Bearface has a brand goal to flip the script on what we consider blending. The Wilderness Series is the start of their story, a clear direction in where they’re going, and an understanding of the market. In the limited release of the Wilderness Series (01, implying there will be a 02), the focus is on the blend of wild mushrooms (Matsutake) that were foraged in the BC mountains. As with previous one-time releases, the process is authentic. Bearface is ridiculousness (the name!) that’s wrapped up in authenticity. So yes, Bearface Wilderness Series 01 features Shrooms (but no, not those kinds o ..read more

Lot 40 Cask Strength whisky enjoys a cult following among Canadian whisky drinkers, one that is spreading worldwide as it continues to win awards. Lot 40, in all varieties, is 100% rye whisky. It’s aged in new oak and is more similar to American ryes than traditional Canadian ryes.  If you’re new to Canadian Whisky the tldr; Lot 40 is 100% rye whisky, it’s the flavour of Canadian ryes for many of our whiskies, and it’s regularly sold at a reasonable 43% ABV (86 proof) year-round (<$40 Canadian). The cask strength variety, though, is rare.  Each release is different. If you follow ..read more

At first glance, it seems crazy to call Knob Creek 9 an underrated Bourbon. It’s been a successful brand for decades. And yet, the newly released 9 Year Old is a more modern take on Bourbon, especially when compared to the one discontinued in 2016. That’s my take. It’s going to gather even more fans.  To understand this new release, let’s take it back a few years. Knob Creek was introduced in 1992. It’s the same recipe as Jim Beam, Booker’s, and most other Jim Beam products (but for the high-rye recipes like Basil Hayden). However, Jim Beam distinguishes the product lines based on age an ..read more

This limited $80 bottle released in 2011 has sold for as much as $1,000 on the secondary market. A blend of marketing and whisky making, it stands (almost) alone for its story. Reading Greg’s story about his recent purchase a bottle of Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix, reminded me of just how important and interesting this ‘11 $80 bottle of single malt scotch turned out to be for the industry and Glenfiddich themselves: Oh man, owning this bottle has been about six years in the making, I have wanted one for AGES but the auction prices were either way too much or the people who promised to h ..read more

On a recent post on social media, someone new to the whisky world asked for what a favorite Japanese whisky was of the group. They got a response of a bunch of single malt distilleries, and this caused a great deal of confusion. The truth is, the posters forgot to mention all the Canadian whisky that also goes into a bottle of Japanese whisky!  A popular Japanese whisky is about to be delisted as Japanese Much of the what we assume is Japanese whisky is made entirely elsewhere:  It’s something of an open secret in the drinks business that much whisky that is labelled Japan ..read more

Over the last decade, whisky tastings have changed dramatically. If the crowd is older, you’ll often find pipettes and distilled water as part of the tasting experience. Younger whisky drinkers, though, often prefer cask strength varieties and wouldn’t dream of watering down their lower proof (45% ABV) whiskies.  When writing The Whisky Cabinet, I had no intention of telling people how to enjoy their whisky. What I did want to do, though, is provide an explanation of what happens to whisky when modifiers are added (ice, water, or even warming the glass in the palm of the head).  How ..read more

Disclaimer: I was one of nine judges on the panel for the Canadian Whisky Awards. All tasting was done blind. The winner of the 2021 Canadian Whisky Awards happens to be the oldest Canadian whisky (likely) ever sold. Aged for 43 years, Canadian Club is a twist on age statements and themes.  The name Speakeasy is a tribute to the illicit past of Hiram-Walker distillery during US prohibition. As the well-known story goes, Al Capone smuggled Canadian whisky across the border so it might be served in underground illegal clubs, known as speakeasies, to avoid authorities.  This ..read more

After being part of a fourteen-person panel that judged hundreds of samples from artisan distilleries from across Canada, I have some thoughts on distilleries in Canada. Spoiler—they’re all positive.  I tasted some odd stuff. Spicy, pickled, smoked, sugared, fishy (yes, fish-based spirit) odd stuff! The gins were fascinating, the absinthes intense, the young whiskies developed, the rums a good twist on an adaptable profile. It all points to one simple fact; I couldn’t possibly choose a favourite from the bunch of spirits.  Invest in your local distilleries. A fri ..read more

Competitive drinking is tough. After college, anyway. And, no, I don't mean to drink as much as possible in a short period of time. I mean, when it comes to judging whisky competitions with the purpose of scoring them on a 100 point scale.  The majority of competitions run in the November and December timeframe. That means I’m scoring about 150 whiskies (and 150 spirits) a year in that two month period. It gets intense. I get a lot of questions about this, so I thought I’d share answers to the ones I get most often.  What makes this competition work is all the tasting is done blind ..read more

Hi! I’m really excited about this, and I wanted to share.  You’ve seen me from such places as Whisky Buzz (mostly whisky reviews), The Whisky Topic Podcast, a terribly neglected YouTube channel, or Instagram (or possibly a combination of the above!). I’ve made a few changes to how content is delivered, and I hope this will allow me to continue delivering content to all of you in a more consistent way The answer is Substack. I know, I know, literally every famous journalist has started a Substack mailing list (well, not literally, and I’m not famous ..read more