Proof Positive: Let the (drinking) games begin!

With the DyscultureD 100th episode coming up this Wednesday (and the impending drinking game) our main participants have locked and loaded with their choices.

Behind door number one, Mike Vardy models the latest in Alberta Premium (someone tell him he’s from BC).

Canadianwhisky.org describes Alberta Premium as:

Nose: A powerful whiff of wood then a wealth of sweet rye spices dissolve slowly into dark fruits. The aroma begins to dry out before it suddenly sparkles with bursts of ginger. An appealing fresh-cut lumber, rich in cedar and oak, forms a backbone that supports everything else.

Palate: Vanilla toffee, then loads of wood: Canadian wood, not the harsh tannic oak of first-use barrels, but fresh and aromatic like a lumberyard. Some slightly drying tannins do sneak in after a few minutes, though. Fragrant red cedar is underscored by hot pepper and sweet rye spices. A refreshing limey zest develops quickly. The peppery spices are warm, mingling neatly with a touch of ripe fruit. It’s zesty, but it’s also creamy and has decent weight.

Behind door number two, Andrew Currie shows that everything fun comes back again… even if it’s Swedish (someone tell him Nokia is in Finland).

Drinksmixer.com pimps out Absolut as:

Produced in Sweden and distilled from winter wheat, Absolut has a smooth and malty consistancy – with a subtle hint of dried fruit.

And finally, behind door number three, Anthony hypes Forty Creek Canadian Whiskey by Grimsby’s Kittling Ridge Distillery (someone ask him what a Grimsby is.)

Canadianwhisky.org drops some whisky science saying:

Nose: The very expressive nose begins with rich caramel, fruity sherried notes, and dusty rye. It smells almost like creamy corn whisky as the rye is quite mild at first. Some typical sour rye notes that remind you of pickles or sweet-and-sour sauce are followed by something floral. Again, this is typical of rye whisky, but the rye Christmas spices are very faint indeed. Finally, some citrus notes surface—orange peel this time, then lots of ripe fruit— sweet, over-ripe plums, juicy, rich Vancouver-Island blackberries and tartish black currants. Very fruity.

Palate: A first impression of sweet fruits and creamy toffee turns into an ever-changing menu of rye spices and pepper. Sweet-and-sour notes meld into the vaguest tangy, zesty bitterness in the middle. Zesty bitterness is not only one of the many great things about Canadian whisky, it helps define its signature taste. This is the element of the Canadian whisky profile that keeps the palate fresh and responsive. Though it tastes and feels a lot like corn whisky, the rye keeps poking its head in with spices, pepper, bushel-baskets of ripe red fruits, dry grain, a slight earthiness, and freshwater plants. There are hints of sweet cream sherry, then burnt sugar, more toffee, and then increasingly peppery spices with more cinnamon/ginger notes. Lots of lingering heat hovers over a sweet foundation.

Finish: Medium, sweet, peppery, and fading. Although it seems medium in length, it never totally goes away despite the underlying citric zest. Rather, it lingers over cinnamon, ginger, and white pepper, with hints of dusty rye.

So there you have it. Shotcasting this Wednesday night on episode 100 of DyscultureD… needless to say the podcast won’t be uploaded until Thursday.