BEARFACE 7 Year Triple Oak

It's been a while since I've written a review, and what better way to return than to review something I seldom do: a Canadian whisky. This is a 7-year-old triple oak, comprised of ex-bourbon, French red wine, and virgin Hungarian oak barrels. The last one might be a first for me. Anyway, what we have here is an aged Canadian single grain. Let's investigate. Nose: Predominantly vanilla frosting, toffee, honey, caramel, and butterscotch. Certainly a sweet experience. Toasted almond and walnut. Some fig, date, and assorted grapes. Cranberry. Pear and apricot with a slight lemon zest and some floral notes. Sugar cookie. Cinnamon, brown sugar, and oak. Palate: Heavily featuring caramel and brown sugar. Cranberry, date, fig, and plum. Some jam and slightly tart raspberry. Malt, toffee, vanilla, honey, and butterscotch. Zesty orange citrus. Cereal grain. Almond and walnut. Some dark chocolate and cocoa powder. A bit of rye spice, black pepper, and oak. Maple almond butter. Sugar cookie. There are some youthful, dusty corn and ethanol notes hinting at its relatively young age. But they are concealed behind more dominant flavors. Finish: More of the maple almond butter. Cranberry, fig, date, plum, and strawberry jam. Caramel, butterscotch, and almond butter. Strongly featuring almond and walnut. Cinnamon Apple Jacks. Black pepper, rye spice, cinnamon, and oak. A moderately long finish. This whisky is a pleasant surprise. It's the oldest Canadian whisky I've encountered so far. And it's the most experimental in its cask choices. Not to mention, the distinctive "elemental-aging" process Bearface utilizes. You could liken this to Canadian Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea. Except this was aged in a storage unit somewhere in the Canadian wilderness. Same thing, right? I'm kidding. Overall, a solid whisky. I appreciate the effort put into the experiment, and I'm pleasantly surprised by the product. It's not hard to exceed expectations when I had virtually none, but this will now be on my radar, as well as anything else from Bearface. Good value at $36. Increasing its rating by a quarter star solely for that reason. 3.75/5.

To be clear, I've never been a fan of Canadian whiskey due to negative experiences with budget brands like Canadian Club or Crown, so I approached this with some reservations.. Wow, I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Nose: Upon first smelling, I detected significant toasted oak notes, mingled with caramel and vanilla. There were also hints of dried fruits, cherry, and possibly blackcurrants. After letting it air for 30 minutes, I noticed the wine influence becoming more pronounced, resembling a Cabernet Sauvignon (currants, cherries). Palate: The palate has an oily/creamy texture, coating the inside of your mouth (very pleasing). I detect numerous tannins and currants, similar to my second nosing, balanced by the oak and sweetness. I also sense subtle hints of cinnamon and dark chocolate (am I imagining this?). Finish: A mostly medium-length finish with the same tannins, oaky notes, and now some spices (rye-like). Personally, I didn't find the oak notes to be overwhelming for my palate, but I can see how some individuals might dislike them. I would likely recommend this to a friend when things return to normal. An excellent product for the price ($39 CDN).

Nose: Raspberry flavored cotton candy, powdered sugar, malty chocolate-oak, sweet berries in oatmeal, sweet and chalky corn, sweet roasted nuts, old wood cabinet, caramel, floral honey, molasses, brown sugar, a hint of maple-sugar oatmeal, red grapefruit and blood orange, yeasty bread, plain panettone, dough, wine tannins and blackcurrant, spicy oak, baking spices (cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon), a hint of sweet tea, a trace of star anise, pizza crust in a cardboard box, blackberry jam, green apple, sweet honeyed oak, raisins, baked apple, curing pork and barrel smoke, candle wax, sweet pine forest. Palate: Christmas cake spices, dried fruit (prunes, fresh raisins), black walnut, roasted chestnuts, ripe green apple and pear, bitter green bell pepper and oakiness, dried cranberries, light caramel syrup, sweet toasted oak sugars, mulled cider, peppermint tea, sweet/iced tea. Finish: Chestnuts and black walnut, mint tea with an orange slice, sugar candies, lingering chili pepper, baked apples, sweet red wine grape notes, brown sugar with some aged caramel, dried cranberries and raisins.

A few days after opening the bottle: An surprising aroma of potpourri, then creamy corn, very floral notes, leading to a prominent spicy wood. The alcohol and wood are perhaps a bit too much for me. The oily texture is pleasant, but the flavor profile quickly returns to scented candles, sharp spices, then a vinegary acidity that appears unexpectedly at the end of the palate. In short, for now, it's a unique creature that I find difficult to tame. 3.25/5 A year after opening the bottle: Much better integrated flavor profile! The floral honey is generous and lingers on the palate, with Hungarian oak spices (nutmeg, clove, cardamom) adding complexity to the finish. Very enjoyable all of a sudden. It's amazing what a year of aeration in the bottle has done for it. 3.75/5

7 years 42.5% vol. Bourbon + French wine + Hungarian oak casks Nose: welcoming, sweet, soft. Caramel, sweet corn, maple (bourbon nose). Neither overwhelming nor intense. Taste: sweet, with a licorice consistency, thick, some spiciness pinching your tongue, a light kick. Too sweet for my preference. Finish: mouthful sweetness Very interesting, it's sweet but not in a bourbon kind of way. Excellent for introducing someone new to whiskey, especially if they prefer cocktails. At 42.5% ABV, more spirit is needed for a deeper perception. A great digestive, in my opinion. No sugar needed in an Old Fashioned. Affordable price. Too sweet for my taste, but I'm glad Canada has a cool, modern, and experimental company like Bearface. Sometimes there's no need to reinvent the wheel, but I'm curious to try their other products. I doubt I'll buy it again.

This spirit delivered a pleasant surprise! I suggest letting your drink rest for approximately 15 minutes before smelling and sipping. The longer it sits, the more gratifying it becomes. Each distinct quality from the three barrels used in aging will emerge - corn from the former bourbon barrel (significantly influenced by the primary grain), tannins from the former wine barrel, and spice from the virgin Hungarian Oak. This offers excellent value for a distinctive, evolving experience - a significant advancement for Canadian spirits! NOSE: Sweet corn, oak, barley, caramel, baked apples, vanilla PALATE: Sweet corn, caramel, tannins, dry red wine, black peppercorn FINISH: Tannins, dry red wine, ground black pepper, oak Rating: 84/100 Grade: B Good - not a "must", but a nice-to-have.