Lunch & Tasting with Malcolm Waring of Pulteney Distillery & Woodman Spirits

Back in November, the Toronto Whisky Society was invited to an event with International Beverage Holdings and Woodman Spirits, held at the Royal Canadian Military Institute, and TOModera and I were the privileged pair who got to attend. In case you don’t know (and didn’t follow those links), International Beverage Holdings is a company that owns many alcoholic beverage brands and manufacturers, including 5 distilleries … Continue reading Lunch & Tasting with Malcolm Waring of Pulteney Distillery & Woodman Spirits

2017 Year-end Social and AGM

In November, we held our TWS Annual General Meeting of the membership, and heels party of all the whiskies we had received from distilleries throughout the year. A number of folks also brought their own heels from home to share with the group. Much fun was had, many drinks were drunk, all the food was eaten, the leftover bottles given away and transit was used … Continue reading 2017 Year-end Social and AGM

Distillery Spotlight: Glenora Distillery, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

When most people think of Canadian whisky, their minds go to blends or rye (whether the whisky contains any rye spirit or not). Rarely do people associate Canada with single malts, although there are a number of distilleries producing them today with the craft distilling boom hitting the Great White North. But before that boom, while brown spirits were giving way to white spirits in … Continue reading Distillery Spotlight: Glenora Distillery, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

2017 Toronto Whisky Society Holiday Gift Guide

It is that time of year again (you know, that Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus time of year), and whatever you celebrate, you’re probably buying gifts for the important people in your life. Got a whisky/whiskey lover on your list? Here are some helpful suggestions of what to get for them! General Gifts for the whisky fan: Do not get them whisky stones.  Almost every whisky drinker we know has … Continue reading 2017 Toronto Whisky Society Holiday Gift Guide

Distillery Spotlight: Halifax Distilling Company, Halifax, NS

Halifax has become a hotbed for breweries, and now also has two distilleries operating in the city. We had a chance to visit both of them, and the write-up of the brand new Compass Distillers was previously posted here. The Halifax Distilling Company is the other and actually finds its roots on Prince Edward Island as the Prince Edward Distillery started by Julie Shore, a … Continue reading Distillery Spotlight: Halifax Distilling Company, Halifax, NS

Distillery Spotlight: Authentic Seacoast Distillery, Guysborough NS

When you exit Cape Breton Island and start driving back towards Halifax, most travelers don’t think about taking Highway 344 and heading down the East shore. This is somewhat unfortunate, as there are a number of beautiful towns with waterways running through them and it’s an incredibly scenic drive. It also includes the future site of a commercial spaceport, which means the number of cars … Continue reading Distillery Spotlight: Authentic Seacoast Distillery, Guysborough NS

Distillery Spotlight: Ironworks Distillery, Lunenburg, NS

Nova Scotia’s south shore is a gorgeous mix of rocky crags, lighthouses, hiking trails and fishing towns and is well worth a visit by anyone travelling to the province. One of the most popular destinations on the south shore is Lunenburg, an historic fishing town that was put on the map as the home of the Bluenose, the famous racing schooner that graces the Canadian … Continue reading Distillery Spotlight: Ironworks Distillery, Lunenburg, NS

Distillery Spotlight: Compass Distillers, Halifax, NS

If you were asked which Canadian province had the most distilleries per capita, Nova Scotia likely wouldn’t be top of mind. However thanks to a government seeing the value in this industry, it has that distinct honour. Nova Scotia has created a tax environment where entrepreneurial spirit lovers can follow their passion and be profitable, while providing attractive prices to consumers. They introduced graduated mark-ups … Continue reading Distillery Spotlight: Compass Distillers, Halifax, NS

TWS Northern Border Collection Tasting

We’ve written a few times about Corby’s recently released Northern Border Collection here, and that’s for a couple of reasons: It’s damn good whisky that is a bit of a paradigm shift for Canadian whisky Corby has been really good about reaching out to whisky lovers and groups like ours, letting us taste it and tell its story. So since by now you’ve heard it … Continue reading TWS Northern Border Collection Tasting

Bladnoch Pure Scot Blend Group Review

Bladnoch is a Lowland distillery – one of the few left – that’s over 200 years old. The distillery was sold in 2015, and the new owner, David Prior, is busy making his mark on the distillery and brand. There’s a new line-up of age stated single malts coming out soon, but the initial new release is a blend called Pure Scot. It contains a … Continue reading Bladnoch Pure Scot Blend Group Review

Auchentoshan New Malt Order Cocktail Event (Cocktail Recipes included!)

As the Scotch boom grows, so does the idea that cocktails can be made with Scotch. No longer are people sneering at the idea of mixing your single malt, and as someone who has had some, let’s say extra bottles, it can actually be quite fun. Auchentoshan has a yearly event named the New Malt Order. It takes place in Germany, Sweden, the US, Canada, … Continue reading Auchentoshan New Malt Order Cocktail Event (Cocktail Recipes included!)