B.C. DISTILLED RAISES A GLASS TO LOCAL WHISKY MAKERS
Author de Kergommeaux will be on hand to lead tastings, pour his favourite drams
In the updated and expanded third version of Canadian Whisky: The Essential Portable Expert, author Davin de Kergommeaux writes: “It has become virtually impossible to keep up with the micro-distillers making whisky in B.C.”
At this year's edition of the B.C. Distilled festival, he will lead two whisky tastings at the book launch held at Taste of Legacy in the Olympic Village, pouring 10 of his favourite drams from this province's gold-medal-winning producers.
The path to writing his in-depth guide to Canadian whisky came from a love of Scottish and Irish single malt going global and then returning home.
“I used to judge the Malt Maniacs' award, and one year the Japanese won a number of awards, and that led me to exploring Canadian whiskies,” said de Kergommeaux.
“Eventually, my daughter told me that I had a book going and I wrote the first book and then two more about Canadian whisky, because everyone seemed to want to read about it. The new edition is a new thing, in large part due to the extensive amount of historical research about Canadian distilleries, as well as all new tasting notes.”
In reading those tasting notes, it becomes clear that the products coming from coast to coast and into Yukon are world-class. There is a global buzz for domestic distilleries and accolades keep pouring in.
“Our big distillers have always made great whiskies, like Bush Pilot or Canadian Masterpiece, but 80 per cent of the market is fed by the bottom-end, entry-level products that people buy to mix with Coke or ginger ale,” he said. “Without doubt, there is no question that the micro-distillers are making great, in some cases fabulous, whisky.”
Among the most-awarded of these are the products coming from North Vancouver's Sons of Vancouver, which was recognized for making the best whisky in Canada on Jan. 19 at the Canadian Whisky Awards in Victoria.
The North Shore distillery brought home three gold medals for its Summer Road Trip Across the Midwest, Desert Grass and Blue Agave, and Palm Trees and a Tropical Breeze.
The blind tasting event is considered a proving ground for products.
“You can take a whisky from Sons of Vancouver up against a $400 or more Scotch and the quality is equivalent between the two,” de Kergommeaux said.
“Douglas Distillery in the Okanagan has products that are every bit the equal of lowland Scottish distilleries for half the price. I'm not disparaging the Scots as I love their products, but B.C. is an epicentre for award-winning whiskies at a very competitive price point.”
Asked why B.C. distillers are so good, de Kergommeaux credits both provincial tax initiatives and a familial nature of the industry. Much like the craft beer business, which spawned many adjunct distilleries, the idea that a healthy scene improves all distilleries supports quality spirit-making. Sons of Vancouver's Jenna Diubaldo echoes that sentiment.
“I think that we make the whisky that we want to see on the market that isn't there right now,” said Diubaldo. “As craft distilleries opened and the industry grew, you started to see players like Okanagan Spirits and others releasing those barrels they had stored away and an accompanying public demand for premium products. Most people make vodka and gin, but what really took off for Sons of Vancouver was our amaretto and other liqueurs and we learned a lot about flavour development on the way.”
The annual April Fools' release program built the company reputation for creative flavours in everything from toasted coconut to this year's melon liqueur. The distillers applied the same approach to the limited release whiskies such as the silver-medal-winning
Raiding Nonna's Liquor Cabinet finished in amaro barrels after three to five years in used American oak bourbon barrels. With a typical release in the 250-bottle range, the one consistent factor is that all the whiskies sell out.
Tasting the products at a B.C. Distilled event might be the only way you will get to appreciate them. Small batches mean new flavours and styles just keep coming.
“We've gone in different directions over the years, from all fullstrength, all rye mash to mixed mashes that can be smoother, but nothing that we didn't think was ready,” said Diubaldo. “Having three distillers means three noses and three palates going into every blend. We never go in without an agreed-upon goal.”
As far as de Kergommeaux is concerned, approaches like this mean innovations will keep coming from B.C. whisky producers.
From Vancouver's Odd Society Spirits finishing a release in arbutus wood barrels to Duncan's Stillhead Distillery's plans to use Garry Oak for barrels in the future, whisky lovers can spend locally with pride.
B.C. DISTILLED FOUNDER HAMER TALKS 2024 EVENT
B.C. Distilled lost its longtime venue in December. Founder Alex Hamer says the scramble to find a replacement was panicked. The event almost didn't happen.
“Fortunately, we were able to find two days at the Italian Cultural Centre that were open,” he said. “Because the space is smaller, we have had to cap the number of distilleries at 30 rather than 39 last year. But that list still includes new distillers and new products,
with absolutely all coming from B.C.”
He says having the cultural centre's well-oiled food service onboard will mean great eats at the main tasting event on Saturday. The popular Distillers Dinner at Forage Restaurant on Robson Street is back for one final year before the site is closed for redevelopment in November. As always, a portion of B.C. Distilled ticket sales will go toward the Pacific
Assistance Dogs Society (PADS), a registered charity that breeds, trains and places fully certified assistance dogs.
As for the trends to watch for in the province's hopping distilling scene, Hamer says it's all about whisky. That's why he is so happy to have de Kergommeaux in town for two tasting events.
“Last year, I said the trend was whisky and it still is,” Hamer said. “A number of B.C. distilleries
did well at the Canadian Whisky Awards this year and we are still seeing the market on a pretty significant upturn. It's still a drop in the bucket compared to big distillers, and it might be forever, but the quality is undeniable.”
In other words, lucky us. Hamer, however, cautions that the outlook isn't all rosy, as climbing costs are hitting the industry as hard as they are everyone else.