Two Brewers Yukon Single Malt Release 17 Innovative

Part of a new wave of Canadian micro-distillers, Two Brewers was a brewery when established in 1997 way up in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. In 2009 the two founders started making whisky, and like the best micro-distillers they started trying things that the big boys can't be bothered with.

They divide their releases into four categories: Classic, Peated, Special Finishes and Innovative. This is their 17th Innovative release, only 1090 bottles, distilled from a combination of malted rye and specialty brewer's malts, and using various barrel finishes.

The colour is a light gold. The nose has a strong core of malted barley, charred oak, tobacco, ginger, dark caramel and is fruity with green banana and some papaya. Very unique combination of heavy malt, tropical fruit and serious oak. Water reveals more malt and some wood smoke. I love it when I come across something new!

More smoothed-out on the palate - the heavy oak is there but the fruit is more layered with baked apples, plantain, kumquat and lemon pith. The reliable caramel-and-vanilla is there, but with time a peppery spice becomes apparent. With water it becomes minty! Quite nice but a bit more conventionally Canadian than the nose.

The long finish is wood smoke, cinnamon and burnt caramel, with cloves at the death. This is very cool stuff - as I mentioned, it is a unique combination of heavy oak, big malt and sexy fruit. I think this is the only Two Brewers expression I've tried - looking forward to the opportunity to try more. This would go well with watching the Northern Lights!