Distiller: Bear Face
Product: Elementally Aged
Bottle: Triple Oak
Category: Canadian
Aged: 7 years in ex-bourbon American oak barrels, then finished in French oak red wine casks and air-dried virgin Hungarian oak.
Nose: Thick with caramel, butterscotch, and call me crazy but is that maple syrup?
Body: Buttery creme brulee with candied walnuts and pecans. Traces of campfire smoke and rum-like molasses.
Finish: Faint pine nuts and a mild biscuit.
Activation: Unnecessary.
Notes: For a long time I’ve considered the cheap Canadian whisky market to be good for fighting off the bitterly cold north winds and not a whole lot more. Couple that with a scammy sounding “Elementally Aged!” proclamation and suffice it to say that my expectations weren’t high for Bear Face Triple Oak. But let me immediately say this is a damn good whisky. It’s rich, full bodied, and complex. Seven years is a fair amount of time, and their silly name just means that it has been living in a metal shipping container in Canada and therefore exposed to extreme temperature swings, which serve to speed up the aging process. Factor in the low price and this is a fantastic hidden gem.
Thanks for the review! I’d be tempted to buy this for the brilliant packaging alone.
Is this community interested in review posts? The Bear Face Triple Oak recently blew me away, especially at the ~$35 price point.