First of all, Two Brewers is out of the Yukon in Canada, so that’s already really cool.
These guys are first and foremost beer makers (Yukon Brewing), so their appreciation of malts is certainly already refined. With this Batch 30, they sourced a significant portion of their malt from Scotland, giving it its peated accent. They also include a sour mash malt giving it another layer of complexity.
This is a really small release — I have bottle 309 of 964 — of single malt whisky that includes peat malted barley and some sour mash to make a really unique pile of flavours that doesn’t disappoint. The result is a playful and pleasing whisky enjoyable to Scotch enthusiasts as well as bourbon and Irish whiskey connoisseurs.
The Details
This one clocks in at 46% so it’s got a punch. It opens up with a drop of water and will even weather a cube.
It comes out of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.
It’s a single malt that is non-chill filtered and naturally coloured.
It’s finished in a “mix of barrels” which I would say are likely ex-bourbon, young barrels which lend the whisky its vanilla tones.
The Two Brewers approach is truly small batch which means once Batch 30 is gone, you’re never getting Batch 30 again. Enjoy one of the 964 bottles while they last.
The Review
This whisky clings to the glass with rich legs. It has an inviting amber colour like candles in a window on a cold winter day.
The nose comes in fruity with a light hint of cloves, like a sweet country ham. Makes me want to slather it with mustard pickles.
It’s incredibly sweet and a drop of water opens it up to clover honey, far-off mango, and herbal notes of tarragon and pineapple sage. You will not believe that you are drinking a whisky from a latitude 60 degrees north. Until… you’re awakened to the campfire-golden marshmallow goodness that follows as part two of your experience. Now, all you’ll want is a sing-along.
In the end, though you are not punched in the face with the peat, it will certainly stay with you long after your sip, lightly on your palette, like the embers in a cabin fireplace, gently warming. Very pleasing, indeed.
Definitely pair this one with some blue cheese, mild deer pepperoni, and cranberries or dates.
Overall, you’ll want another sip of this one. Batch 30 is a delicious dram and The Scotch Guys highly recommend this whisky.
The Final Word
Buy this whisky while it’s still available! It goes for just over $100 CAD and, given it’s limited availability and 46% strength, it’s really worth every penny. If you can’t get it, look for another peated release — such as Release 38 Peated — from Two Brewers out of Whitehorse, Yukon. You and your whisky-loving friends will not be disappointed.