Liberty Trust Single Cask Madeira
42% ABV - British Columbia, Canada
Nose: Dark malt or toasted grains, raisins, chocolate, and floral notes kick this one off. In the background there is a honeyed sweetness and citrus touch. It’s a delicate nose with a variety of flavours.
Taste: Wood spices and dark fruit sweetness meet you at the arrival, with butterscotch, more raisins, and baking spices—including cinnamon—into the development.
Finish: Ending with rum raisin sweetness—think fruitcake—and more spices. The finish is slightly drying and fruits outlast the other notes.
The Liberty Distillery is located on Granville Island in Vancouver, BC. Their first whiskey product, which are all bottled under the Trust label, was in 2016, but we can imagine that the distilling and experimenting started many years before that - Liberty opened its doors in 2010. Their whiskey is also triple-distilled; this practice is common for Irish producers. And, if you haven’t caught on by now, despite being a Canadian distiller, Liberty prefers to add the "e" in whiskey.
I have only tasted their standard whiskey release, the Single Grain, and Railspur No. 3 Switch, a spirit aged for just under one year. I haven’t attended many tastings where Liberty Distillery was present and it can be hard to come by on local bar menus. I was enticed by the exclusivity and unique flavour expression that a single cask can offer, so that was my logic for purchasing this one… Generally speaking, most of my drams are filled with scotch whisky and, to a much lesser degree, bourbons. I recognize that I am living in a budding whisky scene, so I have been trying to keep up with sampling local releases and occasionally selecting one to bring home in order to develop a better familiarity with the style, and to share!
The Madeira Single Cask aged for three years entirely in ex-Madeira casks (220L). Full maturation in these fortified wine casks have imparted a significant amount of dark fruits, chocolate, and spices. I think that these flavours are a little too bold for me, and I see myself conducting some cocktail experiments in the future… While their website states the Madeira Single Cask, and a Burgundy Single Cask, are sold out, there are a few locations where I’ve still seen them available for purchase. However, even if you can’t find the single casks, I still recommend trying one or two Liberty Distillery whiskies!
Note: I have since tasted two more core expressions from Liberty Distillery after writing this review: Canadian Rye and Southern. While this Madeira Single Cask remains my favourite of the lot, I would be most inclined to pick up a bottle of the Southern next—there is 93% Corn and 7% Rye in that blend!
Tasting Notes (Official): On the nose, TRUST Single Cask shows lemon drop, Christmas cake and spice with a hint of vanilla. The palate is full-bodied with a base of warm barley grain, almond, and a whisper of white chocolate. At 42% alc./vol. the finish has a robust concentration that is super smooth and lingers on.
Tasted 6 October 2019. (Posted 14 October 2019.)
