Tastes

If you’ve ever stood around and stared at the whisky wall and thought, I’d like to try something new, but wasn’t looking to spend a bunch of money, then you know how I felt seeing this odd Dewars with what looks like a spelling mistake on the label. I’ve had my fair share of this brand, so was happy to try this out. Nose gives that classic blended aroma; some rich unctuous notes from the malt, and whiffs of shiny ethanol from the grain. Some honey, reduced stone fruit compote with just the faintest hint of char and smoke way in the back. The Mezcal isn’t really showing itself yet. Initially the palate delivers more gooey honey and oatmeal, which quickly brings in some light pepper and then some damp vegetal smoke which is probably the remnants of the Mezcal cask. Unfortunately it disappears about as fast as you can discern it, so you are in flavour-town for about 1.5 seconds and then you’re wanting more. If only this came in a higher proof it could be so much better. Finish is pretty much non existent, which is standard for most Dewars except some the longer aged expressions. Is it worth 30 dollars? Sure, it fills it’s role of tasting good and fading into the background for the price, but if you blind poured this and didn’t know it was Mezcal finished I don’t believe you’d know. So get it if you need a budget blend, not if you’re hoping for a funky adventure.

This is the 10th and most recent expression from CB in my cabinet and I have yet to find one that isn’t tasty. The nose is all fruit, starting with pear and ripe green grapes, and then becoming syrupy sweet fruit cocktail, like pouring a Del Monte fruit cup in the glass. If you keep digging you will find some malt behind all that jammy syrup. The front is kind of like a grain Irish with lots of fruit minus the metallic notes, but the middle and back is reminiscent of a single malt Pot. Palate is quite velvety, with loads of honey and vanilla cream. Give it a moment in the mouth and you can coax out some damp, earthy vegetal flavours which are dusted ever so slightly by pepper and oak. There isn’t enough oil or proof here to just sip and enjoy.. it’s gone too quick. This is one of those drams you need to swish around enough to make Richard Paterson proud. Finish is pretty light and not much to note, just a little cereal and char, and dry enough to make you reach for the glass again to quench your thirst. All in all a good whisky but somewhat simple. Not a must buy but also no regrets having it in the cabinet.

This bottle was a gift from a team of coworkers, so like all gifted whisky it’s going to be tasty. (Ok maybe not Fireball) First thing is the colour in the glass. Deep amber resembling more of a Bourbon than a scotch. No doubt the sherry is at work here. The nose is like a jammy pie cooling on the windowsill. Raisins, figs and dates stewed together with a buttery crust is what this presents. Behind that there is a hint of cereal but it just goes back to funky fruit as soon as you find it. In fact it may not even be there at all, but my subconscious wants it to be there so you all don’t think all I smell is pie. My senses aren’t broken after all, as the palate delivers a quick bit of sugary sweetness that you would expect from pie, but then all the warm oatmeal flavours that are typically found in Glenmorangie are there. After the malt rolls through there are hints of white pepper and oak to round it out. The finish is decent but short, mostly just telling the same story as the back of the palate. A little dry, and a little bitter, priming you for the next sip. If you like your scotch bright and sunny, then maybe stick with the 10 or the Sauternes cask, but if you like a bit darker, fruitier, funkier pie in a bottle kind of dram,this is a good bottle indeed.

This is another one of those fairly common everywhere but not so much where I live bottles, so another one off the wish list tonight. Nose hits with ethanol first, which wasn’t expected and caught me off guard. After letting it breathe a little and going back it’s still pushing me out of the glass. If I don’t get some other notes quick you’ll all be as bored reading this as I am writing it. Ok here we go, herbal tea, pepper, some slight burnt sugars and just a hint of char. The high rye mash is showing itself here for sure. The palate is far more gentle than the nose led on. It delivers those classic bourbon flavours you’re used to, but they are extra malty and creamy like a bourbon milkshake. Baking spice comes on in the middle, and ends with zesty orange floor polish and oak. Drinks like a wheated and is delicious. While the liquid obviously isn’t as thick as a milkshake, it’s oily enough to deliver a really great medium long finish. It’s creme brûlée and wood char wrapped in a warm ABV blanket. Very satisfying. I have to say I’m quite impressed and surprised how much I’m enjoying this. The nose did not set me up for what was to come and I’m glad the effort was put in on palate and finish. For the price this is a top notch bourbon and has got to be on your list.

I never thought I would pay this much for a Canadian whiskey, but after so many positive reviews and people telling me “oh you liked the 4 grain, you need to try 11”.. here we are. Nose is velvety like many from this country; vanilla, almond and caramel covered hay bales are the dominant notes here. Try as you might you won’t get any ethanol.. mash your face in the dram and you get more sugary notes mixed with some vegetation. Definitely enough here to keep it interesting. Palate kicks off with sweetness initially, but then shifts into all that grainy goodness from its namesake. I won’t pretend to know all the varietals that exist in it, but it’s like someone was having a potluck at the distillery and asked all the farmers to bring a dish. Smooth wheat, fruity corn, malty barley and a hint of spicy rye. The mash is the star here, and it doesn’t try to hide it. Finish is medium and fruity, with stone fruits bringing up the front and some dry but (not bitter) oak rounding it out. Is it worth 110 CAD? No probably not, but is it the best Canadian I’ve had so far? Yup. It’s not syrupy sweet and actually tastes like distilled grain… get a bottle if you can.

As I mentioned in my review of 4R Small Batch, this is one of those bottles I’ve never seen in Canada (or at least Alberta) so when the chance came to win a lottery to stand in line to buy it, I decided to snag it. On the nose the port finish makes its presence known, wafting stewed berries and jammy fruit from the glass. Below that there isn’t much else save for a bit of brown sugar and some grassy notes. If this was a blind pour I would bet money it was a wine finished American spirit, but not a Bourbon. The palate is soft, delivering the more classic flavours I was expecting. Caramel corn, orange pith and baking spice roll through quite cohesively but rather quickly. There is a cloyingly sweetness that runs throughout no doubt once again from the port. The lack of oil and proof does feel thin as well. What’s here is very drinkable but not very remarkable. The finish is short and dry, with some spicy raisin and bitter oak notes taking you to the next sip. This is a decent dram, but not for the price I had to pay. If I could get it at the local 7-11 for 1/2 the price like I’m sure many can in the US, then OK, but for now I’ll just enjoy this easy sipper through the summer until it’s gone.

The next few reviews I do will probably start with a similar sentiment, which is my feeling good about being able to get some bottles off the bucket list. There was recently a lottery in my city to have a chance to buy some (rare to us) bottles and this 4R SB was one I was able to get. We only get yellow label up here so this was a nice find. The nose is subtle, but sweet and bready like honey drizzled over hot toast. Beneath that the honey changes to marmalade, and then the whole dram shifts into more classic bourbon territory, with some spice showing up as well. Palate is way more spicy up front then what I was expecting from a bourbon. The cinnamon, nutmeg and clove dominate both front and mid, forcing you to re group and try to decipher any other flavours. Slow down a bit and indeed there are some nice cereal notes, but if I didn’t know better I would say this has got to be a high rye mash, as I’m now getting herbal and licorice flavours. Finish is pretty short, with some bitter tannins and ethanol warmth sticking around for a minute or two but nothing remarkable. Overall I’m glad to have had the opportunity to have this in the collection, but I think I’ll put it closer to my Rye shelf for its profile. I bet it makes a killer Old fashioned so when we get some hot weather I’ll be sure to try that out.

This is one of those bottles that you see for a long time on the shelf and aren’t too interested, and then when you are it’s disappeared everywhere. Was able to find a bottle today and it’s quite expensive for only 375ml, but the hunt is over so maybe it was worth it. The nose first brings musty, wet hay and corn husks, but after a little time there is sticky toffee, molasses and vanilla. The final layer shows just a hint of citrus and some malt. Your classic bourbon this is not. Palate begins with more damp grass, and a light handed peat, but not smokey, just earthy and vegetal. It transitions in more traditional American flavours with the brown sugar, orange and baking spice. Unfortunately it’s just not oily enough (or high enough proof) to carry those flavours very long.. a tad on the thin side. With that said finish is short, with some dry woody notes and a little malt crying for attention. Overall it’s good but not great, and for 20 bucks less you can snag the WR Kentucky Straight Malt and have a similar profile minus the peat, and get all 750ml. However there is something to be said for finally getting your hands on something you’ve been looking for, so no regrets here at all.

Have heard good things about this Rye but it’s pretty expensive up here in Canada so never pulled the trigger. Well it was inevitable so here we are. The nose starts of very soft and subtle, almost like a Canadian Rye. Herbal tea and something reminding me of Concord grapes take up the middle. Musty hay and leather are at the back and are joined by a sharp ethanol later which is my cue to stop sniffing and take a sip. Palate delivers exactly what the nose said it would. More herbal tea, gobs of malted barley and baking spice, but ohhh sooo restrained. The oils make this low and slow, with lots of flavour but no drama. Most ryes are spicy in their own right, and being 55% I thought it would try and slap me around, but it doesn’t try. It actually builds over time and actually leads you into an actual finish. That finish is quite long, with molasses, vanilla, pepper and oak all jumping in and out but kept within an envelope of warmth thanks to the proof.. this is where it delivers the 110. This is indeed a great dram, and one that not only tastes but feels absolutely different then most other mid range Ryes out there. If it’s in your budget you should snag it!

A little over a year ago when I started this whisky journey my first budget scotch was Dewars white label. Not the best intro, however since then the 12/15/18 and even Caribbean cask have repaired the relationship. Excited to try the 21 with its almost wine like color and higher ABV. The nose is unsurprisingly rich, with decadent jammy fruit notes. Sweetness is provided from smells of dates and raisins. The grain portion of this dram does show up with some shiny ethanol dominating the middle layer, but if you work through that you find malt and cocoa way in the back. The palate starts off with some funk, which makes sense when thinking about the number of, and type of barrels this liquid went through. The malt that was lacking in the nose shows up here, paired with honey and baking spice. The 21 years also softened all the edges, so the hope of any drama comes from the 46% which this desperately needs. So far so good, except there is a thinness here snatches all this flavour from you before you are finished. I’m not sure if this is due to the blend of grain or age, but it’s noticeable. With that said there isn’t much to share with the finish, some oaky notes and a little dried fruit, but not much else. It’s just over too fast. 39 CAD for a 21 year old anything is pretty good, and that’s how I’d classify this. The flavours are good and it tastes expensive, but only for a flash and then it’s gone. I don’t regret snagging it, but it just isn’t good enough to buy again.