Two Brewers Release 30
Official Bottling| 46% ABV
Peated Whisky From The Land Of The Midnight Sun
Malted barley whisky isn’t new to Canada, but the idea of a distillery that produces and bottles single malt whisky made from 100% malted barley is fairly novel in the country. The traditional Canadian modus operandi would have whisky made from barley malt earmarked as a flavouring component for blends – its essence being combined with light corn whisky and perhaps some rye or wheat whiskies as part of a recipe in an attempt to approximate a blender’s desired flavour profile.
On paper, these three and four-grain blends should be similar to mixed-mashbill American whiskey. The Canadian blends use all the same ingredients, but choose to combine them at the blending stage rather than the mashing stage. I can assuredly report the result is nowhere near the same – the individual grains seem to preserve more of their identity when mashed, fermented, distilled, and aged separately… a blending experiment for another time.
Within the Canadian whisky blending tradition, the concept of releasing a single malt is but a fledgling thought in the brains of most distilling producers. The current shifting whisky landscape has reprioritised things a bit, and for those that don’t have a pre-existing brand identity to protect, single malts are proving to be a way to stand out as a quality distillery among a sea of beige blends usually reserved for mixing. There are now a few new (in whisky terms at least) Canadian distilleries exclusively producing single malts, with stocks approaching what could be called well-aged.
So, I find myself back at a question I’ve been asking to no one in particular: Why do all connoisseur paths eventually lead back to single malt? The best I can tell is because barley malt whisky captures a certain soul in a way other varieties cannot. When I open a bottle of single malt whisky, a new relationship is begun – one that can last anywhere from a month or two to more than a year from the first cork extraction until the last drops of liquid exit the bottle. The relationship is slowly revealed with time. Some start with a bang and go flat near the end, others the opposite. The best ones pique interest at the start and then continue to evolve in ever pleasant ways in a dialogue that reveals nuances as time with air in glass works its influence. For now I’ll go with that.
In the subarctic climate of Whitehorse, average summertime temperatures are close to those in Glasgow for a couple of short months. That is where the similarities end. This place is not Scotland. Balmy summer weather is fairly short-lived in Yukon and in the autumn the mercury plummets quickly, failing to transcend the freezing mark during the darker six months of the year. In this remote location and extreme climate, Two Brewers’ Bob Baxter and Alan Hansen started brewing beer, and still do, as Yukon Brewing. In 2009 distilling was made legal in the territory, and they decided to start boiling some of their beer.
Baxter says they approach their whisky mashes in the same way as beer mashes and use a variety of barley malt types normally associated with beer production. They have also used malted rye and malted wheat but never unmalted cereals, going against the grain (sorry) of the way most Canadian whisky is made. The general philosophy is not unlike some of the more recent efforts to highlight terroir in barley at some single malt distilleries. If you can use different malt types to create different beers, surely the same applies to whisky. Terroir experiments and other initiatives have taught us that in whisky the ingredients used are important and impact the final product.
Besides having readily available fermented beer for distilling, running a successful brewery proved to have other advantages for whisky production. Already having an income stream from beer sales allowed the team at Two Brewers to hold off releasing their whisky for the extra years they felt it required to achieve a mature product. It’s clear that quality is number one at this small distillery.
Two Brewers whisky is bottled in sequentially numbered small batches usually without an age statement as they prefer to blend whiskies of different ages. This release from the peated range is made from all malted barley, with a good portion being peated malt sourced from Bairds Malt in Scotland. The composition of this release is:
43% peated malt distilled in 2011,
35% partially (¼) peated malt distilled in 2012
22% a blend of sour mashes distilled in 2011
The sour mashes are created just like beer where lactic acid bacteria is introduced prior to fermentation. According to Baxter, the sour mashed whisky brings sharp and herbal tones to the distilled spirit. The 100% peated and sour mash whiskies were aged for 10 years in first-fill bourbon barrels, while the partially peated malt started in bourbon barrels for two years before being re-racked into refill barrels (previously charred virgin oak that held another peated whisky for 12 months). To avoid any potential problems associated with not-uncommon temperatures of -40°C or lower, the oak residence time of the whisky is spent in the brewery, which is consistently heated to 15°C.
It’s refreshing to have lots of detailed information about what’s in the bottle. That is fundamentally all we ask for as enthusiasts. We know where we stand on chill filtration, colouring, age statements and cask types, but most of these issues fade into the background when the whisky makers specifically and clearly tell us what they have created and how. Two Brewers is very open in communication about their philosophy and methods, which arouses my interest to taste the final product.
Review
Two Brewers Peated Series Release 30, 964 bottles filled January 2022, 46% ABV, non-chill filtered, no added colour
CA$100
Nose
The initial impression is a nicely integrated, moderate level of peat. There’s also a pleasant watery minerality to it. Relaxed but self-assured, like an athlete who’s found their flow state. Fresh, herbaceous moss and stone fruit – red plums, and Big Red chewing gum. With water, wafts of oaky California chardonnay and clean notes of fine gravel and wet limestone appear.
Palate
Earthy, damp, mossy peat, with no Islay iodine or chemical notes. The peat again feels expertly woven into the fabric of this whisky. Chewy burnt marshmallow, ash, banana, piña colada, almond oil, and nail polish with a hint of lemon. Near the end of one of my sessions I over-watered and drowned it a bit, but a few minutes later the whisky came fighting back, reasserting itself with juicy sweet peaches and pineapple. Fantastic.
The Dregs
What a time to be able to taste a Canadian whisky modelled after a Scotch single malt, but with its own style and unique peat characteristic. It has a casual drinkability while still commanding attention and not fading into the background. This whisky is a drinker, evidenced by my bottle disappearing at an alarming rate without much effort.
Exciting times ahead for Canadian whisky as single malt stocks from small distillers like Two Brewers are reaching mature ages and we soon might be able to get a glimpse of whiskies aged into the mid-teens. As I write this, I’m sitting and having a final taste alongside my last remaining pour of release 23 and getting a handle on the house style, which can only be described as juicy tropical fruit – interesting for a whisky made in such a cold climate. Alongside other small distilleries which also bring their own unique style, let's hope this Canadian single malt mini-wave can entice more distilleries to bottle some tasty barley spirit as single malt.
Dallas Mhor’s Review
Nose
Delicate smoke, a little moss and coastal vibe. Some grapefruit, milk bottles (that’s the sweetie and not the glass vessel), elements of dried fruit and decayed cinnamon. Soft pears, lemon drops, apples and a chalkiness from an outer layer of a sugar mint confectionery.
Palate
Subtle, what strikes me is the peat is more delicate here, whereas in Scotland we’d be demanding both barrels. A touch of bacon, toffee, light brown sugar and an earthy peat. Banana? Black peppercorns and a lingering smoke on the finish. Not rich or layered, but pleasant and promising.
The Dregs
I’ve always enjoyed experiencing what other countries do with peat. The Scandinavians like it full on, others treat it more like seasoning or the foundation of the whisky. This Canadian example is well integrated and balanced. As a result, it isn’t overpowering the experience or even the focus of the experience. There’s much more going on. In fact, calling it peated is probably turning off many who would actually enjoy this, as it’s more than just peat.
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. AM