Macaloney's An Loy Batch 9 Canadian Single Malt (70cl, 46%)

An Loy is a Canadian single malt from Macaloney's Island Distillery on Vancouver Island, and this is Batch 9. It is made from malted barley grown in British Columbia, distilled twice and not peated. Sixty per cent of the whisky comes from bourbon casks and 15% from Portuguese red wine casks, with portions from Spanish Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez casks. It was bottled in September 2023 at 46%, without chill-filtering or added colour, and the batch ran to 362 bottles. The nose brings fruit, blossom and sherry notes, then oak, vanilla, malt and a light sea breeze. The palate is creamy, with caramelised orange and vanilla sauce, fruit cake, blackcurrant and honey. The finish is lasting, with caramel, vanilla, tropical fruit and gentle oak spice.