Odd Society Commodore Single Malt Whisky (46%)

(This is the second in a series of occasional reviews of notable whiskies from British Columbia, presented as a lead-up to my story about BC single malt whisky for the winter issue of Full Pour magazine. Subscribe now.)

Odd Society is not just Vancouver’s first modern craft distillery, it is also in many ways an article of faith. For even though British Columbia’s distilling laws were very much in flux in the early 2010s, Gordon Glanz decided to go ahead with Odd Society in the hope that whatever changes might come, they would be beneficial. Locating his project in a largely industrial area, he even built a large tasting room in the hope that he might eventually be allowed to convert it to a cocktail bar, which ultimately he and wife/business partner Miriam Karp did.

The Commodore is the distillery’s flagship single malt, aged for a minimum of four years and, in contrast to the early days of long lines and almost immediate sell-outs, now pretty much always available for sale at the distillery.

Light gold in colour, the whisky has a mature aroma that belies its youth, dry and oaky rather than sweet and caramelly, with notes of pipe tobacco, toasted raisin, and just a whiff of tropical fruit. On the palate, it has a light sweetness that evokes thoughts of marzipan up front, leading to a drier and, it must be noted, thinner mid-palate offering flavours of orange marmalade, baking spice, a touch of burnt caramel, and a note of black pepper that grows into the dry and ferociously appetizing finish.

Without question, this is a tremendous aperitif whisky, although also one I can easily envision as a satisfying afternoon sipper.

85 ($56) CRITIC’S CHOICE