Whisky Neighbour

It has been a great year for whisky in my house in 2017. Most of the expressions I’ve had or picked up have been modest and actually quite affordable, so my list reflects this. Everything I pick here is available for under $80.00 Canadian. However, I would hold up this list against many, more expensive expressions I’ve tried and each one here is a bottle I have enjoyed and so has company. Consider this an easy shopping list if you have not tried these yet! Here are a few short tasting notes. Top Irish : Redbreast 12 Cask strength rating: ✮✮✮✮✰ Subtle nose with some caramel or toffee sugar, the palate is smooth with a bit of nuttiness, more caramel and some pepper, the finish has a bit of oak and vanilla, not long. Strong, but easy to drink this. Top Scotch : Wilson & Morgan Barrel pick of Caol Ila 12 year rating: ✮✮✮✮✮ This expression has smoke that goes on for days. When I pour this, my wife always knows! On the palate there is balanced peat, oak spice, and some hon...

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 ...

I question was asked in my Instagram feed about Glenlivet. This prompted me to take a look at the two bottles I have on hand; the 15 year finished in French Oak, and the 18 year with a touch of spirit aged in ex-sherry casks. The Glenlivet 15 year is a step up from their 12 year expression. I have not tried their founders reserve yet, so I can't compare to that entry scotch. On the nose I find some younger fruits like green apple or pear or something crunch and slightly under ripe. Some wood scent or oil can be picked up and a gentle sweetness comes up with time. On the palate, I am surprised by the presence of alcohol on the first sip. This is bottled only at 40% and after aging for 15 year, I would have expected the charcoal to pick up most of that. It's not overwhelming and it fades with a few sips. The taste brings out sweet grain, a little spice and some more light fruits. As it finishes I find the wood notes to come up. It is surprisingly woody or oakey. I like the in...

I have not had a lot of GlenDronach yet, but if the 12 year old expression I picked up is a fair representation of the distillery, I should! This Scotch has spent it's whole life inside ex-sherry casks. This, of course, has a dramatic affect on it's character. I understand this to also be non-chill filtered and free from colouring. Two excellent features in entrance level Scotch! When I approach GlenDronach, I am immediatly greeted with a strong, deep fruity nose. Fruits like plums or dark cherries. This is quickly balanced with some oak or wood oil sents too. Inviting! Sipping is not as fruity as the nose. A bit spicy, some nice vanilla sweetness, and definitely chocolate. I find it has enough oil to feel coating, but not too chewy. The finish is fairly short, but has strong oak influence. Surprising for me, and actually helps keep the drink together. This is the first full bottle of GlenDronach I have had, and I am enjoying it. Another reviewer online said it tasted lik...

Recently I have seen a bit of chatter about Jura and most of it has been negative. I know in the past I have tried a few of their different bottlings and enjoyed them. That prompted me to pull out a couple of unopened bottles and give them a more serious taste review. I looked at three of the four core offerings from this small distillery from the island of Jura. Jura Origin is a ten-year-old Scotch aged only in ex-bourbon casks. It is chill filtered and coloured, but released at a pleasant 43% ABV. The nose is sweet and full of orchard young orchard fruits. I pick up green apple and pear mostly. The first taste is pronounced with alcohol, but as that fades, I find Jura lightly creamy or coating and the sweetness of vanilla and honey begins to shine through. The finish is short, except for a lingering bitterness. I enjoy the light sweetness here, but it is a bit of work to get past the alcohol and bitter notes. Jura Superstition is a NAS Scotch also aged only in ex-bourbon casks....

This is a quick review but I recently picked up a bottle of Old Pulteney 12 for a steal and after tasting it again I needed to share a few thoughts with you. This is a great Scotch and certainly one I would recommend everyone try. At least those that like Scotch. If you like the stronger wood notes or higher sweetness of Bourbon, this might not be for you. Still, if you want to know what Scotch tastes like with almost nothing complicating the basic ingredients of barley, oak, and time, then this is a great example. Many reviewers talk a lot about the brine or salt notes overwhelming this drink. I can find those with time, but it does not take over this Scotch for me. I find the nose to be balanced. Gentle sweetness mixed with salt but also some vanilla. The palate is full with enough spice to stay interesting. With time the sweetness opens up a bit, but never becomes overpowering. There is a citrus note in the finish with a bit of smoke. When tasting this alone in a night the brine...

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! This is a wonderful time of year. The harvest is coming in and we are gearing up for winter. The smell of baking and fall fruits fill the air. Maybe it's the Canadian in me, but I love the turn of the seasons. This is also a time of year I start to spend a few more evenings at home near a fire. Walks or time outside tends to end earlier in the night and we have a little more time visiting. This is a great time to explore Scotch. Reflecting on my comments from my last review, I thought I would chose two bottles that are reasonably affordable and approachable; Highland Park 12 and Bowmore 12. These are both peated Scotches but are around the 20 - 25 ppm and would be a good introduction to the style. Highland park distillery is on the island of Orkney, just north of the Scotish mainland. I have not had the pleasure of a visit, but I've read it is a beautiful island with few tall trees. This gives it's peat bogs a distinct make up and flavour th...

I woke of this morning and it was cold, really cold for October. There was a dusting of snow on the ground and the wind was blowing through the trees and making the day feel almost like winter. Of course, I immediately though of pouring a wonderful glass of peated Scotch. I tend to like peated Scotches in winter and for my second episode I decided this would be a good direction to talk the show. Laphroaig Quarter Cask is an excellent example of an Islay whisky. Traditionally these distillers heat their malted barley with fires fed by peat to stop the germination. This imparts smoke and peat smell the resulting whisky. The Quarter cask is a young whisky, I would guess between 6 and 8 years. What helps bring out the wood notes and bring it together is they finish the spirit in casks that are about 1/4 the size of regular bourbon barrels. This gives the Scotch a great exposure to the wood. I love this Scotch. It is a bit young, and the smoke is strong up front, but give it a bit of ...