BUYING GUIDE

PODERE IL CARNASCIALE OTTANTADUE 2016, VALDARNO DI SPORA DOC ($43)

Pure expression of Sangiovese with precise notes of dark cherries, tomato leaves, red licorice and red plum. Dusty tannins with fresh acid and medium body. Needs proteins to soften the tannins. Will shine with Cornish hen, guinea fowl, quail or hanger steak simply sprinkled with sea salt. Tuscany at its best! (MB)

BEER & CIDER STONEHOOKER BROADREACH IPA, UNITED STATES ($3.55/473 ML)

The temptation with New England IPA is to treat the flavour profile as a sledgehammer. In the case of Port Credit, Ontario’s Stonehooker, a light touch is key. Pineapple, dragon fruit, lychee and papaya on the nose with a light eucalyptus touch revealed on a larger gulp. (JSJ)

ROBINSONS IRON MAIDEN TROOPER RED & BLACK PORTER, UNITED KINGDOM ($3.55/500 ML)

Designed in partnership with Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson, this features less roast than fruit on the aroma with red and black licorice, and sweet apple and concord grape esters amid dried fruit. English hop bite on the palate and at the finish makes this 6.8% brawler an oldschool English porter. (JSJ)

THE CHURCH BREWING COMPANY SANCTUARY ENKEL, NOVA SCOTIA ($4/473 ML)

A well-balanced set of esters and phenols on the nose, with pepper, banana, bubblegum and clove above a light, crackery body. Lemon pith on the palate presents a well-judged touch of bitterness. An authentic as possible Belgian Enkel out of Wolfville, Nova Scotia. (JSJ)

BLACK OAK NUTCRACKER PORTER, TORONTO, ONTARIO ($4/473 ML)

One of Ontario’s oldest Christmas seasonals, Nutcracker Porter features cinnamon and nutmeg above its dried fruit, chocolate and roast-malt body, creating a festive waft of yuletide cheer. Nutcracker seems to maintain its quality as time passes. (JSJ)

GRIMROSS BRAUNSCHWEIG PILSNER, NEW BRUNSWICK ($4/473 ML)

Grassy with a small amount of drying wildflowers and a barley sugar character somewhere down towards buckwheat honey. A small amount of retro-nasal stone fruit appears alongside a lingering chrysanthemum bitterness in this 4.8% quencher from New Brunswick. (JSJ)

BRETON BREWING COMPANY RED COAT IRISH RED ALE, CAPE BRETON, NOVA SCOTIA ($4/473 ML)

Deep Red leaning past the caramel aroma of traditional versions and into toasted grain, coffee and sweet sugar cereal. Quite a soft texture, with a small amount of slickness on the palate. The final impression is of toast, and it becomes slightly thin at the swallow. (JSJ)

SAWDUST CITY LONG DARK VOYAGE TO URANUS COFFEE & VANILLA, ONTARIO ($5/473 ML)

With its Vonnegut-inspired can art, LDV Coffee & Vanilla deftly accentuates the existing notes of roast and chocolate by fleshing out those profiles, resulting in a winter sipper perfect for those long chilly nights. (JSJ)

UNFILTERED BREWING EXILE ON NORTH STREET, HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA ($9.50/1000 ML)

Unfiltered’s beers tend towards exuberance in flavour, and Exile on North Street is no exception. The level of bitterness is commensurate with old school west coast IPA and the generously apportioned pine, grapefruit and mango presence will please drinkers who remember how IPA used to be in the bad old days. (JSJ)

PROPELLER CASCADE AMERICAN PALE ALE, NOVA SCOTIA ($14.49/6 PACK)

Pours a mellow orange with good head retention. A small amount of apple and tobacco above a much larger profile of white grapefruit and pine. The bitterness is pronounced but kept in check by the darker malt character that suggests sweetness, but never lets it off the leash. (JSJ)

PROPELLER GALAXY INDIA PALE ALE, NOVA SCOTIA ($15.99/4 PACK)

Focusing on individual hop varieties can come with mixed results, but in the case of Propeller’s Galaxy IPA, the hallmark is subtlety and restraint. The beer is gentle on the palate with mild bitterness and its aroma is passion fruit, pineapple and mango in a pillow-like texture, resulting in a dangerously quaffable beer, gone in an instant. (JSJ)

BLIND ENTHUSIASM BREWING COMPANY THE MONOLITH MEASURE OF PATIENCE, EDMONTON, ALBERTA ($20)

A barrel-fermented beer and the inaugural release from Blind Enthusiasm’s sister

brewery The Monolith, where barrel-aged sour beers via spontaneous fermentation will be produced. Measure of Patience is a mixed-fermentation beer (both yeast and bacteria were added). After at least a year, the barrels were tasted and a select few were blended to achieve a desired taste profile. The resulting beer is clean, lightly sour with notes of stone fruit and incredibly well balanced. The quality is remarkable given that it is The Monolith’s first release. Owner Greg Zeschuk and head brewer Doug Checknita indicate that the beer was inspired by natural wines, but there is a purity and welcome lack of excessive funkiness from which many “natural” wine producers could take a lesson. A beer produced with a nod to wine lovers, but also accessible without sacrificing character for those new to this style. A brewery to watch. (GB)

SPIRITS ESPOLÒN AÑEJO TEQUILA, MEXICO ($40)

My preference in tequila is typically blanco, occasionally reposado. The issue I often have with añejo (particularly extra añejo) is that the extended wood aging starts to mask the agave character of the spirit. Espolòn manages to avoid this problem, possibly because the spirit is just “finished” in ex-bourbon barrels having spent the majority of its year-long aging in white oak. The result is an añejo that boasts loads of ripe, spicy, vegetal and agave notes with just a suggestion of caramel and Christmas cake. Very well-balanced in the mouth, the wood is perfectly integrated so as to enhance, not dominate, the herbal and earthy agave notes. (TS)

NIKKA WHISKY FROM THE BARREL, JAPAN ($65)

A complex and robust blend of Japanese single malts and Japanese grain whisky, married in oak casks, showing tropical fruit, vanilla, tartness, spice, toffee and caramelized banana with good balance between the oakiness, fruit and alcohol. A few drops of water help to open it up and smoothen it out. (GB)

POLI MOKA, ITALY ($60)

A balanced coffee cream liqueur well made by one of the globe’s best distillers using only coffee, fresh cream, sugar and grappa. A spirited addition to a cup of coffee, tea or hot water, or quite delicious solo on ice. A touch sweeter than previous bottlings, but still a preferable alternative to many other cream liqueurs, which are not as balanced and frequently contain several not-so-natural additives. (GB)

GODET COGNAC XO GASTRONOME, FRANCE ($132)

Floral and elegant with notes of stone fruit and nuts. Incredibly well balanced and smooth, it glides across the palate finishing warm and seamless. Originally created in 1838 by Augustin Godet as an ultra-dry Cognac to aid digestion, the current generation of Godet brothers produce the spirit from organically grown grapes, without chemicals, pesticides or any artificial additives. Stellar and incredible value compared to so many more expensive cognacs. (GB)

POLI GRAPPA DI SASSICAIA 2011, ITALY ($139)

A unique grappa in that it is vintage dated: only the pomace from a single vintage is distilled. The pomace from the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet France grapes used for Tenuta San Guido’s Sassicaia is distilled and then aged for four years before being finished in the barrels used to age the wine. The result is an elegant, complex and warming spirit that is herbal, grassy, fruity and floral with notes of coffee, licorice, honey, vanilla and cocoa. The barrel aging rounds out the edges and smoothens it out. For those that think they do not like grappa, try this. (GB)

NIKKA COFFEY GRAIN WHISKY, JAPAN ($89.50/700 ML)

A grain whisky from a continuous still probably shouldn’t be this good … but it is very good, indeed. In fact, whisky expert Jim Murray has rated past vintages Japanese Whisky of the Year three times over the course of five years. Fragrant, biscuity notes swill around dollops of pear, with just a mild touch of smokiness. Soft and mellow in the mouth, with surprising complexity that leads to a long, mildly fruity finish. (TS)

NIKKA TAKETSURU PURE MALT WHISKY, JAPAN ($79.95/700 ML)

This “pure malt” (aka “vatted malt”, aka a blend of single malts) offers up aromatic suggestions of malted grain, citrus peel, and some slightly earthy nuances that lead into a fairly robustly-structured whisky, that remains elegant and balanced. There’s a dash of cayenne pepperiness in there as well to make things interesting. The finish is long and memorable, with a little spiciness that hangs on. (TS)

NIKKA MIYAGIKYO SINGE MALT WHISKY, JAPAN ($91.95/700ML)

Constructed in 1969, Miyagikyo is the second of Nikka’s two distilleries. Stylistically, it can probably best be seen as the “highland” to the Yoichi’s more “island” style. There’s some evident sherry cask aging going on here, resulting in aromatics that feature sultana, baking spice, pear drop and orange peel. Dry and elegantly structured, with beautiful balance and just a suggestion of smoke on the palate. A subtle fruitiness reappears as the flavours trail off. (TS)

NIKKA YOICHI SINGE MALT WHISKY, JAPAN ($91.95/700 ML)

The first Nikka distillery, was built in 1934 on Hokkaido, Japan’s second main island. Those who appreciate a more “seaside” style with a bit of peat — or those who like the concept of a malt aged close to the sea but find the Islay expressions just a bit too much — will really appreciate Nikka’s flagship whisky. This is an intriguing whisky, with delicate — though obvious — notes of brine and smoke. However, these are tempered by floral/lemongrass undertones. Powerful, but in no way overpowering, it offers a collage of flavours that nicely combine salty, smoky, malty and fruity … with just a hint of cracked pepper in the end note. (TS)