Toronto Trip

[meadeweber]

I am taking a trip to Toronto in the near future and I'm thinking of picking up a few Canadian whiskies that I haven't had and haven't seen locally.  These are the ones that seem interesting:

 

Canadian Club 20 y/o

Forty Creek Confederation Oak

Gibson's 18

Gooderham & Worts

 

Anyone tried any of these?  If so, what did you think?

 

I recently opened a bottle of Wiser's Legacy and was disappointed but I will revisit it again before my trip.

[Megawatt]

I've tried them all.  Hard to say which would be best for you, given your disappointment with Legacy.  

 

CC20 and Gibson's 18 are similar: oak-heavy, buttery-smooth, with the sort of leafy notes which seem to develop in very old Canadian blends.  I'd say Gibson's is a tad better, at least balance-wise.  

 

Confederation Oak is excellent but took a while to grow on me.  I posted a review on my Connosr page if you're interested.  

 

Gooderham & Worts was interesting, very grain-heavy.  

 

Some others to consider:

 

Lot No. 40 is probably my favourite but is very rye-heavy and robust, not your typical Canadian at all.  

 

The Ninety 20 is a 90-proof 20 year old corn whisky from the old Potters distillery.  Rich and smooth though not very complex.  Good value.

 

Wiser's 18 is a good choice, though last time I bought it it was $45.  Reminds me of pancakes and syrup.  Nice autumn whisky.  

 

I really liked Wiser's Last Barrels but some found it too bourbon-like.  

 

For what it's worth, both Legacy and Confederation Oak seemed to improve after the bottle was open a while.  Or maybe as I got used to them.  

 

 

[Megawatt]

Here are my notes on Confederation Oak.  Apparently I liked it quite a lot!

 

Nose: sweet and herbal like Wiser's Lecagy but richer, more rounded, and less fruity. Perhaps the corn and barley malt speak louder than the rye in this blend. Soft and inviting, there is a sweet bread-like aroma.

Taste: crisp yet soft, it is all woodsy here. Pine forest. A very clean oakiness, not at all like a charred bourbon taste. Very unique delivery. Develops a balancing sourness mid-palate. Also coffee beans.

Finish: sweet and sour, with lasting wood notes. Again very clean.

This whisky stands up to everything I pit it against. Seems expensive, but worth the money.

[Megawatt]

Canadian Club 20:

 

Nose: a gentle intermingling of butterscotch and vanilla, along with damp wood. Deeper down I find a leafy/earthy note. With time, hints of orange or lemon zest emerge. Quite mellow yet complex enough to be intriguing.

Taste: slippery-smooth in the mouth, with toffee and butterscotch becoming slightly spicy at the back of the tongue. Very easy-drinking.

Finish: oak all the way.

Balance: the spirit seems just a little too light to hold up to this kind of aging. Certainly the grain character has taken a backseat here, but what else would you expect with a blended grain whisky of this vintage? Still, a highly drinkable, polished dram.

[Megawatt]

G & W Four Grain:

Nose: a grainy bouquet, if rather light. Honey with hints of maple.

Taste: full-bodied and sweet with a toasted grain and oak bite. Tasted blind I might guess it to be a Forty Creek special bottling. A little rough, though; needs some water to smooth it out.

Finish: bourbony finish, sweet and spicy with oak and honeyed grain.

Balance: a good whisky overall, deceptively complex with a nice mouthfeel. A much bigger dram than the nose would indicate.

[garbanzobean]

I think Forty Creek Confederation Oak is available in Maryland, so I would look here before you buy it in Canada.

[Paddy]

Good notes MW; thanks for posting. 

[meadeweber]

14 hours ago, garbanzobean said:

I think Forty Creek Confederation Oak is available in Maryland, so I would look here before you buy it in Canada.

Thanks for the heads up Eric!

[meadeweber]

15 hours ago, Megawatt said:

I've tried them all.  Hard to say which would be best for you, given your disappointment with Legacy.  

 

CC20 and Gibson's 18 are similar: oak-heavy, buttery-smooth, with the sort of leafy notes which seem to develop in very old Canadian blends.  I'd say Gibson's is a tad better, at least balance-wise.  

 

Confederation Oak is excellent but took a while to grow on me.  I posted a review on my Connosr page if you're interested.  

 

Gooderham & Worts was interesting, very grain-heavy.  

 

Some others to consider:

 

Lot No. 40 is probably my favourite but is very rye-heavy and robust, not your typical Canadian at all.  

 

The Ninety 20 is a 90-proof 20 year old corn whisky from the old Potters distillery.  Rich and smooth though not very complex.  Good value.

 

Wiser's 18 is a good choice, though last time I bought it it was $45.  Reminds me of pancakes and syrup.  Nice autumn whisky.  

 

I really liked Wiser's Last Barrels but some found it too bourbon-like.  

 

For what it's worth, both Legacy and Confederation Oak seemed to improve after the bottle was open a while.  Or maybe as I got used to them.  

 

 

Thanks a lot Megawatt that is very helpful!

 

I love Lot 40.   I purchased a few more bottles recently when they went on sale.

 

It's interesting that you say that Legacy improved after it was open for a while.  That was I was expecting to happen as well.  I'm not sure if it will be open long enough before my trip to experience that.

 

I expect to like Last Barrels a lot and my friend already has a bottle of that waiting for me.

 

I guess I wrote off Wiser's 18 because I read in multiple places that Legacy was better.

 

Thanks again!

[meadeweber]

Tried the Legacy again last night.  I liked it much more!  There are those flavors I was expecting.  As Megawatt said it would, it improved after it was open.