So a little while ago I met up and did some tasting and drinking with Mike Hook and his wife in New York City. Mike is from Last Straw distillery in Concord, Canada. They are one of the leaders in craft distilling in Canada. I have written about Mike and Don DiMonte in my book THE SPIRIT OF RYE. I recently got to try four samplings - all of which were delightful - but two stood out!
Davin DeKergommeaux, the dean of Canadian whiskey writers, first turned me on to Last Straw, and I have been a fan ever since. Dom and his crew have turned a series of first rate, craft whiskey, and have been at the forefront of the craft whiskey movement in Canada.
Last straw's Straight Ontario Rye was the standard barer for the craft distilling movement for some time. It was a single cask rye, made from all local grain, fermented and distilled to 62.5% ABV before aging, three-years, #3 Virginia oak 53-gallon barrel. Bottled at 43% alcohol. Cinnamon, pepper, dried fruit and caramel led the attack on this impressive whisky.
Mike brought me tasters of four whiskies - a Multigrain, a Stout whisky, their current Rye, and a Rice whisky.
The rye was tasty. It was still a big punch in the mouth like it's predecessor's. But this newest batch finished exceptionally smooth, and proves to be among the better craft whiskies in Canada. .
Last Straw Miller's Multi Grain Whisky is "made from too many grains to list". The spirit fresh from the still is aged in re-charred American Oak, and then finished in a Pinot Noir barrel. The whisky spends a total of 5 years and 8 months in barrel. The result is a multi-layered spirit, with notes of cereal, biscuits, with notes of granola, honey, and brown sugar as well as a hint of Christmas spice.
There was also a delicious Stout Whisky, distilled from Irish Stout, made in collaboration with the (now defunct) Lake Wilcox Brewery in Vaughan, Ontario. It was the Best New Whisky in the 2021 Canadian Whisky Awards. It was super tasty with notes of dark brown sugar, dark chocolate, and black pepper.
My favorites included the Rye, which was fantastic, and their Rice whisky. Yes, you read that right - Last Straw Rice Whisky.
This bottling was made in collaboration with K2 Milling and Domaine du Red Tail, made from 100% Argentinian long grain brown rice aged for 5 years and 5 months in a re-charred American oak ex-wine barrel. The result was a light, yet fully flavorful whisky, with a big mouthfeel. Delicate, almost like a Japanese whiskey, it had all the flavor of something more robust. Smooth, soft, and silky with notes of cocoa and a light touch of spice. Not sweet, but immensely delicious and worth savoring.
But don't take just my word for it - their rice whisky was one of the big hits of the year in the Canadian distilling world. 2024 Awards included Canadian Artisan Spirits Competition, Silver Medal; Canadian Whisky Awards Alternative Grain Whisky of the Year; and Canadian Whisky Awards Silver Medal.
Last Straw remains one of the most influential craft distillers in Canada.