A rye-fueled, horse-drawn sleigh ride to a backwoods Quebec sugar shack springs instantly to mind. Vanilla, toasted wood, brittle maple snow taffy, and the woody, crystalline granularity of maple sugar in a velvety smooth whisky base. Hot pepper, wood smoke, and green maple bark fold into a steaming cauldron of whisky barrel notes. The first few days’ maple syrup is the richest and that alone is what blender Michel Marcil uses for this ultra-premium maple whisky. ( Quebec only (dang!))