Blanton’s Special Reserve is One Boring Bourbon
“Special” increasingly bears a negative connotation in our society, and Blanton’s Special Reserve bourbon is leading the charge. “What?” you’re thinking. “I haven’t seen this in the liquor store!” And you’d be right. This “special” bourbon is exclusively sold abroad, and thus rarely makes it to Canada…
Arch Brewing’s Dinner Jacket O’Red IPA is Worth Trying On
As an IPA fan, you tend to fall into a bit of a trance when tasting new ones. There’s hardly a dearth of choices, and there seems to be a new one every week. Each IPA that passes my lips has to try harder to…
The Macallan 12: Dropping Sherry Bombs
Sometimes it’s nice to get blasted out of your drinking routine, and that’s exactly what The Macallan 12 year sherry-casked scotch did for me. This single malt is notorious for bearing a much different flavour profile than its sweet, caramel Speyside kin, largely due to…
St. Francis 2012 Chardonnay: Not Hard To Like This Chard
As a rule, I don’t like California Chardonnays. Sure, I’ve had good ones and bad ones, but the general flavour profile has never done much for me. So when I ended up with a bottle of the 2012 St. Francis Chardonnay, I didn’t have particularly high hopes…
Elijah Craig 12 yr Small Batch: A Most Muscular Bourbon
As of this review, Elijah Craig 12 yr Small Batch is my favourite bourbon – and rarely do I make a statement like that with such surety. While Four Roses Small Batch previously elevated my expectations with its well-balanced subtleties, Elijah Craig took a sledgehammer…
Head to Head: Trappistes Rochefort 8 vs. Chimay Bleue Trappist Ale
There’s nothing quite like a Trappist ale. Boldly yeasty, intensely fruity, lushly carbonated and indulgently alcoholic, these beers are a class unto their own. Not just any brewery can call itself Trappist either – no, in fact there are numerous strict qualifiers, which leave only…
Guest Post: Proof Whisky Leaves a Lot to be Desired
I’ve always been intrigued by the cool looking bottle of Proof Whisky. The 20th century medicine bottle shape is reminiscent of prohibition era cocktails, made with doctor-prescribed whiskey. The simple labeling and branding is fairly appealing allowing the golden straw colour of the whiskey to really…
What’s a ‘Wine’? IV: European Growing Regions
In my past What’s a ‘Wine’? posts we’ve gotten to know some popular grapes and learned some basic wine terminology. But where does it all come from? Who exactly is growing all this wine? The next step is to learn about some of the world’s most…
Alberta Premium Dark Horse Rye Has a Bright Future
Those who stereotype Canadian whiskey as bland, characterless and best reserved for mixed drinks have obviously never tried Alberta Premium Dark Horse Whiskey. Brooding and dusky in the bottle, unadorned by the garish glass flourishes of its cheaper kin, Dark Horse certainly doesn’t look like your Dad’s go-to…
B-Side’s La Formidable is a Gigantic Success
While Beau’s and B-Side only released their latest beer project La Formidable — an American-Beligo IPA with Gigantic Brewery — in February, I’ve been looking forward to it since December. After being blown away by B-Side’s first release, Kissmeyer Nordic Pale Ale, I was compelled…