Review #723 - Found North Snow Day First Flurry

To capture winter in a bottle of whisky - that was the ethos when Found North set out to blend this first edition of Snow Day, a blend of whiskies sourced from Canada, which carries a 10 year age statement. Of course, that age statement doesn't tell the whole story: there are a number of different components blended together here, and this is actually Found North's most complicated blend to date. The bulk of the blend (89.1%) is comprised of the following pieces:

50% 10 year old rye whisky (2015 vintage) aged in ex-bourbon casks
28% 15 year old corn whisky aged in new oak
10% 22 year old corn whisky aged in ex-bourbon casks
6% 15 year old corn whisky aged in ex-bourbon casks
5% 22 year old rye whisky aged in ex-bourbon casks
1% 20 year old corn whisky aged in ex-bourbon casks

That portion of the blend was then finished in a combination of 6 different cask types:

French oak Ruby Port
European oak Ruby Port
French oak Rosé Port
French oak White Port
Kelvin Cooperage new American oak (heavy toast, char #1)
Kelvin Cooperage new American oak (heavy toast, char #2)

So, a large emphasis on rye, old corn components, and Port wine finishing (with some new oak as well). That combination of spicy rye whisky and sweet Port casks (which reminds us of Batch 009) is the backbone of this whisky, a classic combination of flavors meant to make this a cozy winter whisky.

But Found North wasn't quite done there; to round out this blend, they also added smaller amounts of the following components:

Goldfinch First Flight casks aged in Sauternes and new oak (15+ years old)
Part of a Peregrine First Flight Cognac cask (20+ years old)
22 year old corn whisky aged in new American oak
26 year old corn whisky aged in Hungarian oak
19 year old corn whisky aged in ex-bourbon casks

All in all, we have a blend of 29 barrels that contains whiskies from 10 years old to 26 years old, and based on the percentages of each piece, the average age is 14 years or so. The multitude of casks includes ex-bourbon, new American oak (charred and toasted varieties), Hungarian oak, ex-Sauternes, ex-Cognac, and 4 different ex-Port styles (in different types of European oak). We also have a final mashbill: 50% corn, 47% rye, and 3% malted barley, making this almost akin to a 'bourye' in a way.

Alright, all of the technical details aside - does this latest blend from Found North accomplish its goal of being a cozy whisky for winter sipping?

Disclaimer: This bottle was provided by Found North for review at no cost. All opinions expressed in this review are our own.

Found North Snow Day First Flurry

USA/Canada - Blend

Price: USD 110 (2025)

Age Statement: 10 Years

Strength: 57.5% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon, new American oak, toasted American oak, Hungarian oak, Sauternes, Cognac, and Port casks

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added, bottled 2025; 8,256 bottles

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 1 month; bottle at 100%, 80%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Both spicy and sweet - earthy rye grain, leather, and spicy oak are balanced by syrupy red fruits like raspberry, plum, and chocolate-covered raisin. The rye later adds more pepper and rosemary sprigs, and we get a bit of nutmeg and brown sugar from the oak; pomander, vanilla, and cranberry sauce arrive in time.

Palate: Strong oak up front, which brings leather, black pepper, and spices like clove and nutmeg. Tannins, green rye grain, and a bit of peppermint add more spice dimensions; then it's waves of fruits, especially plum, raisin, strawberries, and cherries. Accents across our tasting sessions included wood smoke, tobacco leaf, and stone fruit; this has a medium-thick mouthfeel.

Finish: Leathery, black pepper, a pretty strong oak tannin influence. Baking notes like cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and bruleed sugar get increasingly strong, and we get softer notes of linen and tobacco at times. Fruits of raspberry, apple cider, and blood orange linger in the aftertaste, and it's a medium-long finish.

Final Note: This profile is perfect for those chilly winter days - lots of decadent sweetness from the red fruit notes and some baking spices, but also a strong, warming character from the strength and the heavy oak influence. The sweet and spicy notes did a good job of balancing each other out - this leaned just a bit toward the spicy, oaky side in our experience, but not by much.

Like the other Found North whiskies that we've tried, this brings a lot of layers of flavor, lots of complexity. Each piece of the blend is adding at least a subtle note to the profile, but the rye grain, new oak, and Port casks are doing the heavy lifting. Red fruits, dark fruits, lots of leather and tobacco - there's a lot to like here if you enjoy the heavily-oaked whisky profile.

Value is good, too. This is the cheapest Found North batched product we've seen in a few years, but it still delivers the same level of flavor that many of the other members of their collection bring. This release will be available exclusively through the brand's mailing list/lottery system instead of making its way to retail locations; we think it's worth entering the lottery to snag a bottle.

Our Average Rating: 8.7 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 7.24

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.