Canadian Club 15 Year Old Sherry Cask Launch – Intimate Dinner and Tasting Event
Tonight I was at the newly Michelin recommended Archer Dining for a special night celebrating Canadian Club and their newest release. We were seated at the chef’s table, perched above, with a view of the entire restaurant below.
As guests filtered in and found their seats we were welcomed with a Canadian Club twist on a whisky sour, featuring the 1858 Canadian Club. There was no mistaking the smooth finish that is long on the palate, here.
The night brought us through the most memorable of the Canadian Club portfolio as we learned how responsive they are to their loyal customer base. Listening to consumers who wanted different blends and ages, the results are several whiskies made with their same 4 grains, but at different ratios for different flavour profiles; as we would soon see and taste for ourselves.
The evening would focus on pairing whisky straight with some of Archer’s most indulgent dishes. Starting with their popular and highly acclaimed Fanny Bay Smoked Oysters with Uni butter, ikura, citrus pears and pickled shallots.
It is brought out and presented to the table in a fish bowl smoked with apple wood. Then in a show of smoke, the fumes are release and wafted into the air for a sensory experience. The oysters themselves are briny and fishy with a nice mix of textures in the mouth, from all the garnishes. One is plenty, as I did find the salt overwhelmingly compounded with the fish roe.
This was paired with CC ™ Manhattan made with Canadian Club Classic 12 Year Old, vermouth and angostura bitters. Once again? features the same four grains that goes into all Canadian club bottles, but at different ratios, and aged longer than the minimum. Its citrus forward sweetness helped to cut into some of the saltiness of the seafood above.
Like the oysters, the second course of Venison Tartar came with a show table side. The head chef grated fresh truffle over each serving, before the staff presented it before each guest.
Black garlic aioli, parmesan, cured duck yolk, and truffle. This was my favourite dish of the night, it was meaty and rich, salted like bacon, and sumptuous with a nice crunch from the toasted base.
The Charred Octopus was another tasty plate with a great chew, (to be honest, they were all delicious). Charred octopus, kimchi cream, pickled cabbage and shimeji, and kimchi rice crisp. Meaty tentacles with the familiar Korean quality of spicy and sweet, coupled with a strong soy flavour.
This was paired with Canadian Club 100% Rye, a bottle created in response to their customers wanting a Canadian rye. Here, we also got some background on Canadian rye as a while. How it grows differently and that it is the most robust of all the grains, being able to withstand any drought. Our Canadian rye is especially coveted in Calgary, where their deserts fields make it more challenging to yield this crop.
As for the whisky itself, it was smooth on the palate with some residue bite at the end. Primary buttery baked notes that transition into secondary ones of golden fruit.
The Cheeky Berkshire was pork jowl, described to us as what wagyu is for steak, but in pork cuts. Accompanied by choy, grapes, celeriac purée, and freeze dried raspberry. The berries were a new one for me, they added the perfect amount of acidity and brightness to the dish. With the freshness of the fresh fruit and the macerated vegetables doing well to balance out the fattiness and firm texture of the pork.
This was paired with Canadian Club Classic 12 Year Old. It has the same mash bill as Canadian Club premium but with more malted barley, giving us lots of caramel and toffee on the nose; and more bolder red fruits and spice to end on. Its heat did well to contrast the fattiness in the pork cheek as well as lend itself to the highlighting the faint smokiness of duck breast below.
Fraser Valley Duck Breast with wilted greens, golden beets, cherries, and red beet puree and cherry jus. This was a thick meaty slab of duck meat, a piece with just the right about of gristle from the fat and skin. The bitter greens and the tart cherry were effective at cutting into some of the salt.
For dessert we had a deconstructed Pumpkin Pie with golden flake Walnut Breton, vanilla ice cream, walnut praline and white chocolate ganache. I appreciated the ability to craft your own bite from this, allowing you to appreciate the spices and textures individually and together as a whole.
This was paired with the spirit of the hour. The Canadian Club Classic 15 Year Old Sherry Cask. At its core this was the classic 12 mash bill aged in American oak, then transferred to a sherry cask for its remaining 3 years. The result was a whisky the sweeter side thanks to the Sherry. This made it a wonderful accompaniment to the warm baking spices of the pie. The table thought it almost resembled a dark cherry Black Forest cake.
Fun fact, the bottle itself is labeled and signed by Tish, the Canadian Club brand ambassador that was walking us through our meal and spirit pairings today. She jokingly said she was planning on retiring, but how can she now that they have put her name on each bottle.
In closing, Archer certainly earned their bib gourmand designation with this meal. This was a wonderful and intimate way to learn more about Canadian Club and how they strive to satisfy their customers. The Canadian Club Classic 15 Year Old Sherry Cask is sure to make it on many wish lists this Christmas, as a spin on something comforting and familiar.
Archer
1152 Alberni St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1A5
(778) 737-6218
archerdining.com
