A Real Rye: Canadian Club Chairman’s Select 100% Rye Whiskey
It’s a well know fact that most Canadian Whiskey marketed as a “rye whisky” is usually just a facade — there is typically little actual rye grain used in their production. Most whiskeys we think of as “rye” are made with corn, with maybe dash of rye…
Sipping With Smoth: A Fine Wine Tasting at Toronto’s Fine Wine Reserve
When I turned 19 (the legal drinking age in Ontario) I wanted to celebrate like any normal person: by doing my first legal wine tasting. Thankfully, close family friends presented me with this opportunity, by purchasing two tickets for a “global wine tasting” at the…
A Cold Weather Classic: Great Lakes Brewery Winter Ale
With pumpkin beer season fading into a distant memory, it’s time for the rise of the latest seasonal brews, known collectively as “Winter Warmers.” Generally, Winter Warmers are high alcohol, low bitterness and rich with malt character. Some may even be spiced, as is the case with…
Guardians of Good Taste: Glenlivet’s Guardians’ Chapter Single Malt Scotch
What happens when a distillery sends out scotch samples to its loyal followers and have them vote on the best one? A damn fine product, apparently. This is exactly what Glenlivet did with its Guardians’ Chapter Scotch in 2013, and the winner became a limited…
A Worthy Celebration After a Long Absence: The 2010 Chateau Fleur Cardinale
It’s been a while since my last post, an unfortunate product of being in South East Asia for four months. While I did drink lots of extremely cheap (and rather rudimentary) lager, it wasn’t really worth writing about. I missed wine dearly over my absence,…
Sipping With Smoth: Cocktails at the Bangkok Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Backpacking through Southeast Asia hardly conjures images of 5 star hotels. But during my time in Bangkok with my girlfriend Christine, we decided to take a step outside the norm, and imbibe in a cocktail from one of the most famous and luxurious hotels in…
Hard to Pronounce, Easy to Enjoy: Auchentoshan Valinch 2012 Single Malt Scotch
I never in my life thought I’d be describing a whisky with 57.2% alcohol as “easy drinking.” But if ever a scotch deserved to be associated with this cliched phrase, its Auchentoshan Valinch 2012 Single Malt Scotch. I had the pleasure of trying this whisky…
What’s a ‘Wine’? Part II: The ABCs of Wine Terms
One of the most daunting aspects of pursuing wine is the dense and often confusing terminology. What is a “bouquet?” Why do I care about “terroir?” And what the hell does a Sommelier do? In the spirit of my first What’s a Wine, here is…
A Crafty Detour From Familiar India Pale Ales: Muskoka’s Detour IPA
I’ll begin this post by noting it’s my third different Muskoka Brewery review (check out Twice as Mad Tom and Winter Beard ). Apparently there’s something about Muskoka that just yearns to be discussed, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take a look at…
A Light, Easy-Drinking Lager: Pistonhead Kustom Lager
I should preface this review by noting I had the good fortune of being mailed coupons for 12 free Brutal Brewing’s Pistonhead Kustom Lagers from their PR team for reviewing purposes. It has just recently hit The Beer Store in Ontario, and they’re trying to…