So here we are, after taking a tour through all the other major spirits of the world, I have reached whisky. I actually tried to do this a few years ago, starting with bourbon, but quickly realized I just didn’t have the palate for it, nor the knowledge of cocktails to really enjoy it. So now I optimistically begin anew with Canadian blended whisky.
Smells of maple syrup, oak, toffee, and vanilla. The taste is lightly sweet with flavors of caramel, wheat biscuits, toffee, butterscotch, and maple syrup. The finish is long with a gentle burn, featuring notes of oak, maple syrup, hazelnut, and white pepper. Overall, it’s smooth, lightly sweet, and very aromatic with a balanced oak profile. I honestly do enjoy sipping this neat, and am very excited to try it in cocktails!
The classic whisky sour (sans egg white here) is sweet, sour, and just a little bit spicy, with the bitters standing out more than the whisky. Remade without the bitters and the whisky shines, adding a nice counterpoint to the sweet/sour introduction and is very refreshing.
A Washington Apple is green apple and tart cranberry up front with a lightly bitter, lightly peppery finish that ends on just a touch of burnt caramel and vanilla. I feel this could be better with different ratios. A splash (~5ml) of lime juice seems to help tie the cranberry and apple together more, though the whisky notes become entirely obscured. A simplified 1:1:1 ratio is much better balanced, though the whisky presence essentially just a hint of vanilla in the finish. A lime wedge adds brightness and becomes reminiscent of a Cape Codder with notes of green apple. 2:1:1 is nicely whisky forward without feeling unbalanced; oak and vanilla dominant, with the green apple and cranberry providing background highlights. A lime wedge brings out the sour apple and tart cranberry notes and greatly attenuates the whisky notes. The shot version of the drink is cranberry and vanilla forward with notes of green apple and caramel underneath. Surprisingly the best balanced of them all I think, though the 1:1:1 has more apple and the 2:1:1 has more whisky if you prefer either of those flavors.
The classic and simple Crown & Cola brings out more of the oak and caramel flavors underneath the cola. A dash of lemon juice brightens the drink and helps temper the oak.
A Boulevardier is lightly sweet and fruity with subtle jammy notes up front and a big bitter finish reminiscent of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. The whisky is surprisingly subdued.
A Manhattan is balanced, sweet and bitter, fruity and woody; flavors of Vermouth and cherry up front become oak, vanilla, and bitters in the finish.
An Old Fashioned is fruity and peppery up front with a nice balanced oakiness and notes of maple, caramel, and vanilla in the finish. Very enjoyable.