Black Fox Cask Finish Whisky - Merlot

The Art of the Merlot Wine Cask Finish

The whisky equivalent of wearing a velvet jacket to dinner.

Some whiskies are shaped by the barrel alone. This one is shaped by the prairie, too. Black Fox Single Grain Triticale Whisky begins as a fully matured spirit distilled from a wheat-rye hybrid grain, then moves into Merlot casks from Black Hills Estate Winery for a second chapter.

Merlot brings plush fruit and a soft, velvety texture. The Saskatchewan climate does the rest. Through summers that push toward +40°C and winters that plunge to -40°C, the spirit moves in and out of the wood, drawing in the character of the wine. Prairie summers, deep winter cold, and a Black Hills Merlot cask each leave their mark. Black Fox climate is part of the flavour.

No two casks finish the same way, so each is bottled on its own terms. This release is limited to just 100 bottles at 51.8% ABV.

Tasting Notes & Profile

Nose: Oak leads boldly, with baking spice, vanilla, and crème brûlée close behind. Beneath it all, the Merlot adds a restrained note of gently cooked dark fruit, with a touch of maple to welcome you in.

Palate: Savoury meets sweet. Tobacco and cooked dark fruit give the Merlot’s depth, a bit like opening a pouch of wine-infused tobacco, while lemon zest adds a bright lift. Dairy cream, vanilla, and caramelized demerara sugar bring richness, balanced by earthy sassafras and a faint floral note of violets. The caramelized glaze of crème brûlée lingers, along with a pronounced, peppery warmth.

Finish: Long and persistent, with caramelized baked desserts and a bold, warming pepper. Grain and baking spices carry the warmth onward: grandmother’s baking, an autumn evening, the last light across the fields, lasting until dusk.

Certificate of Provenance

Terroir shapes every bottle of Black Fox Canadian Whisky — from the distinct character of the land to the extremes of weather that define it. On top of your bottle, you will find a copper coin engraved with a unique serial code. Enter your code on our website to access your bottle's Certificate of Provenance, revealing the rare and distinctive details that make your whisky unlike any other.

How to Enjoy

With its rich, concentrated flavours and decadent finish, this complex spirit is best savoured neat or with a single drop of water to open up the aromas.

Book a Whisky Tasting in Saskatoon

The best way to understand our terroir and the influence of a wine-cask finish is to taste it right at the source. Visit our Saskatoon-area distillery for a guided whisky tasting or flight. Walk the fields where our grains are grown, and learn exactly how they transform into the world's best whisky.