Signal Hill Canadian Whisky

There's something wonderful about the blur of days between Christmas and New Years. Time is yours to do as you see fit and calories don't count. Right? I've heard some buzz around Canadian distillery Signal Hill so I had to pick up a bottle of their whisky. They designed an attractive heavy-bottomed bottle with a matte, raised glass logo. The nose has an initial puff of ethanol that morphs quickly to citrus and settles into maple sugar. Later, the nose has a deep rum-like maturity with fruit, cola and nutmeg. This is a moderately viscous whisky: not watery but not syrup. Though it has a speckling of heat, it's quite smooth. This whisky is tangy, sweet and oaky, likely influenced by their three barrel types (Canadian whisky, New white oak and bourbon). I find that this has a bitter aftertaste, almost like orange rind. I enjoyed the nose and mouthfeel most and I'd like to see what Signal Hill does with future releases. This whisky improved with time post-pour and grew on me through the tasting. I'd imagine this whisky adding pleasant citrus depth to a Manhattan and being enjoyable over ice, too. 7.25/10

Nose (undiluted): a touch solventy at first, then rich caramel and cream aromas, reminiscent of Werther's Original hard candies, toasted oak, cola, and a bit of rye spice in the background, although there’s actually no rye grain here. It’s 95% corn and 5% barley. Palate (undiluted): rich arrival, surprisingly mouth-coating for something bottled at 40% abv, floral honey, figs, orange zest, a touch of cinnamon. Finish: medium length, more honey, rye spice, flat cola, ending on a slightly bitter (but still pleasing) orange zest note. Adding water emphasizes the slight bitter note on the finish. But this is not an "off" vodka-esque note nor is it an acetone or spirity bitterness. It's akin to adding a dash of orange bitters to your whisky. I think this would make Signal Hill ideal in a Manhattan or even a whisky sour. The whisky is well-balanced and is perfect on its own as a digestif. 81/100

COLOUR: Dark bronze; or well-aged brass; slightly hazy. LEGS: Very fine clothesline; thick blobs gathered quickly; then giant oily drops moved down the glass quite quickly. NOSE: Delicate-Moderate (2/5); sweet corn & rich barley; vanilla, caramel, toffee; slight hints of citrus (maybe imaginary); wood oak. Quite nice for a Canadian; no off-putting acetone. Score 8/10 TASTE: Thick, rich & mouth-coating; moderate intensity (3/5); very sweet and reminiscent of rum; vanilla, caramel & lots of maple syrup; tropical fruits & dark berries; cinnamon nip on the edges. Score 9/10 FINISH: Medium; sweetness lingers; nice and juicy; happy memories. Score 8/10 OVERALL: A very nice, corn-heavy sweet dram; delicious. Weighted Score 8.6/10 IMAGERY: Drinking rum atop Signal Hill in Newfoundland, watching the whales and pirate ships going by.

This is a typical Canadian whisky profile but done well. The nose is brown sugar, maple syrup and a bit of oak or light spice. Maybe a little bit of orange zest, but just faint. The palate is very sweet. Sugar sweetness. This reminds me of Pike Creek a lot which is rum finished. It does have some nice coating notes, which can come across like butter or cooking oil. A bit of pepper or spice comes through on the palate and early finish. The finish is more sugar sweetness and a bit of bitter oak. I think this would satisfy many Canadian whisky drinkers, but for me, it's just too sweet.

I try not to read the flavour profile until after I've put together my thoughts, but I definitely agree with it being spicy. I needed to taste it with an ice cube and a splash of water to tone it down enough to get at the flavours. Sweetness for sure, and oak, but I don't get vanilla from it. There is a darker "rummy" component that I think comes from the bourbon barrels. It would probably work well in mixed drinks where you want the whiskey to deliver a lot of the "punch" in the final taste.

Vanilla, butterscotch, pecan, nutmeg, and cinnamon on the nose. Silky, oily mouthfeel. On the palate, more butterscotch, vanilla, nutmeg, and pecan; hints of orange rind and honey on the finish. Finishes very, very smooth, with medium length. 3.25/5.00 – Quite Good (neat)