Sons of Vancouver Palm Trees & A Tropical Breeze

Sons of Vancouver distillery is a small distillery in Vancouver - which recently started to release some whisky, starting last year. They just took home the whisky of the year award at the Canadian Whisky Awards, the first craft/artisinal/micro distiller to do so. It was my 12th favourite whisky in the awards.

Every micro-distillery has a challenge managing cash flow while waiting for the aged spirits (like whisky) to come of age. While many distilleries put a concerted effort on gin or other white spirits, Sons of Vancouver went a different route. Why try to be THE gin or vodka distillery when there are so many different options of products to make? In their words: “we aren’t just another ‘gin distillery’ and we hope people will remember us for that.” They pushed forward into making amaretto (and a very good one, especially the barrel aged ones) to get initial cash flow.

This whisky, "Palm Trees and a Tropical Breeze" is a 100% rye whisky, aged in used american oak, then transferred into bourbon barrels, and then finished in Virgin Islands rum casks. It is bottled at 53.5%.

The whisky is oaky, rich, spicy, and with a good mix of fruit too. It’s a barrage of flavour. Vanilla, steel cut oatmeal, clove, caramel, and some really beautiful oak. It has a really nice creamy, caramel core that really integrates all the other notes. I don’t get a lot of rum, personally on the nose – mainly towards the end of the finish. Some really nice fruity notes, too, with almond, clove, dried fruit, and vanilla. A nice touch of molasses and bright tropical fruits on the end of the palate (here’s our rum!). The finish is dense, slightly sweet, fruity, and dry.

To my palate, their best whisky to date (I rated "cigarettes on a leather jacket" an 85, and "mashmallows over a campfire" an 82). Their first three releases have all been interesting and I expect there are more good things to come.