Category: Other Foreign Whiskey

Wiser’s 10 Year Old, Triple Barrel

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Maker: Wiser’s, Windsor, Ontario, Canada (Corby/Pernod Ricard)

Distillery: Hiram Walker, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Style: Blended Canadian Whisky (blend of corn and rye), aged in new oak, ex-bourbon, and ex-Canadian barrels.

Age: 10 y/o.

ABV: 40%

Michigan state minimum: $25

Appearance: Orangy copper.

Nose: Roasted grain, leather, thyme, grape soda.

Palate: Full-bodied and creamy. Bourbon, vanilla custard, heat.

Finish: Anise, roasted sweet corn.

Mixed: Adequate in an old fashioned, but best neat or on the rocks.

Parting words: As long-time readers know, I’m a big fan of Wiser’s entire line of whiskies. It’s made at the biggest distillery (by far) in the Detroit Metro area, so even though it’s technically an import, drinking Wiser’s still counts as drinking local.

Anyway, this is a very fine sipper for the price. As I said above, and as the website recommends, Wiser’s 10 is best consumed neat or on the rocks. Its delicate, elegant personality can easily fall victim to bullying by strong mixers. It even had trouble standing up to the Angostura bitters in the Old Fashioned I’m currently nursing.

What better way to celebrate Canada Day than with a Glencairn of Wiser’s 10, a flavorful, balanced, and affordable whisky that represents some of the best spirits Canada has to offer. Wiser’s 10, Triple barrel is reccomended.

Samuel Gelston’s Blended Irish Whiskey

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Maker: Samuel Gelston’s, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK (Johnny Neil)

Distillery: Undisclosed. West Cork? Bushmills?

Age: NAS

ABV: 40%

Michigan State Minimum: $25

Appearance: Golden straw.

Nose: Malt, butterscotch, sea spray, touch of leather.

Palate: Medium bodied and semi-sweet. Butterscotch and toffee, with a little bite in the end.

Finish: Like eating toffee, but without having to pick it out of your teeth when you’re done.

Mixed: Does ok in a Blackthorn #3. The sweetness balances out the bitterness of the vermouth, absinthe, and bitters. Did better in an Irish Cocktail (whiskey plus dashes of maraschino, curaçao, absinthe, and bitters) with more complementary flavors. I didn’t try it with ginger ale, but it seems like it would get lost in it.

Parting words: I bought this whiskey because I was in a hurry. I was looking for an affordable Irish to review for St. Patrick’s day weekend, saw it on the shelf at Holiday Market, grabbed it, and ran to the check out because I had places to be. I don’t regret my choice.

Gelston’s is a bottler headquartered in Belfast, but owned by Johnny Neil, a New Zealander who is a descendent of Harry Neil who bought the brand from Sam Gelston in the nineteenth century. Johnny is also cousin to Big Time Movie Actor Sam Neil. Sam has collaborated with Johnny, and supplies Gelston’s with used Pinot Noir barrels from his winery in New Zealand.

There are six Gelston’s expressions currently available in the state of Michigan: Blended, Single Malt ($35), Bourbon cask ($40), Pinot Noir cask ($45), 25 y/o ($420), and Irish Cream ($25). I’ve only ever seen this Blended expression, but I’ll keep an eye out for the others.

While Gelston’s Blended isn’t a world-beater, it meets expectations for its price range. I like it best as a sipper, but it’s fine in strong, classic cocktails too. Samuel Gelston’s Blended Irish Whiskey is recommended.

Glynnevan Double Barrelled Rye

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Maker: Glynnevan, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada. (Authentic Seacoast Co.)

Distiller: Undisclosed (maybe Alberta Distillers, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.)

Style: Double barrelled (?) Canadian rye.

Age: NAS

ABV: 43%

LCBO price: $56 CAD ($42 USD)

Appearance: Medium light copper.

Nose: Roast corn, old French perfume, newish oak, tarragon.

Palate: Subtle, but full-bodied. Caramel, burn.

Finish: Light and sweet. Taffy, a little heat.

Mixed: OK in an Old Fashioned, gets lost in anything else.

Parting words: This bottle was one of several I brought back from our family vacation to Niagara Falls last summer. I had never seen it before, and I thought the bottle looked nice so I picked it up. While I don’t regret the purchase, I probably would have chosen something else if I had tasted it before.

Glynnevan’s label states that it’s made of “prairie grain” whisky, but it doesn’t name the distillery. The most obvious candidate is Beam-owned Alberta Distillers Ltd. in Calgary, but I saw another review say that it WASN’T Alberta distillate. This reviewer unfortunately didn’t offer any suggestions as to what other distillery it could be, so I’m sticking with my assumption that it’s Alberta.

Wherever it was distilled, it was aged in Eastern Nova Scotia, at a distillery owned by a small beverage company called Authentic Seacoast. They also sell other spirits, in addition to coffee, beer, hand sanitizer, and, of course, maple syrup.

The whisky itself is fine. It has a classic Canadian Rye profile and a rich texture. Other than that, it doesn’t stand out. I’m not sure what the “double barrelled [sic]” process is, but the texture does bear a vague resemblance to rebarreled bourbons I’ve had. I can’t detect notes I would characterize as “maritime”, other than a salted caramel taste that emerges after I let the whisky sit in my mouth for five minutes while thinking of the sea. It could have been aged in Toledo, Ohio, for all that shows up on the palate. It also falls victim to the unfortunate Canadian Whisky tendency to smell great, but fall flat on the palate.

I don’t mean to make it sound like this is bad whisky. It’s not. It’s just not as good as I hoped it would be for the price. Glynnevan Double Barrelled is mildly recommended.

Method and Madness Single Pot Still

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Maker: Midleton, Midleton, Co. Cork, Ireland (Irish Distillers/Pernod Ricard)

Style: Single pot still (mix of malted and unmalted barley), finished in chestnut wood.

Age: NAS

ABV: 46%

Michigan state minimum: $77/700 ml (comes out to about $82 for 750 ml)

Appearance: Light copper.

Nose: Malt, chestnut shells, cut lumber, cinnamon sticks, vanilla.

Palate: Full-bodied and sweet. Cinnamon gummies, old oak, walnut shells.

Finish: Nutty and drying.

Parting words: Method and Madness is a new-ish line of experimental Irish whiskeys from Irish Distillers, makers of Jameson. There are three expressions available in Michigan: single grain ($57), single pot still (this one), and single malt ($90). There are even pricier expressions, like the33 year old, very limited edition Mizunara oak finish edition single pot still.

As for this one, it’s more than I normally like to pay for a 46% ABV, NAS whiskeys, but the last Irish whiskey I purchased was cheap and dull, and I just got a vasectomy last week, so I decided to treat myself. Plus I’d never heard of a chestnut wood-finished spirit of any sort, so I was intrigued.

I’m glad I did. This is a luscious, rich whiskey with a unique (but not weird) nuttiness that comes through on all three levels of tasting. It’s a refreshing Sunday night or special occasion sipper, and as such is priced appropriately. If you’re looking for a change of pace for St. Patrick’s Day (or any day) this year, give Method and Madness a try. It is recommended!

Bear Face

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Maker: Mark Anthony Group, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Distiller(s): Undisclosed.

Style: Single grain (corn) Canadian Whisky.

Cooperage: Ex-bourbon, then finished in French oak wine red wine barrels, then in new Hungarian oak.

Age: 7 y/o

ABV: 42.5% ABV

Michigan state minimum: $33

Appearance: Medium copper (coloring is allowed in Canadian whisky).

Nose: Roasted corn, leather.

Palate: Full-bodied and rich. Corn syrup, leather, Cabernet Franc, dried cayenne chili.

Finish: Silky and a little sweet, with a bite at the end.

Parting words: The Mark Anthony Group has nothing to do with the Roman general or the pop singer, it originated in 1972 as a BC-based wine importer. Its best known product is the (in)famous White Claw sparkling seltzer. Bearface is not Mark Anthony’s only Canadian Whisky. It also owns a brand called Dillon’s, which is not sold in Michigan, and I haven’t seen anywhere else in the US.

“What is elemental aging”? you may ask. As far as I can tell, it’s when they put the finishing casks in unheated storage containers outside and let them sit for a bit. I was a little disappointed to read that. I had hoped that they placed the casks in the woods to encounter actual bears, but alas no.

Bearface smells like a punched up version of Crown Royal (probably because of all the corn) but it’s much more pleasant to drink. Too often finishes are used in an attempt to improve bad whisky. I suspect that’s not the case here, but if it is, the attempt has been successful. $33 is a good price for a Canadian of this age and quality. The packaging is a little corny (oh no a bear attacked the bottle!) but Bearface is recommended.

The Sexton Single Malt

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Maker: Proximo, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA (Beckmann Family)

Distillery: Undisclosed but almost certainly Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK

Style: Sherry cask Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Sge: NAS (4 y/o according to some other reviewers)

ABV: 40% (Bottle reads: “80 proof”)

Michigan State Minimum: $32

Appearance: Dark Copper.

Nose: Old sherry, oak, peach.

Palate: Medium bodied and sweet. Mango, apple, vanilla, caramel.

Finish: Creamy, with stone fruit and alcohol.

Parting words: The first thing that stands out about The Sexton is the, uh, unique bottle. It resembles a giant hexagonal inkwell, uses a variety of fonts, all in gold type, and features a skeleton wearing a top hat. What is the significance of it all? I have no idea. If you ever find out, please let me know.

The whiskey itself is slightly less mysterious. The left side of the label (which you have to turn the bottle to read) claims that it was distilled in County Antrim in (Northern) Ireland. Knowledgeable whiskey enthusiasts know what this means: Bushmills. Add to that the fact that the brand is owned by Proximo, which also owns Bushmills, makes this an open and shut case. Perhaps this was an attempt to move an excess of sherried Malt Proximo had sitting around the distillery.

Despite the weird packaging and half-assed attempts at misdirection, this is actually pretty good. America seems to agree with me (for once), since The Sexton is apparently the best selling Single Malt Irish Whiskey in the country. It’s not as interesting as Connemara or some of the other Irish Single Malts available in Michigan, but it is a lot cheaper, half the price in some cases. The sherry is not overwhelming either, which is a big plus to me, a person who doesn’t like sherry all that much.

Anyway, The Sexton Single Malt is a good sip and a good baragain. It is recommended.

Penderyn Legend

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Maker: Penderyn, Penderyn, Aberdare, Wales, UK.

Style: Single malt Welsh whisky, bourbon barrel cask aged.

Age: NAS (at least three years old)

ABV: 43%

Michigan state minimum: $60

Notes: No color added, unfiltered.

Appearance: Straw.

Nose: Juicy apricot, mango, mandarin orange, alcohol, bourbon barrel.

Palate: Full bodied and creamy. Semi-dry. Orange sherbet.

Finish: Maltier, but still fruity with a bit of oak and alcohol.

Parting words: Penderyn distillery was founded in 2004. The early part of the twenty-first century saw the rebirth of the whisky industry in England and Wales. Penderyn was one of the first distilleries of that revival and was one of the first to get widespread distribution outside the UK. The distillery is located about thirty miles northwest of Cardiff, in Brecon Beacons National Park. Since today is the feast day of St. David, the sixth century monk who is the patron saint of Wales, I thought it might be a good day for my first Welsh whisky review.

Legend is Penderyn’s entry level single malt. The others available in Michigan are Myth (bourbon & “rejuvenated” casks, $70), Celt (finished in peated quarter casks, $70), Madeira Cask ($80), and Sherrywood ($90). At least they were all available in Michigan. They seem to have dropped off the most recent price book, although they’re still on shelves in many liquor stores in Southeastern Michigan.

It’s easy to taste why Penderyn has been so successful. Legend is a well-made, easy-drinking malt roughly on par with Scotch competitors in the same price range. If I can find them somewhere, I’d love to give the other expressions a try, especially Celt. Penderyn Legend is recommended.

Knappogue Castle 14 y/o: Twin Wood

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Maker: Castle Brands, New York, New York, USA (Pernod-Ricard)

Distiller: Cooley, County Louth

Style: Triple distilled Irish single malt, aged in sherry and bourbon casks.

Age: 14 y/o

ABV: 46%

Michigan State Minimum: $60

Appearance: Light copper.

Nose: Wood varnish, sawdust.

Palate: Full-bodied and mildly sweet, then big oak.

Finish: Apricot custard under a mountain of sawdust.

Parting words: I love Irish Whiskey and I especially love Knappogue Castle. I’ve gushed over their whiskeys before so when I saw this 14 y/o version on the shelf I was nearly giddy with excitement.

So imagine my surprise when I tasted my first sip of this sawdust bomb. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this disappointed in a whiskey, especially an Irish one. There’s a solid custard base here, but it’s nearly completely overwhelmed by the heavy-handed (to say the least) use of oak. It’s reminiscent of the sharp, shop class floor aromas in young micro-distilled bourbons that have been aged in small barrels as a shortcut. There’s no excuse for an Irish whiskey of this age to be this oaky, and there’s no excuse for it to be so poorly integrated either. I could continue to rant about this but in the spirit of mercy I will end my review here. Krappogue Castle 14 Twin Oak is not recommended.

Wiser’s 23 year old Cask Strength Blend

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Maker: Wiser’s/Corby, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Pernod-Ricard)

Distillery: Hiram Walker, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Style: Canadian blend

Age: 23 y/o

ABV: 64.3%

Michigan state minimum: $90

Appearance: Medium copper.

Nose: Christmas spices, caramel, leather.

Palate: Very full bodied. Sweet custard and caramel, then burn. More spice comes out with water. Chinese five spice, brown sugar.

Finish: Horehound cough drops, eucalyptus.

Parting words: This is a brand new offering from Wiser’s in the US. I’m very glad this and the 35 year old Wiser’s are now available in Michigan, since the Canadian border is more or less closed to booze shoppers like myself.

I’m even gladder that these offerings are at a high ABV. It makes the premium price more palatable, and helps overcome the dull palate and finish that plagues many Canadian Whiskeys, at least the ones that make it to the states.

Bourbon may be overblown and Scotch prices tariffed out of control, but we are living in the golden age of Wiser’s. I can’t think of very many better ways to ring in a new year than with an elegant, perfectly balanced, and relatively affordable aged Canadian whisky like this. Wiser’s 23 is highly recommended.

Hell-Cat Maggie

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Maker: World Spirits, Princeton, Minnesota, USA (Phillips)

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Distiller: Cooley, Louth, Leinster, Ireland (Beam Suntory)

Style: Blended Irish Whiskey

Age: NAS (at least three years old)

ABV: 40%

Michigan state minimum: $22

Appearance: Medium copper.

Nose: Sweet malt, a little sherry, leather, woodruff, anise.

Palate: Full bodied and soft. Caramel, butterscotch candy with a little bit on the back end.

Finish: Vanilla custard, white pepper, nutmeg, alcohol.

Parting words: Like 2 Gingers, this is another Irish whiskey from Minnesota (?!) but this one comes with a story about someone in a gang in New York or something. I don’t care about NDP marketing bullshit, so I’m not going to get into that.

I’m a big fan of the Cooley Distillery, and Hell-Cat Maggie is in the classic Cooley style, so it has that going for it. It’s not as elegant as Tyrconnell or Knappogue Castle but it’s a little more refined than 2 Gingers (which one would expect at $8 more). It mixes well too. My only criticism is that this Hell-Cat lacks claws and teeth. She would benefit from 2%- 6% higher ABV. Still, I like her. Hell-Cat Maggie is recommended.