Welcome to day 19. We got us another very peaty expression. All the way from Saanich.. well sort of. We have a blend from or very own Victoria Caledonian Distillery where they have taken some very fine whisky and blended it together in im sure what can only be a very Canadian fashion. Today’s whisky is from their Macaloney guest whisky collection.
Story
There once was a wee Scottish lad by the name of Graeme Macaloney who found a summer job bottling whisky and fell in love with Uisge Beatha, the ‘water of life’. He dedicated his heart to finding a way to make whisky for a living, though circumstance would find a way of sidetracking his dreams.
Eventually, the winds of fate would blow the now grown Scotsman to the westernmost shores of Canada. Marveling in awe at the BC craft beer industry he saw an opportunity which he simply could not pass up – making his own beer and whisky was within his grasp for the very first time.
Knowing he couldn’t create a world-class brewery and distillery on his own, Graeme assembled a skilled team of experts: the legendary Dr Jim Swan, the foremost whisky maturation expert in Scotland, Master Distiller Mike Nicolson, who has worked in over 18 renowned Scotch whisky distilleries, Kiwi Brew Master and renowned beer judge Dean McLeod, and dynamic Head Brewer Nicole MacLean who previously worked with BrewDog.
Only one problem remained: money! Without proper funding the Scotsman’s dreams would crash and burn before they ever really had a chance to take off. Searching for answers, he turned to the same whisky and craft beer community that originally inspired his efforts. To his astonishment, over 270 independent Canadian individuals came together to support his vision, become Founder-Owner-Investors, and turn their shared dream into a reality.
At the same time Graeme also explained to Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada that our distillery would upgrade a renewable commodity, Canadian barley to a super-premium single malt whisky for export to dozens of countries internationally. As a result they loaned us $2.4 million!
With everything in place, construction finally began on the Victoria Caledonian Distillery and Twa Dogs Brewery. When the first drops of new make spirit trickled out of the Forsyth’s Scottish pot stills, a chorus of joyous shouts was heard throughout the distillery. Needless to say, there was much revelry to be had that night.
Tasting Notes
Nose: oily, smoked meat, ashey, brine
Taste: smoked meat, ash, brine, vegetal peat, oily mouthfeel
FInish: long, smoky, peat
Purchase Links
Can be purchased from the Tutor house
or
Can be purchased from Strathcona Liquor Store