46% abv 10 years in ex-Bourbon and 2-3 year Finish in PX butts and Hogsheads. Dunville’s Irish Whiskey…..what can i say about thee… Let’s start this off with a bit of personal history fist and then bring the facts of this bottle. I have a deep personal connection with Dunville’s that stretches back over a century. My great-grandfather emigrated to Canada in 1906 and stories circulate that he enjoyed the odd tipple from time to time. The original Dunville’s brand of whiskey was a favourite of his before he left what is now present day Northern Ireland. I found out this information a few years ..read more

45% Abv 100% Colorado rye grain Aged 4 years in Deep Charred New American Oak The next review in the series of Woody Creek releases fresh into Alberta is the Straight Colorado Rye Whiskey. This is made with 100% rye grain grown in Colorado and distilled in the Woody Creek custom CARL stills. It is then matured in new American Oak for a minimum of 4 years. As an industry standard you will know it’s the rye bottle you are looking at by the green coloured label. Why green was chosen as the universal colour for rye whiskies is still unknown to me but it seems to be the consensus to use green labe ..read more

Image credit: Taconic Distillery (@taconic_distillery) In writing more of these in-depth reviews, I’ve really enjoyed researching not only the history and stories behind the brands, but also the related histories of the regions in which the spirits are made. This week is no different. We’ve reviewed the entire core range from Taconic Distillery over the past two years, including their Maple Barrel finished Bourbon. Located in the Hudson River Valley of New York, farm to table whisky production has existed in the region for over 350 years! The history of whisky distilling in the Hudson Valley d ..read more

Image credit: Danh Tran (@whiskytran) Danh Tran (@whiskytran) has been so generous to me with all of the samples that he’s shared over the last couple of years. On his last trip to the US, he was very excited to share this one with me. This Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon is an annual release for the distillery and is made up of the founder’s favourite barrels. This release consisted of 118 casks, all at least 8 years old and uses their wheated mashbill, which consists of 74% white Texas-grown corn, 15% red wheat, and 11% malted barley. It’s bottled at a cask strength of 67.4% ABV. Nose: The ..read more

I have an admission to make right off the bat. Reading up on four grain Bourbons sent me down a bit of grain rabbit hole. As I start to learn more about whiskey, the scientist in me is starting to delve more into why whiskey, or really any spirit, tastes the way it does. For Bourbon specifically, there is this common notion that it gets most of its sweetness from the high amount of corn  (at least 51% by law) in the mashbill. This is not wholly true. It’s the new charred oak barrel that provides those sweet notes of vanilla, caramel and toffee that so many Bourbon lovers crave. Corn does ..read more

For those of you not yet riding the Carn Mor train I suggest you go find yourself a ticket as quickly as possible. I’d recommend starting with an offering from their Strictly Limited range since new batches from various regions are released fairly regularly. Many notable and pungent weirdos come from their line and they carry some soft and more elegant little lovelies too, all with a common trait, quality. Consistent prices and reliable picks are pretty much guaranteed and based on their consistent track record of delicious and rare drams, there’s a chance they’ll have an expression that may ..read more

I will preface this review by saying that a) I am not a fan of almost all “flavoured” whiskeys and I was a little hesitant with this one at first. I poured this whiskey into a mini copitas tasting glass. It has a beautiful rich dark amber colour in the glass and after swirling a bit, the oily whiskey clings to the glass with slow, but thin legs. Alright let’s get this going. I’ve let this sit in the glass for about 20 minutes. It’s something I do with most reviews I partake in. Sometimes even longer depending on age and proof. Nose: First little whiff on the nose and it’s a touch sweet, but ..read more

45% Abv Aged 4 years in Deep Charred New American Oak Woody Creek Distillers are a new and exciting brand that will be gracing our store shelves (and home bars) very soon. They are located just west of Aspen Colorado and are very connected to their local ingredients. They have a vodka that is made from potatoes that they grow themselves. The grains that go into this bourbon are sourced from trusted Colorado farms and are then distilled on their very own custom CARL stills. The launch of Woody Creek into Alberta and Canada is being made possible by PWS Imports and there are some very unique an ..read more

59.5% Abv Aged 4 years in Deep Charred New American Oak After a few of the Woody Creek lower ABV sippers, I am proud to introduce one of the “Big Boys” in the form of the cask strength version of their bourbon. This is one I was very excited to have the opportunity to review as I loved the 90 proof version expression. Again the mashbill used is 70% corn, 15% rye and 15% malted barley. I found that the malt really showed well in the lower abv version and am eager to see how the extra proof on this will play out with the maltiness. In the glass: A deep orange oil colour. Medium oiliness in the ..read more