Canadian Club Barley Batch
$51.99
Canadian Club is pushing the boundaries of the style we know (and occasionally love) as Canadian whisky. Barley Batch is a 2018 expression released to commemorate the 160th birthday of the brand, and it does so in a very unique style. Instead of simply releasing a slightly older version of their standard fair (or some other such shortcut), CC has given us a very singular expression. Most Canadian whisky is comprised of corn. And if we're lucky...maybe some rye. But imagine what you'd have if you took that sweet and approachable Canadian spirit and married it to some well-matured malted barley whisky? Well...you'd have Barley Batch. Well worth nabbing before it disappears. Especially at this price.
In the mix for this special release: 5 year old Canadian Club from Hiram Walker Distillery of Windsor, Ontario PLUS 6 year old malted barley whisky from Alberta Distillers of Calgary, Alberta.
42% abv
Canadian Club has a long and storied history, just like the Hiram Walker Distillery that makes it. It was the most sold bottle on the black market in the United States during prohibition. Canadian Club is the only Distiller outside of the United Kingdom to be awarded a Royal Warrant. The Canadian Club brand is owned by Beam Suntory. Just about all Canadian Club is distilled at Hiram Walker Distillery, which is owned by Pernod Ricard.
Burwood Single Hive Rye
$39.99
The Single Hive Rye Finish was distilled from 100% Alberta Honey, the spirit was aged in a first-fill ex-rye barrel for nine months before being bottled in 375mL format at 44.2% ABV.
Burwood Distillery is located right within Calgary, Alberta. It began distilling in mid 2017.
Burwood Spirit of Nemesis
$49.99
A Collaboration between Calgary, Alberta's Burwood Distillery and Zero Issue Brewery (also of Calgary) resulted in two very cool projects. The Spirit of Nemesis is a result of taking Zero Issue Brewery's Nemesis IPA Beer and distilling in Burwood's pot stills. The resulting spirit was then put into an ex-Bourbon barrel for one year before being bottled at 44% ABV.
From the Producer: "This Whisky has all of the attributes of the Nemesis with the added attitude and spice of becoming a powerful spirit. All of the sweetness, tropical fruit and rich bourbon smells on the nose carry straight through into the flavour when it is sipped. Specifically bottled at 44% to maintain the spice and head of the spirit it finishes with a wave of hops just to remind you that it doesn't conform to the whisky norm."
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: fruity, honeyed and malty; Jujubes and exotic Jelly Bellies; fresh squeezed grapefruits, perfume-y botanicals, juicy malt and prominent hops.
Palate: malty, floral and hoppy; honey with citrus flavoured Jujubes and more exotic Jelly Bellies; still perfumed.
Finish: medium and slightly hoppy with bright fruits and citrus.
Comment: it is remarkable how prominently the beer-y Nemesis notes have carried through the distillation; this is a very cool collaboration; and fine compliment to a pint of Zero Issue's Nemesis, or any other NEIPA.
Burwood Nemesis Hybrid
$49.99
A Collaboration between Calgary, Alberta's Burwood Distillery and Zero Issue Brewery (also of Calgary) resulted in two very cool projects. This one is a mix of Burwood's own single malt spirit and Zero Issue's Nemesis IPA Beer that was distilled at Burwood. The two malts were distilled separately and then blended together in one ex-Rye Whiskey cask and aged for a year before being bottled at 44% ABV. It is too young to be called whisky, but shows the direction that Burwood distillery is headed in, which is very exciting.
From the Producer: "Expertly blended together to highlight the attributes of each and elevate the tasting experience. The Nemesis IPA Whisky brings sweet and fruity notes as well as a nice hoppy finish to the blend. The Burwood Single Malt smoothes out the experience adding a dense and rich body to the middle of the taste profile and a characteristic single malt sweetness layers nicely on top of the fruitiness of the Nemesis. The use of a spicy Rye cask to finish this marriage ensures full integration and that this Hybrid emerges as a rounded and complete specimen."
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: bright and citrussy; there is a lovely backbone of rye spice and subtle, pleasant maltiness; creamy and floral with soft vanilla.
Palate: round and fruity with loads of honey and vanilla following; the spices show up late along with smooth toasted oak and more citrus fruits.
Finish: malty, fruity and decadent with soft toasted oak and layers of spice.
Comment: this is a very well put together spirit drink (it is two years too young to be called whisky); if this is a sign of what's to come from Burwood, they are going to make waves in the burgeoning Calgary/Alberta craft whisky scene!
Wiser's Paul Coffey Alumni Edition
$47.99
Unquestionably one of the game's all-time greatest D-men, Paul Coffey was an evitable choice for J.P. Wiser's to immortalize in their Alumni Series. This is a 2-grain, seven year old jar of Canuck Juice that has been matured in four distinct barrel types. Most impressive, though? It's been offered up at a respectable 48% abv in tribute to the legend's historical 1985-86 campaign where he notched a record 48 goals (and 138 points!).
Wiser's Larry Robinson Alumni Edition
$46.99
From J.P. Wiser's Alumni Series comes a special release to honour Larry "Big Bird" Robinson. We haven't cracked one of these open yet, but here's what the lads and lasses at Wiser's have to say about this one: "Big and smooth like Larry's play, this 2-grain whisky is aged for 6 years in 6 different barrels, in commemoration of his 6 championship wins." And if you're curious about those six different barrels, the label says "Canadian, Re-Charred, Bourbon, Rum, Port & French Oak."
40% abv
Eau Claire Ploughmans Rye Whisky
$84.99
!Limited to 2 bottles per customer!
Eau Claire puts a lot of effort into being a 'Farm to Glass' Distillery, and this is something their Ploughman's Rye epitomizes. Made from a very high percentage or rye plus a small amount of malted barley. The Rye used in the distillation was harvested by horse from three local farms. After aging for two and a half years in Virgin American Oak Barrels, it was finished for a period of six months in two casks that previously held Batch 2 of Eau Claire's own Single Malt Whisky. Bottled at 43% ABV.
Evan's Tasting Note
Nose: Earthy and full of chocolate. Dark chocolate, espresso grounds, old leather, orange oils, Arnold Palmers (iced tea and lemonade mixed together), mint, fresh baked pretzels, beautiful charred oak notes and baking spices.
Palate: Robust, round, and oily up front with fruit and spice coming through. More orange oils, dark cherries, peppermint leaves, anise and black licorice, dark rye bread, and black tea with a squeeze of lemon.
Finish: Good length with lots of earthy, spicy warmth. Runs the delicate balance between sweet and dry with some of both aspects showing.
Comments: The first two batches of Eau Claire Single Malt received a lot of press and showed a lot of promise. In my opinion, this Rye Whisky is even better. It drinks very well right now, but as my cohort, Shawn said: give this a decade in the barrel and imagine what it could be...
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: decadent, nutty and oily; butter tarts right from the oven, german rye bread and dill pickle flavoured Ruffles; doughy with Mandarin orange, muddled mint and sugar and a touch of musty oak.
Palate: creamy, dilly, decadent and spicy with floral vanilla cooling mint and more butter tarts fresh from the oven; more sweet Mandarin orange, cooked raisins and a touch of mojitos? its that cool mint again; building wood spices, candied fennel and clove; classic earthy-oily-rye tones.
Finish: medium-long; fresh, creamy and coating; still decadent and a little less layered than the palate, a sign of youth?; but still very balanced.
Comment: this is brilliant stuff, I like it better than their innaugural single malt; for a 3 year old this is a solid base hit, maybe a double; give it 5 to 10 years and we are talking homerun territory!
From the Producer
"Ploughman’s Rye Whisky is a nod to Alberta farm pioneers, Eau Claire combines the first horse farmed rye since the turn of the century, with our special barley blend. From land in the Alberta foothills, we planted, harvested and distilled rye to produce this unique spirit. We named it Ploughman’s Rye to produce in honour of our hose farming heritage. Young, bold and flavourful. This will be a limited edition Rye release and the first of its kind from Eau Claire Distillery."
Wiser's 35 Year - 2018 Edition
$204.99
The latest 35 year old offering from Wiser's has landed! We don't expect this one to last long either. While the producer's tasting notes are a little sparse - orange, honeycomb, oak and dried fruit - rest assured you'll still find all those hallmarks of great mature Canadian whisky:dunnage warehouses with earthen floors, fresh eucalyptus, split lumber and red berry. A treat of a whisky, and one that really is in a league of its own. 50% abv!
This is the second edition of the 35-year-old Wiser’s. The first was comprised of mostly Corn Whisky aged in ex-bourbon barrels with a small amount of Rye Whisky that spent time in Virgin Oak Casks.
In theory, this could be similar in style to the Canadian Club 40 and 41 year old, just younger and with Rye Whisky added. All of the whisky for both the Wiser’s and Canadian Club bottles would have been distilled at Hiram Walker. They may have been aging away at warehouses in different areas though.
94pts Davin de Kergommeaux (Whisky Advocate): “Teasing out the threads of this perfectly woven fabric takes time. And what an enjoyable time it is! Big whisky with no dominant notes, but enticing suggestions of pine pitch, butterscotch, barley sugars, freshwater plants, sandalwood, cream, brisk peppery spices, sweetish baking spices, clean wood with vague tannins, and gorgeous orange bitters late in the finish. Apricots, hard peaches, and echoes of raspberries throughout.”
Canadian Club 42 Year
$274.99
Distilled in 1977, this second batch in the Canadian Club Chronicles series is called the Dock Man. Made of corn whisky matured in American Oak barrels. It is the oldest Canadian whisky ever bottled, and in the words of Davin de Kergommeaux, the foremost expert on Canadian whisky, "it is spectacular".
Tasting Note Davin de Kergommeaux
"The Dock Man is a sweet luscious whisky with a deep, complex nose and palate. Fruity and floral notes entwine delicately with Canadian Club's signature prunes and black raisins followed by tartish apple skins, and apricots. Mild peppery spices evolve into sweetish baking spices, while woody notes are restrained, with soft tannins pulling gently on the cheeks. Dark fruit returns in a long spicy finish. "
Producer Description
With this 2nd release in the CC ChroniclesTM series, we pay tribute to the dock men who operated floating liquor stores & bars aboard their vessels. Despite the presence of many counterfeit makers of CC, savvy bar owners and whisky fans knew they could count on the dock men to provide only genuine Canadian Club®. With this 42-year-old whisky, we celebrate their uncompromising commitment to origin, authenticity, quality and craftsmanship.
