Found North Batch 012 Cask Strength Canadian Whisky 16 Year 750ml

Found North doesn't distill a single drop of whisky. Founded by brothers Nick and Zach Taylor, the Massachusetts-based company has built its entire reputation on something rarer than distilling skill: the ability to source exceptionally mature Canadian whisky stocks, understand exactly how each component behaves, and blend them into something that tastes like nothing else in the category. In just a few years since their inaugural release, they've become one of the most respected names in modern Canadian whisky — releases that sell out through online lotteries garnering thousands of applicants, reviewed by enthusiasts who describe them not as "good Canadian whisky" but simply as "one of the best whiskies of the year, period."

Batch 012 is built from an unusually deep and unusually old set of components: 16-year, 20-year, and 22-year corn whiskies, alongside 20-year and 22-year rye whiskies — each one aged for years in refill oak before being introduced to custom new wood barrels as a final maturation stage. This sequencing is the technical heart of Found North's entire philosophy: refill oak first, to build age and complexity gently, then new wood at the end, to add the toasted, caramelized richness that gives their whiskies their signature depth — without the over-extraction that direct new-oak aging for 16-plus years would inevitably produce. At the center of Batch 012 specifically sits a 2009 corn component re-racked into ISC Cooper's Reserve — 24-month air-seasoned new American oak, heavy toast, char #2 — moved into lower warehouse conditions for eleven additional months, joined by a 2003 corn component in Kelvin heavy toast char #1 new wood and a 2004 rye component in Chevalier heavy toast char #3 new wood.

Bourbon Bishop's review called the result "carefully engineered rather than opportunistically blended," finding "rich English toffee, toasted marshmallow, caramelized sugars, and chalky fruit reminiscent of Smarties candy" on the nose, with "remarkably little ethanol heat" despite the cask strength. The palate delivers "dense layers of crème brûlée, caramelized marshmallow, brown sugar, and creamy vanilla wrapped in a robust, mouth-coating texture," with "peppery rye spice" building through a finish of "marshmallow cream, vanilla custard, and toasted sugar." The reviewer's conclusion: the toasted-marshmallow profile "feels genuinely unique," comparable only to the rare marshmallow notes found occasionally in well-aged American Light Whiskey or NoCo's Quad Aged Bourbon — "though Batch 012 ultimately feels more polished and approachable than either comparison suggests." This is not, in any meaningful sense, "just Canadian whisky." It is Canadian distillate blended and finished with a specifically Kentucky mindset, by two brothers who have spent six years and 638 barrels learning exactly what each piece of wood does.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Found North is an independent whisky blending house founded by brothers Nick and Zach Taylor, based in Massachusetts. Rather than distilling their own spirit, the company specializes in sourcing exceptionally mature Canadian whisky stocks and focuses its entire craft on secondary maturation, blending, and cask selection — building whiskies that feel distinct not only from traditional Canadian whisky but often from anything else currently on the American market. Over six years of operation, Found North's component inventory has grown to 638 barrels of liquid, re-casked into 46 different oak species — an accumulated depth of blending knowledge that allows the brothers to understand precisely how a given cask behaves with a given component, what it pulls from the wood over time, and how it will integrate into a finished blend.

Batch 012 belongs to Found North's core Batches series, distinct from their High Altitude Collection (finishing-focused releases) and their single-barrel Private Peak program. The Batches series is built around Canadian distillate aged for many years in refill oak before being introduced to custom new wood barrels as the final stage of maturation — an approach the company describes as delivering "the benefits of age without over-extraction." Batch 012's full component list: 16-year corn, 20-year corn, 22-year corn, 20-year rye, and 22-year rye, with a resulting mashbill composition of 86% corn, 13% rye, and 1% barley. The three components that most directly "set" the batch's profile are a 2009 corn whisky re-racked into ISC Cooper's Reserve (24-month air-seasoned new American oak, heavy toast, char #2, then 11 additional months in lower warehouse conditions), a 2003 corn whisky in Kelvin heavy toast char #1 new wood, and a 2004 rye whisky in Chevalier heavy toast char #3 new wood. Every Found North release is bottled at cask strength with no additives and no chill filtration.

Critics Reviews

Bourbon Bishop (extended review):
"After some time in the glass, Batch 012 opens considerably, revealing rich English toffee, toasted marshmallow, caramelized sugars, and chalky fruit reminiscent of Smarties candy. Deep tannins and subtle barrel funk provide structure underneath, yet despite the proof, there is remarkably little ethanol heat. The palate delivers dense layers of crème brûlée, caramelized marshmallow, brown sugar, and creamy vanilla wrapped in a robust, mouth-coating texture. While heavily oaked in profile, the tannins remain brighter and more refined than many comparable American whiskeys, allowing the whisky to feel both powerful and polished. Peppery rye spice builds steadily into the finish, carrying notes of marshmallow cream, vanilla custard, and toasted sugar long after the sip ends. Batch 012 feels carefully engineered rather than opportunistically blended, and honestly borders on feeling underpriced relative to the experience it delivers. Out-of-this-world. A true unicorn."

The Whiskey Wash (extended review):
"Wow! This is my first experience with Found North and I hope it isn't my last. This bottle is quite nice and with component pieces as old as these, I'd expect nothing less. This is a whiskey you put out on the shelf and wait for someone to notice. The bottle is subtle and aside from the wax top, doesn't really look too different. However, to a keen observer, someone who knows what they're looking at, this bottle is a marquee."

Dave Driscoll, Mission Spirits (house-level endorsement):
"Not only is this my favorite 'Canadian' whisky of the year, it might be my favorite whisky of the year — period. For those of you longing to see Canadian whiskey blended and bottled with a Kentucky mindset, you've found your brand."

Tasting Profile

Nose
After time in the glass, the nose opens considerably — rich English toffee, toasted marshmallow, and caramelized sugars lead with genuine warmth and complexity. A chalky fruit character reminiscent of Smarties candy adds a specific and memorably unusual secondary note. Deep tannins and subtle barrel funk provide structure beneath the sweetness. Remarkably, despite the whisky's considerable cask strength, there is little noticeable ethanol heat — a testament to the refill-oak-then-new-wood maturation sequence's deliberate approach to avoiding over-extraction.

Palate
Dense layers of crème brûlée, caramelized marshmallow, brown sugar, and creamy vanilla wrap the palate in a robust, mouth-coating texture. Heavily oaked but with tannins that remain brighter and more refined than most comparable American whiskeys at similar proof and age — the whisky manages to feel both powerful and polished simultaneously, a genuinely difficult balance to strike in a blend built from components this old.

Finish
Peppery rye spice builds steadily into the finish, carrying marshmallow cream, vanilla custard, and toasted sugar long after the sip ends. A genuinely long, evolving close that rewards patience and repeated tasting.

Quick Overview