Orphan Barrel launches Canadian whisky

by Owen Bellwood

Diageo-owned Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Company has extended its spirits range with the launch of a Canadian whisky, called Entrapment.

The new release is the company’s first Canadian whisky to join its portfolio and comes from the Crown Royal distillery. Distilled in 1992, Entrapment was originally due to be included in a batch of Crown Royal Deluxe, however the spirit never made it into the blend and has instead spent the last 25 years maturing at the the distillery in Gimli, Manitoba. Entrapment is made of a mash of 97% corn and 3% giving the whisky aromas of “vanilla, toffee and a delicate toasted oak scent. Entrapment tastes light and creamy with hints of tobacco and walnut. The finish is warm with notes of dried fruits reminiscent of plums and raisins.” According to the distillery: "These barrels aren’t necessarily forgotten, but instead not chosen for another blend, becoming almost hidden treasures." The Diageo-owned bottling company launched in 2014 and collects 'forgotten' casks from distilleries across North America before hand bottling them at its facility in Tullahoma, Tennessee. The bottle's design hopes to "captures the promise of adventure and freedom that symbolise the brand’s outlaw orphan". Entrapment is available in limited markets at a suggested retail price of US$149.99.