This year for the holidays I’m going to try a brand new whiskey every day in December. #lifegoals Dec. 25 ~~~~~~ ‘Twas on night 25 of my new whiskey game (Where I looked ev’ry day for a new dram to tame) The children were nestled all snug in their beds After spending all day bashing toys on their heads I retired downstairs, an exhausted old elf And I flipped on the bar lights and scoured the shelf When what to my horrified eyes did appear But Canadian whisky marked 25 year My heart how it fluttered, ‘twas risky for sure To make this Canadian whisky my pour I recalled both the Orphan from the 24th And the times tastes went south due to shit from the north At the end of the day ‘twas the number that won Though I paused and I pondered: “Could this be undone?” But with wrapper in hand and the cork in my lap ‘Twas already too late, you see I was... entrapped. ~~~~~~ So no, not generally a big fan of Canadian whisky. But I generally am a big fan of Orphan Barrel. So I enter this drink with both a jolly optimism and a cheerfully low set of expectations. On the nose I get honey, syrup, and fresh-cut wood. It’s pleasant, mild, and I have far fewer objections already than I did for that Rare Perfection nonsense. I will continue to call you out until one of us rots. Body is very gentle in flavor. Nothing strikes me immediately, but over a few sips there’s honey, molasses, mint, and green tea leaves. Tastes mildly medicinal, but in a wives-tale, probably-not-real-medicine sort of way. Finish trails off quickly with cinnamon and mint, exceedingly low heat. Mild tongue buzz. This finish reminds me so much of a cinnamon Altoid. I’m going to file this away in the category of something well-made that doesn’t strike my fancy. For all the Canadian whisky I’ve ever tried, this bottle has done the best job straddling the line between “pleasant to drink” and “interesting flavor profile.” Unless you count my favorite Canadian whisky: Crown Royal Bourbon Mash. Which is definitely not bourbon whiskey. If you count that as Canadian, then this is a close second, and I give Orphan Barrel respect for once again delivering a quality product. In the incredibly subjective category of value/dollar, I’m 100% punting on this one. I don’t feel qualified to determine whether or not this is worth the 100 bottles or whatever of Canadian Mist you could buy with the same wad of cash. I will say that if Canadian whisky is your thing, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by not trying this whisky. ‘Tis the season. I don’t know if I actually have 6 more new whiskeys lined up, so if you’re reading this and there’s something readily available out there you’d like me to enjoy/suffer through this holiday season, leave it in the comments. Oh, and Merry freakin Christmas!