Welcome to a great place to talk about Whisky!

Welcome here!

Over the past few years I have really begun to enjoy whisky. My journey began with Scotch about ten years ago. I was just starting out as a school principal and the outgoing principal bought me a bottle of Scotch and said, "Here, now that you are an admin, you will need to learn to appreciate Scotch." That simple statement and gift began an exploration of taste and smell that continues today.

More recently I have been trying more Canadian Whisky and finding that I enjoy many expressions. There are some excellent, more talented and qualified reviewers out there, like Rob @whisky_in_the_6 or Mark and Jamie @thewhiskytopic to name just a few I have followed for a while. However, I really love to talk about whisky and to share that passion with friends who might drop by.

This youtube channel, podcast, and blog will explore that passion for whisky and if you like my reviews or thoughts, please like, share, subscribe, and comment. After all, I'm putting this out there to have a conversation. Thanks for dropping by.

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Episode 16: Bushmills Black Bush and Connemara Peated Whiskey

I felt like trying Irish Whiskey tonight. My friend recently traveled to Ireland and that got me thinking. I picked two for review and ended up liking one and not so much the other! Irish Whisky is known for it’s smoother character. That comes from the tradition most distilleries follow in Ireland of double or Triple Distilling their product. This generally removes more offensive compounds from the distillate, but it also can remove some rewarding flavours too. I think when they take their time with it and age it for 12 or more years in quality oak this can create some of the best whiskeys I’ve had. However, if it’s rushed or the oak is too old the result is a little flat or one dimensional. Looking at Black Bush first. Black Bush is a blended Irish Whiskey. It is made from about 20% grain whisky and 80% malt whisky. In Ireland that means that 20% is an undisclosed blend of grains run through a column distill, while 80% is moved through a pot still. With Black Bush this 80 % is t...

Episode 21: Dalmore 15 A great Sherry Finished Scotch!

With such a great sale going on in the Edmonton area at Safeway & Sobeys liquor stores for Dalmore, I thought I’d break out the only bottle I have and give it a taste. The Dalmore 15 is aged for most of it’s life in ex-bourbon casks then finished in ex-sherry. Instead of the usual oloroso sherry, Dalmore uses a combination of Matusalem, Apostoles and Amoroso sherry butts. I’m not sure how the combination works but it’s somewhere around 2 years in ex-sherry. I find this surprising as the scotch has certainly been heavily influenced by its time in ex-sherry. The nose is rich, with lots of dark almost leathery fruits. I find dark cherry or plum mostly and a deep citrus or orange in the background. This time I was surprised to find some chocolate too after leaving it in the glass a bit. The palate is rich too, but not as exciting as some. The fruits are drier and older, there is a little pepper in the mouth but not excessive and the orange comes through for me here too. The ...

Episode 09: Knob Creek Straight Rye Review

A quick Friday review of Knob Creek Straight rye. I have had this bottle around, unopened for a while but with all the rye coming out in Canada I thought I better open it up and give it a chance. I do not know that much about Knob Creek rye, but I have enjoyed some of their other bourbon expressions. The distillery is part of Beam Suntory group and produced at the Jim Beam distillery. I have found various sites claiming to know the mashbill, but I do not have any official knowledge was what the gran mix is here. We do know it is aged a minimum of two years in charred new American oak barrels and has a minimum of 51% rye. Likely this is aged much longer and I would imagine it is in the 6 to 8 year mark. On the nose I find this rye gives a light floral note, some sweetness of corn, and a hint of oak. On the palate it is spicy and the sweet notes continue to move toward caramel and vanilla, not fruit. The fruit I do pick up is muted and hard for me to pin point. The finish is medium l...

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