Bearface

Launched in November 2018 but only hitting the UK shores in mid-2023, Bearface Triple Oak is a Canadian whisky that aims to break through an often-dismissed category. Canadian whiskies are more often regarded as pretty average spirits that are only good for mixing, but in all honesty there are some belters oot there that seem to struggle to get recognition. The Canadian whisky industry is one of the least regulated too, which doesn't help matters in terms of reputation, but it does also allow producers to really play around with production methods - as is the case here.

A mashbill of 99.5% corn and 0.5% barley is aged in American oak ex-Bourbon casks at an undeclared distillery in Ontario (more likely one in Toronto) before being given to Andres Faustinelli, master blender for Bearface. He uses this base whisky as a blank canvas to work with, transferring it into French oak barrels that previously held Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc wines at the Mission Hill Winery in British Columbia. But instead of bringing the wine casks to him, the whisky itself travels over 2000 miles to Mission Hill itself. Why? So the team can engage in something they call 'Elemental Aging'. What the hell does THAT mean, I hear you ask? Well, the barrels are locked in repurposed shipping containers out in the forests of BC, enduring the extreme temperature fluctuations of the region - from -10 at night to +30 during the day. There is also a final finishing period with virgin barrels made from Hungarian oak that have been air-dried for three years - this type of oak tends to offer considerably spicy notes to whatever is within. And to top it all off, the final spirit is put in a cool-as-hell bottle that looks like it's been slashed by a bear!

This seems like a LOT of work for any whisky, not just one from Canada, but I have to say it is absolutely worth it. Amazingly it's actually possible to detect the three seperate types of maturation in the order that they happen: the corn and ex-Bourbon casks offers a sweet notes to start with, before the wine element comes through to provide red berry with a hint of tannin, finally ending on a spicy note of rye and dried chili flakes.

This is a superb whisky, and I'm so glad it's a Canadian whisky that can show just how good this country can be at whisky production. The breadth of flavours is so impressive - it drinks well, but also works wonderfully in a Manhattan or Boulevardier thanks to that subtle red wine element. C'est magnifique!