Tastes

This limited single malt release from Okanagan Spirits craft distillery in British Columbia is bottled at 56% and is a rich dark amber in colour. Initially aged in American white oak and then finished in local fortified Foch wine barrels. Initially nosed and tasted at cask strength subsequently diluted to approximately 47%. Nose: Over-ripe fruits like plums and grapes are really forefront at the beginning. Images of the concentrated flavours of sun-dried raisins and apricots also come to life. Wine tannins are present as a result of the Foch barrel finishing with a subtle hint of vanilla custard. The combination of this makes something reminiscent of a spiced raisin bread pudding. Despite the relatively high proof, the ethanol odours are mellowed by everything else going on. The addition of water doesn't seem to adjust the nose much with the wine and raisin notes still being forward. It does seem to subtlety highlight the background caramel and vanilla notes however. Palate: The first sip is very hot with ethanol with the fruit flavors wanting to come out. Proceeding sips allow the tannic wine flavours to predominate and play with the slightly bitter malt. This is a very nice marriage between the two. Unlike with the nose, the addition of water significantly alters the palate. The tannic wine flavours are mellowed and it allows the wonderful malt to spring into action. Other spices start to come out now as well with hints of cinnamon and something reminiscent of cardamom. Really a complex assortment of flavours here now. Finish: Medium length with the tannins being what sticks around mostly. I could use just a little longer finish with this. The addition of water doesn't help this and thins it out slightly. I'm left with a little numbing and tingling of the sides of my tongue and my hard palate. Overall, this is a really nice and interesting whisky. The Foch finish really adds a complexity that sets this apart from some other single malts and is a welcome change. Unfortunately with its limited release, even in British Columbia, there may not be much of an opportunity for many to try, but I would recommend people exploring future releases.

My second drink from this bottle - one I have been intrigued to try, but had never had. Light golden in colour with minimal legs on it. Makes me expect possibly a thinner mouthfeel, but we'll see how that turns out. Nose: The other night when I first tried this, my 8 year old wanted to smell it, and she said, "It smells like pears", and I have to say after she said that, that's the main note I get. I might have to have her do all my noses for me! Definitely this smells sweeter than some of the other Irish whiskies I am familiar with. Heavy fruits - pear, apple, plum, with some honey. Following all of this is something reminiscent of biscuits or shortbread. Light oak notes overall. Palate: Thin initial feel, but that does fill out with full apples, pears, and honey. This rounds out into some cereal notes, with subtle flavours of what I typically associate with Irish whiskey. Maybe this is due to the mixture of single pot still and single malt whiskies. I'm definitely surprised by the sweetness of it. Similar to the nose, after the initial sweetness, the grain flavours start coming through more and balance things off better. Finish: Medium length rich with pear and apple. Traces of honey and vanilla linger. The finish ends in the lingering slight bitterness of the peel of a pear. Overall this is nice. Sweeter and fruitier than I was expecting, but if this is your flavor profile then I think this one works really nicely. I think this would be a great dessert whiskey, especially with a nice dessert like apple pie with vanilla ice cream. I picture myself drinking this in the middle of a nice British Columbia apple orchard, not doing any writing or crying, but just enjoying and enhancing a beautiful setting. This would be a nice backpack bottle to take on a picnic. All in all, not expected, but not disappointed.

My second drink from this bottle after receiving it as a Christmas gift. The first go around, I did a flight of Glenfiddich 12, this, and Project XX. Not surprisingly, both the 14 and Project XX stood out well above the 12, although I feel you just can't go wrong with the 12 sometimes. Ultimately I recall thinking the 14 came out on top versus the XX, but now after an evening of de-Christmasing, I'm going to sit down and enjoy the 14 a little more thoroughly... Nose Orange marmalade and bitter citrus peel. Some dark cherry and vanilla following. Coming back to it, a slight trace of fresh banana bread finishes things out Palate Starts very smooth, ramping into a really wonderful spiciness. Prominent vanilla and oak. Very nice, full flavor with a nice oily mouthfeel. Subtle caramel apple and just overall very rich and enjoyable. Finish Medium length, but just a bit thin. Remnants of it carry into the next sip. The lingering flavours are very malt forward, with a slight bitterness. The finish is where I maybe am wanting a touch more, although with a larger sip or starts to really expand and linger, making me question my words. Overall really a nicely balanced whisky and overall almost a bit of a chameleon, being able to change with each sip and make me question my comments! With my glass empty now, I poured a splash more, as well as the Project XX and they have a similar profile, however the 14 feels fuller. I think the Project XX wins in the finish as well as the overall look and packaging, not that the latter does any good once it's in your glass! Value for dollar, the 14 is a significant step up from the 12 and I'm not sure that Project XX is worth the extra $30 CDN.

I've had a few drinks from this bottle, and have definitely enjoyed them but thought it was a good time to analyze things a little further. First off, I find the name a bit misleading in that it implies a single barrel to me, although that is obviously not the case. Regardless, here goes... Nose: Green apples, caramelized pears, followed by smoky oak, and then subsequently mashing all of this together.... After adding water, I get some anise, allspice and cinnamon. Maybe even licorice all-sorts which I really don't like, but it doesn't depreciate the nose here and it makes me think that it might be worth trying them again? But then I think about it and realize that no, they are gross. Palate: Fairly high alcohol hit at first, caramelized sugar with a hint of peat smoke. Nice full mouthfeel, and some very nice bittersweet notes. I don't get a lot of the fruit that I initially had on the nose. Finish: Quite long, the flavours are reminiscent of the grainy malty finish of Irish whiskies. Lingering nicely on the back of the palate (autocorrect put "prostate" instead of "palate"... glad I checked that... Although I did consider whether that might be a representative statement, I decided that "palate" was more suitable). Flavours linger well into the next sip even after adding some water, and is a definite strength of this bottle. Overall, a very enjoyable whisky. It seems really dialed in to the flavours it is after. Full and complete. One of my problems with this is the bottling at 500mL and the pricing. I wish they would bottle this at 750mL just because. That being said, for $65 CDN, it puts it at about $100 equivalent, which I feel is reasonable, especially at 51% ABV, I think there's just something about buying a smaller bottle for me. This is a great option whisky when you want full flavor and a broad spectrum of flavours as a result of the blend here. It is well balanced and I don't think many would be disappointed by this offering from Nikka.

I just picked this up at the British Columbia release to expand my collection of annual limited release Forty Creeks. I have poured small tasters of the previous 2 years, Unity (2018) and Victory (2019) to provide a comparison of this year's release. Rich amber in colour, syrupy legs in the glass, similar to Victory, much thicker and more viscous looking than Unity. Nose: Sweet wine present up front. Port comes through pretty strongly, which in some whiskies is not my preference.. so we'll see how that pans out. Raisins and dried apricots. Unity has a far more butterscotch or caramel quality while Victory has a similar quality although I get a little less up front wine and a little more oak. I start to get some notes of damp cedar or fresh cut lumber after returning to Resolve. After having tasted it and the others, the caramel notes start to appear on the nose. Palate: Slightly thinner initial mouth feel than I expected although that does seem to develop after a second or two, however not as full as I might like. Not too sweet like some of the previous incarnations have bordered on and the wine flavours are highlighted but not overdone. Tart cherries and more dried fruits with subtle oak. Unity has more sweetness, and a bit more rye spice forward. Victory is somewhere in the middle between these two. They definitely all have distinct flavour profiles however, despite some similarities. Going back to Resolve, I find myself looking for a little more in the flavour but I'm not sure what that is? Finish: This has a nice long finish, helped I think by the tannins present which linger on the sides of the tongue. This tartness and slight acidity transforms into a lingering bitterness and warmth, almost reminiscent of chili flavored dark chocolate. This is I think a really nice aspect of this whisky, the warmth that lingers around. I get a lot more sweetness in the finish of Victory and sensation on the top of the tongue. The finish of Resolve feels longer than either of the other pours, although Unity is very close. Overall, another solid, enjoyable release from Forty Creek. As mentioned previously, sometimes the different wine casks or additions aren't my preference and that may be what lowers this one overall a bit for me, but not as a result of the quality of the product. I'd be curious to see a very different departure from current iterations in next year's release. I believe all 3 that I tasted here have some sort of Port type treatment or addition, and despite being different, it'd be great to go a completely different direction.. The finish I think might be the strength of this one, and results in a pretty darn good and enjoyable pour, and I'm not unhappy to have spent the money on this.

Nose: Hay, fresh cut grass, cereal notes. It has the nose of what I consider the trademark flavor of Irish whiskey. A hint of vanilla and honey at the end gives it a very subtle sweetness. A hint of citrus comes through under further exploration. Palate: Rich and full, oily sweetness. It's almost as if the sweetness at the end of the nose carries directly into the start of the palate. Again, the slight bitter cereal notes I associate with this style of whiskey transition into the finish of this. Finish: Medium to long with residual bitter char flavours hanging saying in the sides of the tongue. Soft palate richness and warmth hangs around equally long, resulting in a nice even balance. Overall, a nice Irish whiskey that you don't hear too much about. The typical Irish maltiness or graniness is definitely pronounced in this one, so if you like that hidden more this may not be for you! I would like to spend more time comparing this side by side to a few other Irish whiskies to really get a solid comparison.

With it being Hallmark Christmas movie season, this affords me a good opportunity to review a few whiskies while spending time with my wife :) I have been meaning to spend some time with this one for awhile and I only have a couple of ounces left so now is the time! Nose: Asrringent oak or varnish initially, mellowing into vanilla custard and creme brule, but with a hint of orange peel bitterness. Toasted marshmallow and coconut after revisiting. Palate: Surprising spice considering the wheated aspect, alcohol burn. Some good flavours but not coming across as extremely complex and I'm having difficulty picking out individual notes. On subsequent sips, some flavours of cinnamon hearts and spice show up. Finish: Quite long and warming, oak astringency hangs out mid palate. Burnt caramel and a lingering bitterness. I was expecting to taste this and find it sweeter with the wheat vs rye, but for whatever reason, that wasn't the case tonight. I might find this different side by side with other bourbons, however, rather than the whisky cocktails I started with tonight. This is enjoyable and I have never been upset with anything from Buffalo Trace. I would love to compare this with some of the other Weller products, but they aren't exactly easy to come by! Bang for your buck, this is a pretty good deal in Canada at least!

I'm writing these notes the day following tasting this, however I made some mental notes during and next time I have a taste of it, I will add to it. Very light in color, especially next to the other 2 British Columbia single malts I had in the same session. However, I know color does not necessarily mean flavor, so I'm not letting it set my expectations. Nose: Light and slightly floral. Some citrus, makes me think of lemon pledge Palate: Light and crisp. Thin. Not very complex, but there is a nuttiness in this that makes me think of peanuts. Finish: Short and not much to it. I think this is the weakest aspect of this whisky. I think possibly the youthfulness of this results in a less than complex whisky and I have a feeling that some more aging would definitely improve it. I understand the need to get the product out however. I'm not sure of the reasons for the name Small Talk, but I think it may be suiting in that this would be a reasonable choice of whisky to have while making small talk with someone as you wouldn't have to think about what you're drinking very much. This would also be a reasonable choice on one of those nights where you're just not sure what to have.

Nose McIntosh Toffee, sweet Honey and caramel, vanilla, nutmeg and clove. Cinnamon raisin oatmeal comes to mind after exploring further. Palate A hesitant beginning inches its way around the mouth gradually spreading the flavor sensation like a match being lit. Full flavor, rich and sweet, balanced, however, by a subtle pepper spiciness Finish Medium to long and sweet, but black pepper notes continue through to the end, balancing out the inherent sweetness. No need for dessert if you're having this after dinner, and you will leave very satisfied!

I was excited to see this in the store and thought that the $58 Cdn was a very reasonable price for a cask strength whisky. My daughter liked the maple leaf on the box, so that was all the convincing it took that I should buy it. First sampled without adding water, then diluted to approximately 46-47% Nose Rye spice and sweetness, high alcohol evident, but surprisingly not overpowering. Vanilla prominent and a sour-like fruity oaky-ness. Raisin oatmeal. After dilution, notes of honey and peaches emerge Palate Wow - high proof far more hard hitting than on the nose. Oily and Heavy tannins that give a very full mouthfeel. Following sips have accustomed my mouth and the burn becomes secondary. Water takes down the alcohol hit and brings out the flavors of the rye grains and I'm happy that it maintains its significant spiciness. Some tart fruits come forward here. Caramel, oak, and vanilla evident as one would expect. Finish At full strength, exceptionally long and warming. Water allows the oak to linger longer by decreasing the alcohol sensation, but it still remains long and delightful. What a wonderful surprise buy! Definitely not disappointed by the flavour or the price point. Well worth having in the cabinet. I also enjoyed a very delicious old fashioned with it last night and I'm sure it will serve as a very versatile friend!