Masterson's 10 Year Old Straight Barley Whisky

This is a limited release from Masterson's, bottled from Alberta Distillery stock, made of 100% unmalted (not malted) barley, matured in new oak casks - another of the big flavour whiskies produced for blends. In all my experience, this is the only 100% unmalted barley whisky I have seen, without even having come across any from craft distilleries. This whisky is bottled at 46%, 10 years old, and from Alberta Distillery. The original spirit was distilled in the beer column still, then re-distilled in a stainless steel pot still (a "batch kettle").

Nose: This is quite a mix! The character is earthy and herbal with plenty of caramel. Stewed apples, oak, cinnamon, corn cob, mint, maple, vanilla, sourdough, and a bit of the spirit-like chemical note I find quite indicative of Alberta Distillery. There are earthy notes reminding me of reeds in a creek, and the spices are on the earthy side of things - caraway and fennel. 90%

Taste: Again, herbal and earthy - it carries on from the nose. Caraway, fresh broccoli stalks, corn on the cob, spearmint, arugula - it sounds like an ecclectic group of flavours but the balance is good and, to my palate, absolutely delicious. I love earthy whiskies - this one is no exception. 92%

Finish: Caraway, anise seed, oak, cedar, caramel, brocolli, cinnamon, with lingering earthy and spicy notes. Very long and full of flavour. Wonderful. 95%

Intrigue: Wow! Not an ordinary whisky and the flavours really made me think because the profile is unlike anything I've tasted. Outside of some peated whiskies, this is the highest degree of earthiness I've seen in whisky. From previous reviews, I expected something a bit like a pure pot still Irish whisky which I wouldn't like much, and wouldn't be too approachable - this was not the case at all for me, though it is quite a bit different in profile to anything else I've tasted thus far. It may well be a love-it or hate-it whisky, but, regardless - a must, I would think, for serious explorers of the breadth of whisk(e)y profiles. Also, as it is quite polarizing, a fun group taste. 93%

Weighting the nose 25%, taste 35%, Finish 15%, and Intrigue 25% the overall grade is 92.