GrainHenge is a Canadian whiskey made at a small distillery within the award-winning Troubled Monk brewery in Red Deer, Alberta. The town is in the heart of cereal growing country and has a rich history. Whiskey was first produced in late 2017. Some recipes use the same or similar mashbills to several of the beers produced. The distillery is home to a 500-litre still and two fermenters. In addition to single malt and rye whisky, they also make gin and vodka.
The first GrainHenge whisky, which was named Meeting Creek, was released in 2021. Elevator Row followed and uses Troubled Monk’s Pesky Pig pale ale as the inspiration for its mashbill. This uses a combination of 2-row barley and a speciality dark Munich malt. For batch two, which we are sampling here, this single malt has been matured for six years in both Level #2 and Level #4 charred American white oak barrels. It is released at 48.2% ABV and is named after Elevator Row, a historic street in Red Deer that was home to many cereal storage facilities and merchants.
Arrowwood is a Canadian rye whisky and the fourth bottling series from GrainHenge. This follows the previous mentioned Meeting Creek and Elevator Row, plus Alliance. The whisky is produced using a mashbill of 61% flaked rye and 39% rye malt. The spirit is aged for 39 months in Level #4 charred virgin American white oak barrels. Batch No.1, which we are sampling here, recently won Best Canadian Rye (12 Years & Under) and World’s Best Rye at the World Whisky Awards 2025. It is bottled at 46.6% ABV.
Our Tasting Notes
Elevator Row No.02
The colour is bright gold and the nose is confected, candied and sweet. Brown sugar and green apple are quickly joined by some icing sugar and marshmallow. Aromas of vanilla toffee, honeysuckle with hint of rose petal and blanched almonds, plus a further hint of sour cherry and green jelly beans.
On the palate this whisky is sweet and confected as before, and noticeably more woody. Early notes of vanilla icing sugar, butterscotch sauce and marshmallow combine with a pleasant underlying malty vibe. This evolves to become more milky and chocolate-like with time, with a pinch of cocoa powder also. Green apple and cherry again comes through, as does a hint of golden syrup.
Then it is all about the oak. Warm baking spices develop further to become more drying and tannic. The finish is of decent length with a distinct peppery and gingerbread heat coming through. Some menthol and marzipan also come through nicely.
Arrowwood No.01
The colour is deep gold and the nose is sweet, herbal and floral. Sweet vanilla paste aromas mix with dried rose petal and dusty pot pourri. This sits alongside a distinct whiff of menthol and eucalyptus with a suggestion of earthy cereals. In the background sit further aromas of fresh linen, buttered toast and white chocolate.
On the palate this whisky feels soft, sweet and elegant for a rye whisky. It has a creamy and buttery nature. Notes of toffee and vanilla fudge are joined by icing sugar, green apple chews and a hint of Turkish delight. A further hint of cocktail cherry is also evident. There is also a big hit of menthol and eucalyptus oil, which adds a lovely herbaceous vibes, while a light spicy note underpins everything.
The finish is long and where the rye really shows itself. There is plenty of peppery heat, plus some drying oak spice and clove. This is especially true once the sweet notes and confected fruity characteristics have faded.
What’s The Verdict?
We were introduced to GrainHenge at the recent World Whisky Awards and what a pleasure it has been to learn about it. Canadian whisky is a big hole in our knowledge and we thank Charles Bredo, the President of Troubled Monk, for his information and the samples.
The single malt makes us want to taste more Canadian single malts, while the rye is somewhat of a revelation. It has a different flavour profile for a rye whisky. The regular bold spiciness that you often find is replaced by something way more elegant and subtle. The flavour profile is sublime. Expect to see more Canadian whiskies on these pages very soon.
