Tastes

A few years ago, I met up with an old friend. We chose a destination geographically between us that we'd yet to visit. We settled on New Orleans.  Deep in the French Quarter, while enjoying the spontaneous performances and second line parades, I wandered into a liquor store. I asked for their local offerings. One of the bottles I walked out with was LA1 Louisiana Whiskey.  This is a 2016 batch #15, bottle 516/624. The nose is sweet, almost reminiscent of hot cocoa. The flavour is... pale. For being Louisiana's first aged whiskey since prohibition, I may have gotten too excited here. LA1 has medium heat, slight corn notes but feels very thin and has a slight barley and metallic finish. A redeeming quality is how easy it is to drink at 94 proof. Unlike the Southern comfort foods, dreamy beignets and music, it doesn't leave me wanting more. 6/10.

I bought this bottle on a very quick trip to Dallas, Texas. I had tried another offering from TX at a local bar and wanted to bring back my own Southern souvenir. On my way home, I grabbed a bottle of TX Straight Bourbon Whiskey. I really like the bottle itself. It's adorned with beautiful boot leather, ornate engravings and a weighted bottom. Onto the whiskey, the nose provides brown sugar and corn. While sipping, notes of leather, oak, baking spice, peppercorn and a slight mustiness create an interesting flavour profile. To me, despite a lovely auburn colour, this bourbon lacks body and has a fairly quick finish. While it's light and easy to drink, I wish it was more substantial. 7.25/10.

I may not be American, but I like most of the world is hooked into seeing how this election plays out. I thought Slaughter House American Whiskey would be an appropriate pick for this evening's festivities. This nose starts rough, but eases up after a few minutes, letting malty tones shine through. The heated slap in your chest post-first drink eases the anxiety of scrolling for ballot results. Later sips feature oak and caramel with fairly thin body. For the amount of early bark Slaughter House provides (...like certain politicians), the finish lacks bite and resolves smoothly. Given tonight's complicated landscape, I appreciate how straightforward this whiskey is. 8/10

Sometimes, I buy bottles on a whim. Especially when I travel, I'll pass through another country's duty free and pick something I've never seen before. Eddu Silver Double Distillation is a French whisky I bought in the CDG airport. Hailing from the Brittany region of France, Eddu interestingly features buckwheat in its distillation (rather than conventional barley) thanks to the regional landscape. Fun fact: Eddu means buckwheat in the Breton language. Eddu's nose is fairly monosyllabic and gently toffee sweet. Taste is unique; imminent heat that transitions to a rich, almost wine-like flavour. Metallic and oaky notes play through a medium length dry finish. While it's not my favourite, it's unlike most of my go-tos. What can I say, variety is the spice! 7/10

I love Halloween. While I'd typically be decking out my doorway, dressed up and contributing to the candy cause, I (sadly) opted out this year. To enjoy the spirit (haha!) of Halloween, I'm surrounded by candles, spooky pumpkins and Glenmorangie 10 Year. With a festive-coloured label and box, I figured if I can rearrange the name to spell "orange", it's perfect for tonight. Although I may not be making a meal of chocolate this Halloween, Glenmorangie 10 Year has a sweet nose of honey, toffee, almond and citrus that makes me feel like an adult trick-or-treater. Sips mirror the sniff, with a warming mid-finish transition from orange rind to slightly savory. This single malt is light and bright, compared to what one may envision a Highland Single Malt to be like. Peat lovers, beware. Straightforward and easy to drink neat. 7.5/10

I bought this bottle of Nikka From The Barrel while I was browsing in a store in Calgary a few years ago. Japanese whiskies are in my top spots so I was intrigued to try this adorably packaged bottle. Truthfully, when I first tried this whisky I was put off by the harshness. Tonight, I decided to give it another go. Featuring a malty, coffee nose, sips have an initial high alcohol content burn that wane into a slightly peated, rich, oily and salty finish. Notes of vanilla and spices mingle throughout for a nuanced complexity that many Japanese whiskies deliver. For the punch it provides, the finish keeps you going back for more. Mellows out significantly with water or on rocks. On my second go, I find that I enjoy this the more I sip. 7.5/10

I have a long weekend ahead of me, so tonight is an opportunity for self care. For me, that includes a couple of things on my "to-do" list like touching up my nails and trying Four Roses Single Barrel Whiskey. I have been staring at this beautiful leather-bound and engraved bottle for months on my bar! This Single Barrel's nose began with a mellow ethanol nose and evolved into sumptuous caramel in ~10 minutes post-pour. Sips bring a suave, spiced heat that gets your attention, gives you a gentle tingle and says: "Gosh, I am indeed a bourbon." This dram maintains gentle charm with a soft, polite, apricot-pear finish. The mashbill notes eased up over the tasting session, which improved the experience for me. I would recommend letting this open up in your glass before drinking. While this is a very smooth bourbon neat, newer bourbon drinkers may prefer over a large rock. 8/10.