Other Whisk(e)ys

Killeigh
Canadian Island Triple Distilled Potstill Whisky

Carefully crafted in premium Kentucky bourbon, European Moscatel & virgin American casks

46% ABV
$125
Website

We would like to thank Macaloney’s Island Distillery for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

This island whisky is from our triple distilled single potstill range – triple distilled using only the best unmalted and malted barley available. The patient, yet purposeful, triple distillation produces a complex, layered and balanced new-make spirit. Dr. Swan described our original new-make which trickles off our copper pot stills as “the best that I have tasted in any distillery at this stage, super fruity.” This triple-distillate is even smoother and fruitier!

Killeigh is a salute to our distillers who love how Kentucky Bourbon wood allows our house style with its plethora of tropical fruits to shine through. Embellished by our Master Whiskymaker with Portuguese moscatel sweet white wine oak casks and virgin American oak casks, the result is a distillers delight.

The nose presents cream soda, soft vanilla and oak, with apricot, pear, hints of banana, sweet pea flowers, milled oats and honey. The white wine is delicate and layered with wet coastal forest and sea breeze. The palate is velvety-creamy with more tropical fruits including sweet lychees, mandarin orange, and delicate banana embellished with honey and barley water. Fresh rose petals and a potpourri of dried flowers and wood spice yield to vanilla, oak and coconut with a hint of linseed, nutmeg and cinnamon. The development includes light moscatel white wine, crème fraîche, toasted hazelnut, and sea salt, drying to a long, lingering oak finish. Superb!

Killeigh won Best Potstill Whisky in Canada at the prestigious 2022 World Whiskies Awards.

ABV: 46% | 750ml bottle | Natural Colour & Non-Chill Filtered

What Gary Says

Nose:  Honey, vanilla, malt, fruity with canned pears and over-ripe bananas, subtle floral notes.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, sweet with honey, fruit notes of banana, pear, blackcurrant, bit of citrus, vanilla and a hint of nutmeg.
Finish:  Moderately long, damp with fruit salad and a bit of pepper.
Comments:  A really nice, balanced, fruity dram. Appreciate the ABV (although would love to see this higher) and the non-chill filtration. This is non-age stated, so not sure how old it is. Age isn’t everything, and while this seems like it might be a tad young – there aren’t any rough edges or objectionable notes. Of the first three Macaloney’s Island Distillery samples I’m reviewing, this was my least favorite (don’t be like that, there has to be a 3rd place) but if someone is offering to pour – I’m not turning it down. It does seem a bit pricey, but value is in the eye of the beholder.

Rating: Stands Out

Barrell Whiskey Private Release Blend AH08

59.49% ABV
$100
Website

What the Blender Says

The Barrell Private Release Series is a project in detailed blending on a scale small enough to allow extreme precision.​

The Private Release Series lets us exercise our blending expertise while maintaining a single barrel-like scale controlled entirely by hand and by palate. Our goal is always to maximize the best attributes of each component. Every ounce of every ingredient changes the overall character of these blends, as does the barrel that each one is aged in. For that reason, these barrels take months to polish and perfect. While we may be able to replicate the recipe for these releases, the unique nature of each ingredient and the barrel they are married in makes every bottling singularly special.

Each release of our Private Release Whiskey is a unique blend of whiskeys. Once created, these blends are married in single casks, many of which were previously used for other spirits and/or wines. Each Private Release Whiskey series has slightly different base whiskey and is entered into a finishing cask at a different time.

AH08 is a blend of KY Whiskeys, the largest component being 18-year-old KY whiskey, finished in a Malmsey Madeira barrel.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fruit salad steeped in wine, apricots, berries, vanilla, brown sugar, honey and cedar.
Palate:  Chocolate covered cherries, vanilla, honey, tangerines, cinnamon, bit of ginger, pepper, nutmeg and a hint of anise.
Finish:  Long, thick with ginger and orange marmalade.
Comments:  Very fruity, sweet but with a ginger-spicy edge. Interesting and unique to be sure. A bit of water brings out a note of grapefruit on the nose, and thickens the palate while bringing more citrus to the party.

Rating: Stands Out

Broken Barrel Americana

Straight American Whiskey Finished with Broken Barrel Staves

50% ABV
$35
Website

We would like to thank Broken Barrel Whiskey Co. and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

YOUR SLICE OF AMERICA IN A BOTTLE

We strive to create whiskey that reflects a certain style and profile. Each batch and each release is meticulously crafted to ensure it is unlike other whiskey on the shelves. There is little logic to creating more of ‘the same’.

That’s where the Americana comes in – as Bourbon prices soar and alternative American whiskeys styles like Light Whiskey and Single Malt gain popularity, we believe the appetite for new American whiskey styles is growing, and so we give you the Americana. A blend of light whiskey and bourbon, finished with three very American-favored oaks that combine beautifully – toasted, charred and Apple brandy barrel staves. The results of this Oak Bill is a sweet, soft and smooth sip-worthy whiskey that offers a lighter style than bourbon. A great alternative to Highland Scotch or Irish Whiskey, and a fun substitute in your next craft cocktail.

Mash Bill:
80% Corn
14% Rye
6% Malted Barley

​Oak Bill™
40% Toasted American Oak Barrel Staves
40% New Char #4 Oak Staves
20% American Apple Brandy Staves

Batch 001 | Launched November 2022

The blend features older 4+ year-old corn whiskey, coupled with younger robust bourbon. Together, the blend delivers a rich and complex mouthfeel, while maintaining a more impressionable blend that absorbs much more of the flavor from the ​Oak Bill™ staves.

Tasting Notes: A soft honeycomb sweetness melts away into more complex oak and marshmallow notes. The whiskey has a weightier mouthfeel, boasting toasted cashew and notes of butterscotch, with a leathery grip on the tongue. A distinctive and bracing whiskey to be drank neat or substituted for bourbon or rye in nearly any cocktail.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Oak, green apples, fresh donuts, light caramel and baking spices.
Palate:  Light caramel, apple, vanilla, oak, bit of cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, hint of mint and maple candies.
Finish:  Short in length, drying with sour caramel apples.
Comments:  The apple brandy stave influence stands out. While this is a high corn mashbill, it isn’t corny. Easy to drink , and if you like apple brandy, this is an interesting interplay. I would avoid throwing ice or water in as it tends to thin out easily – but at 50% it is very easy to drink neat so thankfully doesn’t require any extra water.

Rating: Stands Out