I first reviewed Laphroaig 10 way back in my 49th review about 2.5yrs ago while at a company outing and gave it a 91. Granted, this was after a few drinks, so probably not the most reliable of reviews. When I visited Islay last June with my wife, we went to Laphroaig, and claimed the rent for our square foot of land in their peat … Continue reading Reviews: Laphroaig 10 @ 40% & 43% ABV
Toronto Whisky Society were privileged enough to be sent bottles and samples of Do Good distilleries offerings. We’d like to start out by thanking Do Good for these samples, and for being patient while we waited for someone to legally bring them back from the US. Do Good Distillery is built upon the ideal of making unique, wonderful craft spirits. Their emphasis is on whisky. They use … Continue reading Toronto Whisky Society Do Good Distillery Reviews
Five of the big players from Islay. You will notice Bunnahabhain, Bruichladdich, and Kilchoman (among a few others) are absent from this lineup. I wanted to review the entry-level (age statement) offerings from the main distilleries to see how each compare. They are affordable, available, and most of all, these are the ones I currently have. Bowmore 12, 40% ABV, $60 CAD Nose: Very light … Continue reading Islay comparison
Glenburgie 21yr IB (Archives 1995) – Review 21 years Bourbon hogshead 54.1% ABV Glenburgie is one of the lesser known Speyside distilleries, despite not being widely known it produces over 4 million litres/year. The profile of the Glenburgie single casks I have tried in the past have been rather bold and interesting, hoping this one continues the trend. Nose: Peaches, vanilla custard, apples, floral, … Continue reading Review: Archives Glenburgie 21 Year Single Cask
Glenfarclas 21, 43% ABV, £7.50 (50ml) Nose: Very faint oranges and apples, heavy cream, dust, old books, and some leather. Everything is very mild. Taste: Honey, almonds, soft oak, wet cardboard. Finish: Short, not overly complex, light and mild. Thoughts: What is going on here? This is Glenmorange Original soft. Just really weak and flat. Zero alcohol note, but a pretty basic whisky. Not sure … Continue reading Glenfarclas 21 & 25 year old’s
Ledaig IB Side-by-Side Review Recently I got my hands on a bottle of Cooper’s Choice 1998 Ledaig, so I decided to compare it head to head against SMWS Ledaig 42.15. The specs of our contenders: Cooper’s Choice 1998 Ledaig 17 years old Matured in sherry butt 56.5% SMWS 42.15 19 years old Ex-bourbon refill hogshead 58.6% Cooper’s Choice 1998 Ledaig Nose: Sherry, cured meats/smoked … Continue reading Ledaig IB Side-by-Side Reviews (SMWS 42.15 vs. Cooper’s Choice 1998)
Kavalan Solist – Vinho Barrique, 57% ABV, Bottled 4/25 2013, £35 (196ml) Nose: Sweet bourbon-like caramel and rum-like sweetness, raspberry, strawberry, oranges, stale fruit candy (like expired wine gums), coco powder, oak spice, and buttered popcorn. Taste: Heavy plums and raisins, fruit cake, ripe banana, mild leather and cinnamon. Finish: Long, well balanced, high viscosity. Thoughts: A heavy hitting whisky with lots going on. Extremely … Continue reading Kavalan Solist – Vinho Barrique & Sherry Cask Reviews
________________________________________________________________________________ Macallan 12 (Sherry Cask), 43% ABV, $55 USD Nose: Very bold sherry, raisins, cranberries, subtle vanilla, and that unmistakable Macallan oakiness. Taste: Heavy sherry, dates, raisins, chocolate fudge, very nice underlying spiciness, and a slight bitter ginger. Finish: Medium-Long, well balanced, with those awesome Macallan oak tannins. Good mouth-feel and viscosity. Thoughts: I absolutely love this expression! In my opinion it’s the benchmark for … Continue reading Macallan 12 year comparison and reviews (Sherry Cask, Fine Oak, & Double Cask)
My wife and I recently had a great weekend in Windsor visiting the Hiram Walker Distillery, Canadian Club Brand Centre, Wolfhead Distillery and just hanging out with good company! We spent the weekend with some friends and he has a fantastic, growing collection of whiskies that he picks up in his business travels. Our weekend also involved a lot of great food including flaming cheese at Santorini’s … Continue reading Some NDP Bourbon Reviews
2023 UPDATES UNDER EACH ENTRY BELOW Sadly very few solid buys under $100 anymore in 2023. Some new replacement suggestions below. After seeing a wonderful post by the Scotch Club YEG a couple of the members of TWS started debating what the best scotch options were at the LCBO (the options available at $80 sadly could not justify a list here). Click here to see … Continue reading Best Scotch Whiskies Under $100 At LCBO
Timberwolf Forest Products isn’t exactly a name that brings whisky to mind, but the company has been integrally involved in the whisky industry, handling the in/out processing of barrels for Hiram Walker – the largest distillery in North America – for years, as well as a small third party bottling operation for small batch runs of spirits. So it wasn’t as big a leap as one … Continue reading Wolfhead Distillery [Visit & Review]
Last weekend I went to Windsor, spent some time with friends drinking bourbon and scotch, visiting the Hiram Walker Distillery and Wolfhead Distillery, and also stopped in to the Canadian Club Brand Centre, which shut down public tours as of March 31st. The property is actually owned by Pernod-Ricard, and I guess Beam Suntory decided to stop paying money to its competitor, despite the historical value of … Continue reading Pre-shutdown visit to the Canadian Club Brand Centre & a couple of reviews
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