Tastes

Serving: 1.5 fl. oz. shot, neat. Nose: Apple, pear. Caramel. Slight brine. Palate: Brine, smokiness, slight Carmel, vegetal, low if any cereal note. Slight apple and pear. Finish: Brine, smokiness, slightly bitter. Flavour dissipating quickly in terms of fruit and caramel flavours leaving smokiness and brine predominant. Overall: Unusual to me as a novice Whiskey drinker, more to the salty/savoury side than the usual sweetness I associate with the Whiskeys I’ve tried to date. It definitely has personality, but I will need to see if this one grows on me.

Serving: 1.5 fl. oz. shot, neat. Nose: Fresh crisp apple and pear predominate. Underlying cereal and citrus notes. Palate: Develops a fresh baked apple character with pleasant spiciness/cinnamon notes. Touch of orange zest. Finish: Baked apple and cinnamon character lingers, as does pleasant spiciness. Some cereal but not overly so. Overall: Medium/oily body with a slight pleasant spiciness. Nice supper with fresh apple to start and character developing into baked apple during sipping and finish. Good balance. Good value for money.

Serving: 1.5 fl. oz. shot, neat. Nose: Malt. Coffee. Caramel. Floral/rose petal notes. Palate: Touch of heat (pleasant). Sweet & sharp. Caramel, vanilla and chocolate-forward. Some orange. Finish: Original palette moves towards a lengthy citrus finish. Lingering heat on palette. Corn base becomes obvious. Hint licorice. Overall: Full-flavoured and full oily body. Clings to palette. Nice sipper. Sweet enough to replace a dessert course and finish a meal. Excellent value for money.

Serving: 1.5 fl. oz. shot, neat. Nose: Smoke/char-forward. Sour notes. Some caramel, orange zest. Slight floral, grape. Palate: Again smoke-forward, peppery. Low caramel. Finish: Floral, orange, fruity, caramel notes all quickly fleeting. Main lingering character is earthy/smokey/woody. Overall: Mid-level aggressive with bite. Full in flavour but thin in texture and not overly complex.

Serving: 1.5 fl. oz. shot, neat. Nose: Salted Caramel. Slight citrus. Alcohol. Palate: Thin. Dry. Flat caramel. No vanilla. Low cereal note. Somewhat predominate black liquorice background. Cracked black pepper character. Finish: Flavours do not linger on palette. Hot on tongue. Black liquorice predominates. Slight citrus character. Alcohol-forward. Overall: Thin mouthfeel. Dry. Narrow in taste profile, lacking depth. Clean. Medium smoothness. Alcohol taste quite predominant.

Serving: 1.5 fl. oz. shot, neat. Nose: Distinct smokiness/char. Caramel, vanilla, toasted cereal. Oak. Some notes of tropical fruit. Palate: Caramel and smokiness prevail. Vanilla background. Orange zest, toasted cereal notes. Finish: Main flavours perceived during tasting are fleeting, giving way to a characteristic of spice and cinnamon with black liquorice undertones. Orange notes begin to resemble lemon zest, but faint. Oak is still somewhat persistent. Overall: A full, bold, Bourbon with a pleasantly thick mouthfeel. Medium low to low aggressiveness. Somewhat spicy and spicy was lingering but it is very pleasant. Overall sweet; almost a partly “mixed-drink” character to it (not pejorative). Well above value for money in its class.

Serving: 1.5 fl. oz. shot, neat. Nose: Caramel. Strong cereal notes. Wine/mulled wine background with some red fruits. Later almost leathery notes develop. Palate: Caramel and vanilla notes predominate. Roasted nuts. Oak. Leather character develops with continued sipping. Sweet. Faint and unobtrusive note of petroleum. Finish: Caramel, toasted nut, and leatheriness persist. Anise or liquorice finish develops. Slight cinnamon. Lengthy finish. Overall: Bold flavours with mid-level harshness. Complex, broad taste profile that develops complexity over time. Cereal background medium-strong throughout tasting.

Serving: 1.5 fl. oz. shot, neat. Nose: Low aroma. Low grassy/herbaceous notes with some cereal undertones. Alcohol slightly more predominant than necessary. Palate: Low sweetness, slightly dry. Grassy/herbaceous notes. Nice peppery character (would go nicely with a Boursin cheese/goat’s cheese with cracked black pepper). Low acidity. Low citrus. Finish: No bitterness, but still some aggressive character. Pleasant caramel and vanilla tones developing more as sipping continues and lasting through finish. Overall: Comparison against the double-barrel is difficult because of double-barrel’s additional intriguing complexity. Descent value for money, but overall prefer their “Town Collection” double-barrel whiskey.

Serving: 1.5 fl. oz. shot, neat. Nose: Vanilla, caramel, vanilla, citrus, hints of cereal/grasses. Whisper of floral notes. Palate: Medium to medium-bold caramel notes. Strong vanilla influence. Citrus zest obvious. Cereal. Oak/wood notes. Finish: Lingering caramel, orange zest, and floral notes. No to low bitterness. Overall: Medium smooth to smooth product. Complex and developing layered aromas and complimentary tastes. Very good as a neat sipping whiskey/scotch.

Serving: 1.5 fl. oz. shot, neat. Nose: Forward caramel and/or salted caramel notes. Some vanilla. Low cereal note. Floral. Wintergreen notes (means something if you’re an Ontarian). Low citrus. Palate: What you smell is what you taste, for the most part. Low oak/wood/maple notes develop as you continue sipping. Medium sweet. Finish: Low bitterness. Caramel and vanilla notes fleeting. Earthy, almost seaside/wharf-like notes developing later on (pleasant). Some maple, but low in intensity. Overall: Excellent value for money offering with medium taste and body, acceptable harshness and some interesting and surprising complexities.