Play the Role of the Master Blender

Canada NewsWire

TORONTO, Oct. 20, 2021

J.P. Wiser's kit allows you to blend your own whisky at home

TORONTO, Oct. 20, 2021 /CNW/ - At the J.P. Wiser's Brand Centre, the Whisky Blending 101 class with Master Blender Dr. Don Livermore is a hit.

It always attracts a crowd, and one of the most common questions heard during each class is how people can re-create the experience in their homes. Now they can. J.P. Wiser's is introducing a Blend Your Own Whisky kit this holiday season, a unique idea that gives whisky lovers the chance to play the role of the Master Blender.

"Our whisky blending kit really gets to the DNA of Canadian whisky," says Dr. Don. "What makes Canadian whisky unique is the blending. In Canada, each grain is distilled separately, and then brought together in a recipe in the end."

The kit available this holiday season emphasizes barrel quality, with different mini bottles presenting a different barrel quality — particularly spicy, smoky and wine. This kit includes five 200mL bottles of different whiskies to blend and create their own whisky to enjoy at home:

Five-year-old double distilled — A light, smooth whisky with dried fruits, English toffee, caramel and vanilla on the nose, and toasted grain, rich toffee, vanilla and subtle pepper on the palate. Its body is rounded and smooth, with a finish that is velvety and sweet.
Single column distilled whisky — A bold whisky with a lingering spice finish. It has rye bread, dried berries and cherry on the nose, and a palate that is grainy with hints of green apple and pepper.
Double distilled wine barrel whisky — Smooth and silky, this whisky has a nose of white plum, rich wood and hazelnut and displays dark ripe fruit, roasted nuts and cinnamon on the palate. The finish is lingering warmth.
Double distilled smoky whisky — With hints of fresh cut wood, cinnamon, clove and roasted nuts on the palate, this sample is a rich and complex whisky. The finish is black tea, with walnut, clove, leather and pipe tobacco on the nose.
Double distilled spice whisky — A rich, medium-bodied whisky with a finish of dried herbs and spices. The nose offers vanilla, oregano, sage and subtle coffee, with sweet toffee, dried fruit, ginger and sour dough bread on the palate.

The kit also includes an empty 375mL bottle to fill with your own concoction, a graduated cylinder and pipette and Dr. Don's Master Blending Guide — and he recommends blending to match the occasion you are marking.

"Whisky is all about the occasion, and the type of occasion should determine the type of whisky you will enjoy," says Dr. Don. "If it is after dinner, you want a smooth sipping whisky you can enjoy neat, perhaps one that was aged in a wine barrel. A gathering or party may call for a rye in a cocktail like an Old Fashioned or mixed with cola or ginger ale."

If you are in a cocktail occasion, blend a whisky with a little more rye content. If you want something smoother, use the whisky from the wine barrel or the five-year-old. If you like it distilled and chilled, you want something from barrels that give it a little more spice.

For his own preferences, Dr. Don looks for balance in his whisky.

"The ingredients are almost all equal," he says. "I like a whisky that when you drink it, you go through a story. You want sweetness up front; the intensity level is steady, and then down. You want to appreciate the flavour experience equally all the way through. Some whiskies have bite at front or burning sensation at the end; I'm shooting for balance."

The blending kit pairs perfectly with two books being released by Dr. Don this season — the first two volumes of The Canadian Whisky Master Class. The Keeper of History recounts the inside story of the Hiram Walker and Sons distillery, one of Canada's oldest and largest whisky distilleries, and Blending 101 helps consumes better understand the distinctive characteristics of Canadian whisky

The J.P. Wiser's Blend Your Own Whisky kit will be available online and at LCBO outlets across Ontario by early November and in BCLS stores in British Columbia by November 13^th.

About Corby Spirit and Wine
Corby Spirit and Wine Limited is a leading Canadian manufacturer, marketer and distributor of spirits and wines. Corby's portfolio of owned-brands includes some of the most renowned brands in Canada, including J.P. Wiser's®, Lot 40®, and Pike Creek® Canadian whiskies, Lamb's® rum, Polar Ice® vodka, McGuinness® liqueurs, Ungava® gin, Cabot Trail® maple-based liqueurs and Chic Choc® Spiced rum, and Foreign Affair® wines. Through its affiliation with Pernod Ricard S.A., a global leader in the spirits and wine industry, Corby also represents leading international brands such as ABSOLUT® vodka, Chivas Regal®, The Glenlivet® and Ballantine's® Scotch whiskies, Jameson® Irish whiskey, Beefeater® gin, Malibu® rum, Kahlúa® liqueur, Mumm® champagne, and Jacob's Creek®, Wyndham Estate®, Stoneleigh®, Campo Viejo®, and Kenwood® wines. Corby is a publicly traded company based in Toronto, Ontario, and listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbols CSW.A and CSW.B. For further information, please visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter.