By Jenn Hill

If you’ve read some of my past whisky ramblings in the SSO newsletter, the name Mike Brisebois may already be familiar. I wrote before about Whisky Wonderland, one of the events he’s brought to Ottawa’s whisky community, and this September I headed off to another of his creations: Whisky Camp.

And yes, “camp” may be stretching the word a little. Think hotel rooms, excellent meals, masterclasses, cocktails, cigars and a very respectable amount of good whisky. Exactly my kind of roughing it!

A 4.5 litre bottle of Really Big Peat from Douglas Laing distillery, Photo Jen Hill

We kicked things off with a welcome dram poured from a rather crazy 4.5-litre bottle of Douglas Laing’s Really Big Peat, which certainly set the tone for the weekend. The scotch lineup stayed lively, especially during Igor Kossov’s tasting, where we tried Equinox & Solstice Teaninich 13 Year Old, Whisky-Fässle Glentauchers 12 Year Old, Old Orkney, Croftengea 2006 and Classic of Islay.

Beyond Scotch

The weekend had a bit of everything beyond scotch too: Canadian whisky, and French spirits, along with plenty of stories about the people and history behind what we were tasting.

Davin de Kergommeaux author of Canadian Whisky, Updated and Expanded (Third Edition) The Essential Portable Expert. Photo Jen Hill

One of the Saturday sessions was led by Davin de Kergommeaux, author of Canadian Whisky: The Essential Portable Expert. Davin has been writing on this topic for more than 25 years, and is also the founder and chair of the Canadian Whisky Awards. His updated third edition of Canadian Whisky was published in 2024 and includes history, distilleries and more than 100 tasting notes. It’s available to order through Penguin Random House and other booksellers.

Igor Kossov brought his usual mix of whisky knowledge and humour, while John Sleeman and his son, Cooper, shared stories about the family business and some of the projects they’re working on now.

One of the most interesting sessions gave us the chance to taste unreleased John Sleeman & Sons whiskies straight from the cask. We made our own tasting notes, compared impressions and even gave feedback on which ones we thought would make the best future release. It was a fun glimpse into behind the scenes.

There were also a few sessions that took us well beyond simply sitting with a glass in hand. A cigar masterclass showed us how leaves from different parts of the tobacco plant affect flavour, and later a hands-on cocktail class where we made our own caesars and whisky sours.

A “Heels Party”

The evenings were just as enjoyable. There were whisky dinners, live music and drams around the campfire. Saturday night finished with a “Heels Party,” where everyone brought along the last few pours from open bottles to share. Add chips, chocolate and a room full of whisky people talking over one another, and it became a wonderfully chaotic end to the day.

That’s one of the things I like most about Mike’s events -- they’re never just about drinking whisky. There’s always some history, storytelling, learning and community mixed in. You come away having tasted some remarkable things, but also knowing a little more than you did before and having met people who are just as enthusiastic about it all.

Find more info about Mike Brisebois and his whisky events here.

SSO Whisky Tasting in November

And for those who would like to continue the whisky journey a little closer to home, this weekend leads nicely into the Scottish Society of Ottawa’s own St. Andrew’s Day Whisky tasting in November. Keep an eye out for more information as the date gets closer.

Whisky Camp 2026: Another Great Weekend in Ottawa’s Whisky World