When it comes to French brandy, you typically have a choice of the “standard” stuff, or high-end Cognac/Armagnac. St-Rémy has stepped in to offer an alternative with its Small Batch Reserve. Dried fruit/fruitcake aromas combine with vanilla, nutmeg, sultana and toasted nuts. Smooth, spicy, round and warm in the mouth with complex notes of toffee, dried fruit, orange peel, and soft oak.
At 57.5% alcohol by volume, and peated to a staggering 167 ppm (making it the world’s most heavily peated whisky), you might expect the Bruichladdich Octomore (6th edition) to be simply overpowering. The thing is, it’s not. Sure, the smoke is there, but so is the Bruichladdich character. There’s elegance, complexity and fruity overtones nestled in amongst the earth, seaweed, black pepper, vanilla and bog myrtle. Salty/peaty on the palate, with minty/menthol notes, vanilla and toasted nuts. Profoundly long on the finish with a final dash of black pepper.
Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie Scottish Barley Islay Single Malt ($70) Unpeated Islay malts are not all that common, but this example from Bruichladdich is certainly proof that you don’t need smoke to create complexity. Sweet barley, a whiff of spice, citrus (which becomes more intense with a dash of water) and honey notes combine with a whisper of sea spray on the nose. Smooth and silky in the mouth, it perfectly balances traces of lemon, honey, caramel and crème brûlée with a long, subtly peppery finish.
Another award-wining whisky from the Gimsby, Ontario-based Forty Creek Distillery Ltd. The Copper Pot Reserve bears certain characteristics of the flagship Barrel Select, including the aromas of toasted nuts and caramel, along with some citrus peel notes. A bit weightier in the mouth, the Copper Pot sports additional complexity and warmth due to the higher (43%) alcohol level. Lots of caramel, walnut, spice and candied fruit flavours with vanilla, toasty oak and mild spice on the finish.
A blend of grains including rye, barley and corn lends complexity to this whisky, as does aging in American and Canadian oak. Toasted nuts, marmalade, vanilla, buckwheat honey and a whiff of baking spice on the nose. Warm and round on the palate with suggestions of honey, toffee, sweet/spicy oak and vanilla with a long, moderately spicy finish. A bit softer and less edgy than you’re typical Canadian whisky.
Whey? Now way! Yes, whey. Bob’s Super Smooth is a made-in-Ontario whey-based distillate. The practice of producing whey spirit originated in New Zealand (no doubt due to the country’s prominent dairy industry). The lactose and gluten free whey spirit is blended with spring water from Ontario’s Elmvale clay plain (cited by Canadian Geographic as the purest ground water on the planet) to create the final “vodka” (it can’t be called such on the bottle thanks to typical draconian labeling regulations). I find it has more aroma and flavour than most vodka, with distinct fruity/estery aromatics and a super smooth (honest), viscous and very clean profile.
Craft spirits are hot these days, but consider the “original” Canadian craft spirt: Newfoundland Screech Rum. Long before any Canadian liquor board was (for better or worse) created, Newfoundland salt fish was being traded for West Indian rum. I can tell you which party got the better deal. Redolent with vanilla pod, orange zest, sultana and molasses, it’s smooth, rich and spicy, with caramel, toffee, vanilla and citrus notes. Maybe Canada could annex Jamaica.