Bourbon in Toronto, Canada

Howdy all. I grew up in Kentucky but now find myself in the distant, frozen north, where no one seems to know about my favorite spirit, and (unsurprisingly) it's tough to get anything I really want. I have been lurking for a while now, but since I've moved to Canada I would love to find other bourbon drinkers here in Ontario.

In order to get people more interested in bourbon (and American rye), I have been hosting small bourbon tastings for my co-workers and friends, but none of them have really developed a palate for some of my higher-end bottles. (I also am writing a bourbon blog that reviews all the bourbons that come to the LCBO, but my tasting skills are so rudimentary that I feel a little embarrassed to share it here with the big guns.)

So, I was wondering if anyone here knew of places in Toronto where other bourbon lovers meet to taste, share, and discuss their favorite bottles. If there isn't, and any of you out there have high-falutin' tastes like me and want to try some good bourbon, maybe we can put together some place to meet? My collection is pretty decent, and I have, among other things, several BTAC bottlings, Pappy 20, and an old (early 90s) bottle of Maker's Mark old gold wax 100 proof (which puts the marketing for 46 to shame) that I would like to share at some point (assuming that I could try some good stuff other people have!).

Anyway, thanks for reading and this site is great!

Welcome aboard, I expect you may hear from our Northern Brethren.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by squire

Welcome aboard, I expect you may hear from our Northern Brethren.

---

I was thinking the same thing. :grin: Cheers and welcome! Joe

Welcome sanzoluk! I'm sure from looking at the bottles that you currently have, that you will fit right :grin:

I'm also new here, a relative bourbon novice and live in Toronto. So far my mini-bunker includes the following:

Makers Mark
Woodford Reserve
Knob Creek
Basil Hayden
Baker's
Booker's
Elijah Craig 12
Lot B
PVW 15

Sadly I haven't found an establishment here with anything beyond the most basic selection (MM, WR, KC) but would love to hear if others have. I'd definitely be interested in a get together at some point.

Welcome to our two new neighbors from the north, enjoy the site. Come join us in chat some time. It's the gazebo at the top of the main forum page. Other than that post often have fun and make some new friends.

Hey DAM, welcome aboard.

Hi folks,

Welcome to Ontario, a land of plenty—aside from bourbon, of course. That said, there are a few bourbon lovers about; you just have to seek them out, and SB is a good place to start. I myself am in Hamilton, about an hour from you, but there are Torontonian members as well, who will surely introduce themselves.

The LCBO bourbon selection has been steadily improving with the addition of BT/Sazerac products (BT, Eagle Rare, Baby Saz, 1792 RR, Caribou Crossing) and the Beam Small Batch Collection does rotate through now and again. Unfortunately, you have to stay on top of things, as the orders can be small and distributed to only a handful of stores.

That said, don't expect to see anything like a BTAC, Van Winkle, or other high end American whiskey bottling any time soon. I cross the border for the good stuff, and with duty (on the order of 70-80% of the sticker price), that can get pretty expensive. But it's worth it, in my opinion! :yum:

I have a nice collection of bourbons and ryes if you're interested in sharing (and arranging a visit to Hamilton or vice versa), and I'm sure others will say the same. You're in good company.

Thanks for the welcome fellas, and apologies to sanzoluk for hijacking the thread. I just figured another Toronto Bourbon thread would have been redundant...

After my comment above I got to thinking about places around town that might have a wider selection. One that came to mind was Allen's (on the Danforth). I was aware of their substantial scotch list, and given that they are emulating an uptown NYC saloon restaurant, it occurred to me they may have other whiskeys as well. And lo and behold, their website lists the following in the American category:

Balnentine's
Ancient Age 10 Year Old 107
Baker's 7 Y.O. (53.5%)
Benchmark Sour Mash
Blanton's Single Barrel (46.5%)
Booker's
Eagle Rare 10 Year Old 101
Jim Beam
Jim Beam Black Label 8 Y.O.
Jack Daniels Single Barrel
Jack Daniels Gentleman Jack
Jacob's Well
Knob Creek 9 Year Old
Maker's Mark
Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old 107
Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey 101
Woodford Reserve Distillers Select

There are a number on there I haven't had yet... It's on my side of town... I may need to pop in and do some recon over the weekend.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DAM

After my comment above I got to thinking about places around town that might have a wider selection. One that came to mind was Allen's (on the Danforth).

---

I've heard nothing but good things about Allen's, so you should definitely give it a try.

As a side note, Eagle Rare is being re-released to the LCBO in two weeks, if that strikes your fancy.