In honour of the Clan Mackenzie, former owners of their distillery, the Dalmore has released Mackenzie, a limited edition run of 3000 bottles of Highland Malt aged 11 years in ex-bourbon and a further 6 years in port pipes. The Legend of Clan Mackenzie is immortalized in a painting by Benjamin West that is featured on the packaging – an ancestor of the clan bravely protects the king from being gored by a stag. Revenues from these limited bottles will go to the Clan in an effort to maintain their cultural presence …

Canadian Club, one of the most widely consumed Canadian whiskies, is often maligned with a bad reputation.  After ending near the top in a recent blind tasting amongst friends, however, we decided it is time to take a closer look at Canadian Club.  As a whisky which, in my experience, most often ends up mixed with coke, it’s about time people recognize Canadian Club for what it is — a balanced yet flavorful Canadian whisky.   If the standard offering of Canadian Club — matured for 6 years — is …

A few months ago we reviewed Four Roses Yellow Label, calling it “a satisfying whisky with a fair dose of complexity.”  In contrast to the Yellow Label’s standard blend of 10 different bourbons (coming from a combination of 5 yeasts and 2 mashbills), each release of Four Roses Small Batch is a blend of only 4 of the 10 bourbons produced by Four Roses.  According to Four Roses, “Four of the Bourbon recipes have been expertly selected by the Master Distiller at the peak of maturation to create a perfectly …

The Bowmore Distillery, one of eight whisky producers on the island of Islay, is also one of Scotland’s oldest.  Established in 1779, the distillery is now in the hands of Morrison-Bowmore, which in turn rests within the Suntory group.  Mothballed during both world wars, the distillery has gone on to currently produce over 2 million litres per year.  The distillery’s name, meaning “great sea reef,” is apt given the saltiness typically seen in their whiskies.  In our review of one of SMWS’s private bottlings of Bowmore, we had the following …

In the 1700′s, Clan Campbell ruled the isle of Jura, whose famous neighbour, Islay, lies to the south-west.  Legend tells of the clan evicting a seer, or prophet, from the island during this time; on her exit, she predicted that the last Campbell would one day leave the island with one eye missing and a single white horse pulling all his possessions in tow.  Over two centuries later, in 1938, this prophecy came true, with Charles Campbell (the last Campbell on Jura) leaving the island exactly as predicted — an …

There are certain whiskies which have such distinct profiles, they are instantly recognizable.  Forty Creek’s Barrel Select is one such whisky.  Find a whisky which has a clearer nose of peanut brittle, and I’ll buy you a dram of it.  Forty Creek, the range of whiskies made by John Hall (owner of Kittling Ridge Wines and Spirits), are some of the few independent Canadian whiskies remaining.  Resulting from Hall’s experiments with a forgotten still found on the Kittling Ridge vineyard upon his purchase of it in 1992, Forty Creek whiskies …