Maybe it was the recent foul weather or perhaps the slightly higher attendance fee (a surcharge was added as the venue needed to ship in special stemware for imbibers) but the 30 souls who made time to attend the CAIA Canada Whisky Tasting and Networking Event were not disappointed—least of all because fewer numbers meant more of the four bottles to go around! As blog-readers might know, the Toronto chapter does semi-annual Congratulations and Commiserations events after the March and September exam writing seasons, however a full slate of (sold out) events in the fall and early new year lead us to have our autumn one in the midst of a respite from the seasonal snows.

Ryan Powell, ambassador for The Glenlivet and other Corby Distilleries brands, did an admirable job of not only explaining the history and distillation process of the whisky (retold below) but also keeping the crowd engaged and in check (you try drinking four excellent specimens and keep the giddiness and chatting to zero).

The Glenlivet, and all single malt whiskies, consists of three ingredients: barley, water and yeast—but it’s their source and the recipe that sets one brand from the other. Soil the barley is grown in sets the flavour tone of the spirit, just as the presence of elements such as magnesium and calcium in the water can alter its taste. Once harvested, the barley is malted (spread on a floor with water, opening the germ) for two days. 

Then the liquid is distilled at least twice. Each distilling increases alcohol content and strips away impurities but also some of the taste—which is why The Glenlivet is only distilled twice, to help it keep its distinctive flavour. Vodka, in comparison, is at least triple-distilled and all Irish whiskey is triple-distilled as well (a distinction heretofore lost on yours truly). (Ryan also noted that his colleague represents the Jameson, an Irish single malt; an idea brews in the head of your scribe.) The (di)still(er) heats the mixture and faster-evaporating alcohol makes its way to the top and to a condenser, leaving particles behind in the liquid below. A still's shape can affect the taste as taller ones allow fruitier notes to make their way to the end product whilst stouter ones can produce an oilier dram.

Roll out the barrels! Since American bourbon is required, by law, to be casked only in new barrels, there is a happy surfeit of them available for whisky-making. Lesser-drunk and less porous, reusable French sherry casks are also used for some varieties such as our tasted 15-year old. It is aged 13 years in sherry casks then their final 2 in cognac ones in order to give the finished product a darker look and added notes of flavour. Linking to our 2010 Timber Talk, The Glenlivet even owns forests in the US and rents casks to bourbon-makers before using them in their own process. A cask has a life of 60 years in whisky-making, meaning it can be used 3 times before calling the cooper for another. In addition, some varieties char the inside of casks to open up the pores of the wood and enhance certain flavours—a bit of high octane for the nose and palate, perhaps. In an effort to create a singular taste, some makers 'double-cask' or use port casks to strengthen or add new smells and tastes to the mix.

A few fun facts were imparted. Whisky does not have vintages, that is only to do with grapes (seems barley is a more level-headed plant). There are Scotch indices, for those who might think of investing in them. Casking reduces volume by 2% per year: thus longer-aged types cost more not only because of rarity and the time value of money, but because they diminish in volume (like a 24-carat gold ring might wear) as they age. Scotch can only be called such if it is distilled and matured in Scotland a minimum of three years—thus, the Glen Breton brand's moniker of being 'single malt whisky' and not a Scotch. It used to be that many whiskies made in what was called 'the longest glen in the world' called themselves Glenlivet until royal proclamation bestowed that honour solely on The Glenlivet of which we sipped.

On to the tastings. Our 12 and 15-year samplings were very well-received and, adding to our knowledge, we were told that they were chill-filtered: a process which dispels the natural fatty acid precipitate cloudiness of most alcohols with under 45% alcohol (note that via casking the resultant liquid needs to be diluted with water to reduce alcohol content to the requisite 40%—it is that water that causes the clouding chemical reaction). Our 16-year Nadurra (Gaelic for natural) sampling was cask-strength. That is, not diluted and about 54.4% alcohol. It and the 18-year old spirit did not require chill-filtering (as noted prominently on Nadurra's label).

Of course, there was much more to the evening—such as the three first-time attendees who vowed to write the next CAIA Level I exam owing to their appreciation of the event and collegial feeling amongst the crowd.

See you at our next event (which is still in the works)!

James Burron
CAIA Canada Chapter Executive