Wiser's The Last Barrels 14 YO

Legend has it that just before heading up into management, a Wiser’s top distiller did a final run that was an “experiment”. He put together a mash of grains, and added a cup of milk he had intentionally left out to sour, creating a “sour mash” whisky. 14 years later (I believe in 2015), Dr. Don Livermore (this is how he introduces himself, though now that I’ve completed my ultrasound course I am tempted to try to dispute that claim) was asked by the LCBO to bottle something special for this father’s day, and chose these last barrels for a one-off.

I first tasted this at Spirit of Toronto 2016. I had a chance to try it on the main floor and at Dr. Livermore’s Masterclass. I wasn’t that impressed. It was a stretch for me to pay $65 for this. The first release was at the beginning of May, coinciding with the class, with a promise that the rest of the batch would come out in the fall. Father’s day… lead up to December holidays…hmmm. Ah, Marketing.

In the interest of being a lemming, I bought a couple of bottles shortly after they were released, one to save and one to share at the Ontario Summit. Did I make the right decision?

This expression follows what we hope is a trend in Canadian Whisky of bottling at higher ABV, clocking in at 45%.

This bottle was opened on May 17, and was opened again twice before tonight, once to prepare a sample and once at the Ontario Summit. It was gassed each time. It is reviewed in my usual manner, allowing it to settle after which I take my nosing and tasting notes. As is my custom with Canadian whiskies, I did not add water to this.

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Nose: Muted from the bottle, but after sitting covered for ~10 min, fruit, rye spice, a dark, umami-type smell I can’t place. It’s pretty complex. There’s green apple, a honey-like, syrupy sweetness. There is a refreshing freshness to the nose. The longer I nose this the more I like it, but the nose is best when the glass is covered to allow it to concentrate. Otherwise it dissipates quickly. 22/25

Taste: Quite flavourful when it hits the mouth. I get a hint of that green apple. Definitely spiciness from the rye, a little sweetness, less so after the first sip, some sour, black pepper. Quite pleasant. 22/25

Finish: Slightly sour. Some pepperiness, the rye stays behind for some time. 22/25

Balance: The nose is a bit sweeter than the taste, but they seem to complement each other. 22/25

Score: 88/100

This is a nice whisky, something I can see myself reaching for occasionally, but like most Canadians, I have to wonder if it wouldn’t have had a couple more points on the good side of 90 had it been presented at cask strength.

(Actually, most Canadians probably don’t care, let alone wonder, about such things… by Canadians I meant Canadian whiskies…)

I would have given it 89 (an extra point for the nose), except that the only way to really appreciate the nose is to keep the glass covered, which is a nuisance.

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Did I make the right decision? I think so. One to sip and share with friends now, and one to save for sometime in the future when this bottling is a faint, fond memory from times past.

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