Tastes

There's something wonderful about the blur of days between Christmas and New Years. Time is yours to do as you see fit and calories don't count. Right? I've heard some buzz around Canadian distillery Signal Hill so I had to pick up a bottle of their whisky. They designed an attractive heavy-bottomed bottle with a matte, raised glass logo. The nose has an initial puff of ethanol that morphs quickly to citrus and settles into maple sugar. Later, the nose has a deep rum-like maturity with fruit, cola and nutmeg. This is a moderately viscous whisky: not watery but not syrup. Though it has a speckling of heat, it's quite smooth. This whisky is tangy, sweet and oaky, likely influenced by their three barrel types (Canadian whisky, New white oak and bourbon). I find that this has a bitter aftertaste, almost like orange rind. I enjoyed the nose and mouthfeel most and I'd like to see what Signal Hill does with future releases. This whisky improved with time post-pour and grew on me through the tasting. I'd imagine this whisky adding pleasant citrus depth to a Manhattan and being enjoyable over ice, too. 7.25/10

It has been so long since I've had Jack Daniel's. Not for a snobbish reasons per se, since I believe there are lots of delicious, accessible spirits. Hilariously, JD reminds me of a person in my life who wasn't the best. I received this bottle of Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 in a secret Santa gift exchange a couple of years ago, and it has sat on my bar since.  On the nose, I smell toasted oak and medicinal cherry that transitions to dark caramel. When I sip, a slight toasty-roasty char flavour with vanilla and funk comes through. This whiskey lacks layers and has a mild mouthfeel with a medium, dry finish. I didn't know what to expect here since Jack Daniel's is a brand with American cultural ubiquity. I would envison this whiskey in straightforward mixed drinks or on ice for folks who may not have yet branched out in brown liquor land. 5/10

I seek solace in winter solstice. Each year, I tell myself "it's all downhill from here" referring to more sunshine in my days. It feels increasingly easier to weather the rest of the winter months. Today, I toast with Glenmorangie 12 Year Lasanta Sherry Cask. As I give it a whiff, I hear "Sherry" by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons play in my head. The sherry nose gives way to an herbal orange pekoe tea quality. Later, it transitions to a slightly musty dried flower tone with vanilla. My first sip neat lights up my sleepy mouth from the tip of my tongue to the back of my throat. Though it might be redundant, this is a sherry and clove express! Notes of cherry and date mingle with dermerara sugar. It has a slighly sweet and oily mouthfeel with a medium, warming finish with lingering festive spices and oak. I'd have to be in a Sherry mood, but it's smooth and nicely done. 7.5/10

A Friday night after "the longest week ever" is the perfect time for "the gentle dram," Tomintoul 16 Speyside Glenlivet. Crafted by distiller Robert Fleming, this scotch is aged in select bourbon casks for at least 16 years. Its nose reminds me of candied apricots, barley and crackers. With time, a sweet, fruity expression unfolds like a banana split with hot caramel drizzle. Like a good Speyside, this is a gentle scotch indeed. The mouthfeel is full bodied with a blend of light smoke, vanilla and ripe pear. This is one to enjoy neat. The finish is subtle with apple and oak. It's a very smooth dram that like a Houdini trick, disappears too quickly. While it doesn't dazzle with too much flair, I find its simple gentleness comforting. 8/10

I have had a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label on my bar for a while. To be honest, when a whisky craving arises, I don't tend to reach for it.  My early nose is acidic with a faint mustiness and honey. With time, I smell butterscotch with a lingering ethanol nasal pinch that later fades to pale smoke. The palate feels like a coy 180° from an uneventful nose: some smoke, tanginess, vague pepper and minimal heat. I enjoy the mysteriously swerving peat wisps through a fading finish.  For a bottle that purists may deem as intolerable, it's rather smooth. It's better than I expected it to be. It certainly benefits from having time to breathe and I can imagine it being a helpful less expensive alternative for use in mixed drinks like a hot toddy. 6/10

I snagged a local offering on recommendation while heading home from the West coast. This bottle of Sonoma County Distilling Co. West of Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey was bottled in the fall of 2017 (#1362 of 320 cases). It has a cherry, fruitcake nose that mellows to a citrusy, floral honey tone. Because this is their take on classic Kentucky bourbon (and aged in new, charred American oak), I braced for more bite but am pleasantly surprised by the more-comforting warmth. The flavour reminds me of dense rum cake that has been soaked in booze: spices, orange zest, oak with a spiked syrup kick. With time, smoke deepens my sips like a jazz saxophone playing a solo in an underground bar. This whiskey coats my mouth but has a light mouthfeel. The finish is quite short, save for a slight allspice tongue tingle. I wish it stuck around longer as it's a pleasant drink. 7.5/10