Canadian shopping list help!

[MtnDew]

Canadian SBers, lend me your ear!

I'll be doing my at least once a year trip up to BC in March (last year I made 4 trips through BC and AB) and wanted to find out what "only in Canada" whiskys I should be on the look out for. Last year I brought back bottles of Lot 40, Forty Creek Copper Pot, FC Portwood, FC Confed Oak, Pikes Creek, and Alberta Dark Horse. I'll be spending time in Vancouver and Whistler so there should be a decent selection somewhere in there.

I know that BC prices as a whole suck, I've gagged when talking with a shop owner on his scotch prices, yikes! For this reason I only look at those I can't get in the states, or when the Canadian version is just better (like the pikes creek age statement vs NAS). I remember folks talking about a good version of Wisers that is CA only so I would be interested in that.

Thanks for the help!

[theglobalguy]

Looking at their site, the Lot 40 is $20 less in Canada than in the States (no idea in WA state with all your taxes). If you into Japanese Whisky, they seem to have a range of Nikka products.

[portwood]

The version of Wiser's you should be looking for is the Legacy - you may also consider the 18yo (not as good as the Legacy IMO). You already have the only other Canadian I would recommend (Lot no 40).

Some of note that may not be available in the US (not for me but the true Cdn Whisky fanatics swear by them) would be the following:

Danfield's 21yo ($45 in Ontario)

Gibson's 18yo ($75 in ON)

Century 21yo ($50 in ON). This one is called "rye" in the Canadian tradition but is actually 100% corn whisky, so may be of interest.

[Harry in WashDC]

At the risk of treating you like a five-year-old with no internet searching skills (if such a 5 yr old exists :skep:) --

I have scavenged Davin deK's site www.canadianwhisky.org off and on for a year or so. Davin recently posted his latest "best" list and usually identifies what is and is not available down here. Why do I care? WashDC gets a fair variety of, but just a little of, rare Canadian product (depending on the store) so I have to be quick on the better stuff.

[ThomasH]

Wisers Legacy is available here. Normally 43.00 in Ohio, it is on sale this month for 33.00!

Thomas

[portwood]

I have scavenged Davin deK's site www.canadianwhisky.org ...

By all means look around that website - it has a lot of good information - but caveat emptor, Davin is the current face of Canadian whisky*. For him, any Canadian whisky is great whisky by virtue of being Canadian. His average score is 4.5/5!

* He has many supporters but for some of us he's borderline fanatic in his support of the industry and the status quo (additives, 40% abv, calling 100% corn whisky "rye", etc).

Edited February 11, 2014 by portwood

[MtnDew]

By all means look around that website - it has a lot of good information - but caveat emptor, Davin is the current face of Canadian whisky*. For him, any Canadian whisky is great whisky by virtue of being Canadian. His average score is 4.5/5!

* He has many supporters but for some of us he's borderline fanatic in his support of the industry and the status quo (additives, 40% abv, calling 100% corn whisky "rye", etc).

[ChainWhip]

By all means look around that website - it has a lot of good information - but caveat emptor, Davin is the current face of Canadian whisky*. For him, any Canadian whisky is great whisky by virtue of being Canadian. His average score is 4.5/5!

* He has many supporters but for some of us he's borderline fanatic in his support of the industry and the status quo (additives, 40% abv, calling 100% corn whisky "rye", etc).

Edited February 12, 2014 by ChainWhip

[Frodo]

Two ideas come to me although I'd go for Portwoods recommendation.

- The Pike Creek that is sold up here is a more mature version than the one found in the States. I read that on Whiskey Advocate Blog I think.

- Cask 16 (Crown Royal) is being discontinued - most of the stock is still in Canada I believe. If you want this, buy now.

[MtnDew]

Two ideas come to me although I'd go for Portwoods recommendation.

- The Pike Creek that is sold up here is a more mature version than the one found in the States. I read that on Whiskey Advocate Blog I think.

- Cask 16 (Crown Royal) is being discontinued - most of the stock is still in Canada I believe. If you want this, buy now.

[smokinjoe]

Thanks for all the info! I'll take a look at the site and see what I can find when I'm up there, though at this point my list is quite small.

[MtnDew]

Enjoy your trip up North. Maybe, expand upon your search list to include bourbon. Never know what you may find!

Bourbon? Why would I look for bourbon north of the border? I don't recall ever seeing a decent bourbon selection, though many of the larger shops did have a nice scotch collection. And the prices... yikes! The only reason I'm willing to pay Canadian liquor prices is to get stuff I can't get in the states, otherwise I want nothing to do with them.

[smokinjoe]

Bourbon? Why would I look for bourbon north of the border? I don't recall ever seeing a decent bourbon selection, though many of the larger shops did have a nice scotch collection. And the prices... yikes! The only reason I'm willing to pay Canadian liquor prices is to get stuff I can't get in the states, otherwise I want nothing to do with them.

Hey, just trying to help. Sometimes ya gotta think outside the box.

[MtnDew]

Hey, just trying to help. Sometimes ya gotta think outside the box.

What the crap!?!?! Why would I EVER want to do that?!?!?! I am a good sheep!

The suggestion was not bad if the intention was to look for "lost" bottles that made it up to CA and are long gone in the US. Otherwise buying bourbon up north is crazy, I can't believe how much they have to pay for whiskey up there.

[DBM]

What the crap!?!?! Why would I EVER want to do that?!?!?! I am a good sheep!

The suggestion was not bad if the intention was to look for "lost" bottles that made it up to CA and are long gone in the US. Otherwise buying bourbon up north is crazy, I can't believe how much they have to pay for whiskey up there.

I was hauling a lot of wine north for a week in Whistler (BC wine is mediocre and imported US wine is crazy expensive) and didn't have any "spare" room for spirits so I decided to buy whatever drinkable bourbon I could find in BC and randomly found an OFBB 2010 in a North Van store... in 2013. Yeah it was $80, but that didn't stop me from buying it. All of BC's stock is online at bcliquor.com, wouldn't hurt to dig through it before you travel.

And if you have spare alcoholic content room at the border coming back, I'll take a Lot 40 off your hands!

[MtnDew]

I just may have room since we normally come back with 6-8 bottles and this time our budget is lower than usual. I'll let you know what I find.

And yes, I've spent lots of time on both the BC and Alberta provincial liquor sites. Albertas is a little harder to use but helped me find several fun bottles last year.

I was hauling a lot of wine north for a week in Whistler (BC wine is mediocre and imported US wine is crazy expensive) and didn't have any "spare" room for spirits so I decided to buy whatever drinkable bourbon I could find in BC and randomly found an OFBB 2010 in a North Van store... in 2013. Yeah it was $80, but that didn't stop me from buying it. All of BC's stock is online at bcliquor.com, wouldn't hurt to dig through it before you travel.

And if you have spare alcoholic content room at the border coming back, I'll take a Lot 40 off your hands!

[ChainWhip]

I really want to visit a couple of stores in Calgary

[portwood]

I really want to visit a couple of stores in Calgary

If you make it to Kensington Wine Market, say hi to Andrew Ferguson (@scotch_guy).

The guy knows his Scotch!

[MtnDew]

If you make it to Kensington Wine Market, say hi to Andrew Ferguson (@scotch_guy).

The guy knows his Scotch!

Calgary would be fun, I have not shopped there at all. I have stopped at a number of stores in both Vancouver and Edmonton, as well as Whistler but there are only like 2 there in total. Last year I drove all over Edmonton finding the few specific bottles on my list and I managed to get all of them. I have not started my research for this years trip yet but we should be good, apart from the duty frees on the way up and down, I'll be spending a few days in both Vancouver and Whistler so I'm bound to be able to find most items.

[ChainWhip]

If you make it to Kensington Wine Market, say hi to Andrew Ferguson (@scotch_guy).

The guy knows his Scotch!

That's exactly who/where I was thinking about when I mentioned Calgary!

[TunnelTiger]

Calgary is in the middle of nowhere and it's a long way from anywhere.

[MtnDew]

Calgary is in the middle of nowhere and it's a long way from anywhere.

And my family managed to drive through there 3 times in the last 8 years on vacations... but thats my family for you. Though we have also been to Edmonton 3 times as well, and not even on the same trips as Calgary! We travel to odd places...

[MtnDew]

So, day 2 of this years Canadian trip and so far I've picked up:

Duty Free

Glenfiddich Cask of Dreams Wine Cask

Wisers Legacy (1L)

BC Stores

3 x Lot 40

Forty Creek Heart of Gold

Writers Tears

Grants Sherry Cask

Now I'm debating if I should grab bottles of Alberta Springs 10 year, Alberta Premium, Centennial 10 year, and maybe another Dark Horse.

[WhiskyToWhiskey]

I'm a fan of Alberta Springs 10yr, very low priced and a great sipper. To date my favourite Canadian whisky is Masterson's 10yr. With Wiser's I like the 18yr slightly better than the Legacy (but a price of $70 has me not getting it often). My next Canadian purchase I'm thinking Collingwood 21yr Rye.

[portwood]

So, day 2 of this years Canadian trip and so far I've picked up:

Duty Free

Glenfiddich Cask of Dreams Wine Cask

Wisers Legacy (1L)

BC Stores

3 x Lot 40

Forty Creek Heart of Gold

Writers Tears

Grants Sherry Cask

Now I'm debating if I should grab bottles of Alberta Springs 10 year, Alberta Premium, Centennial 10 year, and maybe another Dark Horse.

Replied to your DM but my response merits posting in public, so here goes.

What I would do and what you should do are two different things ;-)

First, what I would do: get more lot no 40!

What you should do:

a) if its variety you want, between the choices listed, get the "basic" Alberta Premium. Second choice would be the AS10. IIFC the AS10 is same distillate as AP with more age. I'm not a fan of what they have done to come up with the Dark Horse* and so I'm biased against the taste profile as well, YMMV though.

If its quality you want, see "what I would do"

*To me its a liqueur not a whisky: they added straight bourbon (good news is that reports say it was OGD) and a small amount of "port" (Cdn wine made in port style) to the Canadian whisky to come up with the blend. Chances are they also added e150a, though that hasn't been confirmed.