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Thursday, January 29, 2009

More Whisky

There was such a huge variety of malts to try at the Whisky Fest that it is impossible to speak of all of them, so these posts will only be about the malts that are not easy to fine, for reasons of limited production, allocation or simply not listed by the BC government.

Both the Glenfarclas 15 and 17 yr old were available to be tasted. the Glenfarclas 15 yr old was rated 95/100 points by Whisky Bible's Jim Murray. It's been bottled at 46%, and shows lots of sherry, butterscotch and malt with a hint of peat. This one is currently in stock at Hillside Liquor Store, and is around $88.
The Glenfarclas 17 yr old was my favourite of the two, as it shows a bit less sherry and a touch more peaty smokiness, making it a deliciously rich complex whisky. This one is not yet available at Hillside Liquor Store, but we are working on getting a couple of bottles.

From the Compass Box Distillery comes the Oak Cross, which is an entirely different way of building casks. The casks have French oak heads, and American oak bodies which gives the perfect balance between the lighter characters found in American oak and the deeper spice and dried fruit characteristics from the French oak. This whisky is also comprised of all Highland single malts which have been aged for a minimum of 10 years. Complex and herbal on the nose, with cloves, butterscotch and freshly-sawn wood, Oak Cross has a spicy palate of nutmeg and ginger, along with a faintly herbal note, blending with soft malt. Lingering and slightly assertive in the finish, with ginger and a touch of pepper, set against a background of fresh oak.
Greatly enjoyed this one, and hopefully it will be available soon.

Also of note were some interesting Bruichladdich malts. We tried the Margaux 1st Growth series, the 16 yr old Bourbon cask, the Octomore (which is the most heavily peated whisky ever), the special 2001 and the interesting clear, non-aged spirit NC 4.
The Margaux First Growth is one of 6 whiskies aged in French wine casks- this is delicious. the Margaux cask gives this spirit an extra touch of fruit and spice, and a little more depth without any noticeable peat. Definitely a wine drinkers dram.
The 16 yr old Bourbon cask was a very pleasant surprise. It is aged in white oak, first in Jim beam casks, and then in Buffalo Trace casks. This malt shows a lot more sweetness and caramel than any other Bruichladdich tried before- maybe not for everyone but great as a dessert scotch.
The Octomore was outstanding. In a very funky non-traditionally Bruichladdich shaped bottle that is pure black, this is definitely a spirit for those that appreciate peat. Like the Bruichladdich 'Peat', the Octomore manages to showcase the glorious smoky peat taste without getting into medicinal flavours. Surprisingly, other flavours of caramel, orange and a slight nuttiness show through, even though the peat levels are 135 ppm, which is twice as many as any other single malt. This one is a very limited release, and one to be snatched up as there really won't be anything like this for a while. A good substitute for those who missed the Blacker Still or the PC5.
The 2001 is the first single malt distilled at Bruichladdich after the closure. This is one distilled by Jim McEwan, with a once-only light peat of only 10 ppm and matured in Bourbon casks. Bottled in a very distinctive Bruichladdich aquamarine bottle, this is one for collectors.

A very special treat was the Ancnoc 1975, not available anywhere. This was a special bottle brought over just for the Whisky Festival, and what a treat it was to try it! Aged over thirty years ago in Spanish and American oak casks, this beautiful Highland shows some sweetness with fruit overtones, sherry and vanilla flavours. Absolutely gorgeous!

4th Annual Whisky Fest

The 4th annual Victoria Whisky Festival was held over the 23, 24,25 of January at the Hotel Grand Pacific. This whisky fest featured spirits from Canada, USA, Wales, Ireland, Scotland and India, and featured several "Master's classes" as well as a VIP tasting and a consumer tasting.
While it is impossible to try everything at this festival, it is possible to put a pretty good dent in the line-up, provided that most of the malts are tasted and then the spit bucket is used.
One of the most interesting spirits at this festival were the 4.5 year old Indian single malts, Amrut.
http://www.amrutwhisky.co.uk/
Although Amrut has been producing spirits since 1948, they have recently released three different single malts. There is a regular strength single malt, a peated cask-strength single malt and an un-peated cask strength single malt. They are each produced using select Indian barley grown at the foot of the Himalayas, then carefully mashed and distilled in small batches. It is then matured in oak barrels in a unique tropical location, 3000 feet above sea level at Bangalore, the garden city of India.
Each one of the single malts was available to taste, and although each tastes young, there is much promise. My personal favourite was the un-peated cask-strength, but there was a nice balance between peat, smoke and soft fruit in the peated cask-strength. The regular strength single malt was also quite tasty, and semi-reminiscent of a nice Speyside malt- a little hint of sweetness, a little citrus and some slight sea-breeze. Quite well done.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Burrowing Owl Has Arrived!

Two new releases of Burrowing Owl were received today. We have 2 cases of the Meritage and 5 cases of the Chardonnay. These will sell fast, so don't be disappointed!!

The 2006 Chardonnay displays classic stone-fruit aromas of white peach and white nectarine along with hints of orange blossom and rich toasted oak. The flavours continue onto the palate with the stonefruit and oak melding to transform the wine into a complex expression of Okanagan Chardonnay. Texturally, the wine is big and round in the mouth with a soft, viscous mouthfeel and a nutty, warm finish. Drink now through 2010.

The 2005 Meritage shows aromas of heady, smoky, mixtures of violets, cassis, blackberry, plums, vanilla, cloves, and toasty oak. On the palate, the wine is firm yet subtle, offering big, rich flavours, seamless texture and tremendous persistence of flavours.

Green Flash, Bear Rupublic and Rogue Beer Arrived!

On Tuesday January 20th, 5 new beer from Bear Republic Brewing, 2 from Green Flash Brewing and 2 from Rogue Brewing came in to Hillside Liquor Store.
Green Flash and Bear Republic were discussed in an earlier post- word on the street so far is "delicious!"

The 2 new Rogue Beer are the Shakespeare Stout and the Younger's Special Bitter.
The Shakespeare Stout says that it is ebony in colour with a rich creamy head, earthy flavour and a mellow chocolate finish. Should pair well with beef and desserts...but I wouldn't try a beef dessert.

Younger's Special Bitter is a classic English-style special bitter with a triad of caramel maltiness, fruitiness and hop bitterness and a dry hoppy finish. This one pairs well with hot and spicy foods or seafood...so hot and spicy seafood would definitely work.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

New Stuff!

A couple of new products coming in very soon!

Strongbow 8 cans!! For those who love Strongbow, soon a new 8 pack tall-can- retailing for about $20.

Trader Vic's Macadamia Nut Liqueur is a rich smooth liqueur made from the Hawaiian Macadamia nut. It has a roasty, toasty richness and makes a great cocktail when combined with Coffee liqueur and Irish cream, or with coconut rum, Irish cream and coffee.

Montes Wines

For all of you that are fans of Vina Montes, Hillside Liquor Store will soon be carrying an even wider selection. Thanks to our GM having a recent dinner with Aurelio Montes (head winemaker and one of the founders) and our Montes Rep, Rose Margolus (divinewine@shaw.ca), we are now able to order wines that were previously unavailable.

Hillside Liquor Store has carried many Vina Montes products: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Carmenere, Alpha Chardonnay, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, Purple Angel, Folly, Alpha M.
In addition to our current selection, we are soon to be carrying the 'Limited Selection' Sauvignon Blanc, Classic Series Malbec, 'Limited Selection' Pinot Noir and Alpha Merlot.

The Limited Selection Sauvignon Blanc is a clear, crisp and fruity wine with light yellow-green colour that is bright and transparent. The aroma shows its power and superb Sauvignon Blanc character and also demonstrates the full potential of its cold zone origin.

The Classic Series Malbec is ruby-red in colour leaning to very dark, intense red. It shows powerful but elegant flavours with plum and blackberry hints. A wonderful butterscotch and slight spiciness is totally integrated by the subtle notes of vanilla that comes from the oak aging. A full-bodied wine with ripe tannins and voluptuous mid-palate and a long, very enjoyable finish.

The 'Limited Selection' Pinot Noir is one of the finest values in Pinot Noir in the marketplace. It features a lovely bouquet of strawberry, raspberry and rhubarb followed by a silky textured wine with ripe fruit and good acidity. It is reminiscent of a Cotes de Nuit villages Burgundy from a quality vintage.

The Alpha Merlot is a handsome ruby-red colour with high intensity. It shows outstanding and concentrated fruit with a noseful of black cherry, hints of black pepper, notes of tobacco and sweet chocolate. It is full-bodied and well balanced, round and velvety in mid-palate with soft and ripe tannins. The oak is well-integrated with added touches of vanilla followed by a long and smooth finish. A very very elegant wine.

Beer Thirst Beers- Green Flash and Bear Republic

Beer Thirst Distributors (http://www.beerthirst.com/index.html) is an independent agent of fine crafted beer bringing great tasting beer to Canada for us to enjoy!

Coming in very soon (we hear Tuesday January 20) are two new beers from Green Flash Brewing(http://www.greenflshbrew.com). Green Flash Brewing is from San Diego County making ales that are hand-crafted with the finest all natural ingredients.
Hillside Liquor Store is getting the Green Flash Double Stout and the Imperial IPA. Both are available in the single 650 ml size format.
Green Flash Double Stout has golden naked oats mashed with dark crystal and robust roasted malts creating a luscious black brew with a satin smooth finish. They layer UK target hops throughout the boil adding pleasant earthy complexity while higher fermentation temperatures enhance overall flavour with fruity esters. An old-world style done the Green Flash way making this brew big, bold, flavourful and complex.
The Imperial IPA is a San Diego style IPA, super-hoppy with high gravity making it a very quaffable beer. It has a blend of Summit and Nugget hops, showing intense hop flavours and aromas.

Also (hopefully) in-store on January 20th are three new beer from Bear Republic (http://www.bearrepublic.com).
Bear Republic Brewing is out of Healdsburg California, and is a brewpub, microbrewery and restaurant in Sonoma County.
Hillside Liquor Store will be carrying the Red Rocket Rye Ale, the Racer 5 IPA and the Big Bear Stout, all available in 650 ml size bottle.
The Red Rocket Rye Ale is a fiery red ale that is not for the weak at heart. It originally started out as a Scottish red ale but has taken on flavors of its own. This is a very complex recipe using five different grains to achieve its unique flavor. The caramel malt used is a mixture of Belgian Caravienne and Hugh Bairds Crystal malts. Red Rocket is a full bodied, hoppy brew which finishes on the palate with caramel malts. Centennial and Cascade hops are used for bittering and aroma.
The Racer 5 IPA is a hoppy IPA. Did I say hops? The brewer is a hop head! This is a full bodied beer using American grains. The goal was to create a base for showing off the unique floral qualities of two Pacific Northwest hops, Columbus and Cascade. Columbus is a new hybrid High Alpha Acid hop used mostly for bittering, but used heavily as an aromatic in this strong brew. Cascade is the balance that ties the malt and bittering hops together. It is a true specialty ale and is the brewer's statement on this style.
The Big Bear, as the name implies, is a hefty, black, Russian Imperial-style stout. This strong stout boasts a rich, caramel sweetness lavished by a robust, deep-roasted heartiness you can sink your teeth into. ...Big Bear's bold flavors are produced using a blend of Belgian and English roasted barley and crystal malts. Some unique flavors come forth in the malt character. ...Louisiana sweet molasses and dark brown sugar. This dark brew is well hopped with Chinook and Cascade hops, which are somewhat masked by the malt. This is a balanced strong brew boasting an A.V.B. of 8.1% that can creep up on you, "so don't get mauled". It has a dry roasted quality that masks its' high alchohol content, so drink responsibly.

Misconduct Wines

Fresh into Hillside Liquor Store and tasted by several of the staff are three new wines from Misconduct Winery.
Misconduct Winery is an Okanagan winery with labels and tasting notes reminiscent of the Roaring Twenties and Film Noire. Misconduct Winery is keeping its identity secret (although those in the know can read the very fine print on the actual label to find out where these delicious wines are made), but is assuring its following that the wines are from the very best grapes that the Okanagan has to offer.
The white wine is a blend known as Misfit, and is a blend of Chenin Blanc (56%), Chardonnay (34%) and Semillon (10%). It is also 100% stainless steel cold fermented with 8 months vinification. This gorgeous wine displays lovely tropical notes on the nose and follows through on the palate with starfruit, kiwi, honeysuckle, tangerine, pineapple and peach. A nice fruity wine with a dry lingering finish making it perfect for chicken, scallops, tuna, halibut, salads or medium soft cheeses.
The 'Massacre Rose' blend is known as a saignee (pronounced son-yay; French for bleed) which is when the winemaker bleeds off the juice of the red wine after limited contact with the skins resulting in a light pink wine. This blend is Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Malbec, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. Much like the white, this is 100% stainless steel cold fermented with 8 months vinification. A nice full-flavoured but dry rose, this shows wonderful flavours of raspberry, strawberry, cream, pink grapefruit, nectarine and vanilla bean.
Dry Rose is the traditional pairing for fresh crab, and this is no exception. This wine would also pair well with spicy foods (think curry or Thai food), egg based dishes, duck, ham or a variety of cheeses.
The Red blend is known as the 'Big Take' and is 69% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc- known to many as a Meritage blend. It has been 100% fermented in French and Hungarian oak barrels. This rich and full bodied wine shows enormous flavours of chocolate, blueberry, boysenberry, blackberry, cassis, raspberry and cocoa with a slightly spicy finish. Pair this one with any roast or grilled beef, roast lamb, chorizo sausage pizza or a mega-rich tomato pasta.

Happy 2009!

Happy 2009 Everyone!
Hillside Liquor Store would like to thank all of its customers for their fantastic support of the store over the past year, and particularly the recent holiday season! We had a great time talking with all of you, and are grateful for all the suggestions about new products, recipes and food pairing ideas- keep them coming. We are always happy to learn about new products, and will try to do our best to accommodate where we can.
This year, things will be changing again in-store. Look for a whole bunch of new beer- we've already begun to carry more Swan's Brewing beer, and have recently brought in three of Canoe Brewing's beer. Look for the Winter Gale, River Rock Bitter and the Red Canoe Lager, all available in the 650 ml bottle.
We are also bringing in some assorted beer from the Beer Thirst Distributors- look for Green Flash brewing and Bear Republic Brewing for starters.
In wine news, the wine sections are going to be changing to better reflect what people are drinking nowadays. Chile, Argentina, Spain, Portugal and South Africa will be expanding, so if there are any requests for products, now is the time to let us know about those.
It is the beginning of the new vintage BC wine releases- Burrowing Owl will be in stock again in a matter of days. We also have wines by Herder, Poplar Grove, Misconduct, Joie and Kettle Valley.
And, as usual, there are always new spirits to speak of. Look for more single malts, tequila and some interesting new vodka.
More in-depth posts on beer, wine and spirits will be following soon!