August 20th Vintage Tasting – Toronto Whisky Society

On August 20th the Toronto Whisky Society had one of our most interesting and unique lineups for a tasting. Toronto Whisky Society had picked up a number of independent bottlings from various regions and distilleries, and our tasting was led by Igor, who is a whisky agent with a great deal of knowledge when it comes to whisky. (Igor leading Toronto Whisky Society members through … Continue reading August 20th Vintage Tasting – Toronto Whisky Society

Northern Border Collection tasting event at the Drake Devonshire

Recently some of Corby’s representatives reached out to members of the Toronto Whisky Society to attend a tasting event they were having with bartenders and whisky media at the Drake Devonshire in picturesque Prince Edward County. TOModera and I were fortunate enough to be able to go. We looked forward to the opportunity to try the soon-to-be-released Northern Border Collection Limited Releases! It was TOModera’s first … Continue reading Northern Border Collection tasting event at the Drake Devonshire

Brown-Forman Tasting Event at JOEY

Back in June, TWS held a tasting event with Brown-Forman at JOEY in the Eaton Centre. This was a joint event with @MaltCollective on Instagram, and was a great evening, enjoyed greatly by the 20+ attendees who were there! The team at JOEY brought out some amazing food and the service was second to none! A huge thank you to the animated and knowledgeable John Breckon … Continue reading Brown-Forman Tasting Event at JOEY

Woodman Spirits & International Beverages Tasting Event

This was the fourth official Toronto Whisky Society event of 2017. Gordon Stevenson is the global spirits ambassador with International Beverage Holdings and is here to walk us through a tasting of various their whiskies. Their five distilleries are represented here. Putleney, Balblair, Speyburn, Knockdhu (anCnoc), & Balmenach – their largest distillery, exclusively used for blends and their gin. They used to do drum maltings … Continue reading Woodman Spirits & International Beverages Tasting Event

Collingwood Distillery Luncheon / Whisky Tasting

I’d like to start by thanking Brown-Foreman for inviting me to a recent Collingwood Whisky tasting and lunch. This was hosted by them, and I was invited as part of my inclusion of the Toronto Whisky Society. As part of the lunch, Alexis Green, the brand ambassador, walked through this distillery with us, had an introductory tasting, shared some great cocktail recipes, and overall gave … Continue reading Collingwood Distillery Luncheon / Whisky Tasting

Spirit of Toronto 2017

Yesterday marked the annual Spirit of Toronto tasting event at the Roy Thomson Hall. An absolute must for the whisky enthusiast, Spirit of Toronto offers an all-inclusive experience with a wide range vendors and expressions. This was the second consecutive year I attended, and once again I had an amazing evening. One of the best features about Spirit of Toronto are the Masterclasses offered each … Continue reading Spirit of Toronto 2017

Victoria Caledonian Distillery – TWS Event

On April 23rd the Toronto Whisky Society hosted our most recent event, a tasting by the Victoria Caledonian Brewery & Distillery. Andrew Campbell Walls, the incredibly delightful brand ambassador of Victoria Caledonian Distillery, was gracious to lead is through a tasting of the TWA Blended malts available from the distillery, along with a sample of the currently maturing single malt spirit (Mac Na Braiche). Below … Continue reading Victoria Caledonian Distillery – TWS Event

TWS visits Hiram Walker Distillery – Part 3

In Part 1, we covered grain, mashing and fermenting. In Part 2, we covered distillation, QA, barrelling and aging. Now we’re going to look at the final few steps in the whisky making process, our own attempt to do Don’s job of blending, and a trip into the Whisky Archives. Blending This step is where Don’s creative muscles are exercised. Unlike a single malt scotch, … Continue reading TWS visits Hiram Walker Distillery – Part 3

TWS visits Hiram Walker Distillery – Part 2

In Part 1 of the Toronto Whisky Society’s visit to the Hiram Walker Distillery we covered how they handle their grain, the mashing process and fermenting process. Next we move on to: Distillation Distillation is essentially selective evaporation to concentrate a substance and remove unwanted portions. In the spirits world, there are two types of stills: Continuous or column stills, and pot stills. At Hiram … Continue reading TWS visits Hiram Walker Distillery – Part 2

TWS visits Hiram Walker Distillery – Part 1

On March 24th, a few founding members of the Toronto Whisky Society were given the opportunity to tour the Hiram Walker Distillery and we want to share that experience with you in a few posts over the next few days. For any of you who don’t know, the distillery was built in 1858 by Hiram Walker, an American businessman who helped grow Canadian whisky to … Continue reading TWS visits Hiram Walker Distillery – Part 1

TWS attends Jim Beam Black & Double Oaked pre-launch party + reviews!

A few weeks ago we received an email from PraxisPR, inviting us to attend the pre-launch party and tasting of the new Jim Beam Double Oaked and Black extra aged. So we, Bryan and Kyle, dutifully went to the Village Cigar Company & Barbershop for cocktails, old timey vaudevillian music, and in Bryan’s case, a free haircut won in a draw!  This place was peak hipster, and … Continue reading TWS attends Jim Beam Black & Double Oaked pre-launch party + reviews!

Toronto Whisky Society’s <10yr/NAS Social Event

Looks like them Toronto Whisky Society boys (and ladies) are up to no good again folks. Just kidding, we’re always up to great good. It was a slightly windy day in First Spring when the TWS (owners of this here website and such) had a good ol’ tastin’. We headed to Dupont, set out the nicest crackers, dark chocolates, and cheesey-poofs, and invited everyone. Entry? Well … Continue reading Toronto Whisky Society’s <10yr/NAS Social Event