Canadian Whisky Awards tip a glass to Lumsden distillery

A glass was raised to a Saskatchewan distillery on the national level.

Last Mountain Distillery in Lumsden won the award for best wheat whisky at the Canadian Whisky Awards.

It’s the second year in a row they’ve been given the nod.

Braeden Raiwet, the head distiller, joined Greg Morgan to discuss the accomplishment.

One thing that stands out is the type of competition they were up against.

“Anybody from small guys like us to big places like Wiser’s, Crown Royal, that kind of thing … So, it’s pretty cool to get some of those awards against some of those big guys that have been doing it for years and years,” he said.

Their whisky is made with ingredients from Saskatchewan, something that Raiwet counts as a big part of their success.

“It’s 100 per cent wheat whisky mash bill, which is a little bit unique for a lot of whiskies,” Raiwet said. “But we have such great grain here in Saskatchewan that we figured ‘Why not showcase some of that great grain that we have right here in our back yard?'”

So, what goes into making this whisky, and how long does it take to get on the shelf?

“That one was closer to five years. We’re taking that grain, making that nice mash, almost like a beer. Then, further taking it to distilling and separating all of those higher alcohols out of that mash. Then, it sits in that barrel for anywhere from three to five to maybe 10 years, depending on whenever it’s done,” he explained.

After all of that, what does it taste like?

“I get lots of light, nice vanilla. A little bit of hazelnut in there. Very smooth, and a nice sweetness to it,” he said.

They also won two silver medals and six bronze medals for other whiskies at the 2022 awards.