BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #218 - Odd Society Spirits Salal Gin Powell River

DISTILLERY NOTES

Salal Gin is Odd Society’s answer to British Sloe Gin. Since sloe berries aren’t native to Canada, we hit upon salal as our local equivalent. We had high hopes of releasing “vast” quantities this year but it was a dry season and salal berries and foragers were not plentiful. Luckily, Alexander McNaughton, a forager based in Tofino, was able to gather some for us, as well as Barbara, a resident of the Sunshine Coast.

BC SPIRITS NOTES

The first batch of this years Odd Society Spirits cult Salal Gin is made from Salal berries from Powell River. Earthy, almost umami notes balance out the strong black currants, Haskap, blueberry notes. I can’t wait to do a side by side taste of these three batches. A true expression and exploration of terroir this year.

Alcohol - 30% / 60 proof

Color - Deep purple

Nose - Blackcurrant, umami earthy notes and hints of blueberries and haskap

Taste - Bursts of blackcurrant, haskap and blueberries with a lingering savory earthiness that balances out the sweetness

Finish - Dry and tannic berry notes with that long earthy notes

Best Enjoyed - Try it in a gimlet

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #217 - Legend Distilling Espresso Martini

BC SPIRITS NOTES

Another addition to the Legend Distilling cocktail series, this blends their Shadow of the Lake Vodka and their Blasted Brew; 20%, not overly sweet and would be perfect shaken and strained, if you need a little bit more of a kick, throw a shot of espresso in there and you will be all set.

Alcohol - 20% / 40 proof

Color - Deep brown almost black

Nose - Heavy roasted coffee and hints of vanilla

Taste - Dry, off sweet, rich coffee flavor, almost chicory, hints of vanilla and a kiss of brown sugar sweetness

Finish - Mouth filling over roasted coffee, long and dry cacao

Best Enjoyed - Shake with ice and strain

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #216 - Wood's Spirit Co. Barrel Aged Amaro

DISTILLERY NOTES

Complex floral tones sit high on the nose. Perfumed with a complex spice blend drifting under these floral tones. Sweetness on the palate cut with bitterness is nice. Mouthfeel is pleasant. Very palatable and easy sipping. The bitterness could be brought forward a little more to accentuate the finish or boost a cocktail.

BC SPIRITS NOTES

Wood’s Spirit Co. created their original Amaro during the great Campari shortage a few years ago, their barrel aged which is aged for 1 year in Woodland Distillery Barrels is a subtle addition to the flavors of the original, the sweetness is subdued and replaced with vanilla and a more deep tones from the aging. Must have for the bitters lovers.

Alcohol - 28% / 56 proof

Color - Light reddish orange

Nose - Astringent rhubarb, bright orange and hints of grapefruit pith

Taste - Rhubarb, grapefruit and piney citrus along with a big wallop of vanilla, like a amaro float

Finish - Not a lot of residual sweetness, bold fruit notes and that lingering vanilla

Best Enjoyed - Negroni variation all the way

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #215 - Mad Lab Spirits Smoked Old Fashioned

BC SPIRITS NOTES

Another great bottled cocktail from Mad Lab Spirits. This one is a smoked old fashioned for Whiskey Wizards. Classic Islay iodine on the nose but on the palate, it lengthens out with a great backbone, balanced sweetness and hints of campfire smoke in the finish. Pour on the rocks and support a good cause.

Alcohol - 30% / 60 proof

Color - Dark syrup brown

Nose - classic Islay iodine on the nose with hints of sweet grain in the background

Taste - Classic old fashioned profile with hints of iodiney smoke, long and lingering. Like drinking a classic by the fire pit in the backyard

Finish - Long and lingering, smoke with hints of bitter complexity and brown sugar sweetness

Best Enjoyed - On the rocks with a lemon twist

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #214 - Odd Society Maple Whisky #3

DISTILLERY NOTES

Maple Whisky draws many of its unique flavours from the maple tree. Odd Society smokes its malted barley with maple wood and then ages the distilled spirit for a minimum of three years in oak casks that were previously used to age maple syrup. Robust, with a slight smoky aroma and a touch of silky maple sweetness, this whisky is warm and rich enough to carry one through a long, cold winter.

BC SPIRITS NOTES

The third batch of the Odd Society Maple Whisky, it may swing my opinion on maple. This batch has more subdued notes of smokes and melds the maple and smoke together perfectly with the whisky. Balanced dry maple, hints of fire place smoke and gorgeous back bone of their whisky. Get this limited edition.

Alcohol - 46% / 92 proof

Color - Deep almost brick brown

Nose - Deep maple and hints of smoke

Taste - More subtle nuances than the first batch, balanced smoke and maple with the malted barley. Hints of charcoal fire wood, sweet complex maple and that solid whisky backbone

Finish - The maple and smoke linger for a while and then you are left with dried stone fruit of the single malt

Best Enjoyed - Neat

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #213 - Legend Distilling Negroni

BC SPIRITS NOTES

A combination of Legend Distilling Silver Moon Gin, Naramaro and Manitou; this truly unique take on the BC Negroni. Fresh, bright and long lingering, leans into a white negroni style or for those who haven’t tried it before. Pour on the rocks and enjoy.

Alcohol - 32% / 64 proof

Color - Deep orange

Nose - Balanced and nuanced sage gin, bright orange and hints of herbal notes

Taste - Sage gin pops and then leans into round orange notes and hints of complex herbal notes

Finish - Zesty orange, hints of sage and complex spice

Best Enjoyed - On the Rocks with a twist

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #212 - Wynndel Craft Apricot Brandy

DISTILLERY NOTES

A delightful smooth product from apricot juice from our abundant crops of apricots in Creston Valley. Double distilled and aged in small oak barrels to maturity. We are using the solera system to improve quality and consistency.

BC SPIRITS NOTES

This is an amazing example of what you can do when you just make great brandies. Not sweet, not fake but a real honest to goodness apricot brandy from Wynndel Craft Distillery. Just mountains of apricot flavors from fresh picked apricots to reductive sweet dried. Try it in a Chaplin Cocktail with DeVine Sloe Gin and lime juice.

Alcohol - 40% / 80 proof

Color - Light but deep orange

Nose - Dried apricots, autumn spice, hints of funky wood

Taste - Dry but sweet apricots, fresh and dried; subtle and balanced oak characteristics that doesn’t take away from the fruit.

Finish - A melding of fresh and dried apricots with the subtly of the oak

Best Enjoyed - Neat

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #211 - Okanagan Spirits Rye

DISTILLERY NOTES

With a blend of 51% of our Coldstream Valley Rye, and 49% of our locally malted BC Barley, this three year-old hand-crafted Rye is aged in our custom American white oak barrels and then cut with our secret source of local artesian well water.

Straight up Canadiana in a glass!  This years BC Rye release is a gorgeously complex whisky with layers of elegance that keep unfolding with each successive sip.  The nose starts with tones of vanilla and malted grain, which are soon complimented with layers of stone fruit and even a ghost of banana. As the whisky flows over the tongue and across the palate, there is a touch of toasted oak and a smooth warm mouth feel followed by a hint of plum pudding.  The finish is long and luxurious and reminds the connoisseur of why Rye whisky used to rule the Canadian Frontier

BC SPIRITS NOTES

Surprised I’ve never done this one, a classic Canadian rye from Okanagan Spirits. Not a huge spice bomb, but one that leans into subtle complexity and lingering light spice in the finish. Whether your a cocktail maker at home or a rye and ginger drinker, this will do double duty.

Alcohol - 40% / 80 proof

Color - Medium orange copper

Nose - Vanilla, hints of cacao, subtle spice grain

Taste - Fruity spice, medium vanilla and cacao from the barrel, the malted barley is there but very subtly. Spice is understated, reminiscent of nouveau American rye.

Finish - The rye spice lingers long after the sip along with the vanilla and cacao notes

Best Enjoyed - Double duty for the cocktail drinker and the rye and ginger crowd

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #210 - Odd Society Doan Brewery Collab Whisky

DISTILLERY NOTES

This whisky is based on a Doan Brewery rye beer recipe that calls for coffee malt, a special type of roasted chocolate malt. The problem was that there are no coffee malts available that use BC-grown grains. So, instead, we added several liters of cold-brewed coffee from Agro Coffee Roasters to the mash. The whisky is shockingly fruity. A delightful surprise.

BC SPIRITS NOTES

This amazing Odd Society and Doans Brewery is lot of fun. A blend of a heavy rye and malted barley along with the addition of cold brew from Agro Roasters is a fruity rye bomb on the nose and flows through to fruity coffee and cocoa on the palate. This leans into fruity rye notes balanced with the spectrum of flavor from the coffee. Great collab, drink with the beer it replicates or any darker style beers.

Alcohol - 46% / 92 proof

Color - Light burnt copper

Nose - Fruity almost floral notes of rye and light coffee

Taste - Very fruity rye profile, almost floral paired with a wide spectrum of coffee notes from fruity bean to over roasted classic notes. The malted barley is there but as a support for the other flavors in the mix.

Finish - Long floral rye and medium coffee notes

Best Enjoyed - Neat all the way, savor this sucker

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #209 - Mad Lab Godfather

DISTILLERY NOTES

Pre-mixed Godfather Cocktail: almond, vanilla, spices and white single malt.

BC SPIRITS NOTES

This is a fun addition to the Mad Lab Spirits cocktail series. Perfect for this fall weather, whisky based with nuances of amaretto including almonds, vanilla and spice. Pour this on the rocks and enjoy by the fire.

Alcohol - 30% / 60 proof

Color - Deep brown caramel

Nose - Almond and Marzipan on the nose, hints of the young whisky

Taste - A very good rendition of the classic cocktail, backbone of youthful whisky, almond, marzipan, vanilla and cocoa. Great texture and not overly sweet.

Finish - Amaretto bomb for ages

Best Enjoyed - Drink on the rocks

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #208 - Tempo Gin

DISTILLERY NOTES

Tempo Renovo Gin Small batch distilled in a copper pot-still, Tempo Renovo Gin is the modern expression of contemporary dry gin. Finally, a true craft gin that goes at your pace. This unique blend of botanicals provides plenty of citrus and hints of vanilla with just enough juniper.

BC SPIRITS NOTES

Surprised that this one has crossed my desk before but the Tempo Craft Gin is the perfect gin for anyone hoping to start to explore gin. Candied grapefruit peel on the nose leans into a wheat forward mouthfeel with more citrus and hints of piney juniper. Not an in your face gin, but one worth trying.

Alcohol - 40% / 80 proof

Color - Clear

Nose - Candied grapefruit and citrus on the nose

Taste - Sweet candied citrus blends perfectly with the wheat spirit base. The juniper is subtle, not over powering, a perfect beginners gin.

Finish - Bright and fresh finish

Best Enjoyed - Gin for non gin lovers

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #207 - Shelter Point "The Collective"

BC SPIRITS NOTES

Sorry to throw this one in anyone’s face, the Shelter Point The Collective is a limited run of 900 bottles and I picked up two for Clive’s Classic Lounge. A mixture of 5-8 year old Single Malts and Wheat whiskies finished in American Oak and Laphroaig 1/4 casks. A gorgeous blend of structured single malts notes with bright wheat whisky and then a hint of river rock campfire in the finish.

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #206 - Arbutus Distillery Amaro #4

BC SPIRITS NOTES

 I don’t usually do two products from the same distillery in a row but when Arbutus Distillery reached out and dropped off a sample of their brand new Amaro, I couldn’t say no. A Campari bitter style, it’s sweetened with Salal berries and it is very good. Sweet and tannic berries on the palate lead into complex and classic bitterness from their existing Amaro. This is going to be great in Negronis or even just with soda.

Alcohol - 28% / 56 proof

Color - Deep red

Nose - Bittersweet and tannic salal berries

Taste - Bittersweet and tannic salal berries on the front palate flowing through to complex and bitter botanical backbone that balances out the sweetness

Finish - A gorgeous medley of sweet salal and bitter botanicals

Best Enjoyed - Sub for Campari

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #205 - Arbutus Distillery Baba Yaga Absinthe

DISTILLERY NOTES

Baba Yaga Genuine Absinthe is distilled traditionally with grand wormwood, anise, fennel, lemon balm, and mint. Blended to 60%Abv the finished spirit is then rested and steeped in more herbs and botanicals yielding it's natural green/ chartreuse colour. (BabaYaga Absinthe is naturally coloured and therefore a natural chlorophyl precipitate may occur in bottle over time)
Prepare by pouring over ice or blending drop wise slowly with ice cold water to release its herbal oils and develop an opal cloud ('louche').  

Prominent sweet black liquorice, with herbal notes  alongside light citrus and mint. 

BC SPIRITS NOTES

This is an old school bottle harking back to one of my first tastings ever. The Arbutus Distillery Baba Yaga is a complex blend of herbs, spices and botanicals that vary from sweet fennel to earthy anise with the addition of mint and lemon balm; it’s very nice on the palate. Could use a little sugar and a slightly thicker louche but overall a good example of BC Absinthe.

Alcohol - 60% / 120 proof

Color - Translucent bright green

Nose - Sweet fennel, earthy anise with hints of mint and lemon balm

Taste - Bold botanicals with that sweet fennel, earthy anise playing with the lemon balm and mint nicely. Great sipping absinthe

Finish - Anise and mint linger

Best Enjoyed - Splash of water and a hint of sugar

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #204 - Taynton Bay Spirits Gin

DISTILLERY NOTES

Bright and lively, refreshing Juniper highlights backed my touches of citrus and floral elements. Everything you’d expect from a classic gin and more.

BC SPIRITS NOTES

This one curveballed me, Taynton Bay Spirits is notorious for their fantastic tea infusion series and I wasn’t expecting such a solid, straightforward London Dry style gin. Balanced and beautifully structured juniper and lemon with the other botanicals bolstering up the predominant flavors. Great versatile gin right here

Alcohol - 42% / 84 proof

Color - Clear

Nose - Balanced bold juniper with fresh lemon peel on the nose, slight hint of funk in the finish

Taste - Big soft juniper bomb, balanced with the other botanicals and finished with the bright citrus

Finish - Juniper and lemon with the pith lasting long

Best Enjoyed - Any classic calling for gin

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #203 - Vij's Bolly Water Gin

DISTILLERY NOTES

Okanagan Crush Pad Winemaker and Distiller Matt Dumayne produced a gin for Vij’s restaurants in Vancouver, Bolly Water Gin. This Okanagan Crush Pad Gin was triple distilled using wine as its base.

Twelve botanicals were carefully selected to add great complexity to this multi-layered spirit. Citrus and spice is derived from coriander, citrus peels, and cebeb berries, floral and fresh notes come from chamomile and lemongrass making this a delicious refreshing Gin, all on its own or as part of your favourite cocktail.

BC SPIRITS NOTES

Had this one for a number of years, Vijs Bolly Water which is an old collaboration between Jay Jones and Okanagan Crush Pad. Aromatic curry leaf and dry Indian spices on the nose leads to a juniper anchored botanical blend that is rooted in classic London Dry style with a unique Indian expression.

Alcohol - 45% / 90 proof

Color - Clear

Nose - Dry Indian spice, hints of classic juniper and complex citrus

Taste - The juniper is the base for this whole palate, connecting the dry Indian spice, the cubeb berries, the lemongrass and citrus. Complex but anchored.

Finish - Sweet citrus notes, hints of the lingering juniper

Best Enjoyed -Classic gin martini

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #202 - Resurrection Spirits Gin

DISTILLERY NOTES

Our British Columbia Dry Gin is a base of 100% rye grain and distilled with a select five botanicals:

Juniper berry, coriander seed, angelica root, lemon peel and rose petal.

Using both maceration and vapour infusion, our Dry Gin is intentionally bold; perfect to sip on or to mix into your favourite cocktail.

BC SPIRITS NOTES

I have tasted and reviewed Resurrection Spirits Rose Gin in the past but never their classic style. Gorgeous rye notes on the nose and palate are balanced by pronounced classic juniper with a hint of west coast pine, soft rose and pointed sweet lemon. Great addition to the collection.

Alcohol - 45% / 90 proof

Color - Clear

Nose - Soft floral notes, hints of sweet lemon, pops of juniper and undertones of rye

Taste - A blend of classic London Dry juniper bang with PNW softer more floral styles of gins. But the real star in my opinion on this one is the rye spirit base; it ties the sweet lemon, floral rose and punchy juniper together perfectly.

Finish - Great rye spice, floral notes and aromatic juniper

Best Enjoyed -Classic gin martini

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #201 - Esquimalt Wine Co. Rosso

DISTILLERY NOTES

This Vermouth is made in the style of a traditional Italian Rosso Vermouth for use in classic cocktails, but with enough Vancouver Island character to stand on its own over ice or with a splash of soda.

We precisely blend our Wildflower Traditional Mead with the 2013 Schönburger from Venturi-Schulze Vineyards in the Cowichan Valley and spirit from Stillhead Distillery in Duncan. We then add 32 different botanicals.

Each botanical is extracted completely separately from each other and then blended together after extraction - this allows us to really dial in the exact flavour we want, regardless of seasonal/regional changes to the botanicals. This also allows us to give each botanical the exact amount of extract time it needs (sometimes that's 2 days, sometimes that's 2 months!) We practice this blending method for all of our apéritif wines!

BC SPIRITS NOTES

Love this Rosso from Esquimalt Wine Co., very classic but also super unique. Lots of mead and botanical notes on the nose but on the palate, complex but balanced botanicals pair perfectly with the base wine from Venturi Schultz Winery. Perfect add to a BC Negroni

Alcohol - 16% / 32 proof

Color - Dark scarlett red

Nose - Very aromatic mead on the nose, honeysuckle and classic metheglin nose

Taste - The mead notes on the notes turn into balanced and complex sweetness on the palate with the wine base coming forward. The botanicals are there but are complementing and not overbearing.

Finish - xmas spice and off sweet wine

Best Enjoyed - A BC Negroni must have

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #200 - Shelter Point Patience is Virtue

DISTILLERY NOTES

This eight-year-old whisky is the follow up from last year’s silver medal-winning Classic Single Malt Whisky which we nicknamed “Raspberry Cheesecake”. In fact, it’s a sister cask to that whisky – from the same distillation and in the same type of cask. It’s a classic Scottish style malt whisky, which as far as we can tell is the oldest BC Single Malt ever released!

Made with 100% BC barley, this whisky embodies the passion that Shelter Point puts into every bottle. As anyone in distilling knows, releasing whisky is a hard balancing game. You need to make money, so there’s always the temptation to sell your whisky early.

BC SPIRITS NOTES

I had to do something completely off the wall for episode #200 and this is it. Shelter Point and Strath Liquor Store exclusive 8 year old, cask strength, 100% malted barley in Ex Tennessee Whisky Barrels. Really don’t need to say anything more than that really. Huge flavor bomb, complex Shelter Point Single Malt notes of stone fruit, cut grass and fresh rain paired with that smoky oak, vanilla and bananas of the Tennessee whisky barrel. This maybe my new favorite.

Alcohol - 59.6% / 119.2 proof

Color - Deep copper

Nose - Hints of vanilla oak, bananas, classic Shelter Point notes of grain and terroir

Taste - After reading the tasting notes above, it’s definitely got a raspberry quality, great texture and structure, quite possibly my favorite whisky from Shelter Point

Finish - Long, fruity with complex spice

Best Enjoyed - Neat

Join the #1 authority on British Columbia's distilling and spirit culture, we taste through some of BC’s burgeoning craft spirits, from the weird and wonderful to the eclectic. With in-depth tastings, to advice on how to mix craft spirits along with professional bartending tips and tricks; BC Spirits has you covered.

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BC Spirits "Spirits a Day" #199 - Merridale Cowichan Vodka

DISTILLERY NOTES

Made entirely from merridale cider distilled in our hand-crafted copper still to create a silky, soft finish. To further enhance the smoothness, our true craft vodka is mellowed for over three years in stainless steel and then cold-filtered through charcoal. The result is a round, full-bodied spirit that pours cool and clean across your tongue.

BC SPIRITS NOTES

I kind of screwed up the camera angle in the beginning of this one but we got there. Tasting the delightful aromatic and slightly fruity Merridale Distillery vodka. Fruit based, we chat about gluten, how delightful fragrant the vodka is and what cocktails this calls for.

Alcohol - 40% / 80 proof

Color - Clear

Nose - Clean, almost rainwater character with slight fruity distillate shining through

Taste - Apple and pear distillate hits you straight away in the front but then it mellows to a clean vodkaesque flavor

Finish - Long, clean with hints of apple and pear

Best Enjoyed - Martini with Beaumont Vermouth

Join the #1 authority on British Columbia's distilling and spirit culture, we taste through some of BC’s burgeoning craft spirits, from the weird and wonderful to the eclectic. With in-depth tastings, to advice on how to mix craft spirits along with professional bartending tips and tricks; BC Spirits has you covered.

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM – https://www.instagram.com/bcspirits/

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER – https://twitter.com/spiritsbc

FOLLOW US ON YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZgF0PdeTgOmlPrScxGAqxQ