Fermentorium Distilling Co. Small Talk
41% ABV - British Columbia, Canada
Nose: Upfront there are sweet grain and cereal notes, with light fruits, spices, honey, and a white wine aspect to it.
Taste: Light fruits with strong spices leading into apple and cinnamon. Orchard fruits start to emerge but are fading too quickly to distinguish. Slightly creamy mouthfeel.
Finish: The fruits and sweetness fade with mixed spices on the tongue. Short to medium length; slightly drying.
This is the first whisky release from Fermentorium Distilling – brought to you by the same Phillips Brewing group. They are a new player in town from Victoria, B.C. on Vancouver Island. The whisky scene is budding in this part of Canada and it’s really exciting to be able to reap the benefits – more choices! Stump Gin was Fermentorium’s first product coming off the British- and German-made stills, and it’s great to see that they put some distillate away to rest in barrels for a few years. I’m looking forward to seeing more age and more experimentation from this group. As an aside, their beer is in my Top 5 for all of B.C.!
The Small Talk whisky shows characteristics of being quite young: it’s fairly heavy on the grain or cereal notes, and it’s difficult to tease out specific fruits from the sweetness – which is also strong. However, I must add that there is minimal astringency or harsh alcohol wafting out of the glass. It’s quite pleasant to nose and drink neat at 41% ABV.
While not advertised on the label, this limited release blends whisky that has been matured in ex-Pinot Noir barrels with whisky aged in ex-Bourbon barrels – the latter being "soaked" with one of Phillips’ beers before filling.
Tasting Notes (Official): Aroma: Caramel, vanilla and honey from seasoned French and American oak blend with coconut, dried fig, spice and a floral touch of hops from a barrel filled with beer to prime it for whisky aging. Taste: Sweet oak stretches out from a mild tannic backbone. Mouthfeel: An oily alcohol coating is truncated by refreshing dryness, leaving behind a tingling oak resin.
Tasted 02 February 2020. (Posted 09 February 2020.)
