September Spirits

BY TOM FIRTH AND LINDA GARSON S eptember is such a wonderful month, in many ways it’s a return to normalcy – with back to school for many, the last days of vacations, and perhaps more time indoors on the horizon. Naturally, we hope many more days of warm weather are still to come as we coax the last out of our gardens and outdoor excursions before a toque is part of our attire. This month, we’ve selected a few spirits suited to both sunny afternoons and chilly evenings – we leave it to you to decide which is which.

Grace O’Malley Blended Irish Whiskey, Ireland

Well, here’s something different – and super delicious! Grace O’Malley Blended Whiskey is unique in Ireland as it’s a blend of triple- and double-distilled malt whiskey aged in ex-rum barrels, and grain whiskey aged in ex-bourbon casks, with some aged in French oak too – but with a malt content of 46 percent. And you’ll know it when you sip and taste milk chocolate covered caramels with sweet vanilla and dried stone fruits – whoa, this is a lovely sipper. CSPC +848764 $54-57

Hartfield & Co Wheated Bourbon Kentucky, USA

How crazy is it that Hartfield & Co. is the first licensed distillery in Bourbon County since prohibition in 1919, and still the only one - a craft, a small-batch, craft distillery using local ingredients. Made from corn with malted wheat, this whiskey has one heck of a nose – sweet, smoky, apricot… and a smooth, sweet and fruity palate with a little cigar. At 50 percent ABV, it opens up with a splash of water to reveal a sweet vanilla flavour. CSPC +825475 $90-97

Havana Club Cuban Smoky, Cuba

It is about bloody time. Why haven’t we seen rich, island rum being partially aged in smoky, peaty Scotch whisky casks before? A natural match - the warming, caramel flavours of the rum with robust smoky, iodine and saline characters, and a very smooth and very balanced palate that marries the spirit and the cask well. Excellent neat or in simple mixed drinks, but Havana Club Cuban Smoky has the versatility to really elevate creative cocktails too. CSPC +836405 $47-49

Grace O’Malley Irish Gin, Ireland

From Westport, on Ireland’s west coast, this heather-infused gin is dedicated to local legend, Grace O’Malley – the infamous pirate queen born into Irish nobility in 1530. Close your eyes and take a deep breath, and you’re smelling that fresh, rain-washed, purple heather that covers much of County Mayo. You may taste other local botanicals: wild thyme, red clover, bilberry, and the salty rock samphire too. Enjoy it neat – like I did. CSPC +848766 $50-53

Romeo’s Gin X, Canada

Romeo’s Gin X. stands out in an already crowded field of craft gins. Flavoured with watermelon and a touch of sweetness, it’s refreshingly not too gin-forward but shows off a wide range of botanicals and flavours, which evoke a bit of the Hubba Bubba rather than freshly cut melon. Should prove versatile in cocktails that need a softer expression of the spirit. CSPC +835317 $32-35

Kentucky Spirits Limited Rye Whiskey Barrel #2, USA

Kentucky Spirits Limited only release single barrel whiskeys at barrel strength; their shtick is honesty and transparency, and the label says it all. Their second barrel rye whiskey was filled March 2015, and bottled nearly six years later. Made from 90 percent rye with 10 percent malted rye, it’s uncut and unfiltered, and at 55 percent ABV, it’s a complex, spicy tipple with a chocolate orange nose, and full of treacle, cocoa, and fruit cake flavours. You’ll want a splash of water to fully appreciate it. CSPC +846192 Around $82