Glencairn is the original whisky glass. To mark their 20th anniversary,
they’ve released a limited number of colourful whisky glasses:
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Glencairn Glass, the world’s favourite whisky glass, Glencairn Crystal Studio has introduced a new core range of coloured glasses.
The Coloured Glencairn Glass Collection!
Black, Blue, Gold, Green and Red Glencairn Glasses make up our new core range.
Last year the black Glencairn glass limited release (1000) sold out within hours. In response to last year’s quick sell-out, Glencairn has produced many more of these, but they’re already selling out quick. For your chance to win the full set, you can participate in the following Instagram and Twitter give-ways:
Due to COVID times and its affect on premium whisky sales, we will not be
seeing a 2020 release of the Northern Border Collection. As unfortunate as
this is, I’m glad to see Dr. Don Livermore and team come in with a few new
whisky releases for the year. Pike Creek 15 Year Old is one of these new
limited releases.
Due to COVID times and its affect on premium whisky sales, we will not be seeing a 2020 release of the Northern Border Collection. As unfortunate as this is, I’m glad to see Dr. Don Livermore and team come in with a few new whisky releases for the year. Pike Creek 15 Year Old is one of these new limited releases (LCBO only).
Wine cask finishes are no longer scandalous, but let’s pretend this one is a little more salacious than most. The story goes something like this—Corby owns Hiram-Walker distillery, and has purchased Foreign Affair Winery (Niagara-on-The-Lake). They took a whisky distilled in 2004, the first vintage the winery released, and finished this Canadian whisky with Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. Maybe not a risqué move in 2020, but it’s certainly serendipitous.
The result is a Canadian whisky that’s been tempered and challenged by a ridiculously fun wine barrel influence. I have fond memories of Foreign Affair Winery. My dogs have made themselves at home running around between rows of grapes (with the owner’s permission), while I enjoyed some of their delicious wines on their patio. Their wines were always a little weird, funky, and sometimes otherworldly.
There are only going to be 2058 bottles sold, and so this is quite literally a limited release, but don’t discount future 15 year old Pike Creek variations (Sidenote: I have no information one way or another on this, just a guess on my end). Don Livermore and his team at Corby keep turning out terrific Canadian whisky.
Pike Creek 15 Year Old Cabernet Sauvignon Finish Distillery: Hiram-Walker Category: 15 Year Old Canadian Whisky, Wine Cask Finish. Score: Become a Patron
Nose: Granny apple, caramel, barrel char, dark chocolate, black tea, a steak dry rub (pepper, touches of paprika, oregano, cumin, maybe a toss of brown sugar), ginger, and a lingering of a flat cola-like smell. There’s a ton going on here. A complex knows doesn't always mean a great whisky, so let’s have a taste.
Palate: Dark chocolate, buttery, paprika spice, herbal notes (along with what’s on the nose, with some oregano and cumin), and a caramel sweetness. The acidity is there, likely blood orange, but it’s mostly masked by the richness of a dark chocolate note. The sweetness is that boozy cherry sweetness, but not your typical cherries; these are the artisanal sweet syrupy cherries you use for your most fav manhattan cocktail recipe. It’s great. One of the things that I enjoy about many Hiram-Walker products from Corby’s is that mouth-watering drinkability to them. This one has it in spades. The finish is buttery, spicy, sweet, and tangy.
Conclusion: This is a whisky critic’s drink. It’s a war in a glass. The battle is between a well-aged Canadian whisky and these huge funky barrel influences. It’s a fun match to taste. The flavours will change slightly depending on the temperature in the room; colder, and you’ll get more rye and acidic notes. Warmer; you’ll get more red apple and sweeter notes. The wonderful orange citrus is in a constant battle with the sweetness, but it never gets syrupy. There’s so much going on in a glass, that you’ll get something a little different each time. If you choose to. If you don’t, and you just want to enjoy a drink casually, Pike Creek 15 Year Old deliver that too. The cask influences are certainly there, but they’re not overpowering, and there are lots of flavours to keep going back to. I have little doubt this will be one of the top new releases from Canada in 2020. It’s that good.
Disclaimer: Corby provided me with a bottle for this review. I have since purchased my own.
Templeton Rye is not (what most people would consider) a real rye. It is,
though, legally a rye. It’s just not a straight rye which is what most
people assume when they drink rye. It’s history is largely 💩. It’s not the
first whisky with a questionable past, and won’t be the last, but Templeton
has the distinct honour of being sued for their dishonesty. It stands along
side with Tito’s Vodka claims to be hand made. Tito’s continues to be the
best selling brand in North America, so I just 🤷♂️ at that, and whether
it matters at all.
Templeton Rye is not (what most people would consider) a real rye. It is, though, legally a rye. It’s just not a straight rye which is what most people assume when they drink rye. It’s history is largely 💩. It’s not the first whisky with a questionable past, and won’t be the last, but Templeton has the distinct honour of being sued for their dishonesty. It stands along side with Tito’s Vodka claims to be hand made. Tito’s continues to be the best selling brand in North America, so I just 🤷♂️ at that, and whether it matters at all.
The fuzzy ground that Templeton Rye stands on is the lack of “straight” on the label. This means the company can legally add up to 2.5% by volume of flavoring additives without disclosing them on the bottle. In the case of Templeton Rye, they now (after the lawsuit) disclose the company they’ve gone to for flavoring components. That means artificial flavor is being added to this whisky, and that artificial flavor can be anything. (Quick note: There are plenty of ryes that aren’t straight ryes that don’t add artificial additives, so it’s unfair to make this association, but it comes down to the trust of the brand.)
Templeton Rye is a survivor, though. It wasn’t the only whisky brand that used questionable labeling practices during the boom of American whisky in the 2000s, and it isn’t the only one charging a lot of money for a modestly artificial flavored whisky. This was a common practice back in the day of five years ago. Templeton Rye, in big thanks to their marketing, did the best job of selling the concept (it’s also a terrific name!). Because of their success, the scrutiny became relentless. Eventually, lawyers decided to make some money in a class-action lawsuit. If you bought Templeton Rye between 2006 and 2015, you were entitled to a payback.
At any rate, Templeton Rye’s story is probably largely fake. So are many other stories out there in the whisky world. Not to pick on Elijah Craig Bourbon, but literally everything about the story behind the brand is also made-up. But at least, in my mind, Heaven Hill makes straight proper bourbon.
How does it taste? Not bad! Look. I know you’re going to be horrified at me suggesting it’s not bad, but in all honestly, this is a fine whisky. They’ve really homed in on the flavor components that work. The problem with Templeton Rye is how much the consumer is paying for an okay whisky. But, with the success of Tito’s hand-made vodka (hint: it’s not hand-made), does it really matter?
💩
Templeton Rye 6 Year Old Category: Non-Distillery-Producer (though they do have their own distillery), Rye, Flavouring Agents Score: Become a Patron
Nose: Lovely notes of brown sugar, with that Tennessee whiskey sort of “mix it with cola” underlying note. The rye floral note is a little flat (comparing it to some other high ryes), but it stands up to the brown sugar note. The herbal note is present, black tea mixed with something fruity.
Palate: The rye hits the palate hard, and the brown sugar and butter notes cover the palate nicely. Good orange citrus and nice peppery spice. Wishing for more of an adventure, but this is an overly fine whisky on the palate.
Conclusion: Remarkably better than my first impression of this product from several years ago. I’m a sucker for the MGPI 95% rye mash bill, which this seems to be. However, it doesn’t add anything new or remarkable to the story and the product continues to be based on mistruths. The Whiskey Jug even listed five reasons not to buy it. They’re all great reasons to avoid Templeton Rye. However, I’m no longer outraged at tasting it, so there’s that.
From previous reviews, you can tell that I’m a big fan of Barrell Craft
Spirits. It seems they can do no wrong when it comes to bourbon. Dovetail,
though, isn’t a bourbon. It’s a whisky that has plenty of barrel finishes,
and those barrel finishes aren’t subtle. Not one bit. When we had Will
Schragis from Barrell Craft Spirits on the podcast, he suggested this is a
great place to start if you’re new to BCS. I agree.
From previous reviews, you can tell that I’m a big fan of Barrell Craft Spirits. It seems they can do no wrong when it comes to bourbon. Dovetail, though, isn’t a bourbon. It’s a whisky that has plenty of barrel finishes, and those barrel finishes aren't subtle. Not one bit. When we had Will Schragis from Barrell Craft Spirits on the podcast, he suggested this is a great place to start if you’re new to BCS. I agree.
Dovetail is blended to highlight some of our favorite flavors. Woody bourbon; terroir driven Dunn Cabernet; toasted French oak; Late Bottled Vintage Port pipes; black strap molasses casks; all working in tandem to create a buttery and deep whiskey as unique as it is delicious.
As an entry-level Barrel Craft Spirits, this is a great place to start. It’s still high proof (124.34), but it easily falls into the category of “it doesn’t taste so high alcohol.” On the contrary, it’s fairly quiet on the nose and peppery on the palate. Sure, it’s more like spicy paprika spice, but there’s a nice subtle character that calms the palate.
The finishing cask influences are obvious; this isn’t meant to taste like a bourbon. But the sweet and boozy notes will balance nicely for many palates. I think it’s fair to say some will say this lands too heavily on the cask influenced side, especially if you’re looking for a traditional bourbon. But for me, this is great treat to get into when I’m looking for that rich dessert bourbon.
Barrell Dovetail Barrel Craft Spirits Category: Whiskey finished in rum, port & Dunn Vineyards Carbnet Barrels, 62.17% ABV Score: Become a Patron
Nose: Quiet on the nose, especially at this proof level. Gives off distant wine barrel notes, like from another room that’s in a neighbouring home kind of distance. There’s some blue cotton candy, and a bit of smoked caramel. It’s a wonderfully welcoming nose that’s not too intense, but peeks the curiosity.
Palate: Plentiful oak spice, raisins (I generally dislike raisins, but if raisins were good, this would be how they taste), and that gummy cotton candy note. It’s buttery, paprika spicy, and beyond that hit of spice it turns smooth. There’s far more complexity here after a few sips; anise, cinnamon, touches of licorice. Sprinkle of nuttiness. It’s all fairly subtle, complex, and despite the subtle flavours the palate intensity is quite high.
Conclusion: In the category of 'whisky that’s a little different’ I absolutely loved this. It was quite the treat. You can really pick out the wide variety of flavours that overlap one another nicely. The more intense flavour plays well on the subtle flavours making it one of those drinks that gives you something a little different with each sip. It’s not Bourbon, but you won’t hold that against the drink.
Wee Beastie. The name is adorbs. The single malt scotch is aged for five
years, two years longer than minimum. Non-chill filtered, no added
coloring, and no cask finishes—matured in a mix of European (Oloroso) and
American oak. And to quote Bry Simpson, the Canadian Brand Ambassador’s,
favorite phrase: “It’s a banger!”
Wee Beastie. The name is adorbs. The single malt scotch is aged for five years, two years longer than minimum. Non-chill filtered, no added coloring, and no cask finishes—matured in a mix of European (Oloroso) and American oak. And to quote Bry Simpson, the Canadian Brand Ambassador’s, favorite phrase: “It’s a belter!”
Aged at five years, this whisky doesn’t hide behind anything, including the casks used. This is a youthful Ardbeg that comes below the price-point of Ardbeg 10. Aged for a disclosed five years, it’s a great move during an era where selling no-age statement whisky is the norm.
For this reason, it’s a peculiar strategy on two counts. First, why give us an age statement? Many single malt distilleries would have left it off, kept it vague, and told people it’s “probably” around seven or eight years. That’s what’s done. There’s a template.
The It’s also peculiar because Wee Beastie isn’t finished in anything. Today’s single malt industry loves to finish their American oak barrels with whatever might be the trend for the year—Spanish oak, wine casks, Portuguese port barrels, etc.. Wee Beastie is fully matured in ex-Bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks. There’s no “finishing” here to mask anything. This is the real whisky, aged for five.
Ardbeg is confident in this single malt scotch. They’re not masking young whisky with big cask influences, and they’re not being cutesy vague with how old the whisky in the bottle is. They are, though, being cutesy (in typical Ardbeg style) with the name.
While Ardbeg Ten maintains a complexity from that extra time spent in barrel maturation, the half-aged Wee Beastie is not a young whisky on the nose and palate. What it lacks in complexity, it gains in a sheer easy pleasure to drink. And it doesn’t lack complexity. Far from it.
Does it taste young? I’ve seen tasting notes suggesting it does, and I’ll take a moment to disagree on this. I find my palate particularly sensitive to ‘young’ whiskies. This is a more volatile drink at five years, but for me that volatility wafts away in seconds after a pour. Give it a moment.
Anyway, you can call Wee Beastie my latest peated scotch crush. Now, if I can only find a bottle of this stuff...
Ardbeg 5 Year Old Wee Beastie Ardbeg Distillery Category: Single malt. Peated. Score:Become a Patron
Nose: Smoky buttery pie crust goodness, brown sugar, and lemon meringue. At the base layer, this will be reminiscent of many single malt scotches aged primarily in ex-bourbon casks, but here there’s a terrific oomph of depth from the European oak (but just a hint on the nose with cinnamon and dried fruit). It has that acidity, like an aged vinegar, with the sweetness from the sherry casks. The oaky smokiness is pleasant, and not overpowering.
Palate: Peppery, paprika spice (delicate), caramelized pineapple (both in sweetness and acidity), caramelized burnt onions, brown sugar, lemon concentrated, and of course a layer of peat smoky goodness. Lots of up-front flavor complimentary of each other. The peat is raw, like a terrific smoked mezcal (it’s the acidity that reminds me of mezcal). The finish is caramel sweet, dabs of brown sugar, vanilla bitters, plenty citrus (more lime-like toward the finish), and the spice mellows out in favor of the bitters and licorice.
Conclusion: No color added, no chill-filtration, no cask finishes, and proofed down for flavor. This is terrifically whisky that hides absolutely nothing and gives you all of Ardbeg’s potential. It’s also selling out in every market, so don’t pause in your purchase, as someone will try to snag it right out of your grip.
Disclosure: I was provided a sample of the whisky. It had no influence on my review.
The source of this rye makes for an interesting story, but in the case of
Barrel Rye Batch Three, it’s a footnote rather than a defining
characteristic. One might hear that this batch is a blend of ryes from
Tennessee, Indiana, Poland, and Canada and think it’ll taste otherworldly
or weird or funky. It does none of those things. It tastes like a terrific
American cask strength rye, with a floral (almost Lot 40 rye-like) nose to
it. It’s a beautiful blend.
The source of this rye makes for an interesting story, but in the case of Barrel Rye Batch Three, it’s a footnote rather than a defining characteristic. One might hear that this batch is a blend of ryes from Tennessee, Indiana, Poland, and Canada and think it’ll taste otherworldly or weird or funky. It does none of those things. It tastes like a terrific American cask strength rye, with a floral (almost Lot 40 rye-like) nose to it. It’s a beautiful blend.
That this product contains ryes from ages four to fourteen isn’t a surprise either. Ryes do really well with low age statements, and this blend of young and old has been proven successful in its many iterations across the US market. Barrell is about taking the best kind of barrels of whisky that come together in harmony, and this is another great example.
Barrell Rye Batch 003 116.9 Category: NDP blend from Tennessee, Indiana, Poland, and Canada ryes Score: Become a Patron
Nose: Minty creamy ice cream nose. Mint can be a common nosing note in ryes, but this is particularly fresh and creamy. It has that nicely intense perfume floral note consistent with a good rye. Lingering dark chocolate, a vague herbal note are a nice complex layer to this otherwise quiet nose.
Palate: Floral, minty, cinnamon, and back tea herbal. Really fun on the palate. It’s dry, intense, and paprika-level spicy. The creaminess really settles in nicely toward the finish, but the paprika spice burn never departs. It has all the elements of a great rye. It is a little thin on the palate (compared to others high-proof oaky monsters), and sometimes that’s a bad thing, but here it just leaves room for the awesome flavours coming through.
Conclusion: The herbal minty note is such a pleasure, when combined with a floral rye. It’s gentle on complex flavour, and heavy on spice, with a creamy clean wait on the palate. Nicely done!
Disclaimer: I received a sample of this whisky. It had no influence on my review.
Barrell Bourbon uses their large stock of procured barrels, and blends the
best complimentary set of straight bourbons. Each batch is different, and
each batch is uniquely created toward a specific flavour profile.
Barrell Bourbon uses their large stock of procured barrels, and blends the best complimentary set of straight bourbons. Each batch is different, and each batch is uniquely created toward a specific flavour profile.
Will Schragis did, when he was on the podcast, release one little gem about this whisky. They were balancing out the sweetness and the tannins from the oak. Because Barrell Bourbon doesn’t water down any of their bourbons, they’re all cask strength, they used some particularly old barrels of whisky to bring the proof point down to where they found a better balance. Using aged stock to proof down a high-strength cask strength is an expensive replacement to water, but it’s a wonderful addition to the flavour profile.
At the time of this review, batch 23 is slipping into limited supplies as batch 25 is about to come into the marketplace.
Barrel Bourbon Batch 23 Category: NDP, Blend of Straight Bourbons Score:Become a Patron
Nose: Fun yeasty, barnyard funkiness, with a lot of dry wheat-like aspects to the nose. Herbal, dark chocolate, some boozy cherry elements. When left in the glass, lots of liquorice and brown sugar notes come through.
Palate:The boozy cherry note is spicy, toffee sweet, and vanilla extract bitter. The syrupy note is pleasant, because the high alcohol content really brings through the peppery spice. Citrus.
Conclusion: Out of all the Barrell Bourbons I’ve had, this one fits the profile of a high-proof bourbon the closest (I haven’t had a lot, so this isn’t saying much). The cherry syrupy sweetness combined with the complex nose is a terrific combination. It really flows well, and this hits the mark of being a standout high proof bourbon.
Disclaimer: I received a sample of this whisky. It had no influence on my review.
Lisa Wicker is taking Widow Jane Distillery in an interesting direction
with the Vaults series. Like with other Widow Jane Bourbons, its a blend of
multiple producers, but this series is finished in staves that have been
seasoned for eight years. From the perspective of flavouring, there’s a lot
going on, and it all fits in nicely.
Lisa Wicker is taking Widow Jane Distillery in an interesting direction with the Vaults series. Like with other Widow Jane Bourbons, its a blend of multiple producers, but this series is finished in staves that have been seasoned for eight years. From the perspective of flavouring, there’s a lot going on, and it all fits in nicely.
Seasoned staves are a great way to add additional flavour to a whisky. Think of it as a flavour booster. Buffalo Trace Distillery, Hiram-Walker, and Maker’s Mark all have used staves in their product line-up. Often, these whiskies come at a premium price-point. This is no exception, though for a fourteen year old whisky it’s priced well. It’s just under 50% ABV, which plays well on the palate.
Widow Jane 11.4.19 Vaults 14 Category: TN+IN, NDP, Seasoned Staves ABV: 49.5% Score:Become a Patron
Nose: Reminiscent of MGP rye, the nose has that floral element with hints of dill. There’s plenty of brown sugar and caramel sweetness, and a nice barnyard wafty layer. This nose isn’t intense, it’s gentle and subtle, but definitely welcoming.
Palate: So much citrus, brown sugar, and plenty of peppery spice. There’s a terrific buttery layer that’s present through the tasting. The finish is rye-dill, brown sugar, and great dry tannins with a nice buttery layer. Herbal notes there there, but fairly light.
Conclusion: This continues to remind me of rye grain influences from MPGI, but there’s a nice brown sugar element that could only come form Tennessee. The complexity is nice, subtle, and the herbal note that comes through elevates this whisky. It fits the bill of a complex older bourbon.
Disclaimer: Thanks to Widow Jane for sending me a bottle. It had no affect my review, but it did encourage me to write a review.
This Brooklyn distillery has undergone a few changes since I last wrote
about them. The distillery is under new ownership, and they’ve hired
Kentucky’s Lisa Wicker as their head distillery (Lisa was more recently
named the president as well). Under new management, gone are the criticisms
of the past.
This Brooklyn distillery has undergone a few changes since I last wrote about them. The distillery is under new ownership, and they’ve hired Kentucky’s Lisa Wicker as their head distillery (Lisa was more recently named the president as well). Under new management, gone are the criticisms of the past.
What remains is all the good stuff. The bottle, the label, and some tweaks to the whisky. This current Widow Jane 10 Year Old is better than before. It misses that weird funk from the one I review in 2017. And it’s small batch, truly small batch, with each batch of ten year old being 5 barrels of bourbon sourced from from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
It’s priced at a premium level, but this is the way of micro-distillation today. Widow Jane Distillery is deep down the path of distilling their corn and rye, and these products can be picked up directly at the distillery in Brooklyn.
More importantly, by going down this path of having a blend of straight bourbon from all three major bourbon producing states, it offers up a unique perspective on straight bourbon sourced blends.
Widow Jane Aged 10 Years - Batch 177, Bottle 1090 Category: NDP, Blend of Straight Bourbons Proof: 45.5% ABV Score:Become a Patron
Nose: Brown sugar, ginger, and plenty of zest.
Palate: Nice levels of brown sugar, soda, and some nuttiness that comes through really nicely.
Conclusion: If I were to narrow this down in terms of regions, the nose is all Tennessee but the palate borrows from Indiana and Kentucky. It has that bit brown sugar that I’d associate with Kentucky, and that sweet herbal note often achieved in Indiana. The nose is a little ordinary, but on the palate, it’s a standout.
Disclaimer: Thanks to Widow Jane for sending me a bottle. It had no affect my review, but it did encourage me to write a review.
Glassware matters. I’ve been drinking out of Glencairn glass since my first
whisky festival. It changed the way I understood whisky. When we had
Raymond Davidson on the podcast, I learned that it was Raymond’s love for
tasting terrific whisky that drove this innovation.
Glassware matters.
I’ve been drinking out of Glencairn glass since my first whisky festival. It changed the way I understood whisky. When we had Raymond Davidson on the podcast, I learned that it was Raymond’s love for tasting terrific whisky that drove this innovation.
Raymond was tired of drinking whisky neat out rocks glass, so he designed the Glencairn glass specifically for whisky shows—Compact. Heavy duty. Nearly unbreakable. Now, of course, most whisky drinking households are stocked with Glencairn glass. For 2020, they're celebrating their 20th year in making The Glencairn Glass. Here’s how you can celebrate with them (from their press release):
The new Glencairn PodGlass series: a first for the brand – a series of insightful and informative podcasts with Glencairn Crystal Founder, Raymond Davidson, and guest appearances by some of the whisky industry’s most renowned and respected names – some of whom were involved in the early development of The Glencairn Glass. Visit PodGlass to listen in!
New versions of the Glencairn Glass that will be added to the existing range.
A unique fundraising initiative with the proceeds going to the company’s chosen charity partners.
The official opening of the new expanded Glencairn Crystal Studio site in East Kilbride: which incorporates a stunning refurbishment and a substantial new build on the original Glencairn site to cater for expanding demand - all built by local businesses.
Social media: to keep whisky lovers going through the current challenging COVID-19 climate, @TheGlencairnGlass is inviting the online community to follow them and share their favourite stay at home Glencairn moments via a new platform: #beathomewithGlencairn.
Glencairn will be revealing more details on how followers and fans can become part of their 20th Anniversary tribute later in the year.
