LCBO Food and Drink Autumn 2016

TREND SPOTT ING

After more than 30 years of writing about whisky, senior editor James Chatto knows what he likes— but is always eager to try new releases, too.

TASTING NOTES

J.P. Wiser’s Last Barrels LCBO 461012, $64.95

At 14 years old, this whisky is “rich and smooth and complex,” says James—not sweet, with a spicy rye edge and notes of vanilla, grapefruit, licorice and lots of oak. “This is one that you could put in a brandy snifter, straight up,” he says. “You want to enjoy the aroma.”

TRENDS TO WATCH “They’re experimenting more,” says James of Canadian producers’ newer whisky creations. On the one hand, he notes, distillers are playing with added flavours like maple and honey, as well as with blending and aging—such as using barrels made with Canadian oak. On the other, many are moving away from the smooth sweetness of a corn-heavy blend to- ward whiskies that are drier and more sophisticated, with stronger rye flavours. “People are asking for it,” he says. “Alberta premium rye is so popular.”

Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve LCBO 195651, $70.10 This offering gets its name from the trees its barrels were made from; the 150-year-old white oaks from a forest just 40 kilometers from the Grimsby distillery were mere sap- lings when Canada was born. Complex and well-balanced, smooth but not overly rich, it has hints of orange and juniper on the nose, James says. Drink neat or on the rocks.

just add water [ HOW TO SERVE ]

Premium whiskies should be enjoyed on their own, James believes, rather than in cocktails, where the other ingredients will overpower the subtleties of the spirit. He suggests starting with a sip of the whisky neat, at room temperature, for a first sampling of the tex- ture and flavour. Then add a couple of drops of room-temperature water—no more than a teaspoon per 2-oz serving—to spread out and bring forth new flavours and aromas.     As for the type of water to use, James isn’t fussy like some con- noisseurs can be—he notes that many whiskies in Scotland contain Glasgow tap water—though he does caution against using some min- eral waters, which can be salty.

30  FOOD & DRI NK AUTUMN 2016