by Delin Watmough
The day I thought would never come is about to be upon us: covid restrictions are about to be lifted and the band is practicing again looking towards the parade on Canada Day. I can’t wait! It has been far too long since we've been able to perform. Also, you may have seen the announcement about GOTCHF going forward, at least in some form and I am very sure the organizers will be doing their very best to make this one amazing even though there may be some differences due to covid. I, for one, can’t wait until I can do another whisky tasting. It truly is one of the things I live for... as is apparent by these posts!
I am writing this on the 25th of June and we are about to hit a heat wave in the next few days and weeks so I thought I would talk about something that tends to be a little contentious:
To Chill or Not to Chill
Let’s face it... on a hot summer’s day, no one wants to drink a lukewarm whisky and the temptation to put a little ice in it is very real. Keep in mind that doing so will change the taste of your whisky because you are basically watering down your expensive whisky that you just paid dearly for. However, there is good news! Fortunately, there are many products on the market that you can use to chill your whisky. From plastic rocks to stainless steel balls, the selection is almost endless. Just a side note: chilling a liquid does alter the molecular structure, somewhat allowing it to taste somewhat different (some say more appealing). This is hence the reason mass produced beers in North America are served ice cold as the temperature hides a lot of flaws. So, there you go- whisky can be a summer drink after all and right now may be a good time to chill some of your less favorites to make them taste better... LOL
This Month's Selections
This month I am going to review 3 whisky’s that aren’t scotch. Our pipe major, Doug Brown suggested that I review some Canadian whisky’s and with Canada Day being upon us I thought it was a very good Idea.
Glen Breton Alexander Keith’s Single Malt Whisky
18 years ago, Glenora Distillery in Cape Breton distilled a batch of Alexander Keith’s IPA and placed it in bourbon barrels as a experiment between to two Nova Scotia based companies. This $200 whisky is a special limited release that Doug had shipped here. So if you do manage to find a bottle here in Alberta, I would highly suggest you buy it- especially if you are a fan of Alexander Keith’s IPA like Doug is. This very smooth whisky tastes of maple cream with notes of apple and butterscotch. Plus, it finishes with a crisp apple taste and truly is the best Canadian Whisky I have ever had the pleasure to taste. Everyone I've talked to who had a chance to taste it also truly enjoyed it.
Lohin Mckinnon Single Malt Whisky