With the huge win for Ampersand's Per Se Vodka, picking up World's Best Single Varietal Vodka at the World Vodka Awards; I decided to take a geeky Soole approach to this week's episode and explore single varietal vodkas from fruit to honey to grain and potatoes. Featuring Merridale Cowichan fruit Vodka, Wayward distillation house Unruly Honey Vodka, Stealth Distilleries Corn Vodka, Schramm Potato Vodka and finally the show runner, Ampersand Distilling Per Se.
Sons of Vancouver No. 82 Amaretto Barrel Aged in Westland Peated Single Malt Casks
Something that you didn’t think you needed in your life but you do.
Alcohol - 26% / 52 proof
Color - Deeper translucent brown with copper edges
Nose - Rich almond with a hint of smoky wood
Taste -S’Mores all the way, rich amaretto, campfire smoke, marshmallow and dark honey
Finish - Lingering smoke and oak with complex spices and almond
Best Enjoyed - Double down on a Morgenthaler Amaretto Sour on this one
Sons of vancouver No. 82 Amaretto
Inspired by our mothers' canning recipes and a 16th century love story, our No. 82 Amaretto is made with five simple, whole ingredients. It starts with apricot kernels, Bourbon vanilla beans and orange peel. Then it's sweetened with Demerara and BC blackberry honey to create one tastefully balanced liqueur.
Alcohol - 26% / 52 proof
Color - Translucent brown with gold edges
Nose - Honey and vanilla with hints of spice
Taste - Starts with sweet honey and then flows into layers of vanilla, spice and classic amaretto richness
Finish - Rich and complex, hints of honey comb and the softness of vanilla
Best Enjoyed - Give this a go in a Morgethaler recipe Amaretto Sour
Bruinwood Nucino Nouveau
Alcohol - 40% / 80 proof
Color - Translucent brown
Nose - Over roasted coffee and dark walnut tones
Taste - Deep walnut and over roasted coffee on the palate, hints of honey and that considerable alcohol content on the back palate
Finish - Complex coffee and walnut tones finishing with no sweetness
Best Enjoyed - Treat this more as a Nocino style vodka and use as a base for cocktails preferably bourbon or rye
Wood's Nocino
Made with green walnuts, orange peel, coffee beans and herbs sourced in Summerland, BC.
Alcohol - 30% / 60 proof
Color - Coca Cola brown with light edges
Nose - Bright orange and herbs with coffee and walnuts in the background
Taste - Bright and complex, layers of orange, coffee, walnut and herbs; almost a chocolate orange quality
Finish - stays bright with nice acid from the orange, lingering walnut and coffee notes
Best Enjoyed - Served chilled straight up
Ampersand Nocino!
“We collected green walnuts this summer from friends in the valley and steeped them in our pure spirit. It turns this amazing deep walnut colour and lends an amazing aroma. Then we’ve spiced it with cinnamon, allspice, and fresh lemon peel and aged it for at least eighty days” - co-founder & head distiller Jeremy Schacht
Alcohol - 27.1% / 54.2 proof
Color - Dark coca cola brown almost black
Nose - Deep Christmas spice with rich walnut
Taste - Rich green walnut, Christmas spices with light acidity in the back palate
Finish - Long, complex spice with a slight alcohol burn in the finish
Best Enjoyed - Chilled and neat or slide it into a Manhattan variation for that autumn feel
Episode #9 - Ken Winchester and Kevin Titcomb of Devine Spirits
Sat down with the dynamic duo, Ken and Kevin from Devine and chatted about whisky, fermenting anything and how honey is an amazing raw ingredient.
Review #37 - Nut Liqueurs
Time to explore some nutty liqueurs, both Nocino and Amaretto (although that is made from apricot kernels), great examples found right here in BC. Showcasing the original introduction to the style with Ampersand Distilling Nocino and then to the newly released contenders of Wood's Spirit Co. Nocino and Bruinwood's Noveau Nucino. For amaretto, we tackle the Sons of Vancouver, including tasting the barrel aged No.82, something you didn't know you needed in your life.
Okanagan Spirits Haskap Liqueur
WHAT ARE HASKAP BERRIES?
Haskap is the collective name for edible berries off the blue honeysuckle plant, native to the cooler temperatures of the Northern Hemisphere. The varieties used to create out Haskap liqueur included Borealis, Tundra, Indigo Gem and Northern Jewel.
WHAT DO THEY TASTE LIKE?
The taste is most commonly described as a cross between a raspberry, blueberry and blackcurrant. It is slightly sweet with a zingy finish.
Alcohol - 24% / 48 proof
Color - Deep purple, almost black
Nose - Stewed blackcurrants, jammy pie berries
Taste - Balanced flavours between stewed jammy berries and bright, intense acidity that spears through the natural sweetness
Finish - Jammy blackcurrants with bone dry acidic finish
Best Enjoyed - This is a Creme de Cassis killer, try it in a Kir Royale; maybe with a Bella Rose Bubbles
Okanagan Spirits Blueberry Liqueur
Our blueberry liqueur features ripe blueberries picked from along the BC coast which create a burst of fresh flavours on the palate.
Alcohol - 24% / 48 proof
Color - Bright purple with light edges
Nose - Stewed blueberries, tannic skin
Taste - Tannic, sweet skin forward with gentle blueberry flesh and bright acidity
Finish - Fresh, underripe blueberry with palate pleasing acidity
Best Enjoyed - Gin, blueberry collins; gin, blueberry liqueur, lemon juice and soda; garnish with blueberries and mint
Okanagan Spirits Cherry Liqueur
Beautifully ripe sour cherries from East Kelowna, BC, are hand-picked and crushed to release a full-bodied flavour reminiscent of cherry pie filling. Sweet with just a hint of sour, this cherry liqueur is quickly becoming a customer favourite, especially in the summer months.
Alcohol - 24% / 48 proof
Color - Dark red with pink edges
Nose - Cherry pie, filling and pastry
Taste - Fresh and stewed cherry pie filling with hints of that pastry. Good acidity
Finish - Sweet but balanced with acidity, long and fruity with a hint of cloying sweet
Best Enjoyed - Hit this up in a Blood and Sand, think it’s a great balance for the orange juice
Urban Distillery Blackberry
Alcohol - 24% / 48 proof
Color - Dark Purple
Nose - Deep fruit, green pits and a hint of stewed fruit
Taste - Overripe blackberries, high acidity and a hint of green tones from the seeds, hints of alcohol on the finish
Finish - deep blackberry jam, not overly sweet, balanced
Best Enjoyed - Classic Bramble, gin, sugar, lemon over crushed ice with a blackberry drizzle
Episode #8 - Brennan Colebank of Stillhead Distillery
Absolute blast sitting down with Brennan from Stillhead and chatting about whisky, apple brandy, whisky, blackberries and of course more whisky.
Maple Leaf Spirits Pear Liqueur
Our Pear Williams spirit distilled in our German copper potstill and fresh golden Bartlett pears are the secret to this traditional liqueur. Serve it like a dessert wine or as signature ingredient for your cocktail. Savour its fruitiness and intensity of flavour, making it a truly outstanding treat. The natural aroma is like biting into a fresh sunripened pear.
Alcohol - 25% / 50 Proof
Color - Deep golden pear / apple
Nose - Bright fresh Bartlett pear
Taste - Balanced pear, layering from fresh, ripe pear to slightly cooked pear danish
Finish - Clean, not cloying stewed pear with hints of spice on the back of your tongue
Best Enjoyed - On ice cream and pancakes, would love to see this whipped with butter for waffles
Review #36 - Fruit Liqueurs
Spring is just around the corner and we got into some seriously great liqueurs with Maple Leaf Spirits Pear liqueur, Urban Distillers Blackberry and Okanagan Spirits Cherry, Blueberry and Haskap Liqueurs.
Shelter Point Hand Foraged Botanical Gin
Our hand-crafted botanical gin is distilled in small batches on our family owned distillery in Oyster River, Vancouver Island. What makes our spirit so bold and distinctive? Well for one, we use hand foraged local ingredients. The few ingredients we can’t find on our own farm are sourced from only the finest locations.
Alcohol - 46% / 92 proof
Color - Clear
Nose - Fresh cut pine, malted barley, musty forest
Taste - dried citrus, musty juniper with heavy dried herb kick (coriander and cardamon), salinity on the tongue along with deep malty backbone
Finish - Complex dried herbs and spices with sea air
Best Enjoyed - A great ballsy gin for Negronis, mix equal parts with Wood’s Amaro and Esquimalt Rosso Vermouth
Tofino Distillery West Coast Gin
Traditional West Coast Style Gin. Our take on this classic is well rounded with a blend of floral, woods and citrus notes.
Alcohol - 45% / 90 Proof
Color - Clear
Nose - Woody juniper and forest floor
Taste - Deep flavors of woody juniper, warm spices with a great representation of Tofino, forest and sea air.
Finish - Long piney juniper with undertones of warm spices
Best Enjoyed - Ballsy Martini with Beaufort Vermouth and orange bitters
Noteworthy Gin
Ceres, the Roman Goddess of agriculture and grain crops, inspired this exquisite gin recipe. Our careful, meticulous process contributes to the smoothness of this refreshing and carefully balanced gin making it ideal for cocktails, the classic G&T or your favorite martini. It’s an incredibly balanced and refreshing gin.
Alcohol - 43% / 86 Proof
Color - Clear
Nose - Floral with hints of fresh grapefruit
Taste - Floral lavender, gentle fragrant juniper, hints of cucumbers, bright citrus and undertones of light wood
Finish - Long with floral tones receding into woody juniper
Best Enjoyed - Hit this into a White Lady.
Spinnaker's Botanical Beach Gin
Alcohol - 43% / 86 Proof
Color - Clear
Nose - Fruity grapefruit, salt air and malt
Taste - Fragrant piney juniper, sweet pomelo, salinity and floral overtones
Finish - Clean, salty and floral lavender
Best Enjoyed - Classic G&T, with Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic
Sheringham Seaside Gin
Citrus, floral and notes of the sea make our Gin as refreshing as a seaside stroll. Elegant for sipping and noble in your favourite cocktail…clean as the South Island surf.
Alcohol - 43% / 86 Proof
Color - Clear
Nose - Piney juniper with hints of grapefruit
Taste - Epitome of a Vancouver Island summers day by the beach. Bright pine forest, brine from the sea and soft floral lavender
Finish - Bright, long citrus, floral notes
Best Enjoyed - Classic Martini with Ampersand Imperative Vermouth
