We held our AGM as usual in December 2023 and it was a great one, highlighted by amazing food (including a brisket smoked by member Sheps and Canada goose jerky hunted, prepared and cured by founding member and re-elected exec member Bryan. In addition to great food, we had some great whisky, including the leftovers from the 2023 TWS Canadian Single Malt awards, and a … Continue reading 2023 TWS AGM
So after a full day of tasting, finding winners of 4 categories and 2 sub-categories, We had to determine our overall winners. 7 finalists were compared blind head-to-head and re-ranked to find our winners for the year. Congratulations to Macaloney’s, Two Brewers and Okanagan for having multiple entries each in the finals! Here are the winners: HONOURABLE MENTIONS RUNNER-UP 2023 CANADIAN MALT OF THE YEAR … Continue reading TWS CANADIAN SINGLE MALTS OF THE YEAR
We had 6 malts that fit in this category, ranging from BC to the Yukon, to Alberta. The Laird of Fintry Red Label was finished in Black Sage Vineyards Port pipes and aged over 5 years! The Kirkinriola is a single cask release, aged in STR Portuguese port pipes. NCF and 46%. Diamond S from Rig Hand is a 5 year old malt aged in … Continue reading Sherry, Wine and other Finished Malts
The fact that it was quite hot that Saturday in August was fitting. This summer, Toronto Whisky Society’s special once a year non-whisky event was a voyage to Greece to sample tsipouro and brandy spirits. The tsipouro and brandy spirits in question came from Thesaloniki Greece and the family spirit makers @dourodoulispirits. Members were greeted with Greek music and their choice of specialty cocktail. The … Continue reading Tsipouro Tasting
Last year we acquired a collection of vintage malts and blends and have a series of events lined up to drink them with the club. The first of these was our Ardbeg tasting with Bry Simpson earlier this year which featured an Ardbeg 10 from the 80s. The next vintage tasting was comprised of the many old blends we received, and there were some real … Continue reading Vintage Blends Tasting
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
Every year we fit in one non-whisky event, to continue to broaden our horizons a bit! One of our members happens to be a Cognac/Armagnac aficionado and asked if he could help lead an event focusing on this spirit, which we were happy to do! Alec led the tasting over zoom and it was incredibly informative. We learned about how brandies are made, what makes … Continue reading Cognac & Armagnac tasting with Alec
Over the past few years, we’ve tried to include one non-whisky event in our annual line-up, to help introduce folks to different spirits, and to keep things interesting! In 2021, the event was Rum & Cachaça. While we could have done a full rum event, the opportunity to get some cachaça direct from Brazil presented itself via a co-worker who was going back to visit … Continue reading Rum & Cachaça Tasting – March 2021
Our AGM looked a little different this year, but we still had a good time online drinking for the last time together in 2020, and did a blind tasting of two Carn More Strictly Limited Bottlings and had people guess their identity and specs. The closest to the mark got to keep the leftovers! Here’s to a better 2021! Continue reading Virtual AGM & Social 2020
COVID sure did change a lot about whisky tastings in 2020, but it didn’t slow them down! In September we managed to work with Sagamore Spirit on a tasting event that included a virtual distillery tour, a history of Maryland Rye, a fantastic giveaway and if course 4 very neat expressions of their Maryland style rye: Sagamore Straight Rye Sagamore Double Oak Rye Sagamore Cask … Continue reading Sagamore Rye Tasting Event
Two years ago we set out to try whiskies from across Canada to celebrate our great country’s 150th birthday. Interest grew in the second year and now in our third annual kick at this particular can, we’ve decided to re-brand the Great Canadian Whisky Tasting to the annual TWS Whisky Awards! We find it more befitting of what we’re doing here, and yet despite the … Continue reading 2019 TWS Whisky Awards
Last night the Toronto Whisky Society had a fantastic event with Mike Brisebois of the Distell Group of distilleries (Bunnahabhain, Tobermory/Ledaig, Deanston) and shared some amazing drams with the 30+ attendees! Reviews will trickle onto the site and pictures onto our instagram over the next few weeks, but here are some pics of the event, the highlight of which was an 18yr Distillery Exclusive bottling … Continue reading Distell Group Tasting with Mike Brisebois
Toronto Whisky Society 