Two Brewers Release 20 Innovative Maple Syrup Finish
40% ABV - Yukon Territory, Canada
Nose: As this was resting in the glass, the sweet grains and roasted malt aromas just filled my space! When I go searching there is some banana peel (I’m thinking like a Jack Daniels-esque influence to it), spices, and lemon citrus.
Taste: The maple syrup really comes through here on the palate, with an assortment of ripe fruits, a strong nod back to the malt forward flavour, with lesser amounts of brown sugar, wood spice, and molasses.
Finish: It finishes off just encapsulated in maple candy, with spices, citrus, wood, cinnamon, and roasted nuts. Sweetness for days.
It took me a long, long time to review this—I opened it soon after purchase, and overall it tastes great, but I think that I put off this detailed review because the maple influence is so overwhelming that I thought that this would end up being a lacklustre review!
Now that I have had a few sessions since then where I have sat down and really focused on the flavour, it turns out the maple isn’t that overpowering and there are a number of nuances within it that add up to a smashing dram. This isn’t an everyday drinker, but it is perfect as an aperitif every now and then.
Two Brewers Release 20 sure is Innovative having been finished in barrels that previously held maple syrup. Odd Society released a Maple Whisky (not to be confused with the newer release, Maple Smoked) that shared a similar aging history and it would be sweet (pun intended) to side-by-side them together. Because I enjoyed that Odd Society release so much, it was a "no think" decision to pick up this bottle of Two Brewers. Maybe it’s one of the more Canadian things about me, but I guess that I love me a whisky with a hit (not just a hint) of maple syrup!
Details: Bottle 578 of 1055. Release No. 20, April 2020. "Finished in maple syrup barrels, this whisky is a sugar and spice, and many things nice. The maple teases the edges of this S’morish treat."
Tasting Notes (Official): Burnt sugar and baking spices, rich with oak, seek release from the glass. The velvety body is coating with heavy sugars and syrup on the tongue, toasted graham and cinnamon flickering just above. The maple barrels’ influence becomes clearly evident in the bright, long-lasting finish.
Tasted 03, 07 March 2021. (Posted 10 June 2021.)
