BC Spirits "Spirit a Day" #37 - Rathjen Cellars Creme de Cassis

An island contender to compete with the ever popular Odd Society Cassis. The Rathjen Cellars Creme de Cassis is a fortified black currant wine which gives it a unique flavor profile, gorgeous black current, hints of acidity, great in a Kir Royale.

Alcohol - 20% / 40 proof

Color - Dark purple, almost black

Nose - Gorgeous black currents, fragrant and deep

Taste - The taste is different to macerate liqueurs, it’s complex from the making of the black currant wine then being fortified. Giving a broader flavor of black currant with hints of green and great acidity.

Finish - Almost zero residual sugar, bright acidity and left with gorgeous black currant in the finish

Best Enjoyed - Kir Royale

Review #44 - Schnapps

And more importantly, Elder Bros Farms Whack-a-Vole Schnapps; now usually I don't do a single distillery tasting as I like to get a spread but from my knowledge, these are the only schnapps in the province and they are fantastic. Get away from peppermint schnapps you would have had in a shot at the club growing up, these are authentic European schnapps made by a Hungarian family in Wycliffe.

BC Spirits "Spirit a Day" #36 - Okanagan Crush Pad Narrative Brandy

This one from Okanagan Crush Pad is their aged Spirit of the Vineyard. Triple distilled and aged for 3 years in neutral French oak. It’s still aromatic, floral and an amazing eau de vie. I hope that have some more laying down with more age.

Alcohol - 50% / 100 proof

Color - Light copper, almost orange

Nose - Aromatic grape notes, subtle oak and vanilla

Taste - Rich oak, gorgeous stone fruit, hints of vanilla and grape blossoms

Finish - Dry, complex but not over reductive oak, hints of spice, cinnamon, cloves and hints of vanilla bean.

Best Enjoyed - Go for a classic sidecar with this one.

Shelter Point Canada One

CanadaOne is named after the distiller’s cut—the purest one percent of a spirit that is achieved for a brief moment at the peak of distillation. To get to that one percent, we use one grain, from one farm, at one distillery. Our vodka is refined and smooth, distilled in a 20 plate column still for maximum purity. With true provenance, we use barley grown right in front of the distillery. Once it’s in a glass, there’s no mistaking it. CanadaOne vodka is as pure as the barley and spring water it’s made from—an unmistakably Canadian vodka.

Alcohol - 40% / 80 proof

Color - Clear

Nose - Taught grain on the nose, barley driven

Taste - Barley driven on the palate, flavorful and rich, not overly processed.

Finish - Mouth filling, complex grain finish

Best Enjoyed - In your favorite cocktails

BC Spirits "Spirit a Day" #35 - Sons of Vancouver Coconut Rum

Another "April Fool's" release from the gents over at Sons of Vancouver. I absolutely love the way that they take what most companies would see as an April Fool's prank and actually create it. This is definitely a caramelised honey rum forward spirit at 40%, this is big and then resides to toasty coconut on the finish.

 Alcohol - 40% / 80 proof

Color - Light slightly cloudy off white

Nose - Distinct honey rum with subtle coconut notes

Taste - Rum is first, that honey rum is mouth filling with gorgeous clean caramel notes, then comes the toasted coconut, reminding you of what coconut rum should taste like

Finish - Toasty coconut with that strong honey rum still lingering, hints of sweetness

Best Enjoyed - Pina Colada baby

One Foot Crow Vodka

An easy drinking Vodka smooth and warm. Made from wheat with a kiss of rye. Distilled on the grain to maintain a hint of it’s origins.

Alcohol - 40% / 80 proof

Color - Clear

Nose - Funky grain notes, soft caramel

Taste - Grain forward, definitely get the heavy wheat mashbill. Funky grain, hints of caramel

Finish - A balance of sweet grain with hints of heavy grain. Very flavorful finish

Best Enjoyed - In your favorite cocktails

BC Spirits "Spirit a Day" #34 - Legend Distilling Wyatt Whisky

A real rarity in BC, 90% wheat, 10% rye whisky aged in red wine and cherry port casks. Gorgeous palate of spice balanced with nuanced red wine. Great example of innovation from Legend Distilling.

 Alcohol - 46% / 92 proof

Color - Dark translucent copper

Nose - Funky wine notes, spicy wheat tones

Taste - Deep, musty grain, almost barn wood, funky red wine notes and nice rye spice

Finish - Grain forward with hints of rounded red wine

Best Enjoyed - Neat

Okanagan Spirits Vodka

The journey begins with the annual grain harvest, just a few kilometers from our family distillery in Vernon. We then hand-grind, ferment, and distill on-site at both locations (Vernon and Kelowna) using alembic copper pot stills including a state of the art, 50-plate, copper-pot still to ensure absolute purity.

Alcohol - 40% / 80 proof

Color - Clear

Nose - Softer vanilla barley notes, wet concrete

Taste - Mouth feeling subtle vanilla, grain and caramel tones

Finish - Fresh and clean, leaving a malted barley flavor

Best Enjoyed - In your favorite cocktails

BC Spirits "Spirit a Day" #33 - Okanagan Spirits Rhubarb Liqueur

It's spring time regardless of the lock down, the Okanagan Spirits rhubarb liqueur just kicks you in the mouth with gorgeous sweet, fresh rhubarb. Deep fruit, but not stewy, bright acidity and a clean fruity finish.  

Alcohol - 24% / 48 proof

Color - Light watermelon pink

Nose - Fresh uncut rhubarb, in the garden, leaf and all

Taste - Gorgeous slightly cooked rhubarb but with fresh, bright acidity. Not overly stewy or sweet

Finish - Fresh rhubarb with amazing acidity

Best Enjoyed - In a spritz

Mad Lab Vodka

Our first released product, our premium vodka is triple distilled through our direct-fire pot still, taking less and less each time, collecting only the best of the "hearts" from each run. Once it has been distilled thoroughly enough, it is then carbon filtered for an incredibly smooth finished product.Mad Laboratory Vodka has a very soft creamy texture to it, with light caramel and toasty notes. Little burn on the front of the palate, warms the throat as it goes down for a beautiful experience.

Alcohol - 40% / 80 proof

Color - Clear

Nose - Light rain on hot concrete, subtle vanilla

Taste - Subtle vanilla, toasty barley and light caramel

Finish - Slight burn, clean note of toasty barley and hints of vanilla

Best Enjoyed - In your favorite cocktails or neat

BC Spirits "Spirit a Day" #32 - After Dark Distillery Monashee Mountain Whiskey

A brand spanking new first time release whiskey from After Dark Distillery and it doesn't disappoint. A blend of corn, barley and oats aged for 3 years in smaller American Oak casks. Deep, spicy and complex oak, very reminiscent of nouveau bourbons coming out of the US. Really great first release from the distillery.

Alcohol - 40% / 80 proof

Color - Dark burnt copper

Nose - Rich toasted oak, spice and dry corn aromas

Taste - Dry caramel, complex spice notes and sweet corn that is dried out by gorgeous toasted oak flavors

Finish - Dry spiciness, mellow corn and toast

Best Enjoyed - Limited run, buy it now, enjoy it neat

Viking Vodka

No Nonsense, Viking is our value priced, double distilled, active carbon filtered vodka. Not as smooth as our premium vodka, but great for mixing, and a fantastic price. Our basic, no bells and whistles packaging helps us keep the final price down so you can enjoy a great craft vodka, without a bit price tag.

Alcohol - 40% / 80 proof

Color - Clear

Nose - Clean, subtle grain with hints of soft vanilla

Taste - Clean, approachable with subtle notes of barley, very soft hints of vanilla

Finish - Textural soft barley and finished clean

Best Enjoyed - In your favorite cocktail, it’s for everything

BC Spirits "Spirit a Day" #31 - Arbutus Distillery Elderflower

I still feel that all the Arbutus Distillery liqueurs are super underrated and this little number is no different. We have great elderflower on the island and they use it perfectly, herbal green, lychee and melon on the nose and palate.

Alcohol - 22% / 44 proof

Color - Translucent orange

Nose - Lychee, melon and green, fresh tarragon

Taste - Bold elderflower translates to a mixture of the flower, lychee, melon and green herbal notes

Finish - Not cloying, leaving palate clean with bright, floral elderflower

Best Enjoyed - Sub for St Germain, do a spritz with 1 1/2 oz. of this and Unsworth Charme de Lile

Episode #15 - Tyler Dyck of Okanagan Spirits and Craft Distiller's Guild

In this episode, we delve into the impact of the pandemic on the craft spirits industry in BC with Tyler Dyck, co-owner of Okanagan Spirits and the head of the Craft Distiller's Guild, the lobbyist to the government for the industry. Interesting take as many distilleries are solely making sanitizer for from line workers, but the issues before Covid-19 are still being discussed and pushed through.

BC Spirits "Spirit a Day" #30 - Devine Spirits Poire

What an amazing poire from Devine, I believe it is extinct for now with a few ounces kicking around on back bars in the city. Rich and balanced, the pear eau de vie sits on local figs in the aging process which gives it an amazing backbone and depth but still lets the pear sing with rich fresh fruit from skin to stewed pear danish.

Alcohol - 40% / 80 proof

Color - Medium yellow with golden edges

Nose - Stewed pears in pastry, very subtle hints of figs

Taste - The pear is sliding scale of fresh, skin on pear, rich flesh and deep stewed fruit characteristics, the figs add a base note that is not obvious but very stated

Finish - Fresh pear rules on the finish with hints of the figs and stewed fruit, but overall clean pear

Best Enjoyed - If you can find it, neat.

Review #43 - Vodka Part 3

Delve into a few more vodkas as it does get hard to get a wider array of products on the island. I dove a little deeper into my understanding of craft vodka as well. Featuring Viking Vodka, Mad Lab, One Foot Crow, Okanagan Spirits and Shelter Point.

BC Spirits "Spirit a Day" #29 - Bohemian Spirits Forester

A great little number that I decided to revisit, Bohemian Spirits Forester is their Single Malt Oaked Gin. I love barrel aged gins that use the oak flavor as an additional botanical, this one epitomizes that. Deep spicy wood paired with a gorgeous West Coast gin.

Alcohol - 40% / 80 proof

Color - Light copper

Nose - Spicy oak, dry, woody juniper

Taste - The gin has amazing backbone of dry spice and woody juniper, then the barrel comes in as an addition to the botanical mix, not overtaking anything, just soft but spicy oak melded perfectly.

Finish - Subtle oak and spice with whispers of the gin profile int he background

Best Enjoyed - Try it in an old fashioned style

BC Spirits "Spirit a Day" #28 - Alchemist Distiller Green Frog Absynthe

Haven’t been able to showcase the Green Frog Absinthe from Alchemist Distiller. A great example of the style in the province. Spiking anise and licorice straight but when diluted, you get the apple spirit base, dry herbal tones from the wormwood and the lofty bright notes of the anise and licorice.

Alcohol - 65% / 130 proof

Color - Light emerald green

Nose - Bright sweet licorice and fresh anise

Taste - Undiluted, the sweet licorice and anise comes through strongly but with a splash of water, the apple spirits begins to shine with the dry, musty herbal notes of wormwood followed by the playful anise and licorice

Finish - Clean but mouth filling classic French style absinthe notes

Best Enjoyed - Diluted 1:4 with water or in a Absinthe Frappe

DeVine Spirits Ancient Grains Strath Single Cask Strength

We distilled Organic BC barley, spelt, emmer, khorosan and einkorn - the ancesotrs of all modern grains - into one of the most unique and flavourful whiskies you’ll ever taste. Candied fruit and macadamia nuts combine with spicy notes of clove, allspice and smoke from American oak quarter casks.

Alcohol - 57.7% / 115.4 proof

Color - Dark cola brown with deep copper edges

Nose - Deep reductive toasty oak, subtle tones of candied fruits and spice

Taste - This is a beast, rich caramelised fruit with allspice and clove, complex toasted oak but not overly reductive.

Finish - Toasted oak, dry cocoa, hints of candied red fruit and the hit of cask strength

Best Enjoyed - Neat

BC Spirits "Spirit a Day" #27 - Honey Comb Cream Oat + Honey

A dairy free cream liqueur from Honey Comb Cream. Their Oat & Honey is a delicious alternative, still that amazing whisky backbone along with vanilla, fresh honeycomb and the oatiness of oat milk.

Alcohol - 20% / 40 proof

Color - Off white cream

Nose - Vanilla, subtle whisky oak, fresh honeycomb

Taste - A balanced melange of honeycomb, vanilla and oatiness backed with subtle but bold whisky backbone, not as thick as their classic expression

Finish - Surprisingly clean, gorgeous coating of honeycomb and oat milk but not cloying

Best Enjoyed - Sub in your favorite cocktail with Baileys