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Scotch Malt Whisky Society April 2016 Outturn

Posted on April 7, 2016



April's Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada tasting was a unique one, and one of the strongest Outturns we've had in months. We had our first SMWS Bourbon, B3.3: Treacle buns in a sawmill, a unique offering from Arkansas. We also had two trios of Scottish single malts, opening with three Speysiders and closing with tree peated Islay whiskies. Two of the whiskies were so successful they are now sold out: 48.67: Godzilla vanilla and 3.228: A deep, brooding masterpiece. There were no weak links, with strong demand for all 7 whiskies. Here is the April 2016 Scotch Malt Whisky Society Outturn:



39.113: An explosion of playfuness - 57% - 15 Year - Refill Hogshead - Speyside - Flavour profile: Young & spritely - Outturn: 300 bottles - Panel's tasting note: "The nose was light and mild – fruity, sweet aromas of 'flying saucers' candies, sherbet, Edinburgh Rock candy, vanilla, limoncello, grapefruit and talc were prevented from wafting away on the breeze by a ballast of pine, tree bark, basketry and cinnamon spice. The palate was youthful and lively; fizzy sherbet and ‘popping candy mixed with gunpowder’ exploded on our tongues – flavours included lemon, orange zest and yellow gummy bears – maybe a hint of perfumed bath bombs. With water, the nose found flowers, wood sap, lipstick and tea. The palate, now more playful than lively, suggested yellow coconut Liquorice Allsorts and cakes in waxed paper." Drinking tip: "As a palate cleanser - or in place of sparkling wine at a celebration" - $165
48.67: Godzila vanila - 57.6% - 13 Year - 1st Fill Barrel - Speyside - Flavour profile: Juicy, oak & vanilla - Outturn: 78 bottles - Panel's tasting note:  "The nose set the tone – a triumphant triumvirate of fruit (orange, mango, pear, peach, strawberries), sweetness (chocolate, caramelized sugar) and cask-wood influence (oak, turmeric, pepper). The palate followed through – mouth-watering tropical fruits, including apricots and banana smoothie got our taste-buds doing the tarantella and the cask supplied nutmeg and vanilla – not just a scintilla of vanilla but enough to fill a villa. Similar story on the reduced nose –  honey flirted with passion-fruit and minty mojitos – a bitter-sweet romance, while oak stung the tongue with Japanese mustard. The reduced palate – pineapple, kiwi, toffee apple and lemon with full-on bourbon spice – proper lush!" Drinking tip: "A good digestif - but actually, any time at all" - $150
7.126: It's gone nuts! - 57.9% - 11 Year - 1st Fill Barrel - Speyside -  Flavour profile: Spicy & sweet - Outturn: 210 bottles - Panel's tasting note: "The nose was rich with honey spiced toddy and lozenges oozing golden syrup. Toasted flaked almonds topped amaretti biscuits and roasted peaches with pistachios. Hints of pear drop and pine planks lingered before ...

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Classic Cocktails: Whisky - March 29th, 2016

Posted on April 20, 2016

Classic Cocktails: Whisky
Shawn Young
March 29th, 2016

What a delight that I get to do yet another cocktail class!? And one featuring one of my preferred spirits no less! I was charged with the task of picking a range of whiskies and matching cocktails that cover the gamut! Now, since I'm still learning this fine art, I enlisted the help of local cocktail nut (and bar manager of Brasserie Kensington) Amanda Gomez to help in making the cocktails and giving a little history and education. Then I asked the Peasant Cheese Shop to make up some tasty boards full of meat and charcuteries for us to snack on. So, with Amanda covering the cocktails and myself the whiskies, we deconstructed three classic cocktails! Here's what we tasted.



Exclusive blend 1991 by the Creative Whisky Company: This outstanding valued blend consists of 80% malt and 20% grain and aged to 21 years old. It sports aromas of green apples, with hints of buts and honey, along with flavours of toffee, white chocolate, and more nuts. It's an easy drinking whisky with a healthy age and a modest price. ($112.99)

Blood and Sand: The first cocktail of the night was the freshest and brightest of the bunch. The blood and sand was supposedly named after a 1922 bull fighting movie of the same name and is a citrusy sweet cocktail with a balanced bitterness and a mild alcohol bite. It's one of the few cocktails to feature Scottish whisky and is perfect for the summer!

- 1oz Scottish Whisky
- 1oz Orange juice (blood orange if possible)
- 3/4oz Cherry heering (substitute cherry brandy in a pinch)
- 3/4oz Sweet vermouth

Combine and shake over ice, strain into glass with zest and a twist.



Pikesville Straight Rye: This is a brilliant high proof straight rye that has just recently hit Alberta shelves. Originally made in the 1890's, it was halted during prohibition only to be resurrected by the Heaven Hills distilling company. It's mildly smoky and sweet on the nose, with clove, caraway and dough, followed by rye bread, more clove and baking spice on the palate. ($87.99)

Sazerac: The classic southern cocktail! This one is all about the aromas. Herb and liquorice aromas, along with the rye spice, the bitters, the orange, all come together to make something that's very hard to just sip. A slight variation on this was made with the use of Pimento bitters as opposed to Peychaud's bitters (frowned upon by many, but sometimes you just have to improvise!)

- 3oz Rye
- 3/4oz simple syrup (substitute with dissolved brown sugar for taste)
- Dash bitters

combine ingredients and stir with ice. Strain into a chilled glass that was rinsed with absinthe(or Herbsaint if unavailable), and garnish with orange peel.

Michter's Small Batch Bourbon: Mitcher's has been making a rather large push into...

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Asian Whisky tasting - Thursday, March 17

Posted on April 5, 2016

ASIAN WHISKY
THURSDAY MARCH 17
Hunter Sullivan
Traditionally St. Patrick's Day merits an invoking of our true Irish persona with most venues donning the stereotypical Irish regalia for our momentary patriotism and offering a slew of Irish themed drinks to make anyone turn green (be it from the food colouring or the cheap whiskey). But, if you were to come into the Wine Market on that rowdy evening you would not be able to find clover nor leprechaun upon our walls. We felt it high time we cheated the tradition by trying something new. Turning the spotlight to a different land half way around the world, a new focus, not with intentions of usurping the day’s theme, but as a refresher from our recurrent run ins with Jameson and his pals.

Before each of our avante garde taster gathered for the evening was a setting of seven Asian whiskies winking in the low light, a placid golden treasure. Asian whisky has captivated the world in the last few years, doffing the crown of the old King and heralding a new age of spirit appreciation where even stodgy purists have a hard time ignoring the march of progress. With the numbers of whisky enthusiasts growing by the day innovation and new experience come at a premium as we constantly chase the dragon for the next big taste. Asian producers are quick to trend offering a wide variety of unique and interesting experiences ranging from the smallest of craft distillers to the largest of conglomerate companies. For this event we chose a variety of the most prolific and representative of Asian whiskies to showcase the many varying styles being produced.



Hibiki Harmony
This release just recently won the Japanese whisky award from Malt Advocate, not to anyone's shock. An expression, as the name implies, of elegance and subtlety with silky natures easing us into the theme of the night. Grain sweetness mingles with the heavy malt presence brightening the nose throwing pieces of orange peel, toffee and orchard fruits. Taste to match, and as much as I am reproach to say, smooth as I'll get out.  -  $105.99

Nikka Coffey Grain
Produced from the Coffey stills at Nikka distillers this whisky is made up of mostly corn making it almost more relatable to bourbon than to scotch. Don't be fooled though, it would be a mistake to allude this whisky to bourbon anymore than I already have in passing note. A sweet treat emanates from the glass of marzipan and pecan pie drizzled with butterscotch muddled into a yuzu orange with lemon zest garnish. The taste is dessert with a honed edge aimed right at the centre of the tongue.  -  $89.99

Kavalan Solist Bourbon
Produced at the preeminent Taiwanese single malt distiller, this single bourbon barrel expression shows off the distilleries prowess with a barrel and what only a few years in Taiwan can do to a whisky. It can o...

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What's Next, Beer & Cheese! tasting, Thursday March 3, 2016

Posted on March 7, 2016

What's Next? Beer and Cheese!
Thursday March 3, 2016
By: Shawn Young
I dare you to come up with a pair of words so mouth wateringly tantalizing as "beer and cheese". When you ask someone what the one food that they couldn't live without is, I bet you cheese is the answer nearly 90% of the time. Now,change that from food to beverage, and I imagine beer would be the answer somewhere around 70% of the time. Fewer people, of course, and all because of the unfortunate wine lovers!  So, with that in mind, there's no way this wasn't one of the tastiest, comforting, satiating and most satisfying evenings of the year thus far.

The wonderful Crystal McKenzie of The Peasant Cheese Shop personally sampled each of the 6 beers I chose and picked the best cheese to pair with each (rough job hey?), and she even stuck around to tell us about each one! It was a long night of tasting, enjoying, sighing, more tasting, and more enjoying. Here's the line up, don't be jealous.



Lux  by Ninkasi Brewing
We paired this German style Helles lager with a soft French cheese called Le Dauphin. The soft, creamy flavours complimented the mellow malt profile whole bringing out the floral notes and spice from the hops. ($22.79 for a 6-pack of bottles)

Otra Vez by Sierra Nevada brewing
In almost every tasting I put on I try to sneak a sour beer or two into it. Aside from loving the wide range of reactions in the room, I really want to educate people on some of my favourite sour styles (and sours in general). This time we paired this Gose brewed with prickly pear cactus and grapefruit with a Canadian cloth bound goat cheese called Lindsay. The funky goat quality played very well with the tart fruitiness of the beer, and the acidity in the beer played well to break up the firm texture of the cheese. Excellent pairing! ($22.69 for a 6-pack of bottles)

Fat Tug by Driftwood brewing
I wanted to see how one of the best Canadian IPAs stood up to a cheese pairing, so we took good ol' Fat Tug and paired it with Comté. The wonderful sweetness in the cheese complimented the big hoppy bitterness of the beer, and the sharp strong flavours of both the cheese and the fruity, sappy North American hops worked with their mutual complexities to make an explosion of flavour. ($7.19 for a 650mL bottle)

Aventinus by Schneider Weisse
Sometimes we just have to go back and revisit the classics, and Scheider Weisse's Dopplebock is definitely a classic. Another Canadian cheese, Migneron from Quebec was paired with this bold, bready beer. The mild, creamy almost nutty quality of the semi hard cheese gave a wonderful platform to showcase the fennel, caraway, rye bread like notes of the beer. Both working incredibly well together, this was one of my favourite pairings of the night. ($4.69 for a 500mL bottle)

La Trappe Oak aged quadrupel by Koningshoeve...

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Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada March 2016 Outurn

Posted on March 6, 2016

The whiskies of the March 2016 release have been a huge hit. After four blind tastings we've had strong sales for all of them, in particular the whiskies from distillery 3, 29, 41 and 121. Some of these will be shortly sold out. It is hard to pick a single favourite in this month's lineup, even harder to rank them in order, as not a single one disappointed. Having said all that one of them did stand out for me...

[caption id="attachment_4013" align="aligncenter" width="583" caption="Picture Courtesy www.whiskyminibottles.eu"][/caption]

The 24 year old whisky from distillery number 50, a beautiful old Lowland distillery the Society has not bottled much over the years.  I'd love to tell you its name, but alas that is not how the Society goes about things! Founded in 1825 it was closed by Diageo in 1993 and then reopened by a Northern Irishman under strange conditions. Having discovered it on holidays Raymond Armstrong purchased it, but initially without permission to produce whisky. He eventually secured permission to distill a small quantity of whisky each year and the distillery operated on and off for a couple decades before it went into insolvency. In 2014 the distillery was acquired by an Australian businessman, and its future looks brighter.

[caption id="attachment_4011" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Picture Courtesy Undiscovered Scotland"]
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50.46: Retro sweet hamper, is a fine older whisky, the 24 years it spent in oak having imbued it with lovely fruits, spices, soft leather and chocolate; I loved it. To date the best whiskies I had from this distillery have been matured in American oak. I've had a few matured in sherry, but as yet not a good one. This whisky seems to be following that theme! My other two favourites were the Starry, Starry Night, 3.221 and 41.68 a sweet 10 year old Speyside. Here is March 2016's Outturn, with the quantity of each whisky remaining at the time of writing:



41.68: Liquified bounty bars - 61.6% - 11 Year - 1st Fill Barrel - Speyside - Outturn: 215 Bottles - Flavour profile: Juicy, oak & vanilla - " Panel's tasting note: "This opened with calming vanilla notes, unctuous pineapple and coconut shavings. Then, coconut oil was drizzled on fresh oak shavings, whilst lemon bonbons were shuffled in a white paper bag. Over time, rich and heady incense smouldered on a well polished desk as mixed fruits (cranberry, dark cherries, oranges) sat nobly in a fruit bowl. Bursting with mouth-watering juicy fruits, balanced with wood spice, the palate continued to delight with crème anglaise, rhubarb, a touch of lime basil and ginger and chili oomph! Water brought "liquified Bounty bars", dark chocolate and dried heather notes. An incredibly juicy experience culminated in tropical desserts served on a freshly charred oak stave." Drinking tip: "Try with Thai food" - $139.99 - Only 1 left!
...

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