Dram #6 - No more searching for a Heart of Gold (ohhh bad pun.... :)

Ahhh Neil Young! You can't be Canadian and not know who he is, well unless you are 5 years old maybe? 

Most that know me, know how much I love Forty Creek whiskies. So I will say it again: John Hall shook the foundations of Canadian Whisky by making it "better". I'm sure at first the industry looked at him like he was nothing more than a flash in the pan and assumed he would a blip on the radar for a few years. Boy, were there wrong. Forty Creek has the second large demographic in Ontario for Canadian whisky and in Texas, it sells 2.5 million whiskies a year. Forty Creek whiskies, for me, became a reason to get on a soap box and announce to the world that CANADIAN WHISKY CAN BE GREAT! 

Now some will say I've drank the Kool-aid and let them think that if they will. All I can say is having seen the foundations shook over the last 7 years I'm positive the slew of new Canadian whiskies we now see on the market is NO coincidence. Someone took notice that status quo was no longer acceptable and that Canadian whisky lovers were ready for something innovative. Ok, I'm getting off the soap box now... 

So why did I choose Heart of Gold as dram #6. As stated each dram has a memorable story or lesson attached, well this one is no different. I was attending the Spirit of Toronto in May of this year. After much deliberation and arm twisting from Richard Culver, we went to Forty Creek Distillery. Not that I didn't want to go, I was scheduled to appear in September at the distillery as part of the Canadian Whisky Dream team with Mark Gillespie, Davin de Kergommeaux and John himself. I knew John was very busy getting things ready for SoT as well as many other dates/tours he was gearing up for so I really didn't want to impose and be another person on the tour in May. What I didn't know is that it was going to be a very special tour. So I'm glad we reshuffled the planned weekend activities and said yes. 
What resulted was the surprise of a lifetime. I found out we were going to be spending the morning touring Forty Creek with John and Ralfy. Oh that's a nice surprise you are thinking?! NO... the surprise came when John took some of his latest creation Heart of Gold out of a cask and we were honored to be the firsts to try it. Of course we were under radio silence and I couldn't tell anyone about it. I nosed/tasted and listened to everyone discuss what they were getting from the sample. It was a glorious way to spend a few hours and I truly felt privileged to be there. The opportunity to imbibe with Ralfy was great but to sit with John and have undivided attention to ask questions, make remarks and learn was amazing. Ok you are thinking so why is this the August 2013 dram? Remember I said we were under strict radio silence, well Mark Gillespie, Davin de Kergommeaux and Chip Dykstra received samples during SoT and accidentally broke that radio silence by posting early reviews of it to their respective sites. June was Ralfy's turn to post his video and then came August when I received my "official" sample for review. I kept quiet still... and said nothing because my blog was due to air the week of Forty Creek Weekend when HoG was being launched: 
http://whiskylassie.blogspot.ca/2013/09/forty-creeks-2013-limited-release-heart.html

I spent the better part of three consecutive days trying to figure out that dram! It's really not unlike anything John had made before? I was perplexed. Why didn't I remember it this way the first time in May? And... that's when it hit me. I got to try a Canadian whisky before Davin and Chip. Two of the leading bloggers/writers in Canada. Davin, the fine gentleman and my mentor - the do all, know all, see all about Canadian whisky. Now I know it was purely by accident and because I happened to be at the right place and right time BUT it still happened. I'm not saying this to sound like I got one over on someone what I'm trying to convey is that I felt like I had come to the table so to speak. That day in August as I stared at my lovely Glencairn with Heart of Gold gleaming in it I thought to myself: "wow, here I am... finally". Not that I think myself an expert as I have so much to learn and it's one thing to hear someone describe me as: "She's one of the top 5 influential voices with regards to Canadian Whisky".  It's a huge compliment I assure you but... to self accept and allow myself to be in a confident place in my own head to finally say: I am the Canadian Whisky Lassie. Pretty memorable indeed! 

I'm comfortable with who I am becoming and my identity in the whiskyfabric. It may have taken a sunny afternoon in August with a dram of Heart of Gold to figure that out but then again Forty Creek changed my life years ago, it's only befitting it changes it again. 

Thanks John for your support and belief in me. May your heart of gold continue to shine brightly within mine.  

Lassie 

Forty Creek's 2013 Limited Release - Heart of Gold...

Still at Forty Creek

Earlier this year I attended the Spirit of Toronto Whisky Gala. We were there for a few extra days so we managed to squeeze in a visit to the Forty Creek Distillery.  I am more than happy we did. Not because I was able to see John again or meet some of the fantastic people on his team but because I was able to see with my own eyes how John works and creates the way he does.

I spent the better part of an entire day there and not only got the grand tour with John but we finished it with a special tasting. Yes, many distilleries do this as well BUT...  this tasting was very special because a) Ralfy was there and b) we were very privileged to try Heart of Gold. We didn't know that beforehand so I was vibrating on this inside when I found out.

There is something magical about trying whisky right out of the barrel. That feeling was heightened by the fact that I was getting a glimpse of John's next release. We were asked not to broadcast what we thought, which I respected. I did however, enjoy discussing what I thought with John, Ralfy and the others as well as made many notes in my whisky book, which I share below.

Heart of Gold is truly another labour of love for John. This whisky's inception started 10 years ago. In the event you didn't know, John was a wine maker for the majority of his career. Ok, so what? you think... That makes him a first generation whisky maker which means he isn't trapped by tradition, old recipes, or by the "norms" of Canadian Whisky making.  John doesn't do on purpose to be different, he is just being himself. Having met John several times and spending time with him, it comes as no surprise to me that he consistently creates whiskies that are only non-conformist but innovative (alot like his personality I think...) Dave Broom recently wrote an editorial in Whisky Magazine (issue 113) that described the fact that most Scottish Distilleries were so entrenched in their beliefs that they are not exploring the possibilities of flavors by using different yeasts. Here's the innovative part:  That whisky, that John started working on 10 years ago, is made with a wine yeast strain. Now... is John the only whisky maker doing this -> No. There are a few. But he's currently the only Canadian Whisky Maker that has. So why use a wine yeast for the fermentation? Sounds a bit odd for whisky if you think about it. Well, from my perspective (chemistry background), it only makes sense that if you use a different yeast strain, you will end up with a different mash. Wine yeasts are traditionally used for grapes which have a high sugar content. They are more tolerant to acidic PH as well as temperature fluctuations. John states that he wanted to bring out more flavors in the rye component of his whisky.

Rye is a denser grain with less maltose (a type of glucose) but higher nitrogen content. It can withstand higher mash temperatures (2-5 degrees). Rye wort is more acidic then barley or corn. John postulated that using a wine yeast would bring out the more floral aromas and flavors that rye has. This may surprise some people. Rye whisky is traditionally recognized for its spicy, rye bread with caraway seeds sort of profile. He also came to the conclusion that the subtle floral part of the grain often gets masked by the spicy components. So, by using a yeast that would bring out the delicate part of the grain AND by ensuring that the distillate "heart" cut was much narrower he achieved exactly what he wanted:  Heart of Gold.

Forty Creek Heart of Gold Reserve, 2013 release, 43% ABV.

Color:  May & September 2013 - Dark yellow with hints of amber. Reminds me of tarnished gold painting frames.

Nose:  May 2013 - Fresh sawn wood, a bit of ginger spice and something else I recognized but wasn't sure at first. Then it hit me:  Geraniums.  I find the smell of geraniums very "spicy" compared to other flowers like hyacinths or roses. It's a pungent but very distinct and pleasant smell. September 2013 - Geraniums are still there! Picking up a bit more on the spices this time however they are not overwhelming. I went and got a bottle of Lot 40 to do a nose comparison. The rye spice is there, but much more subtle and delicate then on the Lot 40. I quite like it.  It's not "in your face". After my glass sat for a little while, I noticed the more recognized aromas of butterscotch and fresh sawdust.

Palate:  May 2013 (from my notes...) - Wow! Not at all what I expected from the descriptors John is using. I don't get "rye forward". I taste creamy marmalade with a hint of zest in the corners.  It is spicier on the palate then the nose. Surprising! September 2013 - Lovely flavors of dried fruit: Like figs or apricots maybe, followed by a bit sour (like rye bread) and peppery! Once it sat, the sweetness seems to be disappearing and spices are at the forefront:  Ginger, earl gray tea (tannic, cardamom, mouthwatering).

Finish:  May 2013 - I wrote LONG! That's it... hehe September 2013 - Sweet & spicy! White pepper meets crystallized ginger! What a delicious combination. Lingers, beautifully...  


Heart of Gold... Now, this is my personal opinion:

Although John and some of my Canadian counterparts state and describe this as a rye forward or rye spicy whisky, I'm going to disagree somewhat. Don't expect to pour this in your glass and be enveloped in the heavy spicy aromas of a dark rye bread coming out of the oven.  NOPE! This whisky is delicate on the nose and leads you in an area of the unknown if you are not used to finding the more tender & light aromas in a whisky. Gibson's 18 is the same way for me = Very delicate but so beautiful.

So do me and the whisky a favor when you nose it. TAKE YOUR TIME. Appreciate and try to localize the aromas that are there. They are truly magical and missing more often than not in 95% of the whiskies I've nosed. The flavor combination that this whisky offers is quite unique. Well balanced, slightly spicy and sweet enough to tease the palate and make your mouth water. Can you taste the "house profile" of Forty Creek, barely...  but it's there.

Heart of Gold being released September 28 at Forty Creek Whisky Weekend (which I'm attending... ). Only 9000 bottles available. If you don't believe I put my money where my whisky is, I've purchased 3 bottles for myself and 2 more as gifts.  First wave of release:  Ontario and then will spread across Canada (if it lasts that long...).

John...  I have no idea how and what you are working on now, but it's hard to believe you will be able to top this one.  My hat off to you, once more for creating something that is different, beautiful from start to finish and special.

Kissing the sleeping "Gold"

As I leave on the plane for Toronto, I bid you all farewell and very much look forward to being back at the Forty Creek Distillery Saturday & Sunday September 28 & 29th for Whisky Weekend.  Many Heart of Gold bottles will fly off the shelf and I'll raise a toast to all my whisky fabric friends in Canada as well as the rest of the world....

Searching for a Heart of Gold (I had to include the Neil Young title, come on....)


Johanne