Stillhead Garry Oak Single Grain Rye Whisky (50%)
When I spoke in 2019 with Stillhead Distillery owner Brennan Colebank for my and Christine Sismondo’s book, Canadian Spirits, he was adamant that, so far as his distillery was concerned, “Whisky is always the focus.”
Of course, with an operation only two years old at the time, the “great whisky” Colebank wanted to make was still at least a year away from fruition, and although I didn’t have the chance to sample Colebank’s earliest releases, experience informs me that it usually takes a few tries before a whisky distiller hits their stride.
With now almost a decade of distilling behind him, it’s safe to say that Colebank has definitely hit his stride.
Unlike his Vancouver Island single malt-focused neighbours, Shelter Point to the North and Macaloney’s to the south, Colebank’s emphasis is on 100% rye whisky, with a further focus upon interesting cask finishes. His Islay Cask Rye Whisky is a distillery staple, and delicious in its own right, and is well complemented by a limited release Tequila Cask Rye. To my mind the absolute stand out, however, is this Garry Oak Rye.
Prior to encountering this whisky, I confess that I had no idea there was such a thing as a Garry oak, properly Quercus Garryana, much less that it was a protected species native to the Pacific Northwest. The three casks that are combined to make this release – one holding the 100% rye whisky for a full five years and two finishing three year old, ex-bourbon cask rye for a further two years – are made from windfall trees.
On the nose, the cinnamon influence of the Garry oak is immediately in evidence, with other notes of baking spice – allspice, nutmeg, mace – in support. Behind all that are some honey notes, fragrant orange, a perhaps surprisingly light hint of black pepper, considering that this is an all-rye whisky, and just a suggestion of molasses.
The palate entry is similarly Garry oak spice forward, with a mix of baking spice and pepper playing across a honey-ish background. The mid-palate grows more earthy, almost mocha-ish, but retains that spice character, developing more of a chocolatey note as it progresses. The finish, which is a trifle hot due to its alcohol content, carries a rather exotic and enticing mix of cocoa, spice, pepper, and dry honey with a hint of blackstrap molasses.
I have had the pleasure of not only tasting this whisky on several occasions, but also presenting it in public tastings twice, with a third coming up on June 10, and I can say with complete confidence, on May 25, 2026, that it is the most interesting and compelling whisky of any sort I have sampled this year.
It is a Stillhead ‘Whisky Club Release,’ still available according to the distillery website, and for a whisky of this quality and uniqueness it is a bargain at its price.
95 ($130)
