On a recent trip into New York City, I had the pleasure to stop into Park Avenue Liquor Shop, 292 Madison Avenue. In the past, I had read about the large selection, but to see it in person was a thrill that I am sure every whisky connoisseur would appreciate.My intention was to find an outlet that carried the great Japanese whisky Yamazaki.You see, it is very difficult to find this in Ontario through the LCBO. It does exist, however only at select vintage locations. However, at Park Ave, I also noticed the lineup of Compass Box whiskies including the return of Spice Tree, as well as Oak Cross, Asyla, Orangerie, Lady Luck, Peat Monster, Hedonism, and Hedonism Maximus. Once again, these choices are not all available at the LCBO.
Not very long ago, a few of us here at www.bestofwhisky.com were fortunate to find ourselves with a bottle of the very rare Monster.John Glaser, whiskymaker and founder of Compass Box was extremely kind in providing this rare bottle to the organizers of ‘Spirit of Toronto’ (one of the best run whisky events you’d ever want to attend) Monster was the precursor that would really kick start John Glaser’s Compass Box phenomena.A beast of a grain whisky that was so popular John just had to build on that.It eventually became his worldwide hit ‘The Peat Monster’Monster is cask strength and was born of two casks.The Peat Monster is reduced to 46% and as recent as 2007, won the award for ‘best ofblend or vatted’, here at bestofwhisky.Although I realized the original Monster was made specifically for a Liquor Shop in NY, I did not put 2 & 2 together until I was speaking with the Goldstein’s of Park Ave. What a pleasure to meet these businessmen that have such a passion for great drink.It became time to pick out a few bottles and for this I chose a bottle of Hedonism. I’ve read great things and look forward to sharing with some with good friends. I also picked up Makers Mark 46. This is another bottle I could not get my hands on locally and quite frankly the people at Makers Mark know how to distill great bourbon.Cheers to you all at Park Avenue Liquor Shop.I was welcomed very warmly and look forward to stopping in again (Hopefully with a few friends…. Hmmm when is New York Whiskyfest again ?)
(note: choose the different background swatches in the top left for background pics of Park Ave)
Canadian Club has dusted off one of their more successful campaigns of f the past, and at the end of this rainbow (sometime in 2012) some lucky player will be pocketing $100k U.S.
Here is an excerpt from the local paper where C.C originated.
“It’s the intrigue. It’s the mystique,” said Dan Tullio, Canadian Club’s Windsor-based brand ambassador. “We’re bringing that back.”
A total of 25 cases of Canadian Club Whisky were hidden around the world during the original campaign. Adventure-seeking members of the public were encouraged to recover the cases, with clues of the exact locations conveyed through elaborate magazine ads. Sixteen of the cases were found, sometimes years after they were hidden. The hiding spots included such exotic locales as Mount Kiliminjaro, Africa’s greatest mountain; Angel Falls in Venezuela, the tallest waterfall in the world; and the largest reef system on the planet, the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. There were also stash sites within the borders of the U.S. — Death Valley, Nevada; the forests of Oregon; and the urban environs of New York City and Washington, D.C. Nine cases were never recovered. The new campaign’s goal is to find one of them…..
…
Then, in April 2012, the eight participants will be led by Kevin Brauch (host of the television show The Thirsty Traveler) to a secret location, where they will compete against each other in “Amazing Race-style challenges.”
The ultimate winner and finder of the lost case will receive US$100,000.
“This is an expensive proposition,” Brauch said. “It is a proposition that was born out of the 1960s. What an amazing adventure it was, and we’re gonna do it all over again.”
As we are setting up the Final Four of March Madness (NCAA College Basketball) we present to you the finals of our Scotch Blend Whisky Tournament.
I can guarantee you one thing. The judges here at “Best Of Whisky” had a great time working (err. drinking) through this tournament and although we had a few eager beavers that wanted to keep playing (err drinking) through the weekend, we had the fortitude to stretch it out a bit in between rounds.
So without further delay… Here are the results of the 2009/2010 Scotch Blend Whisky Tournament
Get the guys together for a night of sophistication and basketball with the Toronto Raptors Johnnie Walker Scotch Tasting Package.
For only $120 per person you will enjoy:
• Lower Bowl ticket to the game.
• Scotch tasting session with a Brand Ambassador of the Johnnie Walker Family including Johnnie Walker Red Label, Black Label, Gold Label and Blue Label*.
• Pre-game hors d’oeuvres in the Johnnie Walker Hot Stove Lounge.
• Raptors Game Day Program and a Johnnie Walker money clip.
We just finished off playing Round 1 of ‘Team Turismo’ bracket, and though the favorites will advance, it was much closer than anticipated.I’d have to say that the overall satisfaction of each whisky was very well received. Ballantine’s 17 year was very full.A true top shelf whisky. J&B rare surprised some with it’s smooth consistent taste. Pound for pound, this well priced bottle holds its own with other house blends.Famous Grouse 12 yr edged out Cutty Sark, ok, maybe edged out is a bit of a stretch.Although both were enjoyed, it wasn’t that close on the scoreboard. We are looking forward to the next round with Ballantine’s 17 takes on the Famous Grouse 12
Mahogony - Round 1
It was a wonderful night of tasting as we started play in the Mahogany RegionFirst Monkey Shoulder took on one of its relatives from the Grant and Sons distillery by edging out Grants Ale Cask. This was much closer than expected (or than price dictates) New as it is (2005), Monkey Shoulder is authentic to its core and uses only malt Scotch whisky from three of Speyside’s finest distilleries. Rooted in malt whisky lore, it is named in honor of the maltmen who once suffered from this injury through turning the barley by hand.As for Grant’s Ale Cask, it is the only Scotch whisky finished in Ale Casks. This is after the whisky is first matured in oak casks.The second match had the #7 seed Ballentine’s Finest going against the #2 seed Smokehead. This also proved to be closer than expected. Ballentine’s is very smooth and includes the whisky from over 50 single malts. It is regarded as the taste to satisfy a modern style. The first thing you notice from Smokehead is its clever marketing of tin and bottle. The second noticeable trait is the ‘nose’ WOW. A full bouquet of everything that is an Islay malt.
China Grove - Round 1
We started play in the ”China Grove” Region. Many of you most likely remember the Doobie Brothers from the Larry Bird/Magic Johnson College days. In a one sided affair Dewar’s White Label just didn’t have what it takes to test Johnnie Walker Gold. It was quite a privilege to start this tournament with such a fine whisky. The other match was considered a minor upset as Johnnie Red edged Chivas 12yr in a ‘drink off’ where we needed to go to the score cards to decide a tie vote. In this great first week match, Johnnie ensures at least one of the 4 brothers in this tournament is guaranteed a Final Four
(you can also follow this tournament via pages category)
It has been a little while since I tasted Canadian Club 20 yr CC or Wisers Red Letter (2 of my all-time favorite Canadian Whisky’s) but I have to think that I’ve just tasted this writers favourite Canadian whisky.
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting Kittling Ridge Distillery in Grimsby Ontario, for the unveiling of Forty Creek Port Wood Reserve.
But don’t just take my word for it.
Read what first generation Whisky maker John Hall says…
“I believe it is one of the best whiskies I have tasted. I only wish I had made more of it. I started this whisky in 1993 by preparing vintage port wood barrels. My vintage ports were made from Niagara grown grapes and aged in white oak heavy charred barrels. I must confess I am fond of vintage ports so the patient waiting was rewarded not only with a wonderful whisky, but with some very tasty ports.
My Port Wood Reserve is made in the same style as Forty Creek Barrel Select and Double Barrel, in that I do not use a mash bill. My varietal whiskies are aged separately, and once completed, they are brought together for further rounding out. In this whisky, the forty Creek blend was aged in the vintage Port Wood for another two years prior to bottling.”
Relating to Forty Creek, check out these opinions from world renowned whisky experts
Leave it to the Scots to find ways to get energy out of whiskey.
If you like your whiskey neat or even if you don’t this is pretty neat — Helius Energy Plc and the Combination of Rothes Distillers (CoRD) formed a joint venture known as Helius CoRDe, which will build and operate a biomass energy plant using whiskey distillery by-products.
The proposed £50 million ($82.7 million) project would reduce the carbon footprint of the whiskey industry on the Scottish island of Speyside.
The plant will use whiskey distillery by-products to fuel a 7.2-megawatt GreenSwitch biomass combined heat and power plant (CHP) and a GreenFields plant that will turn the liquid co-product of whiskey production, known as Pot Ale, into a concentrated organic fertilizer and an animal feed for use by local farmers.
