u/raincitychris

Over the years, I’ve really come to appreciate what Okanagan Spirits has been doing.

They’ve never felt interested in simply copying scotch or bourbon. A lot of their releases feel distinctly Okanagan, local barley, local climate, and increasingly, local wine casks shaping the whisky itself.

One of my favourite examples of that was their Laird of Fintry lottery release, finished in Foch barrels from Quails Gate winery. That whisky struck this awesome balance between rich wine-driven fruit and a really solid malt backbone, and it honestly made me pay closer attention to what Okanagan Spirits was doing.

So when I saw this BSV Pipe Finish , a 9yr single malt finished in port pipes from Black Sage Vineyard, I was immediately curious.

And honestly? This thing leans hard into the port cask… but mostly in a good way if you like jammy sweet whiskies.

Nose:
Big wave of dark fruit right away. Cherry, raspberry jam, but sweetness like caramelized sugar, cocoa powder, toasted oak. Definitely dessert-adjacent, but not obnoxiously so.

Palate:
Rich. Fruit-forward. Pretty decadent for a BC single malt. I got chocolate-covered berries, honeyed malt, and some gentle oak. The port influence is very obvious, but the whisky still shows up (which is the important part).

There’s always a risk with these bigger wine finishes that the cask just steamrolls the spirit, especially when distilleries use them to hide younger whisky. This didn’t feel like that.

Finish:
Medium-long with lingering dark fruit, cocoa, and drying oak tannins. Slight wine-like richness hangs around nicely without turning syrupy.

Honestly, this almost drinks like a dessert whisky at times, but in a way I kind of enjoyed.

Not a traditional Canadian whisky by any stretch, but I think that’s kind of the point. The cool part here is how “Okanagan” the whole experience feels from all the ingredients Feels less like a gimmick and more like Okanagan Spirits continuing to develop its own whisky identity while surrounded by world class wineries.

Curious if anyone else here has tried this one, or other Okanagan Spirits whiskies in general? I saw they have a new hopped whisky...

Full review here:
https://youtu.be/67qWhhvysrg

Twenty-eight-year-old Canadian whisky is a weird thing.

Not because Canada can’t make whisky that old or doesn't have it, but because most producers never let it get there. The category has traditionally been built around accessibility, blending, and consistency, not long-term aging and prestige releases.

TL;DR: Reminds me of Found North's Gold Finch. Creamy and oaky, I enjoy it, my wife hates it. hahah.

This one comes from Canadian Rockies Whisky, an independent bottler quietly sourcing and aging whisky from distilleries across Canada. While details are sparse, I’m told this release leans heavily on Alberta-distilled stock with some Ontario grain whisky in there. Bottled at 46% ABV, and the bottle is neat (same folks who created Pendleton 1910 bottle).

But age can do two very different things to whisky.

It can deepen complexity… or slowly sand away personality.

Nose:
For me soft and oaky right away. Vanilla, toffee, and brown sugar lead things off, followed by older oak and a slightly dusty sweetness that reminds me of antique furniture or old bookshops in the best possible way. There’s a bit of citrus brightness underneath it all, alongside light mint and dried hay. Nothing about it is loud, very subtle but the longer I sit with it the more that appears.

Palate:
Very elegant. Caramel, vanilla cream, soft rye spice? and gentle oak. The texture is lighter than you might expect at this age, but it works. There’s no sharpness anywhere. Instead, it slowly unfolds with layers of polished oak, faint herbal notes, and lingering sweetness.

Some people are going to interpret that subtletly as refinement. Others might wish for more intensity or concentration. Personally, I think the whisky succeeds because it leans into subtlety rather than fighting against it.

Finish:
Medium-long. Oak spice, citrus, toffee, and soft drying tannins. Quiet but persistent.

To learn more and watch my full review: https://youtu.be/oWYNf4KFoS8

Hey folks, I posted the TB Release 51 the other week so thought I'd share this one too!

I’ve always liked what Two Brewers does because their releases actually feel experimental without losing the identity of the whisky underneath. Personally, I'm a big lover of rum-cask whiskies so this had high expectations (if you have a favourite rum-finish let me know please!)

Rum finishes can go one of two ways for me: either they bring depth and texture, or they completely flatten the whisky into generic brown sugar sweetness. I wasn’t sure which direction this would go but was hopefully. TB usually stands up well for me.

At the risk of being repetitive, their whole model revolves around small-batch numbered releases, with each batch built around different mash bills, yeasts, peat levels, and cask strategies.

Release 49 starts with their single malt before heading into Barbados rum casks for finishing. Bottled at 43% ABV.

Nose:
Classic Two Brewers for me but quite soft. Baked sweetness like caramel but also a cereal note. Reminds me of maple fudge.

Palate:
Medium-bodied and surprisingly balanced. Nutty to start, gets me thinking about a Snickers bar. The faintest smokiness and peat, and buttery popcorn.

Finish:
Medium-long, warming and a malt sweetness. An odd herbal quality like olives. A whisper of peat sticks around.

Compared to the Balvenie Caribbean Cask, this isn't quite as sweet as that. This is more subdued.

Curious if anyone else here has tried Release 49, or if you’ve had other rum-finished whiskies you'd recommend?

I do a more detailed review in my video if you want to check it out: https://youtu.be/wit3EQhMh5o

First time poster here! I see reviews are allowed so I hope this is cool? I’ve always loved Two Brewers and wanted to finally get some thoughts on paper for Release 51, their latest in the Peated lineup.

Distilled up in the Yukon, this is part of their ongoing series, where each release is essentially its own snapshot of process and maturation. Release 51 leans into a mix of cask influence, aging, but as always with Two Brewers, it’s less about replicability and more about exploration.

On the nose for me it opens surprisingly orchard fruit, honeyed grain, a soft sweet smoke, and a slight citrus.

The palate is where it really clicks. Medium-bodied with a silky mouthfeel. A wonderful honeycomb and chocolate sweetness. The peat is subtler than expected and I wish they state the PPM, but for me it works well! There’s a subtle “craft edge” here that I actually think works in its favour.

Finish is medium-long, drying slightly, with lingering spice and a touch of tannin. It doesn’t overstay, but it leaves enough to think about.

What stood out most to me is how expressive this feels without being chaotic. It’s not trying to be a classic single malt profile (and that’s kind of the point). If you’re into distilleries that treat each release as a creative exercise rather than a fixed product, this is a fun one to spend time with.

Curious how others found Release 51, especially compared to earlier batches. This is my first peated expression of theirs.

I’ve got a deeper video breakdown up as well if anyone wants to go further down the rabbit hole.

My links if you’re curious: https://linktr.ee/shortpours.yt