Cask Strength Creativity, Meticulous Blending, and the Brand Redefining Modern Canadian Whisky
Found North doesn’t feel like traditional Canadian whisky.
That’s intentional.
Founded by brothers Nick and Zach Taylor, Found North has rapidly become one of the most respected names in modern whiskey by sourcing exceptionally mature Canadian distillates and reshaping them through meticulous blending, secondary maturation, and thoughtful cask finishing. Every release is bottled at cask strength, non-chill filtered, and free from additives or coloring, but what truly separates Found North is not simply transparency or age statements — it’s the way each release is intentionally engineered to create a specific sensory experience.
A major part of that evolution has also come through Sammy Karaki, Found North’s Head Blender and Director of Innovation. His work has added additional precision and creative structure to the program, helping refine how components are selected, layered, and finished across both the core Batch series and the High Altitude Collection. Alongside the Taylor brothers and the broader team — including Chris Riesbeck, who plays a key role in education and brand engagement — Found North has continued to sharpen its identity while expanding what Canadian whisky can look and taste like at the highest level.
Whether through heavily toasted new oak, Cognac finishing, PX Sherry maturation, Sauternes influence, or carefully layered rye spice, Found North continues pushing Canadian whisky into spaces normally occupied by high-end bourbon, American Light Whiskey, and experimental world whisky blends. Yet despite the ambitious construction behind the scenes, the whiskies rarely feel overworked. Instead, they consistently balance richness, texture, fruit, spice, and mouthfeel with a level of precision that has made the brand one of the most sought-after lottery releases in whiskey today.
Below are my full reviews and experiences covering Found North releases, tastings, and the evolution of one of the most compelling independent whisky companies operating right now.
Featured Review
Cask Strength Batch 012 Review
Toasted marshmallow, crème brûlée, and layered rye spice define one of Found North’s most distinctive modern batches.
Batch 012 leans further into heavy toast influence and creamy mouthfeel while still maintaining the structure and intensity expected from the brand’s cask strength lineup. A fascinating evolution away from traditional Canadian whisky expectations.
Review Archive
Cask Strength Batch 011
Batch 011 trades subtlety for energy, delivering one of the brightest and most explosive Found North releases to date.
Floral spice, strawberries and cream, toasted vanilla, and a finish that seems to evolve by the second make this batch feel simultaneously chaotic and beautifully controlled. If Peregrine lounged in the corner quietly, Batch 011 owned the room.
Peregrine 2024
Peregrine 2024 remains one of the most complete whiskies Found North has released.
Cognac influence, old corn stocks, and vibrant rye spice collide in a pour that somehow feels fruity, floral, creamy, and intensely powerful all at once. This was the first Found North release to earn an official “Holy Heaven” rating from me for good reason.
Found North Goldfinch Review
Goldfinch may be the fruitiest and most dessert-like release in the High Altitude Collection so far.
Sauternes finishing transforms the profile into waves of honey crisp apple, cream cheese frosting, caramel apple, and toasted marshmallow while still preserving the dense texture and spice backbone Found North fans expect.
Found North Hell Diver 2025 Review
PX Sherry, Cognac, and new oak finishing push Hell Diver into warm dessert territory without overwhelming the whisky itself.
Strawberries and cream, chai latte spice, raspberry, plum, and cinnamon create one of the more comforting and long-lasting pours in the High Altitude lineup while somehow drinking softer than its proof suggests.
Found North Tastings & Experiences
An Evening with Found North and Chris Riesbeck
One of the more memorable whiskey club nights I’ve attended featured a full Found North tasting led by Chris Riesbeck, complete with deep dives into blending philosophy, finishing decisions, and the evolution of the brand’s batches and High Altitude releases. Between official pours and member bottle shares, we ended up exploring everything from Batch 006 through Batch 011 alongside Peregrine, Hover Hawk, Hell Diver, and several single barrels.
What stood out most was how clearly each release maintained its own identity while still feeling unmistakably “Found North.” The blending philosophy is aggressive and experimental on paper, but incredibly cohesive in the glass.
Why Found North Matters
Many independent bottlers source old whiskey.
Very few consistently transform sourced whiskey into something that feels genuinely singular.
That is where Found North continues to separate itself. The company’s releases rarely rely on age statements alone or flashy finishing gimmicks. Instead, the focus remains on balance, mouthfeel, texture, and the way sweetness, oak, spice, and fruit evolve together over time. Their whiskies often feel familiar enough to attract bourbon drinkers while remaining distinct enough to challenge assumptions about what Canadian whisky can become.
At this point, Found North is no longer simply an emerging independent bottler.
It has become one of the defining modern voices in North American whisky.
About Found North
Founded by brothers Nick and Zach Taylor, Found North has quickly become one of the most respected names in modern Canadian whisky despite being only a few years removed from its inaugural release. Rather than distilling their own spirit, Found North sources exceptionally mature Canadian whisky stocks and focuses intensely on secondary maturation, blending, and cask selection to create whiskies that feel distinct not only from traditional Canadian whisky, but often from anything else currently on the market. Every release is bottled at cask strength, non-chill filtered, and without additives or coloring.
What has separated Found North from many independent bottlers is the level of intentionality behind the blending itself. Their releases frequently combine multiple aged corn and rye components alongside carefully selected finishing casks ranging from toasted new oak to Cognac, PX Sherry, Madeira, Sauternes, Armagnac, and Hungarian oak. This work is driven not only by the founding vision of the Taylor brothers, but also by Sammy Karaki, Head Blender and Director of Innovation, whose role has been central in refining blend architecture and pushing the creative boundaries of the program. Despite the experimental nature of many releases, the whiskies rarely come across as gimmicky or over-finished. Instead, Found North has developed a reputation for creating highly textured, layered whiskies that balance maturity, sweetness, spice, and mouthfeel in ways that consistently challenge expectations surrounding Canadian whisky.
That approach has earned Found North an increasingly passionate following, with many releases selling out immediately through lottery allocations and multiple batches earning major awards including Double Gold honors at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Alongside the Taylor brothers, Sammy Karaki, and Chris Riesbeck — whose work spans ambassador, education, and community engagement — the brand’s public-facing presence has been shaped by a deep emphasis on transparency and education. The company’s success ultimately feels rooted not just in exceptional whisky, but in a genuine enthusiasm for pushing the category forward while remaining unusually open about how these whiskies are built.
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Disclosure: Some samples featured on this page were provided free of charge for review purposes. All opinions are my own.