with a nice wisp of vanilla as well as an herbal quality which is almost like a mixture of fresh clover and mint …”

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Note: As indicated earlier, I will not be creating a posting for every whisky in my countdown on this website; but I am going to try to highlight every Canadian spirit that I have not reviewed previously.

To follow the countdown list on a daily basis, you should follow me on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100CanadianWhisky. Alternatively you can view the  list as it grows by viewing my Reveal Page:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017

The Reveal Page will be updated at least weekly through September, October and November and then daily in December.

 

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on #Top100CanadianWhisky of 2017 – #69 Glen Saanich Single Malt Whisky

#Top100CanadianWhisky of 2017 – #71 Shelter Point Artisanal Cask Strength

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 14, 2017

Shelter Point Artisanal Single Malt Whiskies are distilled in small batches on Vancouver Island (British Columbia). The distillery uses a single grain approach, and the Canadian barley used for distillation is grown right on their own family farm (in Oyster River) and never blended with other grains. The water source is the spring water that comes from the mountain-fed aquifer directly beneath the Island. Perhaps the only things that aren’t sourced locally are the oak barrels, which were sourced from Kentucky bourbon distillers, and the massive copper pot stills which came from Scotland.

This Shelter Point Whisky was bottled at Cask Strength (58.4% alcohol by volume).

Here is a link to the review of the # 71 Canadian Whisky of 2017:

Review: Shelter Point Artisanal Cask Strength

“… Intense heat and spice from high alcohol strength. Malt and Speyside spiciness and red licorice and raisin. Some sweet and sour fruit, and some  spicy musty tobacco and leather …”

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Note: As indicated earlier, I will not be creating a posting for every whisky in my countdown on this website; but I am going to try to highlight every Canadian spirit that I have not reviewed previously.

To follow the countdown list on a daily basis, you should follow me on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100CanadianWhisky. Alternatively you can view the  list as it grows by viewing my Reveal Page:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017

The Reveal Page will be updated at least weekly through September, October and November and then daily in December.

Posted in Books, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on #Top100CanadianWhisky of 2017 – #71 Shelter Point Artisanal Cask Strength

#TopCanadianWhisky of 2017 – #72 Caldera Hurricane 5

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 13, 2017

Caldera Distilling is a new Canadian distillery located in the historical shipbuilding community of River John, in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. Not only is the distillery based in the community of River John, according to their website, the ingredients used to produce their  premium whisky are grown on the Distillery property, meaning that the entire grain to glass process happens in one place and is a true expression of that small community in the maritime province of Nova Scotia.  In an homage to the community’s early beginnings the distilling company is named after one of the largest ships ever built in River John, the Caldera.

Here is a link to the #72 Canadian Whisky of 2017:

Review: Caldera Hurricane 5

“… Flavours of butterscotch and vanilla mingle with fine wood spice, and soon impressions of baking spices develop as well (cinnamon and a touch of cloves and nutmeg). There is a little orange peel struggling to make the transition to marmalade, and a light winding of grassy tobacco and nutty almond flavours …”

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Note: As indicated earlier, I will not be creating a posting for every whisky in my countdown on this website; but I am going to try to highlight every Canadian spirit that I have not reviewed previously.

To follow the countdown list on a daily basis, you should follow me on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100CanadianWhisky. Alternatively you can view the  list as it grows by viewing my Reveal Page:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017

The Reveal Page will be updated at least weekly through September, October and November and then daily in December.

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on #TopCanadianWhisky of 2017 – #72 Caldera Hurricane 5

#76 Two Brewers Yukon Single Malt – Peated

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 9, 2017

In 2009, the folks at Yukon Brewing decided that it was time to expand their horizons, and so they formed a sister company called Yukon Spirits, grabbed a still and began to make whisky. My understanding is that they make three basic expressions, a Classic Single Malt Whisky, a Peated Single Malt Whisky, and what they call their Two Brewers Single Malt Whisky (Special Finishes). Each expression will apparently vary over time as their whisky barrels season and are re-used.

This is the review for the Two Brewers Yukon Single Malt – Peated Whisky. It carries no age statement and is bottled at 46 % alcohol by volume.

Here is my link to the #76 Canadian Whisky on my Countdown of the 100 Best of 2017:

Review: Two Brewers Yukon Single Malt – Peated

“… Musty with hints of organic peat.  Crème de fresh, buttermilk and further hints of chocolate with wood spice and butterscotch … ”

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Note: As indicated earlier, I will not be creating a posting for every whisky in my countdown on this website; but I am going to try to highlight every Canadian spirit that I have not reviewed previously.

To follow the countdown list on a daily basis, you should follow me on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100CanadianWhisky. Alternatively you can view the  list as it grows by viewing my Reveal Page:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017

The Reveal Page will be updated at least weekly through September, October and November and then daily in December.

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on #76 Two Brewers Yukon Single Malt – Peated

#77 Two Brewers Yukon Single Malt – Classic

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 8, 2017

In 2009, the folks at Yukon Brewing decided that it was time to expand their horizons, and so they grabbed a still, formed the Yukon Spirits Company, and began to make whisky. When I fist learned about this a few years ago I was a little surprised. The Yukon is quite a ways north and it is not a place where you would naturally think of folks making beer, let alone whisky. Then again it just might have been the perfect place for both the start-up beer and spirits companies. You see up in the North, they like to support one another, and it wasn’t long before Yukon Brewing and Yukon Spirits were doing a nice business supplying northern communities.

I don’t profess to know anything about beer (I really don’t like the stuff), but once you throw the beer through a still and age it in an oak barrel, an amazing the transformation takes place. The spirit that is created, whisky, is right up my alley.

Here is my link to the #77 Canadian Whisky on my Countdown of the 100 Best of 2017:

Review: Two Brewers Yukon Single Malt – Classic

“… There is great promise here as all that lovely complexity which was noted in the breezes above the glass comes through in spades as the whisky slides across the palate. We can sip this, with ice or a dash of cold water, and when we do nice chocolate flavours are squeezed out and they join the nutty barley, the oak spice ..”

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Note: As indicated earlier, I will not be creating a posting for every whisky in my countdown on this website; but I am going to try to highlight every Canadian spirit that I have not reviewed previously.

To follow the countdown list on a daily basis, you should follow me on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100CanadianWhisky. Alternatively you can view the  list as it grows by viewing my Reveal Page:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017

The Reveal Page will be updated at least weekly through September, October and November and then daily in December.

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Single Malt Whisky | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on #77 Two Brewers Yukon Single Malt – Classic