Proof

Proof (proofbrands.com) is a company out of Toronto, Ontario that distills not only whisky but also vodka and rum. As such, they may not put as much emphasis on nor be as versed in the particulars of whisky distillation as, say, a Scotch distillery. While I'm sure purists will lament bundling whisky amongst others, I still thought it worth a try while browsing the local LCBO. Thought I'd support local start-ups, if you will. As far as I know Proof is based in Toronto's Distillery District, which is a very trendy part of town, reclaimed from, as the name suggests, what used to be a massive whisky distillery before falling into disrepair. Sort of poetic to see a distillery bring the place back to life, to complement the Mill Street Brewer. Not sure the distribution Proof liquor gets but in the spirit of Connosr I figured it would be worth my while to share my thoughts nonetheless.

First off, the bottle is stylish in a restrained sort of way. I know this doesn't impart anything to the actual nectar, but I'm a real stickler for presentation. I don't like bland bottles (think Teachers), nor do I like audacious bottles (think Jura Superstition, or Crown Royal). But Proof's bottles are small (500 ml), simple, but appealing. They look like old time medicine bottles, which is a very subtle attraction. A bit hard to pour out of, however.

The whisky is a blend of rye and wheat mash. As to be expected, it is very strongly in the rye tradition. On the nose it initially smelled VERY alcoholic. It also tasted like pure alcohol. I was really discouraged by this but added just one or two drops of water and it really opened up the flavour. With the water I really noticed the spices one might expect from a rye whisky. In terms of complexity, these spices seemed to all be fairly well balanced; nothing really jumping out at me, save for the last few sips were there were some vanilla or pepper flavours that were appealing. At times with other ryes I've been able to separate, cayenne or cinnamon, but here I only really noticed a general spice flavour. In that sense it was a bit of a disappointment. I've since checked their website for what they say are the tasting notes, and although I can retrospectively agree with some of them, I'm not so sure on the others. On the mouth it felt fairly thin, however one might expect that after moderating it with water. The finish was the most impressive part of the dram; it was consistent and long enough for my liking.

All in all I would say that for what I expect is a young upstart operation and at the price level Proof whisky is a good whisky. Not amazing, make no mistake. But if you expect every whisky to be amazing naturally you're going to be disappointed. Based on what I can gather from Proof they're very much into cocktails and this whisky would definitely be a good mixer. Not that it's poor on it's own, especially if you like ryes. Neverthelees, if you're looking for a versatile rye to drink as is or to mix, you're in luck.