J. P. Wiser’s 18 Year
J. P. Wiser was a Canadian businessman in the late 1800s who went about building a spirits company centered around whisky. A lot of the mythology around Wiser involves the dedication to the craft of making whisky, specifically that the time it takes to mature is more than worth it. Wiser’s company has been bought and sold a few times since he founded it and the brand is now part of the Hiram Walker portfolio, which in turn is part of the Pernod Ricard conglomerate. As with many, though not all, Canadian whiskies, any information about the blend or maturation is very difficult to come by.
Alberta Rye Dark Batch
Loved or hated, flavored whiskies have been on the market for quite some time in various guises. This particular dram is pretty unique. In Canada, it is called Dark Horse but a conflict of trade names in the US means the version we picked up goes by Dark Batch. Made by the largest rye whisky producer in North America, it is a 50-50 blend of two Canadian ryes, aged 6 and 12 years. This rye blend makes up 91% of the total. Another 8% is Old Grandad bourbon, with the last 1% sherry. Yes, not ex-bourbon or ex-sherry casks for finishing, but actual bourbon and sherry. This whisky is so unlike anything we’ve ever tasted, we simply had to try it for ourselves. Of note, the majority of its marketing promotes it primarily for cocktails.
Yamazaki 12 Year
Yamazaki is Japan’s first and oldest distillery and has been producing whisky for nearly a century. Situated just outside Kyoto and owned by Suntory, the Yamazaki 12 was inspired by scotch but only goes so far with that inspiration before setting out on its own distinctive path. The whisky is very much a product of its locality, infused with unique character. They don’t mess around, in other words. This particular offering has been the recipient of many international whisky tasting awards. It was highly praised at our tasting.