Still Waters 2012 Special 1+11

Review by: TOModera

Yet another bottle purchased from the new Still Waters distillery in Vaughn!

Also, sorry for the rough pictures, I’m pretty bad at pictures and trying to get better.

This time we have the 2012 Special 1+11 Blend Canadian Whisky. This is a blend made with other producers, and 10% of it is their new make Rye. It’s called “1+11”, as I remember, because it took 11 tries to get it right. That sounds like they are willing to put in the hard work to make quality stuff, which is a nice sign.

Distillery: Still Waters Distillery.

Bottler: Distillery Bottling

Region: Vaughn, Ontario, The People’s Democratic Republic of Canuckastan

ABV: 40%

Age: Unknown

Cask type: Unknown

Price: $29.65 (CAD)

Color: Light Gold

Nose: Pine, clover, campfire, ginger, caramel, black pepper, nail polish remover

The pine and campfire are really nice. It’s not super smokey like Laphroaig or smooth smoke like Lagavulin, it’s more woody, piney smoke. Like when you were camping and you got blasted with smoke from throwing pine leaves in the fire. Pine isn’t something I usually find in a whisky. And normally I’m not the biggest fan of the alcohol/nail polish smell, however this fits in nicely.

Taste: Lettuce, olive oil, cardamon, hazelnut, caramel, milk chocolate, apple

Wow. The mouth feel changes over time, and the different flavours are nicely balanced. Very complimentary, especially for a blend that includes 10% unaged rye. Was not expecting something so flavourful from a 40% blend either.

Finish: Mushrooms, light maple, toffee, nutmeg, cocoa, chili powder, orange juice

Very Short finish on this one. The maple monster shows up again, which is not unexpected, though it’s somewhat sad. I’m not a hater of maple in whisky as most people, however I was kinda sad it was there. Like I had fooled myself into thinking it wasn’t going to be there. You know, like you fool yourself into thinking the economy is getting better. It’s quite dry (see cocoa flavour), so be ready for that.

Conclusion: I have to give it to Still Waters, for a “first” offering under their own name, this is impressive. Heck, if this was the 11th offering I’d be impressed. This is leaps ahead of your typical Canadian Club or Crown Royal. Not as amazing as Dark Horse, though it’s close. They should try to cut back a little sweetness, however given this comes from other distillers making Canadian whiskey, so that might be like fighting the sea using only your fists. I’m going to be checking out their entire lineup after trying this, as I’m thoroughly interested.

Final Score: 83.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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