Tag: Canadian Whisky

Review

Exclusive Pre-Release Group Review: J.P. Wiser’s Dissertation

As you’ll have seen from past group reviews and our trip to Hiram Walker last month (Pt1, Pt2, Pt3), we’re pretty big fans of what Dr. Don Livermore and the team at Corby/Pernod-Ricard are doing in the Canadian whisky category. From their Union 52 blend that includes some 52yr old Highland Scotch, to Last Barrels – a sour mash bourbon-style whisky, – to the use of virgin … Continue reading Exclusive Pre-Release Group Review: J.P. Wiser’s Dissertation

Unknown's avatarTorontoWhiskySociety5 Comments
Event Recap, Whisky Musing

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

Unknown's avatarjeremy1 Comment
Distillery Spotlight, Review

Wolfhead Distillery [Visit & Review]

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]

Unknown's avatarBryan Vanderkruk2 Comments
Distillery Spotlight, Event Recap

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

Unknown's avatarTorontoWhiskySociety7 Comments
Distillery Spotlight, Event Recap

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

Unknown's avatarTorontoWhiskySociety4 Comments
Distillery Spotlight, Event Recap

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

Unknown's avatarTorontoWhiskySociety8 Comments
Review

Glen Breton Multi-Review: 10, 12 Ice Wine, 15 Battle of the Glen

Glenora is a distillery in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia (New Scotland), Canada, an area where many Scottish immigrants settled early in Canada’s history. Like many people on that end of the country, they don’t do things like all the other Canadians. Rather than make blended stuff like all the other distilleries, they started making single malt in the 90s, the first in North America to … Continue reading Glen Breton Multi-Review: 10, 12 Ice Wine, 15 Battle of the Glen

Unknown's avatarBryan Vanderkruk3 Comments
Review

Toronto Whisky Society Union 52 Group Review

Occasionally one of our members will pick up a bottle and give out samples to a number of Toronto Whisky Society (TWS) members to review individually. These reviews are amalgamated into a single multi-person review like this one. This time around both Bryan Vanderkuk and Devozwhisky were lucky enough to purchase bottles of the new Wiser’s release, Union 52 from British Colombia.  Originally Devozwhisky and … Continue reading Toronto Whisky Society Union 52 Group Review

Unknown's avatarTorontoWhiskySociety3 Comments
Review

Reviews: Toronto Distillery Co Hickory Cask, bottled and cask strength

Jesse and Chuck invited us back to the Toronto Distillery Co. before they shut down January 31st to try their recent Hickory cask release at bottled and cask strength. Only a few of us from TWS were able to make it, but it was a fantastic afternoon. The Hickory Cask release is 100% toasted soft winter wheat grain, aged in a hickory wood cask (with … Continue reading Reviews: Toronto Distillery Co Hickory Cask, bottled and cask strength

Unknown's avatarBryan Vanderkruk2 Comments
Review

Crown Royal Multi-Review: Deluxe, Reserve, Black, Northern Harvest Rye and Hand Selected Barrel

Given it’s the end of the year, I thought why not post some reviews of a brand that will be consumed to great excess come New Years’ Eve. I’ve had a number of Crown Royal expressions over the years and the 5 that follow are the ones I’ve had a chance to sit down and review. there’s a certain nostalgia to this brand for me, … Continue reading Crown Royal Multi-Review: Deluxe, Reserve, Black, Northern Harvest Rye and Hand Selected Barrel

Unknown's avatarBryan Vanderkruk1 Comment
Distillery Spotlight, Event Recap, Review

Forty Creek Deconstruction Tasting & Reviews

This post is a throwback to Forty Creek’s Whisky Weekend in 2014. I had long enjoyed Forty Creek as the better alternative to the Canadian whisky standards of Crown and CC. I’d bought a bunch of the limited editions in the past and figured why not check out the distillery and get one of the limited edition bottlings in person plus a signature? So I  pre-ordered … Continue reading Forty Creek Deconstruction Tasting & Reviews

Unknown's avatarBryan Vanderkruk1 Comment
Review

Review: Wiser’s Last Barrels

Appearance: 1.3, Russet Nose: Very much a bourbon nose; vanilla, caramel, toasted oak. I also get a fair bit of fruitiness and almost some floral notes too; white grapes, pear, mango, and fresh linens. Taste: Hits with a slightly astringent bitter oak note, developing with lots of wood spice, black pepper, cinnamon, clove. I also get vanilla and caramel, unsurprisingly, with some apricot and banana. … Continue reading Review: Wiser’s Last Barrels

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