Whisky Ephemeral Series No. 1
Experimental single malt captured in a one time release.
We are proud to release Whisky Ephemeral Series No. 1, the first expression in our experimental Ephemeral Series. This rare, limited single malt was built around one idea: deliberately caramelizing sugars in the mash tun to create flavour compounds that yeast alone cannot produce. The result is a uniquely expressive whisky shaped by five malted barleys, caramelized mash and long aging.
43 percent alc./vol.
750 ML
Style: Single malt whisky
Age: 8 years in first fill American white oak barrels
Batch size: 281 bottles only
Nose: Layers of malt sweetness, gentle caramel and toasted grain, with hints of orchard fruit and subtle spice.
Palate: Rich and textured, with caramelized sugars, honeyed cereal and warm baking spice, supported by a clean malt core.
Finish: Long and warming, with lingering malt and caramelized notes that slowly fade rather than disappear.
An experimental single malt, by design
For Ephemeral Series No. 1, the starting point was not a cask finish or a new grain. It was a question. What happens if you use the Maillard reaction inside the mash tun itself to build flavour before fermentation.
In a standard mash, the grain is constantly stirred while temperature is controlled at different rests so enzymes can convert starch into fermentable sugars. Here, CIRKA significantly reduced agitation, allowing a layer of sugary wort to settle on the walls of the mash tun. The team then carefully raised the temperature to gently overheat the wort and trigger controlled caramelization.
This Maillard driven step created flavour compounds that yeast alone could never produce. The team closely monitored the process to maintain enough residual sugar for fermentation. Once the target profile was reached, fermentation and distillation continued under CIRKA’s usual rigorous standards. The result is a single malt whose aromatic complexity is anchored in this one deliberate experiment in the mash tun rather than in additives or heavy finishes.
Five barleys, one single malt
Complexity in this whisky does not come from shortcuts. It starts with the grain. To build a layered malt profile, CIRKA selected five different malted barleys.
Two malts come from England’s oldest maltster, a family-owned house that has been working with barley since 1862. The other three originate in Québec. Two are produced by the province’s oldest maltster, while the last is made by the first local maltster to work using traditional floor malting.
These five barleys are treated as a single orchestra. Their flavours are then shaped by fermentation, distillation and eight years of aging in first fill American white oak barrels. Taken together with the caramelized mash, they give Ephemeral Series No. 1 a profile that cannot be replicated simply by changing a cask.
Distilled by CIRKA
From grain, to mash, to cask, to a single batch
At CIRKA, whisky already receives particular attention at every step. Grain selection, yeast choice, mash temperature profiles, fermentation time, distillation cuts and cask selection are all treated as levers to build character. Ephemeral Series No. 1 is the result of pushing that approach further, focusing on the mash itself as a place to create flavour through the Maillard reaction rather than leaving all the work to fermentation and wood.
The new make from this experiment was then aged for eight years in first fill American white oak, allowing the caramelized sugars, malt and oak to integrate over time. It is a one time release designed to test ideas and to share the result with people who care about how whisky is made.
FAQ
The Ephemeral Series is CIRKA’s experimental whisky platform. Each release explores a specific idea in whisky making and is bottled from a single, limited batch.
Ephemeral Series No. 1 focuses on caramelizing the mash to create new flavour compounds before fermentation.
Only 281 bottles were produced for Ephemeral Series No. 1. Once they are gone, this exact whisky will not be made again.
Whisky Ephemeral Series No. 1 is available in very limited quantity at the CIRKA distillery shop in Montréal.
No. Ephemeral Series No. 1 is not about smoke. The focus is on malt character, caramelized sugars and the influence of American white oak rather than peat.
It was created for both. The limited number of bottles makes it attractive to collectors, but the experiment only truly comes to life when it is tasted and shared. If you decide to open it, take your time, taste it neat and with a splash of water, and compare it with other CIRKA whiskies.
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