It’s whisky o’clock

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/04/2023 (1161 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

My recent bout with COVID-19 at the end of February really couldn’t have come at a worse time.

On the day I tested positive (a Monday), I had done two interviews for a preview of the Winnipeg Whisky Festival I was working on, which was slated to run that Thursday, the day before the fest got underway. This posed two problems — I’d have to write the preview while convalescing at home, and I’d have to miss attending the fest.

I managed to blast out the preview during a rare hour of mental clarity and energy while holed up at home, but attending the fest was never in the cards. However, the recent influx of new whiskies to the province and the significant sales on some of the products through February and March meant that once I had recovered, I was able to restock the home bar with some new (or new-to-me) whiskies as well as a couple of my go-to faves.

Of the three Irish whiskies acquired in recent months, The Legendary Silkie Irish Whiskey (Carrick, Ireland — $54.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is palest in colour (think very pale gold), and aromatically brings malt, floral, honey and a hint of a smoky note — unlike many Irish whiskies, there’s a hint of peated malt in here. It’s a relatively lean and light-bodied whiskey, which brings honey and subtle apple notes with vanilla and a hit of peaty spice on the finish. Despite the 46 per cent alcohol it’s pretty approachable.

Aged 10 years in bourbon and sherry casks, a healthy helping of fresh red apple and pear aromas come through on the nose of the medium-gold (and always tasty) Bushmills 10 Single Malt Irish Whiskey (Antrim, Ireland — $52.99, Liquor Marts and beyond), with secondary vanilla notes showing well. It’s slightly richer than the Silkie, with more up-front vanilla and spice notes that complement the ripe apple, pear and stone fruit flavours, while the finish is modest at 40 per cent alcohol. A solid entry point into whiskey — Irish or otherwise.

Medium copper in colour and coming in an eye-catching squat hexagonal bottle, The Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey (Antrim, Ireland — $49.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is another Irish whiskey I’ve previously enjoyed; it’s aged in Oloroso sherry casks, with up-front dried fruit aromas coming with deep malt and more subtle vanilla notes on the nose. On the medium-bodied palate the dried fruit flavours work well with a subtle herbal component, secondary nutty and honeyed flavours and a medium-length spicy finish (it’s 40 per cent alcohol). Slightly more aggressive than the Silkie and Bushmills, it’s tasty on its own but would work well in a cocktail.

While the stuff in the bottle is certainly not new, the Glenmorangie “The Original 10” Highland Single Malt Whisky (Tain, Scotland — $75.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) and its siblings have been given a visual refresh that’s certainly eye-catching. The 10 is pale gold in colour and aged in first- and second-use bourbon casks for a decade, which aids in bringing subtle vanilla and spice with the fresh citrus and tropical fruit notes. There’s a hint of creaminess texture-wise that works well with the vanilla and rich tropical fruit and honey flavours, with pretty much no peat and a modest 40 per cent alcohol. Consistently well-made and very accessible for all level of whisky drinkers.

Assembled in Japan, the Suntory Ao World Whisky (Japan — $99.99/700ml bottle, Liquor Marts and beyond) is new to the market. It’s made from a blend of Irish, Scotch, American, Canadian and Japanese whiskies owned by parent company Beam Suntory, although the exact percentages aren’t disclosed. Pale copper in colour, it brings subtle tropical fruit notes along with a mocha component and a lacquer/resinous/woody aroma that’s reminiscent of the smell of the Manitoba Museum’s Nonsuch. It’s medium-bodied, with loads of woody, resinous notes that come with the peach and tropical flavours, with loads of lingering spice on the lengthy finish (it’s 43 per cent alcohol). Good complexity here — they seem to have gotten the balance just right.

One of the two interviews I did for my whisky fest preview was over Zoom with master blender Dr. Don Livermore, who was excited to come to Winnipeg to pour his Lot No. 40 Dark Oak Canadian Whisky (Windsor, Ont. — $63.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) at the fest. A 100 per cent rye whisky aged first in new American oak barrels and then in a heavily charred used barrel, which imparts some of the deeper copper colour, it’s a darker and bolder version of their classic Lot No. 40. Aromatically there’s plenty of wood in there, with fairly heavy spice and malt that comes with hints of mandarin orange and red apple. On the palate the smoky wood and spice flavours come front and centre without overpowering, as underlying herbal, citrus and almost-minty flavours show well and an intense peppery note lingers on the long, satisfying finish (it’s 48 per cent alcohol). There’s a reason this won top rye whisky at the 2021 World Whisky Awards — well done.

If you’re looking to try some new-to-Manitoba whiskies brought in for the festival — and there are a lot — check the Liquor Marts website to see what’s still around and where you can pick it up.

uncorked@mts.net

Twitter: @bensigurdson