There are a few scotch brands that everyone loves that should be a staple tasting event for any reputable whisky club…. and we hadn’t done one of those yet in our 6 years since founding! Bry Simpson, the Canadian brand ambassador for Ardbeg and Glenmorangie is even a former TWS member, and YET we still hadn’t managed to pull off an event yet. That all … Continue reading Ardbeg & Glenmorangie Tasting – April 2023
2020 has been quite the year, and your Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus celebrations are likely to look a little different than normal, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be buying whisky for your friends and family! We’ve put together an updated 2020 Gift Guide to help you find the best options at the LCBO! WHISKY $61 AND UNDER Wild Turkey 101 – a great bourbon for $38 currently … Continue reading 2020 Holiday Whisky Gift Guide
(This distillery feature was written by Toronto Whisky Society member Stephen Sheps. Thanks to him once again for letting us publish his experiences on Islay!) Day 2 of my trip to Islay was a memorable one to say the least – while nothing could top the stunning high of our visit to Bruichladdich the previous afternoon (saving the best for the last review), we knew … Continue reading Ardbeg Distillery Review (With a Stop at Laphroaig and Lagavulin!)
On June 2nd we celebrated yet another year of Ardbeg. But what is Ardbeg Day? For those of you like myself, Ardbeg Day was always something that “other whisky nerds” in “other countries” went to, drinking “otherworldly Ardbeg”. Sometimes literally, in the case of the year with Galileo (yes, the specific whisky that went into space wasn’t Galileo, I know, but that last line sounded … Continue reading Ardbeg Day 2018 – Toronto
Ardbeg An Oa, 46.6% ABV, $65 USD An Oa is aged in new charred oak, PX sherry and first fill bourbon casks. Nose: General sweetness, sherry, vanilla, lemon, lemon cleaner, ginger, licorice, bubble gum, soft oak, and a lighter peat than other Ardbegs, more of a campfire style. Taste: Fresh lemon, creamy oak, hickory, under-ripe pear, chocolate and toffee. Finish: Long, nice creamy oak. Very … Continue reading Ardbeg An Oa
It’s been an amazing year for me in whisky. I’ve tried more spirit in 2017 than any year previous. I started reviewing for Toronto Whisky Society, and made lots of friends and contacts in the Toronto whisky scene. As I reflect on 2017, I wanted to share some highlights. Ill start with my biggest disappointment of 2017. Without a doubt it’s Macallan 12 Year Double Cask. … Continue reading Jeremy’s Whisky of the Year 2017
I apologize for my absence, it’s been almost 2 months since my last review. Ardbeg Kelpie 46% ABV, $140 CAD Nose: Peat, pine, salt, brine, pepper, caramel popcorn, diaper wipes. Taste: Cedar wood chips, creamy vanilla, smoked salmon, chard steak, Hickory Sticks, and a big peat kick. Finish: Long, hickory note lingers, decent viscosity, but I bet the Committee Release is epic! Thoughts: The virgin … Continue reading Ardbeg Kelpie
My 2 cents on Non Age-statement (NAS) Scotch Whisky. I feel like this review is an appropriate time to weigh-in on the discussion. There is a lot of hate in the whisky community towards distilleries for not disclosing the age of their product. Some even flat out boycott purchasing a bottle without a number on the front. Being relatively new to the game, I just … Continue reading The great debate: Corryvreckan or Uigeadail?
Ardbeg 22yr 1993 SC (Cadenhead) 22 years 55.3% ABV Bourbon cask So, little disclaimer going in. I love 1970s Ardbeg, hell I love Ardbeg. I am really looking forward to this. Nose: Mellowed out compared to younger Ardbeg bottles. Smoke, peat, oak, dark chocolate, vanilla, caramel, leather, smores, lemon zest. Palate: Oak, vanilla, tannins, smoke, peat, brine, cherry, oily, raisins and citrus. Finish: Long. Nice … Continue reading Review: Ardbeg 22yr 1993 SC (Cadenhead)
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
2016 was a fantastic year for the members of the Toronto Whisky Society, for many reasons: We launched our website and social media presence after existing primarily on Reddit for the past few years We held a number of highly successful events in homes, at pubs and at distilleries We made connections with a ton of distilleries to set up future events, AMAs and tastings … Continue reading Toronto Whisky Society’s Whiskies of the Year 2016
Back in August when my wife and I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary, she gave me a gift of a night out at Feather’s the pre-eminent scotch bar in Toronto. She gave an amount I could spend on whiskies in whatever fashion I wanted, quantity/quality/both, and would drive me home at the end of the night. pretty sweet deal! So fast forward about 4 months … Continue reading A Night at Feather’s Pub (+3 reviews)
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