Review | Macaloney’s Island Dram Collection

The range of Macaloney’s whiskies are distilled on the Canadian island of Victoria in British Columbia. The distillery produces single malt and triple distilled single pot still whiskies. Macaloney’s Island Distillery was built in conjunction with Twa Dogs Brewery making both whisky and craft beer from the wash produced from local Canadian barley.

Macaloney’s Island Distillery was founded in 2016 by Graeme Macaloney in conjunction with Master Distiller Mike Nicolson and whisky maturation expert Dr. Jim Swan. The distillery emphasizes traditional whisky-making techniques, including the use of copper pot stills and carefully selected American & European oak casks from around the world.

Start-up funding support was in part secured with the support of over 270 independent Canadian individuals who became “Founder-Owners”, along with a loan from Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada. The distillery’s location in British Columbia, with its thriving craft beer scene, led to the integration of brewing into the distillery’s operations. The new-make house style for single malt is tropical fruits and creamy, even smoother and fruitier for pot still. All Macaloney’s whiskies are non-chill filtered with natural colour.

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Our Tasting Notes

An Loy

Single Malt | 46% ABV | £63.98 / CA$105.99

An Loy is the heart of Macaloney’s single malt whiskies. It is a marriage of 60% first fill ex-bourbon barrels, 15% Portuguese STR (shaved, toasted, recharred) ex-red wine barriques, 15% Oloroso Sherry casks, and 10% Pedro Ximénez (PX) Sherry casks. The name “An Loy” was chosen to reflect the whisky’s character and the distillery’s location on Vancouver Island. 

On the nose this bright golden coloured whisky has a robust umami earthiness. Matched with fruit notes of marmalade, fresh grapes, apricots and plums, the earthiness brings depth to this spirit. There is a saline minerality, like wet stones on a beach, and fresh citrus juice to bring brightness. To taste this whisky has an abundance of zingy citrus and fresh currants with a confected icing sugar style and fresh honey sweetness. This evolves into a rich biscuit yeasty malt with layers of chocolate and marzipan. Drying on the finish with a slight peppery heat.

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Kildara

Triple Distilled Single Pot Still | 46% ABV | £67.98 / CA$109.99

Kildara is the heart of Macaloney’s single pot still whiskies; triple distilled using un-malted and malted barley. It is a marriage of ex-bourbon barrels, virgin American oak, Oloroso Sherry casks, and Pedro Ximénez (PX) Sherry casks.

This whisky is glden in colour with hints of an amber hue. On the nose it has caramel, baked cake and festive spices with plenty of ripe peach and apricot. There is lots of creamy vanilla and wood oak spice plus a maple syrup umami sweetness. To taste this whisky begins with toffee apple and orange peel. Then opens up with confected strawberry sweets plus lots and lots of maple syrup. There is vanilla and dusty baking spices that add complexity and dryness. Peppery and drying oak round out the finish.

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Cath-Nah-Aven

Single Malt | 46% ABV | £63.98 / CA$104.99

Cath-Nah-Aven is Macaloney’s heavily sherried whisky. It is a marriage of Oloroso Sherry casks and Pedro Ximénez (PX) Sherry casks made from American (Quercus alba) oak. It is inspired by the classic sherry-influenced whiskies of the Speyside region in Scotland. The name “Cath-Nah-Aven” itself is a tribute to the Spey River, which flows through Speyside.

With a nose full of toffee, dark red fruit and some deep tropical notes, this is an intensely fragrant whisky. There is also plenty of dark chocolate and sweet fresh honeycomb. Underneath this is lots of sweet cereals (like oat cookies), wood resin, and a deep umami marmite-like yeast extract. To taste this whisky is dense and earthy. There are flavours of burnt caramel, and bitter dark chocolate.

The middle of the palate is filled with dark fruits (like dried plums and figs) plus a savoury and waxy sensation like furniture polish. A golden syrup sweetness comes through towards the end and into the finish, which also introduces dried orange peel and more of that chocolate, but a milk chocolate this time.

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St. Mallie Single Cask Series

Single Malt | 46% ABV | £63.98 / CA$104.99

St. Mallie is part of a limited edition range of single cask single malt whisky. This is a from a single Portuguese STR (shaved, toasted and recharred) ex-red wine barrique.

On the nose this whisky is nutty, sweet and woody. The woodiness surprisingly is reminiscent of walnut or chestnut wood. There are sweet hazelnuts and pistachios and a warming dried apricot. Underneath this is a deep earthiness, demerara sugar, and some herbal menthol or eucalyptus. On the palate this whisky is oily and viscous. To taste there are flavours of walnuts and hazelnuts, prunes and dates, with punches of earthy spices like black cardamon and white pepper. This would pass nicely as a cigar malt.

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Siol Dugall

Single Malt Peated | 46% ABV | £67.98 / CA$109.99

Siol Dugall is Macaloney’s smoky signature expression; peated to a medium level of 27ppm. It is married from a combination of ex-bourbon casks, virgin American casks, and re-charred Portuguese red wine barriques. The name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic, with “Siol” meaning “seed” or “offspring” and “Dugall” being a Scottish clan name. In this context, it signifies the distillery’s Scottish heritage and its connection to the Macaloney clan.

The light peat smoke comes through on the nose with an ashy, sooty character and a hint of seaweed and moss. There is freshness from cut grass, tart sour apples and lemon zest. There is also an intense hit of runny honey and icing sugar sweetness with just a hint of meadow flowers. The palate is silky and malty. There is plenty of vanilla cream, chocolate milk, and oat cookies. The lingering drying oak and ashy smoke are undeniable. A touch of lemon zest leaves a hint of bitterness on the finish.

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What’s The Verdict?

Canadian whisky is traditionally very rye driven. However, some interesting other styles are being produced within the many small artisan and craft distilleries that have popped up. Macaloney’s is one such example, producing whiskies following the classic Scottish single malt and Irish pot still methods. Interesting casking in combination with these spirits has created a set of intriguing products. While Canadian whisky remains relatively difficult to obtain in the UK, we always look forward to broadening our knowledge and taste when we find one.