Report on Some Old-School Canadian Whiskies

[squire]

Yes, blue label, 90 proof, has the words 'pot still' on the label. I believe Wisers has had some prior editions of the Legacy label but doubt any of them are on our shelves.

[jaycamm]

Gary, have you tried the new CC Classic 12 Small Batch? If so, how does it compare to the original?

[Gillman]

I have and it's excellent. I believe it is a rebranding, or essentially. There is also a sherry cask version - to be essayed soon.

Gary

[squire]

Gary I look forward to your take on the CC Sherry Cask. I found the sherry influence a bit prominent in such a light style whisky.

[fishnbowljoe]

I found a store with some dusties a couple of years ago. Along with a few nice bourbons, I picked up a liter of Walker's Northern Light Canadian. It has a faux tax stamp, and the number 87 stamped on the bottom of the bottle. I haven't opened it yet. I've been holding off since it's the only dusty Canadian I have. Any of you other Canadian lovers tried this?

Joe

[squire]

Wish I could say you had a winner there Joe. This is one of Barton's Canadian products, 36 months old, 80 proof, goes well with ginger ale.

[BFerguson]

Can echo the Forty Creek, wonderful dessert port taste to it. Fairly widely available as well.

Squire, are you referring to the Wiser's Legacy with the blue label? Saw it pop up in Louisville a few weeks back. First time i'd seen outside the LCBO in Canada.

If you haven't had the Legacy, it's a must try.

Great product, and readily available in my neck of the woods.

B

[Wee Robbie]

In my neck of the woods Forty Creek Copper Pot Reserve can be had for a couple of bucks more than the Barrel Select and I think it is well worth it. Lots of Rye punch and nice on the palate. Even my wife who drinks her medicine with water and ice now prefers Copper Pot over her usual brand. Give it a try. Well worth the investment IMO.

[fishnbowljoe]

Wish I could say you had a winner there Joe. This is one of Barton's Canadian products, 36 months old, 80 proof, goes well with ginger ale.

[squire]

I always look on the bright side, life's too serious to be taken seriously.

[WhiskyRI]

There is a lot going right these days with Canadian Whisky. If you haven't read it I'd recommend Davin De Kergommeaux's book - Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert. He is actually leading my August tasting of Canadian Whiskies - which includes Wiser's Legacy, Lot 40 Single Copper Pot Still, Alberta Premium Dark Horse, Century Reserve 21, Still Waters Stalk & Barrel, Pike Creek Double Barreled, and Forty Creek Confederation Oak. It should be a lot of fun watching people's minds get opened to the wonders of our neighbor to the North. In June we had WhistlePig 10-year and 11-year as part of our tasting of "American Micro distiller's". During the tasting the WhistlePig representative quite openly acknowledged the fact that the whisky is from Canada.

[portwood]

There is a lot going right these days with Canadian Whisky. If you haven't read it I'd recommend Davin De Kergommeaux's book - Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert.

[WhiskyRI]

I haven't met him face-to-face yet but we've had good conversations by phone and email. He is enthusiastic about the Canadian Whiskies - so we'll see how a group of mostly skeptical people here in Rhode Island react to the whiskies. Because most of these the whiskies we'll be tasting next month aren't available in RI or MA, people's opinions of Canadian Whisky are mostly shaped by Black Velvet, Canadian Club and Crown Royal. Given the high scores Davin puts out there on Whisky Advocate - I too wonder if he's a bit like the proverbial Olympic "Romanian Judge" who gives out perfect marks on a regular basis. It'll be fun regardless.

[Gillman]

Bought a CC 12 years old today and this is by far the best one I've ever had. Very good but subtle flavours, winy, a bit caramel, with a light taste (it's there) of pot still-type whisky. When this is is good it's good but each bottle is slightly different, IMO.

Also bought Dark Horse from Alberta Distillers. This was too the best I've ever had. The first one was quite chemically, which is good in a way because it shows a decent amount of pot still batch whisky is being used. The second one, a couple of years later, was very bland and spirity: I could hardly taste any pot still. This current one hits the perfect balance, the drink is soft and a little fruity (blackcurrant like the label says, perhaps from a sherry addition but that's okay), with a definite touch of the batch rye in there - this one has a Blue Cheer-like edge, somewhat like the MGPI rye has, but well-blended with the base whisky. I understand it blends high-proof grain whisky of different ages - the base - and a circa-6 year old rye pot still whiskey aged in "charred casks" per the label, but whether new or reused barrels is not said. Anyway, a whisky of very good character especially at the price. It's one of the small group of Canadian whiskies with real character. Mind you that CC 12, which normally I wouldn't bracket with a whisky which has a pronounced pot still element, was very good as well. I happened to hit a great bottling, or perhaps Canadian Club is receiving renewed attention by the tasting panels in Windsor which approve the bottlings.

Gary

Edited May 31, 2014 by Gillman

[Guest]

Late coming to this thread but I have been greatly enjoying the Canadian Club Classic 12.  I have also been really digging the Crown Royal Hand Selected Barrel, which weighs in at 103 proof but drinks very light and sweet.  My brother / sipping partner didn't like it, as I think he is pretty much on the all-bourbon channel, but I think if you recognize you're drinking something different  -- there's good drinking to be had.  

 

Will look to some of the examples mentioned on this thread (thanks to all) to round out my Canadian selections.  My ma is from Thunder Bay, and I'm a big hockey fan, so it sorta comes natural.  

Edited December 31, 2016 by Steve L

[meadeweber]

On 12/31/2016 at 11:05 AM, Steve L said:

Late coming to this thread but I have been greatly enjoying the Canadian Club Classic 12.  I have also been really digging the Crown Royal Hand Selected Barrel, which weighs in at 103 proof but drinks very light and sweet.  My brother / sipping partner didn't like it, as I think he is pretty much on the all-bourbon channel, but I think if you recognize you're drinking something different  -- there's good drinking to be had.  

 

Will look to some of the examples mentioned on this thread (thanks to all) to round out my Canadian selections.  My ma is from Thunder Bay, and I'm a big hockey fan, so it sorta comes natural.  

I think I like Canadian whiskey more than most posters here.  I'm glad to see someone else enjoying Canadians.

 

Seems silly but I sometimes like to drink them while watching hockey, something about that Canadian connection that I like.

 

I have only had one bottle of the Hand Selected Barrel.  I liked it but to me it was more of a dessert whiskey.  I got a lot of coconut and banana cream pie flavor.

 

Unfortunately I did not care for CC12.  I recently made a trip to Canada and picked up a CC20.  I'm really looking forward to trying that one.

 

If you're looking for a suggestion for your next Canadian purchase, I would recommend Lot 40 or CR NHR (if you haven't had them).  I think they are both great.

Edited January 3, 2017 by meadeweber

[Guest]

33 minutes ago, meadeweber said:

I think I like Canadian whiskey more than most posters here.  I'm glad to see someone else enjoying Canadians.

 

Seems silly but I sometimes like to drink them while watching hockey, something about that Canadian connection that I like.

 

I have only had one bottle of the Hand Selected Barrel.  I liked it but to me it was more of a dessert whiskey.  I got a lot of coconut and banana cream pie flavor.

 

Unfortunately I did not care for CC12.  I recently made a trip to Canada and picked up a CC20.  I'm really looking forward to trying that one.

 

If you're looking for a suggestion for your next Canadian purchase, I would recommend Lot 40 or CR NHR (if you haven't had them).  I think they are both great.

 

I'm sentimentally connected to it because this is what my uncles and older cousins drank throughout my childhood -- Xmas parties, Thanksgiving, in the flask when trout fishing, etc.  My mom is from Ontario so there's a connection there too.  I agree with you on the Hand Selected Barrel -- and I pretty much always have that as a last drink of the evening.  A soft-sweet landing as it were.  I think the CC12 is in the same world in terms of sweetness (and again, not sure I'm imagining it but I definitely get the maple syrup flavor with this guy too).  

 

I've had Lot 40 on my list, and was teetering on the edge with CR NHR -- so will go over on the strength of your recommendation. : )

 

I picked up a handle of Forty Creek Barrel Select this weekend for 19.99 (yow).  Hope that's the same juice so many have said good things about.

 

Will report back here when I sample some...

 

[tanstaafl2]

56 minutes ago, meadeweber said:

I think I like Canadian whiskey more than most posters here.  I'm glad to see someone else enjoying Canadians.

 

Seems silly but I sometimes like to drink them while watching hockey, something about that Canadian connection that I like.

 

I have only had one bottle of the Hand Selected Barrel.  I liked it but to me it was more of a dessert whiskey.  I got a lot of coconut and banana cream pie flavor.

 

Unfortunately I did not care for CC12.  I recently made a trip to Canada and picked up a CC20.  I'm really looking forward to trying that one.

 

If you're looking for a suggestion for your next Canadian purchase, I would recommend Lot 40 or CR NHR (if you haven't had them).  I think they are both great.

 

Lot 40 is very good and worth seeking out to me. Only problem with Lot 40 is that I don't think it is very representative of most Canadian whisky. Also seems like some of the more interesting sounding stuff doesn't routinely filter its way down south of the border. If some US NDPs had not bottled the Alberta ryes I might still not have heard of them!

 

CR NHR I am still on the fence about. Better than most readily available Canadian whisky in my area but the bar is pretty low! I think the recent Select Barrels of CR were as good or better than NHR but they did not seem to do very well.

Edited January 3, 2017 by tanstaafl2

[portwood]

3 hours ago, tanstaafl2 said:

 

Only problem with Lot 40 is that I don't think it is very representative of most Canadian whisky.

 

Rather than a problem, I'd say that's its strength.

The reason it has received such good reviews is because its NOT like any other Canadian whisky on the market!

[meadeweber]

18 hours ago, portwood said:

 

Rather than a problem, I'd say that's its strength.

The reason it has received such good reviews is because its NOT like any other Canadian whisky on the market!

I don't think it's quite as different as you are making it out to be.  There are some similarities to other Canadian whiskies.  

 

I think Gary's article explains fairly well the reason we probably like Lot 40 better than most Canadians: http://www.beeretseq.com/this-is-how-we-make-whisky-in-canada/

[IncredulousNosco]

21 hours ago, meadeweber said:

I don't think it's quite as different as you are making it out to be.  There are some similarities to other Canadian whiskies.  

 

I think Gary's article explains fairly well the reason we probably like Lot 40 better than most Canadians: http://www.beeretseq.com/this-is-how-we-make-whisky-in-canada/

 

To which Canadian whiskies is Lot 40 similar? I'd love to try them, and I'd be surprised if I haven't. Although I have not had a opportunity to try Alberta Premium (proper) yet. 

 

The reason I like Lot 40, and pretty much none of the others that I've tried, is pretty simple. It doesn't taste like Canadian Whisky. I get none of the sugary sweetness, softness or overt creaminess that I get from APDH, CRNH, Pike Creek, Pendleton 1910 or Forty Creek and others. Lot 40 has far more in common with the US releases of Alberta product, or even MGP rye (particularly SAOS for some reason) than it does Canadian whisky. 

 

Lot 40 would likely be one of my all time favorite whiskies if it was higher ABV. And I'd love to try it barrel proof. 

[IncredulousNosco]

One one I'd add to the above--the actual whiskey that I have pictured in my avatar: Canadian Club 100% Rye. Other than Lot 40 and the US Alberta releases, this is my next favorite Canadian Whisky. I wouldn't say it is very good, but I do like it. Whereas I don't like APDH, CRNH, Pike Creek, Pendleton 1910 or Forty Creek and others.

 

For now it is simply too young and too under-proofed to be all that great. 

[meadeweber]

2 hours ago, IncredulousNosco said:

 

To which Canadian whiskies is Lot 40 similar?

Lot 40 has far more in common with the US releases of Alberta product, or even MGP rye (particularly SAOS for some reason) than it does Canadian whisky. 

 

I agree with you that Lot 40 has some of that rye character that I get in MGP rye.  I also pick that up in some of the CR releases including NHR and Monarch as well as some Wiser's. 

 

 

2 hours ago, IncredulousNosco said:

One one I'd add to the above--the actual whiskey that I have pictured in my avatar: Canadian Club 100% Rye. Other than Lot 40 and the US Alberta releases, this is my next favorite Canadian Whisky. I wouldn't say it is very good, but I do like it. Whereas I don't like APDH, CRNH, Pike Creek, Pendleton 1910 or Forty Creek and others.

 

For now it is simply too young and too under-proofed to be all that great. 

Chalk it up to different palates.  I really dislike CC 100% rye and I really like CR NHR.  I haven't tried standard Forty Creek or Pendleton.

Edited January 5, 2017 by meadeweber

[maybeling]

These are rumored to have a September release (found on reddit...). Not sure if they will make it to the USA or what $$$ would be.

 

Lot 40 CS 12 year 53.1%

Pike Creek 21 year Single Malt finish 45%

Gooderham & Worts Little Trinity 17 year Three Grain Blend 45%

J. P. Wiser's 35 year 50%

 

The Lot 40 CS and 50% ABV 35 year old certainly sound interesting to me!

 

Edited January 20, 2017 by maybeling

[tanstaafl2]

Yeah, the Lot 40 in particular sounds intriguing. Just depends on how much they intend to stick it to us for them!