Sortilège Original Canadian Whisky & Maple Syrup Liqueur

Obviously this is sweet. But, not as sweet as you’d think. Any Canadian knows that real maple syrup is very complex and a lot more than a sweetener. This tastes like the real deal. C’est pas sirop de poteau. It’s complex, not as much as a good scotch or Irish of course, but a lot more than you’d think. Like real maple syrup, it has a charred maple taste that is deep and dark, and a rich sweetness with a long finish. NOTE: The proper way to drink this is over ice, preferably over one big ice cube.

As an acknowledgement of how early Quebec settlers enjoyed their booze (with a dash of maple syrup), Sortilège uses maple syrup within its distillation process to create a taste of Canadiana.  There's light funkiness on the nose that later ascends in syrupyness. My nose could have a plate of pancakes 'at the ready' for this level of syrup. Interestingly, this pale gold liqueur is near-watery in a glass but tricks you into thinking it's more viscous than it is. My initial thought when I sip Sortilège neat is: "Oh golly, this is really a liqueur"; ie. It's quite sweet. After the first sugared hit, it fades to a slightly tannic tone with alluring maple. The finish is lightly dry and sticky. This bottle is a must for maple syrup lovers. I'd prefer to use this sparingly as a cocktail ingredient or in lieu of the OG syrup itself: This plus ice cream would be a great idea.  6.25/10

Sugary maple syrup and vegetal notes lead off, followed by a gentle Canadian whisky tail. Serve over ice.

Appearance: Transparent amber gold. Aroma: Maple syrup, alcohol, spun white sugar (cotton candy), vanilla. Flavour and Texture: Sweet. Very, very sweet. Burnt sugar, maple syrup, wood. Not a lot more. The sweet syrupy notes gradually fade. The texture is thick and sugary. Well, it is what it says. Compared to many other whiskey liqueurs (I’m looking at you, all you Jim Beam and Jack Daniels awfulness) this is not too bad. It says it’s Canadian whisky with added maple syrup, and it delivers on that, so – OK. You do need a sweet tooth (which I have ) but it’s a bit too much for me. However Mrs Cascode liked it a lot and may even order a bottle. Merde! Mind you, I'd drench it over a stack of pancakes anyday. While it’s waaaaay better than any bourbon-based liqueur I’ve tasted (yes, I’m sure there are good ones, I just haven’t had them – please post in the comments 🙂) it’s not as good as Drambuie or Glayva, and light years behind Dunkeld Atholl Brose. If you want to taste a *real* whisky liqueur, that’s the one to go for. Tasted from a promotional 50ml sample. “Average” : 78/100 (2.75 stars)

Mostly maple with a hint of whisky