There's something strange about Black Velvet Reserve 8 year old. It is like Blue Velvet by David Lynch: there's few good spots but mainly it's just annoying.
Aromas balance between good and bad. The taste is actually decent and the finish is just too grainy and blended.
This left me a bit confused, just like almost every Lynch movie. Which isn't always bad. Better to be confused than angry, right?
Nose: First, the stingy alcohol and rectified spirit effects. Then it gets lightly fruity with lemon being the main factor. Everything fades away very fast and ends up almost completely scentless.
Taste: Gives heat very much. Peppery but mellow.
Finish: very quick with wood and peppers. Gets watery and uncharacteristic almost right away.
Balance: Black Velvet 8 yrs is decent whisky when compared to other cheap blended ones. Made me feel happy, yet blue...
@Rantavahti, Congratulations on such a nice review for a less than nice whisky.
Black Velvet is one of the inconveniences that must be endured when it comes to Canadian whisky - it is all about the bottom line. Without the cash flow that these mixing whiskies generate, we would not have the top shelf offerings.
I am a HUGE fan of Canadian whisky, as you can see by the 50+ expressions in my cabinet. There are many very good and some incredibly brilliant offerings produced in Canada. (Jim Murray is absolutely infatuated with Alberta Distillers 100% rye expressions.) There are not so many single malt and I am not aware of any 'bourbon' style expressions.
I could talk about and sip Canadian all day long!
@Rantavahti, there aren't many Canadian malt whiskies, yet, and most of them are from Glen Breton, which usually gets so-so reviews. For recommendations for Canadian whisky from me, take a look at my Eleven Canadian Whiskies For the Desert Island list. I like all of those 11 whiskies quite a lot. Bourbon is only made in the US, by law. And the Canadian blended whisky style is seldom very close to bourbon, mostly because American whiskey almost always uses new oak, and Canadian whisky uses new oak only occasionally.
Yes, I can attest that @paddockjudge can talk Canadian whisky with you for any length of time you wish to give to the conversation...