Seagram´s five star

[Hedmans Brorsa]

Gary, do you know anything about the Canadian brand Seagram´s five star rye whisky?

This bottling recently cropped up at a German whisky shop and I wonder if it´s something new or if they have unearthed some discontinued product. An Internet search didn´t yield much - in fact, most of the hits were auction sites.

It says "rye whisky" on the label. 100 %, or?

(I choose to post here instedad of PM, since there´s seem to be a widespread interest of rye).

[Gillman]

We have precisely this bottle in Ontario, I can buy it at 50 paces from my office.

I cannot plump for this whisky, however. It states "rye" on the label but at most that means rye grain is the non-small grains, as for the Alberta Distillers ryes, it does not change the fact this whisky is high proof distillate mostly, so it isn't that distinctive. I know this from tasting it a number of times (I buy it for blending experiments).

I'll tell you what I would do: I would buy this 5 Star and add 6-7 ounces of Lot 40 to it and a dash of cream sherry. That will be an excellent rye whisky Canadian style, the style of circa 1880, in fact.

Gary

[Hedmans Brorsa]

Thanks for the info. I think I save my money for something else, then. The Alberta bottlings (especially the premium ones) still exercise a weird attraction on me - they´re impossible to find here in Europe, though.

Moderators : I now realize that I have posted in the wrong sub-forum. This should of course be in the "Foreign whisky" section.

[Gillman]

The premium Albertans are good but they do not in my view offer a true rye whisky character. They offer a true Canadian rye whisky taste as that has evolved since the late 1800's, but it simply does not approach straight rye whisky. But many people like them on their own merits and nothing wrong with that. In Canada, 5 Star would be considered a good mixing rye, e.g. with Coke or ginger ale although probably some people like it on rocks or even neat. In the Canadians I like those that offer some taste of true rye whisky even if not pronounced. In this category I would place Lot 40 (apparently not being made at present but still available here and there), Schenley's OFC, Crown Royal Reserve (in fact all the Crown Royals), 10 year old Canadian Club, Forty Creek's whiskies, and maybe one or two others. Gibson's makes a good 18 year old I like because it has an interesting fruity/floral taste, sort of like a Glenmorangie of Canadian whisky.

I like the style that has emerged in Canada but in my view too often it stints on the flavoring whisky element and that element should be, in terms of the history, straight rye whisky.

Gary