There's gold in the Yukon - Liquid that is....

The Yukon conjures up images of Cccccccold.... barren, dog sleds, and to some (we will say ignoramuses) igloos, burly men errr and women that don't shave, polar bears, and did I mention COLD!?

The reality is, yes some of that is mostly true. Does it get cold, hell yes!  Coldest temperature ever recorded in North America -> Snag (1947) where it dipped to -63 Celsius (-81.4 Fahrenheit). But it also has summer just like the rest of Canada does where temperatures have climbed as high as 36 Celsius. Now for those of you who haven't brushed up on Canadian geography since elementary school. The Yukon is located at the far north western part of my beautiful country. Distance from my front door to the capital of Whitehorse is 6, 842km, hence I've never been there but I want to! 

Well now it's even more on the bucket list because there is a distillery there called Yukon Brewing (and their sister Yukon Spirits) -> http://twobrewerswhisky.com/

Another great Canadian story of two good friends starting up a business together in 1997. First a brewery and then in 2009 they bought a still and starting making whisky spirits. Carefully crafted in very small batches and yes it's single malt. This year, 2016, marks the first year they are releasing their whisky to the market. Although no age statement appears on the bottles, it's approximately 6 to 7 years old.

Release Number 01 was limited to the Yukon and completely sold out in less than 6 hours. My friend Mark Manolis was the first to review it (just so happens he lives there) 

http://whiskysybarit.blogspot.ca/2016/02/two-brewers-yukon-single-malt-whisky.html?spref=tw

Then the distillery announced that release #2 would hit the stores on March 5 in the Yukon and was branching out to select Alberta locations on March 10th. With only 1,650 bottles being made I scrambled to get in touch with someone from the Alberta #whiskyfabric to ensure I would get two bottles! (Amen for good friends!!!)

And as my luck would have it I was fortunate enough to not only receive a sample from Release 2 but also Release 1. I was over the moon and opened them immediately when they arrived (at 11:30am!!!)

I know some people haven't caught on to the fact that Canadian whisky is such a fantastic category right now. The truth of the matter is we are still such a young country and so our distilleries. We have them in almost every province and now also one of the territories. This thrills me deeply and the excitement I feel as a very proud Canadian whisky drinker is so apparent to my friends and followers that I must appear like a bit of a fanatic. Honestly, I don't care what people might want to call it, I am truly proud and not scared to say or show it. I will do everything I can to continue elevating the category and will bring to your attention the ones I feel (my own opinion don't forget) are doing it right and are worth buying!

Release #1 - Two Brewers Yukon Single Malt - Classic Release 01, 46% ABV.

Nose: Honey! Clean, slightly waxy with undertones of fresh ripe fruit: Melon, peaches and a little banana. With water became creamy and much more cereal appeared.

Palate: Whoa! Explosion of lemon custard and peppery/grapefruit snuck up on me. Made my mouth water profusely. With water, again even more creamy and then the oak appears. It's almost a bit "woodsy"...  pine'ish maybe?  

Finish: The "burn" doesn't linger but leaves a trace of parsley or mint that lasts. It's "green" but not at all unpleasant. 

I like the 46%, I think that was an excellent choice for the ABV. It's not one dimensional. It's a very good whisky indeed! I think the people who were lucky enough to get a bottle will be pleasantly pleased!

Release #2 - Two Brewers Yukon Single Malt - Special Finishes Release 02, 46% ABV

Nose: Rich red cherries! Enticing, really grabs your attention. It's sweet but fresh, not "syrupy". My friend Oliver is going to kill me for using this word but it's truly a vibrant smelling whisky (sorry dude!) With water, the cherries disappeared completely and I started getting dried fruits like gold sultanas or dates. Still lovely on the nose!

Palate: This has more dimensions than Release 01, it's a bit more aggressive and drying in nature. I would almost bet there was a bit more virgin oak used on this... It's a powerful dram. Water totally calmed it down for me. Again became more like a cherry clafouti (Pastry/cherries) but tannic feeling completely gone.

Finish: This one lingers! Warming, spicy with baking spices like ginger, cloves and hints of hot cinnamon candies.

Having recently tried a variety of other 'new Canadian whiskies' at a recent whisky show I am more than happy to say these whiskies get a really high thumbs up! I can't wait to get my bottles of Release 02 and if, hmmm, anyone has an extra bottle of Release 01 they think they might want to get rid of, please keep me in mind.

Release 02 - Special Finishes is now available at several Alberta locations such as Chateau Louis Liquor in Edmonton, Wine and Beyond (also in Edmonton) as well as several Liquor Depot locations in Alberta.  It retails for $100, it's a 750ml bottle and in my very happy but always humbled opinion: WORTH EVERY PENNY!

Where else in the world can you get a whisky that was made where the men are men, and so are the women!  hehehe Yup, excuse the pun... but this distillery has indeed struck gold!

I very much look forward to the opportunity to try the next releases which will happen in 2016. A huge Maritime HUZZAH to Bob and Alan! Keep up the good work and making the rest of Canada extremely whisky proud!

Now... Alberta, get out there and get your bottle before it's gone!

Cheers!

Lassie 

Glen Breton 14 - Lucky number 7 perhaps?

In 2010 I went to visit the Glenora Distillery in Nova Scotia Canada. It was the first distillery in all of North America to make a single malt and, at the time they had recently won their 7 year battle with the Scotch Whisky Association for the use of the word "Glen". It was truly a case of David/Goliath so I was really excited to be going.

That Saturday we received a full tour of the distillery including the warehouse and a tasting in the boardroom. Things started to go off the rails pretty quickly I'm afraid. The tour guide starting talking about the fact that the local maple trees and apple orchard aromas wafted through the air at the distillery, therefore imparting the flavors into the stream that was used to make the whiskies... Errrrr -> What exactly does a maple tree taste like???  

In the warehouse, it only got worse as they pulled samples from a cask of 12 year old and passed Glencairns around. I nosed it greedily and thought wow this is quite a light and delicate whisky, then I tasted it. My immediate reaction was absolutely awful. I wanted to spit it out. I looked around at the other participants but nobody else seemed to be in full panic mode like I was AND to make matters worse; they looked like they were really enjoying the dram. "Maybe I got a soapy glass, I tried to reassure myself". I swallowed, it gave me goosebumps in the worse way possible. I quietly went to the tour guide and said: "I think I may have gotten a dirty glass, could I have another please". He obliged and I went through the process of nosing/tasting the second sample. 

NO DICE. Still dreadful... It was a hot lemon soapy mess. I continued with the tour but bowed out of the led tasting and left that weekend feeling quite disappointed. The following summer I was in Halifax and at a farmer's market where Glenora had a booth. They were pouring a few different samples including something new they were calling Battle of the Glen 15 year old limited edition. I walked over, tried them both and yet again: Lemony soap. I always have an open mind, I constantly strive to try everything. In the last 5 years I've tried their 10 black label, 10 blue label, Battle of the Glen and Ice 10 = None of which have been pleasant whisky experiences.

I have walked away six times convinced I do not like Glen Breton whiskies, however; I am a Canadian whisky enthusiast so I do own one or two bottles as part of my collection and I always offer it to people around the world who do want to try them as I've come to realize that just because I don't like certain whiskies it doesn't mean others won't. In this case, Glen Breton has a pretty loyal following in the United States as well as other countries around the world. 

Two weeks ago my friend Mike Gill came to stay with us and brought a bottle of Glen Breton 14 year old. It was a really busy weekend so we didn't get to open it. The following week I noticed that a few bloggers were tweeting about having been to the unveiling of the Glen Breton 25 year old in Toronto and were making comments on twitter about the 14. Now I knew I had to pop it open to try it. Could this be disastrous Glen Breton whisky #7 or was the streak finally going to be broken?

I sat down at my kitchen table staring at the box. Anxiety crept up my spine and directly into my brain. Wait a minute... Was I the issue? Am I destined to be known as the crazy whisky lady who tastes lemon soap in her Canadian Single Malt? Worse... would I be compared to Jim Murray and cause scandal in the Canadian Whisky World? I chuckled... nah nobody gives a sweet flying duck about what this Canuck would have to say...  ;)

I popped open the box, the bottle seal and poured myself a generous sample of the 14 year old and then... I stared at the glass. The whisky intimidated me and I lost the staring contest. I left it sitting there and went outside to do some weeding. Thirty minutes later I came in and of course it was still there waiting, calling out to me: "I could be the one", it whispered... I rolled up my sleeves and sat down in front of the glass. 

Nose: Very floral, vanilla followed by mint and eventually lemon scented nail polish remover (I cringed... oh no!?) 

Palate: and there it is... soap but this time it's more lavender not lemon. I spit it out into the kitchen sink. I looked at the whisky left in my glass and swore out loud to nobody. My mouth tasted like I had kissed my grandmother's neck after she put on her 'Avon' perfume... 

I stared hard at the bottle, like it was its fault I was striking out again!? I glanced down at the glass which of course was in cahoots with the whisky. I slowly poured the whisky into the sink. That's only the 3rd time in my thirty years of whisky imbibing that I have ever done that. Glen Breton 7, Johanne 0. I started to justify: "Maybe it's because I let it sit too long in the glass? I should have added a few drops of water? Some ice? Some ginger ale? Some gin? I drank two big glasses of water, not yet surrendered to the notion that this whisky and I would never get along damn it!!! One full hour later I poured another dram and repeated the process:

Nose: Took me awhile but eventually I got floral, fresh cut green grass,mint again and maybe a bit of vanilla but it was really faint. It was more delicate this time (assuming because it was fresh out of the bottle and not aired)

Palate: I cringed as I took another mouthful: Ack!! It filled every crevice with a flavoured gum from my childhood: And back to the sink... ready to spit but in defiance, I made myself swallow (no gutter jokes please). I sputtered, shook and coughed like a child given Buckley's syrup! I put the glass back on the kitchen table and gave it a wide berth of about six feet. Seriously!? What is wrong here....

About 15 minutes later Graham came through the door for lunch. I thrust the glass in his hand. Hmmm, not bad he says. I am stunned??! "You don't taste soap!!??", I almost stutter with what feels like tears starting in my eyes. "Nope, it's floral but no soap". A few days later I give the whisky blind to a friend almost in defiance at this point as I have convinced myself HE will taste soap. His review: "Meh, it's ok but not stellar". STILL NO SOAP.   

So there you have it. I know there are people out there somewhere who get these same flavour profiles as I do but apparently there are twice as many that simply don't. Bad for me, very good for Glenora. I really wish I liked their whiskies. I have to be proud of the fact that they make a Canadian Single Malt. I know for a fact two pubs in Saint John can't keep it on the shelves when the cruise ships arrive, the distillery is shipping the stuff by container load to China and there is a demand for and will be released into the European market very soon?! 

Now the other thing I didn't talk about is the price tag. I have always struggled with how much Glenora charges for their products. Now, you will recall that I highly recommended Stillwaters Stalk & Barrel Single Malt at $100/bottle. Why - Because I like it, it taste good AND it's important to support them now in their infancy so that they survive as a distillery down the line: 

http://whiskylassie.blogspot.ca/2013/05/stalk-barrel-canadian-single-malt.html

Why won't I pay $100 for Glen Breton 14? Well, it should be obvious "we" don't get along. And... as I was stating, for me as well as a few other people who I asked to try it blind: It's simply mediocre in nature. I have said for sometime now that I personally feel Glenora is doing something wrong somewhere. It's like they are making whisky with less than stellar tools and/or process which means for me personally: At best, it's a $50 whisky being sold for $100. 

There you have it, I have been defeated by a Canadian Single Malt and I concede... Seven rounds, score is still 7-0 and Johanne is down and out. Oh and by the way #whiskyfabric if anyone wants to try the Glen Breton 10 blue label, the 10 Ice or the 14, please let me know I have plenty to share...   ;)

Lassie

Dram #2, Stalk & Barrel Cask 5 - Carpe Diem!

 It is really exciting to look back at 2013 and revisit the entire year. The point of my 12 memorable drams was to share some of the adventures and moments that changed me or the direction I am headed. I always say the road is a bendy, windy, crazy adventure. I'm glad I have fantastic friends, a helmet and some knee pads, hehehe. The up moments have been glorious, the downs also epic. Can you say crash & burn!  Oh yeah... 2013 had some very memorable life experiences indeed. My grandmother often said: "It takes sitting in manure to make beautiful flowers grow". Well this year I felt, at times, like I was in shit up to my ears...

After a brief hiatus from the world this summer I came back to whisky, blogging and me with a slightly deflated attitude. I was struggling to find that spark and passion that I used to have. Well at least that's what it felt like at the time. I kept telling myself to just put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Glad I did because on my 2nd trip to Toronto, I took some time to visit Still Waters Distillery (yet again) and had a fantastic time (yet again). Wrote about it here:
http://www.whiskylassie.blogspot.ca/2013/10/get-your-stalk-barrel-here-cask-5-8-and.html

But it's what happened as a result of trying cask 5 that sparked the whisky "burn" back into my life. When I asked Barry how I could get some of the best whisky (IMO) they were casking to date, he replied: "You can't, the whole cask is being shipped to the USA". I recall my shoulders slumping for a moment... "USA? All of it? Really? None for Canadians?" 

They explained that an importer had come to the distillery and chosen Cask 5 (obviously had a good nose/taste in whisky) so I asked the who, what, where questions because I really wanted a bottle for myself. Then it happened: The creative juices began to run hot in my veins like a fantastic whisky toddy (just had to add the pun...) and the next thing I knew I made contact with Raj Sabharwal @whiskyraj and pitched my idea, right on the spot. Within a week it was planned, organized and done! What, you might ask? The first USA twitter tasting of course. :)

The fantastic part: Four whiskies from around the world. Canadian, Tasmanian, Indian and English. We had a blast! The whiskies were great and I made 10 new whiskyfabric friends not to mention a fantastic networking contact in Raj, (Purple Valley Imports) whom I had the pleasure of meeting in New York City.

More importantly... I rediscovered that when I find a good whisky that I want, I have no fear in putting my best foot and ideas forward. The fire was there all along, I apparently just needed someone to poke it with a stick and add a bit of fuel so I want to thank Barry & Barry for being such a great repeated highlight to my year. It's meant the world to me to be so privileged and share your story and whiskies with people from around the world. 


To cask 5 and being me again.  Whisky Lassie back, better then ever and ready to take on whatever 2014 holds... 

PS - I did get a bottle of Cask 5 :) which I've shared several times...



LASSIE