Millstone 100 Rye Whisky
$108.99
Made from a mash of 51% malted and 49% unmalted rye grains, the whisky is 100 months old, 100 proof and 100% rye. This is a single rye whisky and has won awards from the Wizards of Whisky and Whisky Magazine. In 2016 it won Best Dutch Rye Whisky.
While not historically known for their whisky, the Dutch have been distilling as long as anyone in Europe. Most famous for genever and brandy, some of the distilleries there have taken to producing whisky. The Zuidam family began producing genever and other liquors in 1976 in the town of Baarle-Nassau on the Belgian border. Patrick van Zuidam, the second generation, began experimenting with whisky distillation in 1996, and started laying down barrels. The distillery produces both malt and grain whiskies, including a powerful rye. While they have borrowed and been influenced by the whisky makers in other countries, they are making a distinctly Dutch whisky. In one curious aspect, they mill their own barley in traditional windmills.
From the Distillery: “The new spirit is aged for a minimum of 100 month on new American oak barrels. The nose has rich notes of citrus fruit and spices with delicate tones of honey combined with vanilla and oak. The taste is rich fruity, honey sweetness and delicate spicy notes and a long peppery vanilla and oak finish.”
Evan's Tasting Note
Nose: Cloves, pine needles, coffee grounds and earthy spices. Maple syrup, ginger snaps, pumpernickel bread, dried dill, mint leaves, black liquorice, raspberries and blackberries and orange rind. Dark rye bread toasted with honey.
Palate: Black tea, black liquorice, ginger molasses cookies, nutmeg, blackberry compote, root beer, pumpernickel bread again, hints of citrus and mint.
Finish: Slightly drying. Spice, earthy components and black liquorice along with hints molasses sweetness mingle to the end.
Comment: This is a very earthy rye whisky. Not quite like anything else I have tasted from Canada or the USA. It is dark, dense, earthy and delicious.
Mars Shinshu Iwai Tradition Whisky
$74.99
A step up on the Iwai Whisky from the Mars Shinshu Distillery, in Japan, the Iwai Tradition is 75% malt and 25% grain, bottled at 40%. We are looking forward to trying this one too!
Producer Description: "This is malt driven spirit is truly a reflection of contemporary Japanese whisky. Incredibly balanced, soft and layered. A blending of sherry, bourbon and wine casks with hints delicate hints of peat make for a harmonious whisky that would make Iwai-san proud."
Producer Tasting Notes: "Ripe Cherry, honey toffee with a beautiful ginger spice."
About Mars Distillery: "Situated between the north and south Japanese alps, Mars Shinshu is Japan’s highest whisky distillery, at nearly 800 meters. The Hombo family have been distilling for more than a century and they added whisky to their repertoire in 1949 in Kagoshima. That was the southernmost whisky made in Japan until 1984, when all whisky production was moved to the current location in Nagano."
Mars Shinshu Iwai Whisky
$59.99
This new to Alberta Japanese whisky is allegedly a blend consisting of 75% grain and 25% malt whisky. Hoping to sample it soon.
From the Producer: "Kiichiro Iwai, the name sake for this Mars Whisky, was a silent pioneer of Japan whisky. This whisky is inspired by great whiskies of America. A majority of corn balanced with light malt aged in ex bourbon barrels. Ideal for daily sipping, in a mint julep or an old fashioned."
Producer Tasting Note: "Sweet with fruit flavors like pear, quince and hints of red fruits and vanilla."
About Mars Distillery: "Situated between the north and south Japanese alps, Mars Shinshu is Japan’s highest whisky distillery, at nearly 800 meters. The Hombo family have been distilling for more than a century and they added whisky to their repertoire in 1949 in Kagoshima. That was the southernmost whisky made in Japan until 1984, when all whisky production was moved to the current location in Nagano."
Don Michael Black Corn Andean Whiskey
$69.99
The first South American whisk(e)y to hit our shores, from Peru, is made with Andean Black Corn, bottled at 45%.
Producer Description
"At Don Michael, we have the privilege of presenting a whiskey unlike any other. Made from Andean Black Corn and the purest mountain spring water, our whiskey is aged to perfection in American white oak barrels. This is Black Whiskey. The first, and the best Andean Whiskey in the world.
"Black whiskey and the idea to use Andean Black Corn comes from the ancient Andean technique of making a homemade beer called chicha jora. We at Don Michael have refined this process, added malted grains to smooth out the flavor, and implemented a state-of-the-art distillation facility to provide the world with a unique Andean Whiskey in the form of Black Whiskey."
Kyro Malt Rye
$79.99
This Rye Whisky from Finland is made from 100% malted rye. It is bottled at 47.2%.
People from Finland seem to know how to live the good life. We should all have a sauna in our backyard to dive into when it is fridged and snowing in the middle of winter. We should also have some good Rye Whisky to take in with us - and that is where Kyro Rye comes in. Kyro Distillery resides in Isokyrö, Finland. The distillery was founded by a group of friends that were pondering the meaning of life and bemoaning the lack of Finnish Rye Whisky one day in - you guessed it - a sauna. They decided to do something about it, and Kyro was born.
Kujira Whisky Inari
$75.99
This Ryukyu Whisky is distilled for 100% Indica rice, and blended with other whiskies for a fruity profile. 47%.
More About the Product
Kujira – Japanese word for “whale”. Ryukyu Islanders consider the whale, the largest creature in nature and prolific in the Pacific waters surrounding the island, as the guardian of peace and nature.
Ryukyu – a chain of Japanese islands in the western Pacific Ocean between Japan and Taiwan. 3,120 square miles (1,205 square kilometers). Okinawa is the largest and most populous island in the Ryukyu chain.
Inari - In Japanese mythology “Inari” is the god primarily known as the protector of rice cultivation.
Indica rice – Indica rice is one of the two major eco-geographical races of Oryza sativa (O. sativa indica). It is the major type of rice grown in the tropics and subtropics.
Nomad Reserve 10 Year
$112.99
What happens if you age and/or bottle Scottish Whisky outside of Scotland? In most cases, you can no longer call it Scotch whisky!. That is part of the story behind Nomad Outland Whisky, which is made from a blend of Scotch Whiskies that were shipped to Jerez, Spain to mature.
The Nomad reserve 10 Year Old Triple Cask spends 6 years in Scotland, quietly maturing in American Oak ex-Sherry Casks. After this, the whisky is sent to Spain for further maturing in PX Sherry Casks and then further, further maturation in Oloroso Sherry Casks.
The result is bottled at 43.1% ABV, because 43% is obviously far too low.
From The Producer Marketing Department
"There was a time when the nomads revealed places, cultures and knowledge to us together with a different way of looking at life . Today, everything is changing and it seems that there is nothing left to discover, that the whole world enjoys the same things, at the same time and very fast. But there is always an exception to the rule. We simply need to sharpen our senses and look beyond the horizon, like a true nomad, to discover something new and authentic, a new frontier that only we have reached."
Black Bull Peated Edition Blended Scotch
$54.99
Indie Bottler Duncan Taylor has been producing Black Bull Blended Scotch Whisky since the 1990s, but the brand was actually started more than a century before that. The blend was first introduced back in 1864 and has undergone quite a few iterations since. The two things that set Black Bull apart from many other blends are its high malt content and using 50% ABV as its standard bottling strength.
This Peated Edition of Black Bull contains a larger portion of peated malt whisky than the usual bottlings. It is a blend of 50% malt and 50% grain whisky, once again bottled at 50% ABV.
Diony Port Cask Finish Canadian Whisky
$134.99
From Diony Distillery of Red Deer, Alberta.
50% ABV.
Producer Description
"Mashbill: Malted rye (67%), malted barley and oat
Age: 43 months
Cask: Recharred #2 French oak barrel, Recharred #3 French oak barrel, finished in Port barrel"