If you are looking for a Cask Strength Whisky to sip on this weekend, check out the Stalk & Barrel 100% Rye Cask Strength Edition, coming in at 60.2% Alcohol it is a surprisingly mild Cask Strength Bottle. I wasn’t able to track this bottle down on the LCBO website, but it is available for Sale on the Stalk & Barrel website (www.stillwatersdistillery.com).

I found this whisky very light on the nose with a Woody aroma it leaves you wondering what to expect in your first sip….. Well, let me tell you! Expect Strong Oak and Grassy flavors followed by a quick finish that brings through the Ginger or a Sweet & Spicy flavor at the end.

A fellow Expensive taste member sitting next to me had added a small drop of water to his glass on a suggestion to open up the whisky! I personally didn’t do this in my glass because I enjoyed it in it’s original form, but I did try theirs with the water and WOW!!!! It was an eye watering experience which I did not enjoy, in fact I think it ruined the whisky and turned it into fuel with no particular flavours.

Overall, I enjoyed this Whisky, it is not as mature as some others on the market in the Cask category, but I am always one to support local distilleries and the products they create, the story that comes along with the samples always makes me enjoy the experience much more.

Expensive Taste KW was privileged enough to host a private tasting with Stalk and Barrel Whisky, by the Still Waters Distillery in April 2017. While Barry and Barry could not attend due to some last minute issues our host took us through the wonderful spread of Stalk and Barrel Whiskeys.

The Black Label Canadian single malt whisky was one of the highlights of the tasting session.
Made from 100% Canadian two-row malted barley they mash, ferment, and distill by hand in small batches in a copper pot still. The whisky is then aged in ex-bourbon casks on site for a minimum of three years.

Knowing that this whisky was only a few years old made me a bit apprehensive before the tasting. Normally single malt whisky’s are allowed to percolate for a decade or more to enhance and bring out the flavors of the spirit. New spirits typically don’t have the breadth of flavor that older spirits do so I was pleasantly surprised by the flavors during our tasting.

Pale straw in color, the whisky looks a little bit oily in the glass, with the legs slowly running down the sides of the glass when nosed. Initial flavors from the nosing would make this whisky seem a little bit immature, but those thoughts evaporated upon the first sip. This whisky has great earthy flavors, picking up barley and grassy undertones. It reminded me of being in a freshly cut hayfield in mid-summer. As the spirit spills around the tongue you can also pick up hints of sweetness, with a touch of butterscotch. As it heats up your mouth and tongue it gives you the fire of a young single malt. The fire lasts for a bit before fading away with a dry finish.
Overall for a young spirit it has surprising depth of flavor. It has intrigued me enough to warrant adding a bottle to my personal collection to continue to decipher the flavors and nuances of a made in Ontario single malt. The Still Waters Distillery is trending in the right direction and most likely their whiskeys will only get better with age.

Colour– First lets start off by giving it a little bit of a swirling in my rocks glass, giving the whiskey a chance to breath . The thing that catches my eye is the spirit sticking to the rocks glass as honey does to a spoon that been dunked  in a hot tea. It had legs for days. The colour reminded me of a beautiful autumn morning as the sun rises over the bronze leaved maple trees as the coppery golden rays start the day and welcome me to flavour country.

Nose-Here is a part I always struggle with. Maybe because I got my nose broken in a rugby tournament or my profession (plumber) has something to do with it; Smelling all sorts of toxic vapor that I have inhaled for many years – or maybe I just suck at it. So here we go.  It starts off with hints of vanilla then goes right into that wonderful smoke from the bourbon cask, then coming to a close with a subtle undertone of sea salt.

Taste– The Beginning as it’s hitting the tongue and covers it with an oily velvet smooth texture. Then it brings on the sherry cask sweetness that one would suspect, but looming underneath touches of caramel and pepper. Wait we aren’t done yet, here comes that wonderful bourbon cask warming smokiness, maybe as I dare say peaty.  It over took my pallet flashing to time as like that of the first summer camp fire warming your soul.

Finish– What’s left to be said other then it dances down my throat leaving me with complex flavour smoky, sweet goodness, leaving my taste buds begging for more.

Final thoughts– I rather enjoy this bolt, what else need to be said. Its price mark at the L.C.B.O. is $140. This might be at a higher end price point for some people, but with costs on the rise for whisky these days, a good value. I would suggest you save up your nickels for this one, or maybe get your wife/girl friend to buy this as a gift. Would I add this lovely bottle of spirit to my bar. Yes I would.

Cheers, Nicholas H Stefan

I was excited to try this from the beginning of our meeting. Let’s get the first part of this review finished quickly so we can get to the tasting……. The pleasantly golden amber, blah, blah, blah. Sparkled ever so subtle in the right light, blah, blah, blah. And so on. Now that all that garbage is out off the way, lets begin.

The nose immediately punched me like a heavyweight prize fighter. Despite my best efforts to hide it, I’m sure anyone watching me noticed my head swivel back and to the side as if actually hit by that haymaker punch. Again, but more slowly, and with a degree of caution I didn’t know before, I brought my nose close to the glass. Strong heat, with just a touch of smoke as if someone were barbecuing in the neighbourhood, but you couldn’t tell from where. This had all the characteristics of burning all the way down like drinking pure hot sauce.

What did I get myself into? This, the loudest of my many regretful thoughts going through my mind as I prepared to drink and pulled the glass closer. Initially my gut was telling me I was right. This started to burn with no sign of stopping, making me regret not having any heartburn medication on me. I was not prepared for a sleepless night of tossing and turning. But I was wrong. All of a sudden this opened instantly like someone threw open very heavy and thick blinds in a dark, black painted room, allowing the sunlight to rush in. New flavours started to come to light. Dry spice, fresh ground pepper, clove, waxy smoke, oak, and a sweetness, maybe slight cinnamon. What I once thought was pungent on the nose, turned and became pleasant. How could I have been so wrong?

I was a little braver with my next sip and held it on my tongue. My tongue immediately went fuzzy as if covered in thick fur. But the flavour was worth it. Strong waxy smoke, if there is such a thing, and a slight sweetness. I wanted to try this with a drop of water to see how the profile changed. Although quite tasty, but much better without the water. Drink this one neat.

Never judge a book by its colour is what I was taught, but tonight, this whiskey taught me another lesson. Never judge a whiskey no matter how repulsive that first nose is. This would pair well with sweet fruit like pear. In fact this would be a perfect sipping whiskey for an antipasti platter. Nice stinky blue, or stilton cheese, spicy, salty, and fatty cured meats, bitter olive, sweet pear or grape, crostini, and a smoky dram of Jura.

 Cheers friends!