Macaloney’s Bang Sauce (46%)

Despite the possible ribald connotations of the name, Bang Sauce is, according to company ceo Margaret Rygiel, derived from the aftermath of a breakup some two decades ago. To wit:

Twenty years ago, I did what every woman does after a breakup. I called my best friend, I ugly cried a little, and then I walked straight into a salon and said: give me the bangs. The hair dresser and I exchanged a look and without saying a word, she went to work.

I want to tell you, there is no feeling in the world quite like walking out of that chair. The world looks different. You look different. You feel like you could bottle that exact moment.

That feeling has a name. We call it Bang Sauce.

Backstory aside, this new core single malt release from a reimagined Macaloney’s is deep gold in colour, with an aroma that speaks first to oak, smoke, and raisin, then to a more rounded and full smoked chocolate character accented by notes of candied orange peel and hints of lemon and lime zest.

At about four years of age, the whisky shows impressive maturity on the tongue. The palate entry offers a bit of youthful sharpness and some notably young alcohol notes, but within the context of the chocolate, toffee, orange, and soft marzipan notes, it all holds together quite well. Smoke arrives on the midpalate, but gently and in harmony with a steadily rising fruitiness that features figs, golden raisins, orange, and even a touch of cooked pear, all accented by notes of baking spice. By the finish, however, the smoke has taken hold, albeit in a most pleasant manner, tussling a bit with the alcohol warmth.

Overall, if this is the way forward for Macaloney’s, it is a very good start. Youth detracts slightly from its overall enjoyment, but otherwise its complexity and flavour progression is most admirable. Congratulations on your “daring new ‘do,” Macaloney’s, you seem well on your way to becoming the Claudia Winkleman of Canadian whisky!

86 ($75 from the distillery)