Reviews of Found North Batches 003, 005, and 006 Canadian Whiskies

 

Look North! That’s the simple tagline for Found North Whisky. It is a brand that came about during the pandemic when two brothers, Nick and Zac Taylor, wanted to do something different with Canadian whisky: They targeted Bourbon drinkers.

 

Found North is an independent bottler, meaning that they don’t distill. Instead, the Taylors acquire barrels from other distilleries and blend them to form something decidedly their own.

 

“Our goal is to make whisky so delicious and resonant that it shines a light on northern whisky-making. We blend Canadian whisky because its entire purpose from distillation through maturation is to produce quality components for the blender. As blenders, we have access to a diverse range of old, well-made whiskies from which we can further mature and blend the whisky that we want to drink right now.” – Found North Whisky

 

Canadian whisky is different from many others because each component is aged individually. The grains are blended before the distillation process begins with Bourbon or Rye. In other words, if you have a whiskey that’s 64% corn, 26% malted barley, 5% rye, and 5% wheat, it means they took four fully matured whiskies (corn, malt, rye, and wheat) and filled a container with those ratios.

 

The Taylors are big on transparency, and I admire that, whether the whisky is good, bad, or ugly. Many brands keep basic information proprietary, which I’ve always found confusing, but I still respect their decision.

 

Each batch of Found North Whisky is unique. However, the Taylors do build future batches upon previously released ones. Every release is non-chill filtered, naturally colored, and contains no additives. They graciously provided me with a sample of Batch 003, Batch 005, and Batch 006 in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews. I’ll #DrinkCurious in numerical order.

 

For the record, each was poured neat into Glencairn glasses. Finally, in full disclosure, I enjoy very few Canadian whiskies, the first only in the last twelve months.

 

Batch 003

 

Batch 003 is a five-whisky blend of 64% rye, 32% corn, and 4% malted barley.  

 

An 18-year rye whisky aged in former Speyside Scotch casks, another 18-year spent its slumber in ex-tequila barrels, and the 17-year came from Hungarian oak. The corn component utilized a 25-year-old corn whisky aged in Hungarian oak and a 21-year corn whisky in vintage American oak.  

 

After blending, it was bottled at 55.1% ABV (110.2°). Batch 003 comes in a 750ml package and is sold on Found North’s website for $135.00.

 

Appearance: This whisky presented as bright gold. A thin rim yielded a wavy curtain of tears.

 

Nose: The bold aroma included notes of mint, nutmeg, butterscotch, and tropical fruits. When I drew that air into my mouth, I encountered pure vanilla.

 

Palate: The texture was like whipped butter while warming my tongue. The front of my palate discerned nutmeg, orange, and honey. Midway through, I tasted pear, rye spice, and ginger, whereas the back offered oak, cinnamon, and vanilla.

 

Finish: A long-lasting finish with more ginger, rye spice, and cinnamon.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Is this whisky really 110°? While it did warm my mouth, it couldn’t be mistaken for a burn. I prepared myself for more of a punch; I was pleasantly surprised at how easy Batch 003 was to drink. This 17-to-25-year blend is fairly priced and earns every bit of my Bottle rating. 

 

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Batch 005

 

Batch 005 is made from 73% corn and 27% wheat whiskies. The younger component, wheat, was 8 years old, whereas the corn rested for 21 years. The wheat was aged in new American oak, and the corn in former Bourbon barrels.

 

After blending, it spent another 8 years in new American oak casks. Packaging was 58.1% ABV (116.2°) in a 750ml bottle. Batch 005 is sold on Found North’s website for $124.99.

 

Appearance: Batch 005 was a brassy amber that created a medium rim. Fat droplets tried desperately to hold on before collapsing.

 

Nose: I smelled brown sugar, bananas, and what I could swear was whipped cream. In other words, this smelled like dessert. Butterscotch rolled across my tongue.

 

Palate: My attention was grasped when the light, airy mouthfeel offered far more heat than Batch 003. A second was comparatively muted. The first tastes included nutmeg, brown sugar, and caramel. The middle featured pastry and almond, and at the back, I found toasted oak, tobacco leaf, and cinnamon.

 

Finish: Cinnamon continued and was joined by mint. Both were quashed by the sweet brown sugar. In all, it was a medium duration.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: While the blend is corn whisky, I believe the wheat component made the Taylors’ goal of catering to Bourbon drinkers real. A blind tasting could have fooled me. Is this a $125.00 whisky? That’s a hard sell. I understand the time and money involved, but what matters at the end of the day is whether I would pay that much?

 

I’m torn. It acts like an older Bourbon, maybe at a decade, and several are priced way below this threshold. I recommend trying this at a Bar before making any further commitments.   

 

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Batch 006

 

Batch 006 is made from 87% corn, 12% rye, and 1% malted barley. It is a blend of five whiskies aged 17 to 26 years.

 

The 17-year corn component took 17 years to mature in ex-Bourbon barrels. The 26-year element was also corn but was placed in Hungarian oak. The third corn whisky was from Batch 002, a blend aged in new American oak, former Bourbon barrels, and Hungarian oak. The rye whiskies came from one aged 18 years in Hungarian oak, while the 19-year spent time in re-charred American oak.

 

A 750ml bottling at 64.1% ABV (128.2°) sells on Found North’s website for $149.99.

 

Appearance: The deep orange-amber liquid left a thick rim. Slow, syrupy tears were created.

 

Nose: Things started off with a big blast of butterscotch. I was in no rush to take the glass away from my nostrils. As I continued to explore, I ran into smells of bananas, cinnamon, and brown sugar. It was, in a word, delightful. When I inhaled through my lips, I tasted old leather.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel is spicy, rich, and oily. Leather, roasted chestnuts, and cocoa were the initial flavors, and fruity flavors of dates, honeydew, and dried figs melded at my mid-palate. Tobacco leaf, smoky nutmeg, and bold oak tannins rounded things out.

 

Finish: An extremely long, deep oaky finish featuring dates, roasted nuts, nutmeg, and tobacco leaf tingled my tongue and throat.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Wrapping your mind around Batch 006 will drive you batty. Don’t even try. Instead, savor the aroma, get lost in the palate, and bask in the warmth of the finish. It is one of the better whiskies I’ve had in 2023 and is worth every penny you’ll pay. If you see this one on the shelf, don’t dawdle. Just grab the Bottle. You won’t regret it.

 

Final Thoughts: Regardless of the ratings, I commend Found North for putting out whiskies I enjoyed. As I stated earlier, I was not a fan of the category for several years but recently have come to appreciate it. My favorite was Batch 006, which I believe easily eclipsed its siblings. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.