Phillips Sanctuary Single Malt Whisky (42%)

Several years ago, while sharing a beer or two with Matt Phillips, founder and owner of Phillips Brewing and Malting in Victoria, BC, I was reliably informed that the first whisky release from the Fermentorium, Phillips’ distillery division, would arrive sometime that November.

It did not. And neither was it released the following year. Such is the nature of Matt Phillips, who at times seems to operate by whim and fancy.

Eventually, of course, Phillips did release a whisky, specifically a single malt called Small Talk, which both spoke to the relative inexperience of the distillery and the potential that I thought it held. Today, I am pleased to reveal that some of that potential has been realized in Sanctuary.

Light gold in colour, like Small Talk this is composed entirely of whiskies crafted form Vancouver Island barley malted in Phillips’ own facility, which are then aged from five to nine years in a mix of bourbon, beer, and wine barrels. On the nose, the wine comes through most prominently, with oaky cabernet sauvignon notes arriving first, followed by more woody oak accented by slightly burnt vanilla, hints of flamed orange zest, earthy grain, and the faintest touch of brown spice.

The palate entry is full and rich, with notes of crème brullée, fresh peach, and a bit of milk chocolate. The mid-palate dries slightly but maintains its creamy character with less fruit and a more complex oak-and-chocolate character that grows woodier and a touch bitter as it leads through to the very dry, toasted spice finish.

Overall, this is a whisky in search of an identity, but in this case that’s not so much a bad thing. The creaminess of the front end gives you one experience, while the dry, oaky, moderately tannic finish creates a quite different impression. My prediction is that when this blend finds a bit more cohesion in a year or three it will join the ranks of Vancouver Island’s many impressive single malts.

82 ($45 - $50)