Tastes

I had a hard time getting at the flavours of this one during a Michter's tasting. compared to the other three it was subtle, a little wood, but I kept getting a little solvent too . My least favourite of the night.

Nose: strong floral. Slight dill. Grass. Candied cherries in the background Palate. A good amount of pepper or spice. Coating , in the mouth feel helps bring a little cream. This is full and spicy. Finish: warm. Drying. Spice lingers and the wood comes out.

Nose: Sweet toffee, vanilla. Beeswax. A little sour or sharp in the background. Palate: a little rough or alcohol up front. As it fades lots of sweetness comes up. Some pepper, but coming back to this after a few others just brings out toffee, Caramel, Christmas pudding. Finish: short, but refreshing. I guess this was not my favorite of the night. Only 3.5 stars , but if you like sweet whisky it will likely rate higher for you.

This whisky is rich with Rye spice and corn sweetness. The nose is a little floral, and has red fruits throughout. The palate is a good balance of butterscotch on the core, with rye spice on the edges. The fruit does not develop as much as I expected, but there is a slight bitterness which may come from the wine tannins. The finish has legs, and bring out the wood and spice. While it was coating up front, it finished drier than I would have expected. Clearly better than the Red casks. (3.5 Stars)

I have kept an eye on Basil for a while, but in Canada it has been over priced, and the rating here is surprisingly low. A recent sale encouraged me to pick up a bottle. My early thoughts would align with comments here; caramel and toffee, enough Rye to taste, and a short but refreshing finish. I would disagree with most though and suggest it is quite nice. If you are looking for Cask Strength or something with a unique finish, look elsewhere. However, if you want a good Bourbon that you can pour neat with friends just getting in to Whiskey, I would consider this. (3.5 to 4 Stars)

Not complicated, but not trying to be. The nose is very light, some vanilla and lemon. Taking a sip, this is fairly quick going down. A little toffee, light lemon again, maybe sugar or honey then it is gone. There is the presence of alchohol or ethanol throughout. That fades if you mix, or just drink more. I am always surprised when non-whiskey drinkers pick this as something they like when compared to truly more complicated or rich expressions. Perhaps that is a testament that they know their audience or market well

You had me at "Hello". Maybe I had read too much, or was in the perfect mood, but right from the start I enjoyed this bottle. The nose had oak, with maple sugar, red apples, and some allspice. The palate added a buttery quality turning the sweetness into baked brown sugar with cooked darker fruits and cinnamon. The finish was warm, long and certainly brought out more wood and spice. It was drying and balanced the sweet beginning of the whisky. This certainly has a strong influence from Rye, so consider that character if you are looking to buy.

The 2009/2017 bottling is a nice, easy drinking bourbon. The sweetness comes quickly on the nose, but is more fruit and less burnt or roasted sugars. The palate continues this with hints of cherry or fruit mix with vanilla much stronger than layered toffee or caramel. The finish bring out oak, and if you drink a few, some spice comes up to balance the sweet beginning. It also finishes clean or slightly drying which certainly encourages another sip. This bottle is no where near that 96 points given here, but a solid 3.5 stars, around 86 points IMO.

Pour and let this sit for a few minutes. When you come back, you should be greeted with a warm nose of cinnamon, toasted sugars and something a bit fruity. Maybe orange or deep cherry. If you take some small sips, the sugars come up quickly like a toffee candy. The mouth feel is smooth and coating. There is some burn in the finish, but the taste of wood comes out to balance. I find that if you take a larger drink there is a bit of bitterness, but I do not find it when sipping. (4.5 stars)

This whisky has a light nose that was tough for me to pick up. Sweet, a bit of fruit or floral notes, a hint of spice. On the palate it was immediately sweet and almost sugary. Butterscotch or toffee. Then the rye came through and picked up on the edges of my mouth. The finish brought out more wood or oak notes, but no char and it dissipated quickly. For the price, a very good and enjoyable Canadian whisky (3.5 stars)