Book Review: Canadian Whisky: the portable expert

I love Canadian Whisky! It is smooth and tasty, and (in my locale at least) extremely well priced compared to the other whisky offerings on the store shelf. This means that even the premium brands sell at prices which allows me to mix them in cocktails without guilt, and some of the super premium brands are cheaper than the average price of a single malt scotch (Last month I purchased 3 bottles of a 25-year-old pure rye whisky for less than 90 bucks combined!)

So when I found out that my whisky reviewing friend, Davin de Kergommeaux, had written a book devoted to Canadian Whisky; I was very eager to give it a good read. Davin, like myself is a true devotee of our great Canadian Spirit. He has created his own website (Canadian Whisky) where he publishes various articles about our mutual passion and of course his unrivaled reviews. He has also been instrumental in launching the first ever fully independent Canadian Whisky Awards! These awards have highlighted not only the best tasting whiskies made in Canada, but they also awarded special achievements by Canadian Whisky Distillers in areas of innovation, brand extension, and media/advertising.

I received my copy of Canadian Whisky: the portable expert about three weeks ago, and I thought I would share my thoughts on Davin’s scribblings here on my website.

Here is a link to those thoughts:

Note: The book should already be in your local bookstore as it was released on May 8. I believe it is available through Amazon, Chapters/Indigo, McNallyRobinson, and several other on-line booksellers.

Review: Centennial 10 year Old Canadian Whisky

Centennial is a 10 Year Old Whisky produced by Alberta’s own Highwood Distillers. Rather than using corn to as the base grain for this whisky, Highwood uses soft Canadian winter wheat. This gives the Centennial a smooth and soft flavour profile unlike any other Canadian whisky I have encountered. In fact, using grains grown exclusively on the Canadian prairies, distilling the grain in their home Province of Alberta, and aging the spirit in the severe Western Canadian climate for a minimum of ten years, makes  Centennial is a Whisky unlike any other in the world.

Here is an excerpt from my review (originally posted on December 8, 2009) :

“… A clean crisp rye which fairly oozes honey and spice.  This is polished and subdued, with the hard rye buffed and smoothed.  The spices are light and enjoyable, and I find the balance to be superb.  A purist of Canadian rye may complain that the rye sits too far backward in the taste profile, but I disagree… “

You may read the full review here:

Review: Centennial 10 year Old Canadian Rye Whisky

As well I have provided a nice recipe for Canadian Rye Whisky, The Canadian Whisky Splash!

Please enjoy the review!

Review: Sortilège (Canadian Whisky and Maple Liqueur)

In Canada we are lucky because maple is practically a national flavour. Even as far away from Maple Syrup Country as the Canadian Rockies (where certainly no maple trees grow) you will find little bottles of real Canadian Maple Syrup for sale in all of the souvenir shops. We have another passion. We also love our Canadian Whisky. So it is not surprising that we have several brands of flavoured spirits which are based upon Canadian Whisky and Maple Syrup.  Sortilège is one of these brands, and it has recently entered my marketplace here in Alberta.

Sortilège is a Canadian Whisky based liqueur produced by Mondia Alliance Wine and Spirits in Montreal, Canada. It is, of course, produced from Maple Syrup and Canadian Whisky. The product arrives in either a 375 ml or a 750 ml bottle and is sold at 30 % alcohol by volume. The bottle I am reviewing is the smaller 375 ml configuration, and it was given to me by the local rep for Mondia Alliance for the specific purpose of a review here on my website.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… As the glass sits the maple seems to weave in and out of the breezes dancing merrily with sandalwood and oak, always with the spicy smells of Canadian Rye Whisky bubbling through. The spiciness appeals to me as it reveals tantalizing glimpses of cinnamon, ginger and fruity rye spice …”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Sortilège (Maple Syrup Liqueur)

I have included a nice ‘smoothie’ style recipe for your enjoyment called the Maple Leaf Smoothie.

Please enjoy the review and the recipe!

Introducing: Last Mountain Canadian Rye Whisky

The Last Mountain Distillery is part of a small new wave of Micro-Distillers which have began to appear on the Canadian landscape over the last few years. These are small ‘mom and pop’ operations which make their spirits in small batches usually only a barrel or two at a time. This particular distillery is located in Lumsden, Saskatchewan, and it is owned and operated by the husband and wife team of Colin and Meredith Schmidt.

Colin Schmidt took a rather round about road into the distilling business as his original dream was to play pro hockey. He was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 1992 and signed his first pro contract in 1996. Unfortunately Colin’s pro hockey experience was brief, cut off by a few shoulder injuries after a brief stint with the big club playing what Colin referred to as “left bench”.

Fortunately for us, Colin had aspirations beyond a hockey career, which included starting up his own small distillery. It was a few years later, after Colin left hockey behind, that he and his wife, Meredith began to look for business opportunities in Saskatchewan and the idea of starting up their own micro-distillery still appealed strongly to both of them. To make a long story short, in August of 2010, the ambitions and hard work of Colin and Meredith paid off when they opened Saskatchewan’s first micro-distillery, in Lumsden, Saskatchewan, called the Last Mountain Distillery.

Currently, they bottle two spirits at the distillery, Vodka and Whisky. Last fall I was given the opportunity to review the Last Mountain Hand Crafted Vodka (click on the link to read the review), and today I am letting everyone know that the first bottles of Last Mountain Canadian Rye Whisky are out of the barrels, and according to their website, can be purchased at their store on Hill St. in Lumsden, Saskatchewan.

As I understand it, Colin and Meredith estimate that it will be about six months more before they finalize the blend and begin to ramp up production. The whisky is, as Colin puts it, a work in progress, and although it is available now, it is actually still in the experimental stage. All Colin will tell me about the whisky is that it is a unique spirit which “has undergone a fairly unique aging process”.

Of course, that did not stop Colin from sending me a preview bottle, just to see if I liked where he was at with the blend. So being the good citizen that I am, I had a few friends over this past weekend, and after an enjoyable afternoon sampling Vodka, we tried a few glasses of the Last Mountain Canadian Rye Whisky later that evening.

Although I understand that the bottle I was given is not necessarily representative of what the final blend will be, nevertheless I have no hesitation in letting everyone know that as the blend stands now, it is really quite good! Last Mountain Whisky has a nice mellow smoothness combined with a surprisingly robust flavour full of butterscotch and rye. If, as Colin believes, the whisky will be even better in six months when the blend is finalized, then I think I might have to plan a trip to Lumsden, Saskatchewan to pick up a case (or two).

Good luck Colin and Meredith!

Introducing: Coyote Ugly Canadian Whisky

On January 27, 1993, Wall Street intern, Liliana Lovell opened the first Coyote Ugly Saloon in New York City. If you watched the Jerry Bruckheimer movie, Coyote Ugly (released in 2000), then you know all about this place where the waitresses, called ‘Coyote Girls’, serve the drinks, dance and sing, and even (apparently) down shots of whisky with the customers.

According to the movie, at the Coyote Ugly Saloon, things are kept pretty simple. The drinks are served straight up with no frills (unless you call things like girls dancing on the bar a frill). They don’t use soda for mix; they don’t even add a drop or two of water. In fact, if you ask for water, rather than receiving a little for your whisky, you are more likely to get doused with the stuff to a chorus of customers chanting, “Hell No … H2O!”

It was a flick that was panned by critics, but loved by the public becoming a box office hit during the late summer and early fall of 2000. The movie must have been good for business because in 2001, another Coyote Ugly Saloon opened up in Las Vegas followed by other locations across the USA, and even as far away as Russia.

With all this success, it is apparent that the Coyote Ugly brand has reached what I will call, ‘celebrity status’. The term ‘Coyote Ugly’ has in fact become firmly entrenched into the public consciousness. When that happens, the resulting cache of the brand is well worth capitalizing on. Which is why Celebrity Cellars International founder, Jeff Harder, teamed up with the founder of the Coyote Ugly Saloon, Liliana Lovell. They have decided that it is time to get Ugly (Coyote Ugly that is) with the launch of the new Coyote Ugly Canadian Whisky!

I received a sample bottle of this whisky from PURE Global Imports who asked me to provide a review here on my website to serve as a preview for the world-wide launch of the new Coyote Ugly Canadian Whisky on March 12, 2012. I was, to be honest, quite happy to oblige…

Here is an excerpt from the review:

“…The whisky smells of rich butterscotch and caramel. Light rye scents waft into the breezes with dabs of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. A light footprint of vanilla and almond compliment the delicate baking spices leaving impressions of marzipan in the air above the glass…”

As always you may find my full review by using the following link:

Review: Coyote Ugly Canadian Whisky

Enjoy the review!

Review: Schenley OFC Canadian Whisky

Schenley OFC is currently produced at the Lethbridge, Alberta Distillery by Schenley Distilleries (and possibly some is produced at the Valleyfield, Quebec Distillery as well). The Lethbridge Distillery is also referred to as the Black Velvet Distillery, as this is where Black Velvet Canadian Whisky is produced, and, as well, it is referred to as the Palliser Distillery, as it is also where brands such as Danfield’s Canadian Whisky (a Palliser Brand) is produced. To add to this confusing mix of brand owners which produce their spirits at this facility, the back of my last Smirnoff Vodka bottle (owned by Diageo) also indicated that this vodka was distilled at the Lethbridge Distillery. The distillery itself, seems to be owned by Buffalo Trace, who in turn are owned by Sazerac (or perhaps it is the other way around).

My research and digging around with respect to the Schenley OFC seems to indicate that Barton Brands currently own the Brand, although in this confusing maze of product brands and brand owners I certainly would not stake my life on it.

The OFC brand seems to have disappeared from the shelves of many liquor stores stateside, and I suspect that this related to Industry consolidation where for reasons beyond my understanding, solid money earning brands are dumped in favour of the economy of scales achieved by promoting fewer brands names across a portfolio. What I do know is that thankfully, the Schenley OFC is still found on the shelves of many liquor stores here in Alberta. It is a whisky which I hold in high esteem, and one which I felt I ought to revisit here on my website. Here is an excerpt from my original review:

“…I would call this zesty as the OFC has a real bite in the mouth.  A light butter coats the tongue with hot rye spice and light corn syrup. I should note that this is not a true rye whisky but rather a corn whisky, and although I can taste the rye spices, the taste of sweet corn and vanilla is predominant…”

Here is a link to the full review:

Cheers Everyone!

Review: Forty Creek John’s Private Cask No. 1 Whisky

Last Winter (just a little over a year ago) I had lunch with John Hall when he was in town for the Edmonton Whisky Festival. One of the things we talked about was Mr. Hall’s penchant for saving his best whisky barrels for his own private use. You see, every once in a while when John was testing and tasting his barrels of whisky to see how they were coming along, he would hit upon a barrel that was absolutely exceptional. These barrels would be squirreled away and earmarked for his own private stash. John admitted to me that this had kind of gotten out of hand, and he had accumulated far more of these ‘Private Casks’ than what he would ever need, or be able to consume.

It turns out John figured out what to do with his growing supply of exceptional casks, as in the fall of 2011 he released his new special release, John’s Private Cask No. 1 Whisky.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… The initial aroma from the glass begins with some rich notes of oak and cedar rising into the breezes above the glass. I notice traces of bourbon and honeycomb, light baking spices, and a nice spicy rye influence. When I gave my glass a tilt and a slow swirl, leggy drooplets slowly coalesced and slid ever so slowly back into the whisky…. “

Here is a link to my full review:

And of worthy note:

John’s Private Cask No. 1 Whisky recently received 3 separate Awards of Excellence at the recent 2011 Canadian Whisky Awards:

• Connoisseur Whisky of the Year – Domestic Market
  
• Best New Whisky of the Year!
• Canadian Whisky of the Year!

Review: Alberta Springs Canadian Whisky

I saw my first bottle of Alberta Springs in the fall of 1988 when I was gifted a bottle on my birthday. It came in a funky wooden box, and it proudly proclaimed its ‘Alberta’ heritage. It was also, back in those days, a pure 100 % rye whisky. My love for rye whisky was cemented, and for years the Alberta Springs was my favourite whisky. Of course things change over time, and in the early to mid 90s Alberta Distillers Limited (ADL) began to distill some corn as well as rye in the blend. They still blended to the same taste profile, but, when I look back at my whisky preferences, it was a remarkable coincidence that during this period of the brand’s development I fell out of love with the whisky.

Years and years later when I started to write about whisky, one of the perks I received was a private tour of the ADL Distillery where I met Rick Murphy, the Production Superintendent. He explained the heritage of Alberta Springs to me, how it started as a pure rye whisky, and how economics dictated a move to rye and corn in the 90s. But, he also steadfastly maintained the whisky is currently (and has always been) very much a rye based whisky. He then explained how his computerized dials and gauges in the distillery, and his quality assurance tasting panel, ensure that the flavour does not change as the mash bill may change slightly over time. He even made it clear to me that the Alberta Springs is one of his most favourite whiskies. (I think he was trying to tell me that I had better give the brand a second try.)

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…The initial mouth-feel is slightly dryish as the whisky begins with flavours of dusty rye and light flavours of caramel toffee. The oak is present and brings forward some light orange peel and vanilla as well as hints of tobacco which are not as firm in the flavour as they were in the aroma. I taste a light mustiness and a hint of honey sweetness which never build, they just sit back content to accent the other flavours without trying to steal the show…”

Here is a link to the full review:

I have included a nice sipping recipe which although not entirely original is nevertheless a great way to enjoy the Alberta Premium. It is called the Canadian Whisky Splash.

Please enjoy the review and the recipe that follows!

Review: Alberta Premium Canadian Whisky

Alberta Premium is the flagship whisky of Alberta Distillers Limited (ADL). The whisky is one of the few 100 % rye grain whiskies in the world. In fact, according to Davin de Kergommeaux, of  Canadian Whisky, ADL produces more 100% rye whisky than every other distillery in North America combined! This makes the people at ADL, perhaps the world’s most renowned experts on rye whisky.

This also means that Alberta Premium, the flagship whisky  from the distillery renowned for its rye whisky, must be pretty good. And in fact, Jim Murray, one of the world’s most renowned whisky critics, not only thinks this whisky is good, he thinks it is great! For years he has extolled the virtues of the Alberta Premium in his Whisky Bible even naming it the best Canadian Whisky in 2006, 2007, and 2009. (The year that is missing, 2008 was the year that Alberta Premium 25 Year Old won the award.)

Of course this is my website, and although I respect the opinions of others, it is my opinion that is presented. And for my opinion, you must follow the link to my review:

Here is an excerpt:

“…The initial nose from the glass is of a fruit-filled rye with very obvious notes of vanilla. There is a presence of oak and a touch of citrus zest in the background. As the whisky decants the fruit gains momentum as does the oak, and I also begin to sense a light touch of almond in the breezes….”

The full review my be read here:

Please enjoy the review, and remember that the aim of my website is to help you choose better spirits, not to help you drink more spirits!

Cheers!

Introducing White Owl Spiced Whisky

The guys at Highwood Distillery are at it again. In 2010 they broke all the rules, (and a few sales records too) when they introduced their premium aged White Owl Whisky (a clear Canadian Whisky which is aged up to 10 years). To say this product was s success is a vast understatement, as the only problem that surfaced with respect to the White Owl Whisky was that Highwood could not make it fast enough to satisfy the demand across Canada.

As I said, they are at it again. Highwood has just introduced White Owl Spiced Whisky. While other distillers are producing young brown whisky and using the spice to smooth out the flavour. Highwood is taking the other road, using a well aged clear whisky, and then using the spice to add a little depth and polish to an already smooth spirit.

I was sent a sample bottle of this new whisky, and here is an excerpt from my review:

“…I really like what I am sensing on the nose, and during one of my tasting sessions when I had invited my friend Lucasz to join me I discovered I was not the only one who really liked it. We both sat in our chairs for a good ten minutes just enjoying the subtle soft aroma of the spiced whisky smiling and exchanging those knowing glances of anticipation as we both relished the scents above our glasses…”

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: White Owl Spiced Whisky