Cirka 93/07 – December 2019
#472 out of 850 bottles
46%
3 1/2 years
Aged for 3y in new American oak casks then finished for about 6m in European oak 30yo ex-Sherry casks
93% Yamachiche rye from Quebec and 7% chocolate malted rye from germany
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Cirka Distillery was one of the first distilleries to reestablish distillation on the Island of Montreal. When founder Paul Cirka tasted a Caol Ila 12 in a pub in London for the first time, he just knew he had to make his own whisky at some point.
He went back to Montreal, where there used to be a rich history of distillation, and created Cirka Distillery. Altough whisky was put into some barrels, as with a lot of new distilleries these days, revenues couldn’t wait. So the went along and produced an absolute beauty of a gin and a phenomenal vodka.
And now, the time has come for some real juice ! December 2019 saw the first whisky, a very limited Rye. Spring 2020 should see a 100% corn edition, and then off to a single malt !
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Nose : cinnamon candies (like the little hearts on Valentine’s Day), gingerbread, cardamom. After having tasted it, a small leather scent is there.
Palate : a beautiful, fairly firm and round body, surprising enough for a 46% – 3-year-old whisky. Immediately, we have the same flavors as on the nose, adding ginger. On the other hand, it is much more nuanced, and we are entitled to beautiful flavors from Sherry: 72% dark chocolate, tobacco, figs.
Finish : warm, languid, firm. The flavors of Sherry stay long while those of rye quickly fade.
Comments : ok. Wow. But really wow. It’s complex, it’s greedy, it’s excellent! I had tasted excellent “young” whiskies at 8 years old, but then Mr. Paul Cirka and his team came in strong with a 3yo! We can see that all the work of distillation, aging and blending is mastered!
I can only rejoice at the next arrival in spring 2020 (probably 100% corn) and the single malt on which Cirka is working!