BEARFACE – Canadian whisky that challenges the norms of traditional whisky.
With unique blends at the forefront of whisky innovation globally, their new release is no exception to the rule. The Wilderness Series is a limited-edition release that draws its inspiration from the Canadian wilderness. The Wilderness Series whisky is the first of its kind, integrating umami Matsutake mushrooms for a smooth flavour, seamlessly blending both tradition and innovation. With only 500 cases produced, this is a must for collectors and whisky enthusiasts alike.
Innovation in the Whisky Category
The Umami Matsutake mushroom is rare around the world and is only harvested once a year in BC. Specifically, it grows wild in the Monashee mountains. BEARFACE Master Blender Andres Faustinelli, harvested the mushroom in October 2021. On the uniqueness of this whisky, Faustinelli says, “we combined a 7-year-old whisky base with fresh matsutake mushroom. What I did with this blend was use the mushroom to enhance the whisky flavour instead of mask it.” The blend also contains 12-year-old bases that are in the Sherry Pipes.
Canada is known for having fewer whisky regulations than any other country. This opens the door to create a truly unique product that other producers are not able to emulate.
Foraging in British Columbia
The Matsutake mushroom only offers a small window of opportunity for harvesting of 14 days. Andres and his team follow a strict forager’s ethical code and always leave a certain number of mushrooms behind for nature. The intricate process of harvesting the Matsutake mushrooms was done by Andres and 3 experienced foragers, Bram, Scott and Zoe.
“When you forage these mushrooms, you go early in the morning with a group because it’s safer if there are bears. There are no trails, and you forage all day. At night, you inspect each one individually, clean them and then infuse them immediately into the whisky cask. Over the next couple of days, the mushroom releases water and the ABV starts to go down below 70 because you are bringing water from the forest. This makes the whisky become extremely fresh and flavourful.”
BEARFACE Wilderness Series Flavour
The Matsutake mushroom is infused with BEARFACE Single Grain Whiskey and finished in 3 different styles of sherry casks. Andres says that, “Matsutake is to whisky what an olive is to a martini.” He adds, “the olive is not the main flavour but it’s an important part of the cocktail. Matsutake is the same, and is a natural connection to whisky but it’s not coming from traditional whiskey spaces.
The result of infusing BEARFACE whisky with Matsutake mushrooms is a complex, layered whisky with nutmeg, cinnamon and rounded nuttiness, followed by a leafy earthiness with an umami finish. The BEARFACE Wilderness Series: Matsutake Release retails for $49.95 and is available across Canada (Quebec excluded) at LCBO. It will only be available for a limited time but others in the Wilderness Series will follow.