Whether you’re buying a bottle of whisky as a gift or treating yourself to a tipple, if you’re shelling out top dollar for a once-in-a-blue-moon splurge, you want to get it right.
To help navigate the wide world of whisky, we chatted with experts David Owens, CEO of Sherbrooke Liquor, and Graham Usher, owner of Whisky Drop, a specialty whisky store in Edmonton’s west end, to help us select a few choices that are sure to please the palate.
Tasting Notes: Finished in a sherry cask, this single malt boasts sweet notes of toffee, vanilla, chocolate, caramel and red berries with a long finish and peppery spice. First established in 1871 in Scotland’s Speyside region, Inchgower is known for its spicy character.
“It’s one of 263 bottles,” Owens explains. “It’s going to be unique and we get to enjoy the whole experience of it all.”
Where to Find It: Sherbrooke Liquor | 11819 St. Albert Trail NW, Edmonton
Tasting Notes: With aromas of butterscotch, golden syrup, baked apple, honeycomb and toasted oak, the Caskmasters 28 year has a palate of vanilla fudge and wine-soaked fruit with a soft oak finish.
It’s part of a collection of hand-selected single cask whisky, chosen for its “distinct character and maturation journey,” according to Brave New Spirits, an independent bottler, blender and distiller based in Glasgow.
Where to Find It: Whiskey Drop | 11752 149 St NW, Edmonton
Tasting Notes: In this bottle you’ll find a mix of sour, dry cherry, vanilla custard, green apple, cigar box, cedar and lemon tart.
Compass Box produces only blends, buying casks from various locations and mixing them together — a method that has historically had some naysayers, much to Owens’ chagrin. Compass Box blends its scotch whiskies in London, “guided by flavour, not convention,” according to its website.
“Think about chefs,” Owens says. “Would you rather have a chef that uses one ingredient or one that uses several and makes something great with a whole bunch of ingredients.”
Where to Find It: Sherbrooke Liquor | 11819 St. Albert Trail NW, Edmonton
Tasting Notes: The first thing you’ll notice about this Irish whiskey (yes, if it’s Irish, it is spelt with an e) is its nose; milky black tea meets buttery shortbread. It has a rich palate and it coats the mouth with creamy caramel. You will also find a long finish with fruits like mango, banana and dark plum swirled with notes of antique cigar box that hint at a substantial oak maturation.
Where to Find It: Whiskey Drop | 11752 149 St NW, Edmonton
Tasting Notes: One of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, Bowmore is well-known for its sherry-cask peated whiskies.
“People hear peat and sometimes get freaked out,” Owens says. “It’s definitely an acquired taste, but Bowmore’s peat is a lot softer than some others. It’s less medicinal and more smoke-from-the-fire, which is lovely.”
The Sherry Cask 21 year has flavours of dried fruits, nuts and rich oak, layered over coastal smoke.
“The aging barrels are right up next to the ocean,” he adds. “All this sea mist is coming in through the wood, so you get that briny, smoky, peated flavour to it, which is really cool.”
Where to Find It: Sherbrooke Liquor | 9271 50 St NW, Edmonton
Tasting Notes: Located at the base of Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest peak, its namesake distillery is one of the oldest in the country. This 26-year offering has a rich old-oak palate with hints of stone fruit, black pepper and toffee. Its nose, meanwhile, is filled with notes of peaches and apple, along with malted milk biscuits, buttered sourdough and vanilla fudge.
Honestly, it sounds like a meal in a glass, but this single malt is truly a once-in-a-blue-moon splurge. Slàinte mhath!
Where to Find It: Whiskey Drop | 11752 149 St NW, Edmonton
At the end of the day, our experts agree on one thing: high-end whisky is best enjoyed the way you like it. “It’s not up to anyone else to tell you how you should be drinking it,” Usher says.
Owens echoes that sentiment — with one caveat. “If you want to drink it with water or ice, do that. I wouldn’t recommend putting coke in it, but hey, if you can afford it, it’s your right!” he says with a laugh.
