Review: Bison Ridge Special Reserve (8 Year Old) Canadian Whisky

My friends Connie & Lukasz were over the other day, and even though they know my cupboard is well stocked with Canadian whisky, they always try to find something that I haven’t tasted yet. On this occasion, they brought along a bottle of Bison Ridge Special Reserve Canadian Whisky to share a few drams with me. The whisky is produced (by this I mean bottled) by the Crosby Lake Spirits Company who are located in Minnesota, USA. All Canadian whisky must (by law) be distilled and aged in Canada; however, I could not locate any information as to which Canadian Distillery was the source for this brand.

You may read my full review by clicking on the following excerpt:

Review: Bison Ridge Special Reserve Canadian Whisky

“… The initial nose reflects sweet butterscotch, some notes of corn mash, with wood spices rising in the background. As the glass breathes I notice an underlying ‘earthiness’ which reminds me of the scent of an old those fashioned damp cellars which were built with wooden floorboards lain directly over the black dirt …”

Please enjoy the review which includes a recipe recommendation, the Buckeroo!

Chinook Whisky Revisited

If you look at the picture to the left, you can see that Chinook Canadian Whisky has undergone a bit of a facelift since I reviewed it last year (Click here for the 2011 review). It arrives in a new PET Bottle, and it has a brand new label. Gone is the 5-Year age statement, and gone as well is the reference to being distilled, aged and blended in Calgary, Alberta. Rather, the label now simply says “aged and blended in Southern Alberta” with no reference to where the whisky is distilled.

When I first saw the new bottle, I was surprised, and of course my first question was, “Has the blend changed?”

To help me answer that question, I was sent a new bottle for review from the brand owner Mcbsw Sales Company Inc., such that I could revisit the Chinook Whisky here on my website.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… My first impression as the new whisky crossed my palate for the first time, was that the sweetness and the fruitiness have been ramped up in this blend. Stronger caramel flavours were obvious as was a spicy green pepper lingering in the background. Caramel apples, slightly sour purple grapes, canned apricots, and canned pears all seem to find their way across my palate in what is a real mixture of fruit flavour. I taste some rye-like spiciness which resembles ginger and cloves with maybe just a dash of cinnamon …”

You may read my full review here:

Review: Chinook Whisky (2012)

I have included a nice recipe which works well with the Chinook Whisky called the Buckeroo.

Please enjoy the review, and do try a Buckeroo.  Cheers!