Yours to Discover : Whisky Live Toronto (Part 2)

... The After Party

Well, we were not invited to the after parties, but we had brought some products and we kept on drinking. This time, it was not about tasting, but enjoying whisky. A lot. We finally got more details about Ben's chick. He forgot to ask for her room number… That's all I have to say about it.

Toronto Distillery Co.  

It's a long drive from Quebec City to Toronto, but visiting micro distilleries was also part of our mission tour. Friday night when we first met Jesse from the Toronto DistilleryCo., we didn’t know what to expect but we tasted 2 very interesting products: Organic Wheat Spirit and Organic Red Fife. Jesse was super nice and we learned just enough to be more curious. Again, because the Whisky Fest was not as big as the years before, we had time to discover new players in the industry. Growing should I say, like Jesse and Charles. They invited us to visit their spot the next day. Groupies we became. I can’t believe how diverse whisky is and how more open minded I am about it too. These encounters just help me understand more about the process - from chosing the right cereal to the packaging. Fascinating. If we hadn’t stop at their booth, I would have missed a nice opportunity to broaden my perspective.

Toronto Distillery Co. are just getting started. 18 months running. So, obviously the 2 products they have are not aged and are very “moonshining”.  Even though I am not a big fan, my palate is getting used to it and I enjoy it more and more. I just like the energy and the passion they put into their business. Its fun and Minou should have been there. Charles gave us a tour - well, it’s a big empty room right now, but I can easily imagine in a few months, casks lined up…Vision my friends, vision! The tour was in French, A+ for the effort. He told us how they got started and what they are trying to do right now and what they want to do later (and it was not a secret). I like also the fact they use grain from an organic farm in Ontario. Its all about being local. Two young lawyers ready to rock the craft whisky world. I left with a bottle and an autograph (we never know) ! Hopefully they will visit us soon in Quebec. Bon succès les amis !

Toronto Distillery Co, 100% Organic Ontario Red Fife, batch #1, 50%: The smell is bran flakes and sweet, like a fruit cake, too cooked. It’s soft on the palate. As I taste it, I’m getting closer to lemon - zesty. Lemon herbal Tea. There is also some lavender. Soft touch of floral notes and again cereal. It’s crispy towards the finale. The ABV come at the right moment just before the aftertaste I would say. Cannot deny the organic, “terroir” taste of it. Very good. 86

Yours to Discover : Whisky Live Toronto (Part 1)

The Aventure

After a 9 hours drive from #Quebec City, we finally get to Toronto. I’m with the boys - Ben and Pat, whisky fanatics. I didn’t sleep because it’s like Christmas when I was a kid. Got up super early, excited and we were gone, singing Irish tunes (not). For us, this is a pilgrimage. We have to stop at the LCBO before checking in the hotel (many products are not in SAQ like Heart Of Gold - Forty Creek and other bottles are cheaper at the LCBO). We need a few drinks before the show starts. Beer included. Warming up our palates. Or so we think. Then, once in the big room, we are going ballistic! (We lost Ben too - some chick he said...) 

I'm a little surprised, not so many companies and theirs brands, but it was not a bad thing. We had time to meet great people and tasted great stuff before the general public came in (or should I say the "herd" of people). As VIPs, we came at 4pm (good thing to buy). We were on a mission and the strategy was to meet with reps or ambassadors or owners and taste intriguing whiskies, novelties or stuff only available in Tasmania. We ended up meeting awesome people from micro distilleries (we stayed with them 2 hrs). I talked about craft whisky before, but this was FUN! Ontario micro distilleries rock! I met the owners from Dillon’s - Small Batch Distillers, TorontoDistillery Co., and of course, Still Waters. I listened to their journeys and I can’t wait to taste their aged whisky in a couple of years. We talked about how tough the business is. We talked about how many headaches the laws in Ontario gave them and how the LCBO take their profits and so on. These guys have BALLS! I just have to say: Keep up with the good work (and visually - you all nailed your image). Really. My Coup de Coeur: Stalk and Barrel Single Malt Whisky - Cask #2

The Other Blogger

I had the chance to meet again with awesome people like Frank Biskupek from The Glenlivet. I just love him. I also met in person Johanne McInnis (@whiskylassie). We talked through Twitter before but never met. I had the privilege to talk to her over a dram of Shackleton’s Journey – Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt (very good product, way too expensive).  And I had also the pleasure to visit Still Waters with her the next day. Luckily for me, she’s coming to #Quebec City next week. As a woman of influence in the industry and a judge at the Canadian Whisky Awards, I’m just eager to learn more from her.

The After Party…

Crap. I have so many other stories.

To be continued…

Le whisky et l'artisanat

Le monde du whisky est en feu. Sérieusement, je compare ça à l’engouement pour la course à pieds. C’est fou. And on top of that : les micro-distilleries se multiplient comme les enfants après la 2^e guerre mondiale. D’ailleurs, la dernière édition du Whisky Advocate est entièrement consacrée au Craft Whiskey – au whiskey artisanal américain. Et il y en a tellement ! Voir carte... Au Canada, nous avons aussi notre part de marché des micro-distilleries et ça ne fait que commencer.

A l'inverse des grandes distilleries, les distilleries artisanales peuvent s’en permettre et elles osent faire des combinaisons.  Je ne dis pas que les gros joueurs ne font pas des trucs olé, mais disons que ce n’est pas leur mission ou leur raison d'être.  Les micro-distilleries peuvent se permettre d'inventer des recettes hors du commun. Bref, they really think outside the box. You are in charge de A à Z. Le consommateur aime ça les distilleries artisanales qui ont des couilles parce qu’elles produisent l'inattendu.  Une nouvelle recette, un nouveau baril, exposé au soleil, avec un maïs spécial, etc. Pourtant, les micro-distilleries doivent composer avec la même structure : alambic, distillation, vieillissement. Je suis d’accord avec Minou (qui revient d'ailleurs d'un Craft Distillery Tour), la ligne peut facilement être traversée (achetée).  J’espère que des micro-distilleries comme Balcones ou Corsair, avec leur popularité qui ne démord pas, surveillent leurs fesses. Elles doivent coller à leur conviction. Quand ta micro-brasserie se fait acheter par Budweiser, tu deviens un laboratoire expérimental sans souris. On ne veut pas voir ça. Se partir une distillerie au Québec – c’est une toute autre histoire. Mon billet d’aujourd’hui, c’est seulement la genèse. 

Still Waters serait la première micro-distillerie ontarienne fondée par 2 passionnés. Ils peuvent se vanter de vraiment tout faire. De la sélection du grain à l’apposition des étiquettes sur les bouteilles.

Stalk & Barrel -  Single malt whisky, cask #2, bottle #154, 61.3% : Je suis tombé en amour avec ce whisky au moment où je l’ai humé et cet amour s’est confirmé dès la première gorgée. Un nez fantastique, invitant – une rôtie de blé avec du beurre et du beurre d’érable par dessus. En bouche, on perçoit la céréale et les fruits, sans oublier cette crème vanillée tout en douceur. Ceci est un produit de micro-distillerie qui promet. Au palais, on reste avec la céréale sèche, mais ce n’est pas du tout désagréable. J’aime la finale qui est longue et crispy, poivrée mais toujours bien caramélisée. On a hâte de l’acheter – ailleurs qu’à la SAQ. 89

WhistlePig est une micro-distillerie américaine dans une zone obscure, mais du bon côté de la force. Elle importe du rye canadien pour en faire du Straight Rye WhiskEy en attendant que leur propres céréales soient prêtes et que leurs propres expressions vieillissent. C’est une façon de faire pour des micro-distilleries qui débutent. Ils se disent biologiques. Ca fait très Craft.

Whistle Pig 10 YO, 100% Rye Whisky (canadien), 50%: une odeur que j'aime beaucoup mais qui ne va conquérir toutes les femmes. Une peu fragrance lavande et fruitée tout en ayant cette odeur plus aigue quo vient du rye. On aime en bouche ce goût tout a fait surprenant et c'est superbe! Le caramel, la tire Ste-Catherine avec dedans un piment émietté. C'est tout à fait juste et fruité mais aussi pop-corn. J'ai comme le goût de partir avec un gros char et faire des beignes et de la boucane dans le parking de l'église! Ca éveille plein de sens et ces épices tjrs bien mélangées avec ce gout du seigle en finale un liquoreuse et poivrée mais longue. Freaking good - Je me demande juste qui dois-je féliciter : les canadiens ou les américains…89