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Still Waters Distillery Stalk & barrel #Canada 150

The Shape of Canadian Whisky to Come

3 085

@cricklewoodReview by @cricklewood

18th Mar 2019

0

  • Nose
    22
  • Taste
    21
  • Finish
    22
  • Balance
    20
  • Overall
    85

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  • Brand: Still Waters Distillery
  • ABV: 50%

Stalk & Barrel whisky is made at the Still Waters Distillery in Concord Ontario. Started back in 2008 what might seem like the dark ages now that there so called "craft" distilleries are opening in every nook and cranny. The founders set out on opening a distillery at a time when the Canadian Federal government treated anyone with the idea of opening a distillery as depraved drunks & sinners who are out to incite underage drinking.

Thankfully times have changed and now the government has eased its view of would be distillers seeing them as entrepreneurs and happily taking their money through hefty excise taxes. It only continues to view them as crooks and sinners when trying to sell their spirit to the masses and so makes it a difficult as possible for them to actually turn a profit while doing so.

This particular blend was created to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Canada. Based on a parcel of 5 yr old corn whisky distilled in house (they usually outsource their corn component) it also includes a portion of their rye and malt. It caught my attention because it’s bottled at 50% abv and that it wasn’t based on any sourced components.

I nosed this in both a standard & Canadian Glencairn

Nose: Vanilla frosting, apple, peach and powdered sugar donuts. Lemon curd, pine oil it’s rich and sweet but not cloying. As it develops you get grain, toasted bread a malty core, then the spices start to bloom…clove, cinnamon, apple & raisin bread.

In the Canadian Glencairn - less focused, more sweet corn, caramel, glycerin and oak. Cardboardy malt, tea and toast. You get more alcohol in this version. With time, A carpenter's workshop, sanded oak and glue, then the sweet rye spice, candied apple, fresh whole grain bread with honey

Palate: The malt hits you first, then a bit of caraway, slightly bitter & astringent. Then it’s sweet baked apple, with a vanilla bean and coconut oil, a bit of pine resin, toasted oak, porridge. The mouth feel is long & silky, sweet and full, lemon pith and buttered bread, clove/allspice, a dash of bay rum cologne.

Finish: Grippy over brewed tea, honey lozenge and toffee apple, rye bread. then a touch of that tobacco and talcum. There is a tingle on the tongue at first from the alcohol but then that tannic feeling sets in.

The Blab: This has been open a while and the palate is all the better for it. If you've ever made a sourdough with whole rye flour you get those notes in here. There's a freshness on the palate as you first sip it that is addictive.

This isn’t completely revolutionary, it's still Canadian whisky but it's taken off it's usual path and because of this stands out. It's something the category could use more of.

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