Every December, I offer a selection of hard alcohol as gift ideas. I like giving booze more than wine: While more expensive, the bottle tends to hang around longer, whereas a bottle of wine tends to be a one-night affair.
So if you want to be remembered for your gift, give one that keeps on giving. In the past, I have suggested a wide variety of alcohols. This year, I decided to concentrate on the family of whiskies. I have never seen such a huge selection from all over the world at the Société des alcools du Québec.
It is also a remarkably diverse category. As long as you like hard alcohol that has been aged in oak barrels — Cognac and rum, for example — then there is a whisky for you.
But which of the more than 300 whiskies listed at the SAQ is right for you, or to give as a gift? Here’s my breakdown.
Bourbon gets its “sweetness” in part from the corn distillate, but mostly from the heavily charred American oak barrels.
The basics
In broad strokes, a whisky (Scotland, Wales, Canada, France, Japan) or whiskey (Ireland, United States), gets its character from three variables: the grain and how it is turned into alcohol; the type of barrel used for aging; and how long it was aged.
Corn offers up the “sweetest” and most textured distillate, though is neutral in flavour. Rye is the spiciest, while barley brings a certain fruitiness.
Certain Scottish whiskies have a “peaty” taste due to a process whereby the barley, after it is mixed with yeast and water to convert the starch to fermentable sugars, is dried with peat smoke.
The oak barrel accounts for much of the flavour of the whisky. The type of barrel, and the time the alcohol spends in it, will have a huge effect on flavour and texture.
By law, bourbon must be aged in new, heavily charred, American oak barrels that bring even more sweetness to the palate. Most other whiskies are aged in used bourbon barrels, which adds less flavour. But some will finish their aging in used sherry, rum or wine barrels, which will add another flavour component.
The time a distillate spends in barrel will both concentrate the alcohol and bring more complexity to the final product. Bourbons are rarely bottled over eight years old, while most Scotch usually starts at 10. The reason is temperature. It is much hotter in the southern United States than in most other whisky-producing areas, so the alcohol ages faster.
The most asked question about whisky: Should you dilute it with water when you drink it?
There is no right answer to that. The master distiller at Chivas Regal dilutes his scotch to half its original alcohol, while some Scotch fanatics I know believe it should be drunk straight.
I like mine with a single ice cube.
For the newbie: sweet and/or very smooth
Irish Whiskey, Original, Bushmills, Ireland whiskey, $31.75, SAQ # 131870. So smooth with notes of orange and ginger with a point of salty iodine on the finish. Delicate and finessed. Perfect for an aperitif.
Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Distillers Select, Woodford Reserve.
Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Distillers Select, Woodford Reserve, United States whiskey, $48.75, SAQ # 10323111. The oldest distillery in Kentucky, the barrel house is kept even warmer than most and barrels are cycled from top of the pile to the bottom to ensure equal aging characteristics. The result is a luxurious and smooth Bourbon with great complexity. For the Cognac lover.
Tennessee Whiskey, Single Barrel, Jack Daniel’s, United States whiskey, $56, SAQ # 480616. If you love the caramel, char and spice that comes from wood aging, this is for you. On the sweeter side with vanilla, almond and clove on the finish. Complex yet easy.
Bellevoye Triple Malt, Les Bienheureux, France whisky, $69, SAQ # 13061478. Made with a blend of three barley malts, distilled in France, without any peat, and aged in French oak. This is arguably the smoothest whisky on the market. Fruity with hints of vanilla and dried baking spice.
Scotch Single Malt, 10 years, Speyside, BenRiach, Scotland whisky, $69.75, SAQ # 12727215. One of the best-value single malts out there. Fruit-driven with lemon and apricot a subtle iodine and spice note on the finish. Elegant.
Complex, yet smooth and easy
100% Rye, Canadian Club, Canadian whisky, $26.05, SAQ # 12592980. A good introduction to Rye at a very fair price. While it doesn’t show the complexity of more expensive ryes, you get the spice as well as a smooth, vanilla-laden finish.
Scotch Single Malt, 12 years, Highland, Glendronach.
Kentucky Rye, Knob Creek, United States whiskey, $46, SAQ # 12182981. A gentler, sweeter rye. Definitely has the rye spice in both the nose and finish, but with a bit of that bourbon sweetness. Caramelized banana on the nose. Solid and interesting.
Scotch Single Malt, Select Reserve, The Glenrothes, Scotland whisky, $68, SAQ # 10769201. Interesting aromatics of Christmas cake, orange and vanilla. Comforting. The finish is moderately spicy and has a touch of heat.
Scotch Single Malt, 12 years, Highland, Glendronach, Scotland whisky, $68.25, SAQ # 10784099. Quite spicy, almost rye-like with its peppery notes. Orange and lemon with almost a lavender floral note. Aged in sherry casks that bring a delicate sweetness. Pretty.
Scotch Single Malt, 15 years, Campbeltown, Springbank, Scotland whisky, $148, SAQ # 11590296. One of my favourite single malts. Incredibly smooth. Hint of smokiness on the end palate. Something juicy, almost tropical in its fruit. Bites nicely in the finish, with a subtle note of peat. Covers all the bases and worthy of the price.
Gaelic Blended Scotch Whisky, 21 years, Poit Dhubh, Scotland whisky, $160, SAQ # 12329680. Pronounced “Potch Goo,” a blend of a number of malt whiskies and aged partly in sherry casks. Very complex with spice, liquorice, vanilla, nuanced peat and a minty freshness on the finish. Unique.
Scotch Single Malt, 25 years, Authenticus, Speyside, BenRiach, Scotland whisky, $385, SAQ # 12361516. Elegance, depth and power. Age has wonderfully meshed all the elements, from the oak-driven notes, to the citrus fruit, to the delicate peatiness. Everything in its place. Pricey yes, but beautiful.
For lovers of flavourful whisky, and peaty Scotch
Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 9 years, Single Barrel, Knob Creek, United States whiskey, $59, SAQ # 11532491. A higher rye content gives this extra torque, depth and aromatics. Aged nine years, so lots of spice with nuts and chocolate notes. Inferred sweetness with vanilla and a toasty, smokey bite on the finish. Sixty per cent alcohol, so dilute a touch with water. One of the most complex Bourbons I have tasted.
Scotch Whisky, Sheep Dip, Islay, Spencerfield Spirit Company.
Scotch Whisky, Sheep Dip, Islay, Spencerfield Spirit Company, Scotland whisky, $71.75, SAQ # 12727186. Nice introduction to the “peated”style. A blend of Islay single malts of ranging from eight to 21 years. The peat notes are subtle, as I taste more iodine and saltiness on the finish. Extremely smooth so not a lot of bite. I like this a lot.
Scotch Single Malt, Quarter Cask, Islay, Laphroaig, Scotland whisky, $72.75, SAQ # 10999938. You like peat? You like oak-driven notes? You like malty fruit? This is the most intense whiskey I tasted all year. Five years of aging in used Bourbon barrels, then in smaller, quarter casks to infuse even more spice and vanilla. You’ll taste this for hours after your last sip.
Rye Whisky, 10 years, Masterson’s, Canadian whisky, $98, SAQ # 12167959. I love the aromatics — complex and nuanced. Starts on the fruit, with orange and citrus, then all the spice hits you — cinnamon, ginger, cloves and pepper. So fresh, so clean. Really good.
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Bill Zacharkiw's Wines of the Week: Dec. 17, 2016
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