> Alberta Premium 30 Year Old Limited Edition®
Crisp clean oak and fresh red cedar, ripe fruit, butterscotch, vanilla, grapefruit pith, simmering spices, and dusty rye. A quick explosion of flavour followed by a slow, complex reveal. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★★
> Alberta Premium aged 25 years (40% alc./vol.)
Sweet vanilla pods and fresh-cut lumber. A complex mosaic of flavours from cedar to tropical fruit set on a creamy base with hot pepper and a delicate underlying citric zest. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★★
> Alberta Premium Dark Horse 45% alc/vol
Whisky drinkers seeking richer, more robust, and more sophisticated flavours will find that Alberta Premium Dark Horse delivers exactly that – an extraordinary symphony of rye. ★★★★★
> Alberta Springs aged 10 years (40% alc./vol.)
Luscious and weighty with beautifully integrated aromatic spices and waves of white pepper. Sweet, like Mackintosh’s® toffee, vanilla and dried fruit. Citric zest, linen, some dustiness, and hints of oak. Spicy Rye. ★★★★☆
> Amherst Gate 40%
Sweet, peppery and hot with dusty old wood, citrus zest, and burnt toffee that ends with a refreshing grapefruit pithiness. It’s a bit spirity which is why it works so well in cocktails and highballs. ★★★
> Bison Ridge Special Reserve 8 Year Old (40% alc/vol)
Buttery caramels with refreshing bitters in an oaky, peppery, and weighty dram. Mouth warming, spicy and smooth as the proverbial silk. Simple, straight forward, and richly flavourful. ★★★★
> Black Velvet aged 3 years (40% alc./vol. (80 proof))
Candy, sweet, dark fruit, cream sherry, pepper and hot spices, dusty, floral rye, spirit, slight zestiness, and hints of fresh wood. Fruity and Spicy. ★★★
> Black Velvet Deluxe (40% alc./vol.)
Creamy caramel and hot pepper. Ripe dark fruit, citric zest, fresh-cut wood and hints of spirit. Mild rye spices – cloves, cinnamon, ginger. A bit under-stated. Spicy Rye. ★★★☆
> Black Velvet Reserve 8 years old (40% abv (80 proof))
Caramel and pepper dominate well-defined fruits, fresh oak, vanilla, rye spices and zesty undertones. Both dusty and oily. Rich and Round. ★★★★
> Black Velvet Toasted Caramel 35% alc/vol
Succulent buttery caramel cream, canned cream-style corn and Mackintosh’s toffee waft gently into softly glowing peppery rye spices.
> Bush Pilot’s Private Reserve (43% alc./vol.)
Crisp, clean, Canadian oak. Musty corn, cardboard, gentle caramels and vanilla. Herbal, slightly spicy and quite peppery with a cleansing citric pith. Malty & Dry. ★★★★☆
> Canadian Club 30 year old (40% alc./vol.)
Fragrant and flavourful with sweet dark fruit, loads of fresh-cut wood, hot pepper, and recurring rich tobacco notes. Deceptively complex and surprisingly lively. Rich & Round. ★★★★★
> Canadian Club 40 Year Old
Plums, prunes, black currents balanced with sweet butter tarts and baking spices and the warming glow of real black pepper. Silky mouthfeel with hints of oak but not the woodiness of long-aged whisky. ★★★★★
> Canadian Club aged 15 years (40% alc./vol.)
Creamy smooth and full-bodied. Peppery with subtle, understated fresh cedar, black fruits, caramel, musty corn, citric zest, and pith. Soft Corn. ★★★★☆
> Canadian Club aged 20 years (40% alc./vol.)
A weighty, highly integrated, and fruity synthesis of wood, toffee, vanilla, dusty rye, and baking spices, with developing hot pepper, dark fruits, prune juice, and citric zest. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★★
> Canadian Club Classic 12 year old (40% alc./vol.)
Sweet oak caramels and burnt sugar, raisins, prunes, and Christmas cake. Peppery with a slippery creaminess and underlying notes of clean oak. Fruity & Spicy. ★★★☆
> Canadian Club Dock No. 57 (40% alc/vol)
A typical fruity, rye-forward Canadian Club nose becomes sweet, hot, and spicy on the tongue. The most whisky like of the spiced whiskies with added notes of black licorice, Mom’s baking vanilla and a touch of clean oak.
> Canadian Club Reserve 10 years old (40% alc./vol.)
Sweet, peppery, and fruity, with a pleasing bitter zest. Hard, flinty, earthy rye tinged with cinnamon and ginger. Nice weight and creamy mouthfeel. Spicy Rye. ★★★★
> Canadian Club Sherry Cask (41.3% alc./vol.) Batch SC-018
Rich and very fruity– from raisins to peaches to berries. Sweet hot tobacco, black tea, pencil shavings, pepper and baking spices. Fruity & Spicy. ★★★★☆
> Canadian Hunter 40% alc./vol. (80 proof)
Faint spirit evolves into robust rye spices with rich butterscotch, hints of dry grain, and ripe dark fruits. Very flavourful and mouth-filling with sizzling pepper, fleshy dark fruits and lime peel. Spicy Rye. ★★★☆
> Canadian Mist (40% alc./vol. (80 proof))
Toffee sweet, vanilla, grassy with citric fruits, and a cleansing bitter lemon zest. Some earthiness, sour mash, rye grain and rye spices, with a youthful spirit. Malty & Dry. ★★★☆
> Canadian Mist Black Diamond (43% alc./vol. (86 proof))
Brio, cola, white pepper, ginger, sultanas, prunes, coconut, grapefruit zest and juice, dry grain, mash, and hints of fresh-cut lumber. Fruity & Spicy. ★★★☆
> Canadian Rockies 10 Year Old 40% alc/vol
An excellent example of a well-aged Canadian whisky with a bold display of gingery spice, pepper, exotic fruit – kumquats, passion fruit – and oak. Finishes with a slight pleasing pithiness. ★★★★☆
> Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old 40% alc/vol
Robust, yet elegant and fine. Continues to develop in the mouth and in the glass. Sip slowly for maximum pleasure. Red cedar, lilacs, kumquats, and spicy-hot pepper in a rich butterscotch. ★★★★★
> Caribou Crossing Single Barrel (40% alc./vol. (80 proof))
Creamy vanilla, a dusting of rye spices, bursts of citrus and a veritable tsunami of fresh-cut wood. Soft Corn. ★★★★★
> Century Reserve 21 year old (40% alc./vol.)
Rich in nuance and suggestion, though muted, this is about as complex as pure corn whisky gets, with bittersweet citric notes, lilacs, spices, fresh-cut wood, and hot pepper. Soft Corn/Rich & Oaky. ★★★★☆
> Century Reserve Lot 15/25 40% alc/vol
Charred oak, pencil shavings and silky tannins melt into sweet citrus fruit, marzipan, hints of flowers and a certain meatiness. Peppery baking spices. Finishes long and hot with woody undertones. A carpenter’s nirvana. ★★★★★
> Chinook 5 year old Canadian Whisky (40% alc./vol.)
Ripe fruit and stewed prunes with vanilla coconut custard, blistering hot spices and a nutty cereal side accented with rose water, dusty roads and hints of oak. Fruity & Spicy. ★★★☆
> Collingwood 21-Year-Old Canadian Rye
Mellow, smooth and oh so robust with dark and sour rye bread, floral tones, something like licorice, and loads of herbal notes. The smoothest of the smooth. ★★★★☆
> Coyote Ugly Canadian Whisky (40% alc/vol)
Scotch snobs who rely on age statements to tell them if they like what they are drinking take note: Coyote Ugly is one three-year-old shooting whisky that is simply loaded with flavour. Loaded! Recommended. ★★★☆
> Crown Royal Black 45% alc./vol. (90 proof)
Rum-soaked Christmas cake. Creamy, with vanilla, hot pepper, ginger, dark fruit, orange bitters, Bourbon, charcoal, oak, and floral notes. Rich and Round. ★★★★
> Crown Royal Blenders Mash 40%
Fruity/floral esters, vanilla, green apples, nutty and creamy with clean grain and oak tannins. A silky smooth and very approachable whisky. ★★★★☆
> Crown Royal Bourbon Mash 40%
High esters, vanilla, green apples, nutty and creamy with oak tannins. A silky smooth Canadian whisky in the bourbon vein. ★★★★☆
> Crown Royal Cask No. 16 (40% alc./vol.)
Peaches, apricots, Concord grapes and Port wine with rye spices, hot white pepper, peach pits and bitter lemon. Fresh-cut lumber. Fruity & Spicy. Last Call – 2013. ★★★★☆
> Crown Royal Cornerstone Blend 40.3%
Spicy, sweet, fruity and floral. Rye spices, rye grain and fresh-cut cedar. The fruity notes turn tropical with mango, papaya and bananas. Chocolate tones that linger just below the surface fade slowly away.
> Crown Royal Fine De Luxe from 1963 (40% alc./vol.)
A complex synthesis of ginger, clove oil, hot white pepper, cedar lumber, and prunes, with fresh spring lilacs and pansies and wilted tobacco. Caramel, vanilla and cooling citric pith. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★★
> Crown Royal Limited Edition (40% abv)
Controlled, elegant, creamy, and balanced with nutmeg, cloves and ginger, hot pepper and peppermint, green and ripe apples, floral bourbon-like vanilla and oak, cereal, and orange bitters. Spicy Rye. ★★★★☆
> Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye 45%
Sweetness and apple pie with hints of roses that develop tingly spices, crispy wood and typical rye fruitiness. Smooth vanilla pudding with a buttery finish. ★★★★★
> Crown Royal X.O.
The smoothest Crown Royal ever, except for the 1939 original. Rich and creamy in the mouth with clean wood, leather, tobacco and ripe black fruits Some berry notes and sizzling gingery pepper. ★★★★★
> Crown Royal XR – Extra Rare (40% alc./vol.)
A rich, weighty, hugely complex and skillfully structured whisky displaying ripe red fruit, fresh-cut oak, hot spices, dry grain, and violets. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★☆
> Crown Royal XR LaSalle Canadian Whisky
★★★★☆ Prune juice, sweet sherry and black fruit with spicy heat, clean oak and a delectable mix of clean farm smells and coniferous forest. Rich and creamy with a dash of black licorice.
> Danfield’s Limited Edition 21 years old (40% alc./vol.)
Classic rye spices—cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and pepper—all brought together in a lumber yard. Sweet, fragrant wood with a tangy citric zest and lots of weight. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★☆
> Dillon’s – The White Rye 40%
Dillon’s unaged Canadian rye grain spirit is handcrafted in a copper pot still, from 100% Ontario-grown rye, without being aged in wood, thus showcasing the pristine flavours of the rye grain itself.
> Dillon’s Rye Whisky 59%
Hot, and sweet with dark fruits, creamy cereals, hints of pansies. Burley tobacco takes it into the lower registers as do hints of oak. A bright, lively, potent, but not overly complex whisky, with a sweet and fruity finish.★★★★☆
> Dock 57 Blackberry 40% alc/vol
Blueberries, grape popsicle, sweet simple syrup and maybe just a hint of clean oak in a whisky liqueur-cum-ice-cream-topping designed for summer patio or winter hot spot bliss.
> Forty Creek Barrel Select (40% alc./vol.)
Creamy, sweet corn whisky with dusty, earthy rye, ripe red fruits, sherry, sweet-and-sour sauce, floral perfume, ginger, cinnamon, hot pepper, and hints of citric peels. Fruity & Spicy. ★★★★
> Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve (40% alc./vol.)
Butterscotch, fresh-cut wood, toasted oak and wood smoke. Sweet vanilla, berries, barbeque sauce, mash, granola. Restrained, but full-flavoured. Rich & Round. ★★★★☆
> Forty Creek Copper Pot Reserve 43% alc/vol
Rich toffee and searing chili peppers with bursting rye spices, rye grain and bitter orange. A delicate floral touch with oaky maple syrup. Rich and hearty. ★★★★
> Forty Creek Cream Liquor 17% alc/vol
John K. Hall looked to Ireland for inspiration when crafting one of his latest creations, a cream liquor, made with fresh Ontario dairy cream in a base of Forty Creek whisky.
> Forty Creek Double Barrel Reserve (40% alc./vol.)
Toasted oak sugars, vanilla, hot pepper, mustard, and ginger. Lemon cream, sweet- and-sour rye, dry grain, new sawdust, fresh fruit, and a citric zestiness. Almost chewy. Soft Corn. ★★★★☆
> Forty Creek Heart of Gold 43% – Preview
Oh my, what wonderful whisky! On-line reservations from Monday, May 27th to Friday, June 21st, 2013. After that you take your chances.
> Forty Creek John’s Private Cask No. 1 Review
Bursting gingery spice bombs, dark fruits, clean sweet wood, and crème caramel. A spice
“Monster.” Sultry fruits and dusky rye spices like fireworks in an ancient muggy rainforest. Spicy Rye. ★★★★★
> Forty Creek Port Wood Reserve 2012 45% alc/vol
Full-bodied with floral rye, black fruit, herbs, butterscotch, licorice root, celery, gunpowder, & old Madeira. Spiced fruit berries, apple cider, sweet pipe tobacco, clean oak, peppery cloves and cinnamon hearts. ★★★★★
> Forty Creek Three Grain Harmony
Mountains of dark fruit, toffee, and crispy oak burst to life amidst searing peppers. The initial boldness is then tempered with a delicate range of fruits, spices and floral notes. Complex. ★★★★★
> Gibson’s Bold 8 year old 46%
Redolent of rum, kola beans, vanilla, and sweet rye on the nose and the ever-so-robust palate. Sizzling spices spiciness and the classic Gibson’s grapefruit pith finish. ★★★★
> Gibson’s Finest aged 12 years (40% alc./vol.)
Crème brûlée, oak, cedar, spicy pepper, cloves, citric zest, black fruits, strawberries and cream. Masterfully balanced and seamlessly integrated. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★
> Gibson’s Finest Rare Bourbon Cask (40% alc./vol.)
Creamy, soft, round and smooth. Fresh-cut wood, caramel, and vanilla. Hot peppery spices, a slight saltiness, and gentle citric zest. Mildly floral and fruity. Soft Corn. ★★★★
> Gibson’s Finest Sterling (40% alc/vol)
Rich and creamy mouthfeel with a plethora of sweet fruits and berries, citric zest and pith, a nuttiness, black pepper, and hints of spirit. Soft Corn. ★★★★
> Gibson’s Finest 100th Grey Cup Limited Edition
Spicy rye, butterscotch, and vanilla fudge, with glowing with heat. Hot pepper is softened by vanilla ice cream and fresh dairy butter. Real maple sugar and real maple syrup accentuate clean wood.
> Gibson’s Finest Rare 18 years old (40% alc./vol.)
Sweet, spicy oak and pine sawdust, rich in toffee, vanilla, and hot spicy pepper. Biscuits, with typical rye dustiness, spice, fruit, and just a drop of pickle juice. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★★
> Glen Breton Battle of the Glen (43% alc./vol.)
A complex interplay of fresh fruit, spring flowers, nutty grain, and hot white pepper all kept in place by the pith of white grapefruit. Floral & Fragrant. ★★★★☆
> Golden Wedding 40% abv
Hot, peppery and slightly spirity. Rich in toffee, with hints of burnt caramel and nutty dry grain. Dusty rye with earthy and flinty overtones and hints of pickle juice. Cooked fruit and hints of flowers. ★★★☆
> Gooderham & Worts
Warm floral tones, fresh-baked bread, clean but creamy palate with nutty dry grain, and a warming glow in the throat. ★★★★★
> Gooderham & Worts (44.4%)
Pansies, clean, crisp oak, dry grain, dark fruits and pithy citrus notes. Tightly integrated and very complex. Great Canadian whisky. ★★★★★
> Gooderham & Worts Little Trinity 17yo
Clean wood, vanilla, crème brulée, dried candied fruit, smoldering rye spices, creamy corn and delicate barrel notes. ★★★★★
> Gooderhams Centennial 15yo
Dark fruits, wet slate, sweet spices and assertive pepper. Sweet, crisp and slightly pulling. Great complexity and tightly balanced. Fruity, silky, long and clean. ★★★★★
> Grand Grizzly (40% Alc/Vol)
Black pepper and an earthiness reminiscent of agave spirit give way to hard and gingery rye while citrus zest, with dark fruits, real black pepper, and dashes of pickle juice meld into cold wet slate. ★★★★
> Highwood 25 Year Old Calgary Stampede Whisky
Vanilla ice cream with butterscotch pudding and real maple syrup. Fresh, sweet red cedar and weathered wood, dried cloves, sweet grapefruit juice. ★★★★★
> Highwood Canadian Maple Whisky 22% alc/vol
What’s a visitor to bring home from a visit to Canada? The easy answer is maple syrup. The whisky lover’s answer is Highwood’s maple whisky.
> Highwood Ninety 20 Year Old (45% alc/vol)
Rich, luxurious and creamy sweet with dark fruit, maple cream, cooked corncobs, hot peppermint candy and both sweet and savoury spices. Huge, complex and simply gorgeous. ★★★★★
> JP Wiser’s 18 Year Old
Complex, balanced and elegant with green apples, clean lumber, peppery spices, butterscotch, vanilla, barrel notes, cigar box, and dried baking fruits. Typical Canadian citric zest finish. ★★★★★
> JP Wiser’s Hopped Whisky (40%)
Canvas and burlap with heavy fall flowers and dry brown hay. The palate begins with burnt caramel, searing spices and ripe orchard fruits and ends in a long juicy finish with a slight bitterness that integrates IPA hops and citrus pith. ★★★★☆
> JP Wisers 35 Year Old – 50% abv
Fruity floral tones, oak, tobacco, sweet grain, and brisk and glowing peppers. Hints of hay and green grass. Soft waxy finish. ★★★★★
> JP Wisers Last Barrels 45%
Floral fruity esters, sweet butterscotch, balsam, crisp clean wood, tobacco, vanilla, dark fruits, silky corn and lively peppers The glories of great spirit matured slowly. ★★★★★
> JP Wiser’s Double Still Rye (43.4%)
Big whisky with butterscotch, bracing hot peppers, sweet baking spices, dried grain, roasted chestnuts, dried fruit, and coffee beans. ★★★★☆
> Lohin McKinnon 43%
Malty with cereal notes, mild honey, tree fruits, gentle spices and a creamy mouthfeel. ★★★☆
> Lord Calvert Canadian (Seagram’s 1970-80s) 40% alc./vol.
Maple butter, vanilla, and butterscotch. Dry wood, shellac, cedar, apricots and lilacs. Fresh-churned butter. Balanced, simple, and very flavourful. Soft Corn. ★★★☆
> Lot 40 (43% alc./vol.)
Rye, rye bread, sour rye, floral rye, hard rye, earthy rye, dusty rye grain, and then sweet citric notes, oranges, hot peppery spices, and tannic wood. Spicy Rye. ★★★★★
> Lot No 40 Cask Strength 55%
Dark fruits, blistering spices, pleasingly bitter with oak caramels, an oiliness and hints of wild flowers. ★★★★★
> Lot No. 40 – 2012 Release 43% alc/vol
Hard Christmas candy, sour rye and sweet fruitiness with hot pepper, hotter spices and heavy rye bread. A pleasing farminess accents sweet floral esters. ★★★★★
> Masterson’s Straight Rye Whiskey (45% alc./vol.)
A carefully crafted panorama of grassy dry grain, moist earth and burlap sacks, along with zingy pepper, blossoming floral vanilla, fragrant leather and tobacco leaves. Spicy Rye. ★★★★★
> Mastersons 12 Year Old Straight Wheat Whiskey (50% alc/vol)
Grand Marnier, luscious sweet buckwheat honey, creamy, rich and mouth filling, bran buds with chocolate milk, hot and peppery. Dried, dark fruits, barrel notes. Creamy and weighty in the mouth. Highly recommended. ★★★★☆
> Masterson’s Straight Barley Whiskey (46% alc/vol)
Unusual 100% unmalted barley whisky with a huge herbal nose and dusty herbal palate. Earth, corn cobs, fennel, green apples, sweet spices and crème brulée. ★★★★★
> My Very Own Crown Royal
Dark ripe fruit, lively spices, clean crisp oak, simmering white pepper and citrus zest all wrapped in luscious butterscotch. Big, big whisky.
> Pendleton 1910 Canadian Rye Whisky 40% alc./vol
Butterscotch and maple fudge with cleansing zesty limes. Gingery hot pepper and fresh cooling mint. Crisp charred oak. Rich, weighty, balanced, and ever so complex. Fruity & Spicy. ★★★★☆
> Pendleton Midnight (45%)
Full bodied with hefty toffee notes and searing peppers over flinty rye, citrus notes and soft fruit. ★★★★☆ (Four and one half stars)
> Pike Creek – Export Edition (40% alc/vol)
Red wine and ripe red fruit with candied ginger, caramel and blistering pepper. Minty and herbal notes complement the softest oak tannins. A big, slippery, smooth, voluptuous whisky. ★★★★☆
> Pike Creek 10 year old 40% alc/vol
Spicy dark fruit, poached pears, gingery spice, and clean oak. Like a nutty fruit bar with cleansing bitter grapefruit pith on the finish. Treads softly into single malt territory. ★★★★★
> Pike Creek 21yo Speyside Finish 45%
Sweet and fruity with dry lumber, tobacco, mild peppery spices, malted barley and dried fruit. Mouth warming and a little bit slippery. ★★★★★
> Proof Whisky (42% alc./vol) – Canadian Whisky Preview
Introducing Proof Whisky, a new Canadian whisky from Toronto’s Proof Brands, that has been showing up quietly on LCBO shelves for the past couple of weeks.
> Revel Stoke Spiced Whisky (45% alc/vol (90 proof))
Rich and creamy; smooth as the proverbial baby’s bottom. Vanilla, camphor, cherry cough drops, spicy pepper, and pleasing citric pith. Tasty Spice.
> Rich & Rare 40% alc./vol. (80 proof)
A vibrant young whisky with a lush and creamy richness. Caramel and sweet fruits swim in peppery rye spices, musty rye and sweet fruit. A tightly balanced mixer. ★★★☆
> Rich & Rare Reserve (40% alc./vol. (80 proof))
Full-flavoured and peppery with creamy maple syrup, clean oak, hints of rose petals, dark fruit, and tangy oranges. Fruity and Spicy. ★★★★
> Royal Canadian Small Batch (40% alc/vol (80 proof))
A very sweet fruit smoothie with earthy rye, hints of fresh oak, hot pepper, baking spices, pickle juice, spirit, and refreshing bitter notes. Fruity & Spicy. ★★★☆
> Royal Reserve Canadian Rye Whisky (40% alc./vol.)
Prototypical light and smooth 1970s cocktail whisky. Starts small, gradually becoming complex but subtle, with brittle rye, hot pepper, creamy toffee and lemon zing. Spicy Rye. ★★★☆
> Royal Velvet (40% alc./vol.)
Pine pitch, Canada balsam, butterscotch, clove oil, dusty rye, pickle juice, hot pepper, flowers, and assorted fruits all neatly stitched into one. ★★★★☆
> Seagram’s VO (40% alc./vol.)
Much nuance, many hints. Pepper, ginger and other rye spices, ripe dark fruit, earth, dry grain, floral notes, vanilla, cedar, Fruity & Spicy. ★★★
> Shelter Point 5 Year Old Single Grain Rye 46% alc/vol
A complex synthesis of maple sugar, licorice cough drops, ripe black fruits, sweet flowers, and sizzling pepper painted in oils on an artist’s canvas. ★★★★
> Snake River Stampede 8 year old 40% abv (80 proof)
Butterscotch, dusty rye, hot white pepper, dark fruits and ginger. Refreshing citric pith and zest. Creamy smooth, then slightly grippy. Spicy Rye. ★★★★
> Stalk & Barrel Cask 1 (62.3% alc/vol)
Sweet, poached pears, marzipan, and apple pie with juicy fruit gum, cinnamon, nutmeg, wet hay, and earthy rye. Grain dust and cream of wheat mellow hot white pepper. Youthful but mature beyond its years. ★★★☆
> Still Waters 1+11 Canadian Whisky (40% alc/vol)
A tingling effervescence turns initially buttery, mouth-filling, toffee indulgences into clear, clean refreshment. Ever-present hot pepper is restrained by a richness of body and crisp cleansing pith. ★★★★☆
> Twelve Barrels 40%
Hits all the right notes with sweet intro, peppery, spicy, citrus middle and a longish peppery, pithy finish. ★★★★
> WhistlePig 10 year old Straight 100% Rye Whiskey
Dave Pickerell is a true icon of the American whisky industry so when he declares Canada as the source of the world’s very best rye whisky, that’s news to be shouted from the rooftops.
> White Owl Spiced Whisky (40% alc/vol)
Subtle vanilla, crisp oak, rich butterscotch and subtle rye spices, then hot pepper, lots of citrus pith in the finish with tingling ginger and cloves – a most whisky-like spiced whisky.
> White Owl Whisky 40% alc./vol.
Sprite™, citrus fruit cooler, anise, soft baking spices, butterscotch, hot cayenne, hints of oak tannins. Probably the tastiest white whisky anywhere in the world.
> Wiser’s Dissertation – Thesis in a Bottle
Maple syrup, vanilla, oak, marzipan, suggestions of red fruits and floral rye notes. Luxurious creamy mouthfeel and developing hot peppery spices. Complex and beautifully balanced. ★★★★★
> Wiser’s Legacy: Canadian Whisky Review
Sweet, rich and very spicy with overt rye notes. Cinnamon and cloves, dark fruits, hot peppermint and citric zest. Spectacular. Very highly recommended. ★★★★★
> Wiser’s Red Letter 2013 Release 45% alc/vol
Dusty rye, baking spices, crisp oak and fresh-cut firewood, with vanilla-caramel sweetness dissolve in a long, hot, gingery finish that fades to citrus pith. ★★★★★
> Wiser’s Small Batch (43.4% alc./vol.)
Big whisky. Cinnamon, cloves, and other rye spices. Dark fruits, vanilla, butterscotch, cedar oil, some earthy tones, and a slight flintiness. Weighty. Spicy Rye. ★★★★☆
> Wiser’s 18 years old, aka Wiser’s Very Old (40% alc./vol.)
Wood, wood, wood, but ever so complex with hot pepper, baking spices, butterscotch, vanilla, rye grain, tobacco, cigar box, sour-dough, and dried baking fruits ending in a citric zestiness. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★★
> Wiser’s Red Letter, 150th Anniversary (45% alc./vol.)
Complex, ever-changing flavours of dry grain, tobacco, Christmas spices, wood smoke, new tires, sour German rye bread, black fruits, cedar and fresh-sawn oak, toffee, vanilla, hot pepper, and bitter grapefruit. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★★
I can’t wait for it to show up at the LCBO.
[...] One of the best and most unique new whiskies in Canada is being distilled in Collingwood, just a couple of hours north of here – but thanks to its popularity south of the border, you can't buy it in Ontario. Yet. [Canadian Whisky] [...]
Definitely something different for a Canadian. I would say the maple wood in this Collingwood has as dramatic of an effect on the whisky as the sherry casks have on CC Sherry Cask or the cognac barrels have on CR 16, while being something entirely different than either of those.
It’s a good whisky for sure, but in the $20-30 range gets _strong_ competition from Forty Creek Barrel Select and Canadian Club Sherry Cask (IMHO).
Thanks for the review!
Interesting comparison, Shaggy.
I’m going to try Collingwood but I wish they would let the product speak for itself instead of taking digs at Crown Royal. Somewhere else I read the Brown-Forman guy saying, “People have figured out by now that a fancy bag and bottle doesn’t make a good whisky.” Spoken by the guy with one of the fanciest bottles in the industry!
Collingwood is at the LCBO now ($29.95). Just arrived, apparently.
Picked up a bottle today. I’m looking forward to trying it.
Jeepers, I don’t know about this one, Davin. A long metallic aftertaste that makes me feel like I just flossed with tin-foil.
The nose is indeed fruity, oakey, and promising, but the finish just undermines what is a passable whisky.
I’m going to stow this one at the back of the cabinet and try it in the late autumn. Perhaps after I crush some maple leaves underfoot I’ll be better able to appreciate this maple-enhanced whisky.
It’s unusual, no question, but I did not detect any off notes. You’re probably right to put it away and come back to it later.
Davin
Happy to see this is now widely available at the LCBO. It’s an outstanding addition and at this price it’s a steal. I personally find it’s quirkiness refreshing and original. By the way, nice pair of articles in December’s issue if Whisky Magazine!
Quirkiness – yes, that’s the word. It really is quite in a class by itself. Just shows that innovation is alive and well in Canadian whisky. Thanks re: the articles.
was in Canada for holidays, 14 days round with a rented car…in niagara on the lake went in an LCBO and seen this bottle. only by seeing this fantastic modern but also classical design, i known it must be something fine!
now back in Austria, and i tasted it, and what can i say? simply fantastic, a fine and fantasic whisky. will miss him when the bottle is finished!!
where can i buy it online?
OR better, is there anybody out there who would buy for me this whisky and post it austria?
Hi Thomas,
Probably it would be best for you to try a liquor store in the U.S. Wally’s Wines, Binny’s or Drink Up New York each have mail order services.
I’m glad you like Collingwood. It is a very innovative new Canadian whisky.
Hello Thomas,
I am an old Ontario boy who now lives in Bavaria.
I am trying to get Canadian Whisky regularly flown in to Munich. If it works I might be able to stock up on a few extras. My Dad just brought me some Forty Creek – Barrel Select (he was supposed to have bought me the Double Barrel), Wiser’s – Special Blend (He was supposed to have bought me the Small Batch)and Gibon’s Finest 12yrs. What can I say he is 72 and thought I shouldn’t be spending so much on Whisky. He is coming again in two weeks for Christmas and the Collingwood is on the list.
Let me know if you are interested.
Davin,
Looking at the photo and reading the tasting notes, you could be convinced that Collingwood is a cologne or a deodorant rather than a whisky. I don’t think they did themselves any favours with the packaging. However the notes do point to an interesting whisky.
Pretty damn good rye. After the tenth drink it still tasted great. I like the so called “quirkiness” taste.
This is from a scotch enthusiast, not been keen on so-called rye.
Tried Collingwood recently out of curiosity.
Not being eloquent, I’ll skip to the end: Collingwood is great and I’ve served it to friends who are keeners on ‘rye’ via ‘blind tastings’ so they did not know what they were getting. Without exception, they also thought Collingwood was excellent.
Together, we’d say it has a pleasant depth, suitably complex enough for you to go, “Hmmm, now THAT’S worth having again.”
Served with a few drops of water or MAYBE 1 cube.
Defintly worth a try for something different, I am enjoying it as we speak.
Picked up a bottle after speaking to the LCBO staff about it (always on the look out for a new Canadian Whisky) and wow. I love it. Different in a great way. I agree that its nice to see innovation in Canadian whisky and I hope it continues. Love it. Be picking up more of this for sure.
[...] Collingwood A new flavour from an established distillery, Collingwood took Canada by storm in 2011. Loads of robust rye notes have been bolstered by extra time spent in a marrying vat with staves of toasted maple. The result? A fruity, spicy quality unmatched in any other whisky. On sale now for $27.95. [...]
Got a bottle of this for Christmas & I must be the only one here who doesn’t like it. Even my wife who loves rye made a face sampling it.
I’m almost tempted to pour it down the sink. If I wanted sweet, I would have bought a liqueur.
Mike, I have to agree. I picked up a bottle for Christmas entertaining, and wasn’t a fan. Throwing a couple maple logs into the Canadian Mist vat, and dressing it up in an oversized cologne bottle, wasn’t enough for me.
I will say, from a pure marketing standpoint…well done!
I got a bottle for Christmas too. I grew up on Georgian Bay, so my daughter thought it appropriate. I’m a Crown Royal fan, but I must say this stuff is okay. Different in a goofy kind of way. You can sure taste the maple.
I love it (except for the plastic pour insert). It is my favorite Canadian (and in my top 10 of all spirits under $40 US for that matter).
Have a new favourite. Though Crown and most recently the exceptional Forty Creek will still be stocked, this will take a very nice position in the Bar.
I first tried this a few weeks ago and I was impressed. Another good whisky in the $30 category. Interesting how this one has some mixed views but more are praising.
Yes, i liked it right off the bat. It is not a “typical” Canadian whisky, if there is such a thing, so some people are surprised by the flavour. I think they have done a really great job with it though.
I absolutely love this whisky. I’m always on the lookout for a new Canadian whisky, and I love when distillers decide to try something different. Distilling is an art, and sometimes experimenting produces some of the best art. Some people seem to have a certain resentment to Collingwood and it’s atypical distilling process, but I revel in it. It has a terrific nose, palate, and finish, and I always want to go back for more. Contrary to what a few others seem to think, in my opinion the bottle looks great. Still doesn’t beat Wiser’s Small Batch, Legacy, or 18 Y.O. for me, but for $30 I’ll gladly get another bottle down the road.
Collingwood has finally made it to Georgia. I saw it this week at one of my finer local package stores and picked up a bottle. One of the things I like about Canadian whisky shows here: it’s different. It isn’t like any of the Forty Creeks, it isn’t like Wiser’s 18yo, it isn’t like Caribou Crossing, it isn’t like Cask No.16, but it’s still Canadian. I’m not a big fan of standard big volume Canadian whiskies, but many of the experiments and more artisanal releases are simply beautiful, including those I mention above and this one. Considering Brown-Forman has given us the always interesting and usually stellar Woodford Reserve Master Collection offerings, including a maple finished bourbon, I think this fits in well with their unique approach to extending their whisky lines.
Thanks. I couldn’t agree more.
3 months ago I tried Collingwood and found it too sweet, overmellowed and unbalanced. Today I tried it again and it tastes a bit better on the palate than what I remember…but the finish tastes like warm pepper moving to notes of tobacco and cherry…exactly like a 99 cent Century Sam cigar that I remember trying 20 years ago. This one may just not be for me.
Hi Andy,
Funny, I was just talking about this today with Johanne McInnis from the Saint John Whisky Tasting Society. People such as Johanne and I, who like Collingwood, really like it, while others just can’t get their heads around it. We decided it was the “Laphroaig” of Canadian whisky. – love it or hate it, but no half measures.
I live in Northern Ontario & I can’t get this without driving South a few hours, however with that said, since trying this stuff, I’ve made a trip every 3 months or so to stock up. It’s truly amazing, very smooth and for some great reason you don’t get a hangover!!!!!
If your closest LCBO is a few hours south, then it’s worth the drive, but if there is a closer one you could ask them to order it for you.
reading the comments dissing it make me laugh. must be haters from other companies because I’m Canadian, we know our Whiskey. Let it be known that it’s the only alcohol I consume (I hate drinking beer/wine/coolers). Do yourself a favour and at least try it if you’re looking for a SMOOTH glass of rye. if you prefer your whiskey to taste HARSH or BITTER then stick to the standard kinds (available in Canada at regular price) like; Crown Royal, Canadian Club, Alberta Premium, Wiser’s, Gibson’s…
I really like Collingwood. As you say it is different from a lot of other whiskies, though recognizably Canadian whisky. However, some people prefer the more traditional flavours. I call this the Laphroaig of Canadian whisky – you love it or you hate it when you first try it, but eventually you come back to it.
I am stoked to try this whisky. I finally got the bottle that i picked up while in Nova Scotia after the Toronto airport lost my luggage. Must be a tough little bottle to put up with the punishment.
Well, I’m Canadian, and as are all good Canadians, I’m a rye fan. When I first started drinking I was a Wisers Deluxe guy, and I still enjoy the stuff but I graduated to something I consider a superior, more complex and smoother product, Gibsons Finest. Gibsons finest has been my drink of choice for the last five years and I have tried many. Wisers 18 is nice but the flavor isn’t quite there for me. Gibsons rare is great and I may have enjoyed it more than the finest but I can no longer find it so I can’t really count it. Crown royal is swill, be it black, legacy, reserve, or the traditional stuff, I haven’t tried the others available but then I have no faith in the brand. Forty creek is a nice whiskey just a tad mild for my taste, although until now it was in close competition with Wisers Deluxe for my number two choice, the double barrel is also very good but a little to much like a bourbon for my taste,(I had a bad experience, call it over consumption). Centennial was fine for mixing but eh, century reserve 15 was nice but again the flavor just didn’t turn my crank. I could go on but the point is Collingwood is now my number two with Forty Creek and Wisers Deluxe vying for third. Collingwood has a remarkable flavor, I thought long and hard about the right word to describe the flavor of this whiskey and I feel remarkable suits it best. Whether you mix it or drink it neat, or perhaps with a single cube, the flavor is both unique and familiar at the same time, its warming and inviting, I would describe it as moreish but then what decent whiskey isn’t? Anyways to any one out there who hasn’t tried it, or tried it once and wasn’t a fan I say try it, or try it again. Pour yourself a nice glass in your favorite tumbler, add a cube if your unsure, and sit in your favorite chair and sip it, roll it around your mouth and really taste it, look for the familiar Canadian whiskey flavor, it’s there, but then appreciate the differentness, the subtle maple wood flavor, the spicy bite, the smooth almost creamy mouth feel, like with any whiskey most taste something just a little different but if you really take your time I have no doubt you’ll enjoy this whiskey. I know I did.
Although very decent on it’s own, this is probably my favorite mixer. Try it with Coke Zero and the maple amazingly stands out.
On it’s own I taste bourbon over the maple.
Hi, I`m a long time rye lover, Canadian rye that is. Crown Royal has long been a standard to compare other whiskies too, all Canadians know it and its classic smooth canadian rye flavour.
This is a very interesting whiskey. Its not really even fully a rye whiskey, as part of the blend is made from a mash of corn and barley. This alone should give it a fuller, perhaps slightly smoother taste. Yet it still tastes like Canadian rye. The maple staves do something all together different, I can taste the maple right off, tho it is subtle. I have tasted a few Canadian Rye whiskies that have been flavoured with real maple syrup, these are more like liquers to me, too sweet tho ok as a after dinner “dessert” drink perhaps. This is a sipping whiskey, a young one true…is short life is noticable though not in a harsh way.( young rye tends to be quite harsh to me)I wonder what it would be like with a year or 3 in the actual maple barrels?
Its good, very good, though was way to expensive here in B.C.. Wisers small batch is very good and a bit cheaper, though it is a very rich strong wiskey..not a traditional Canadian flavour at all(similar too C.R. Black, tho better imo)This is a traditional Candian whiskey, with a subtle twist. Its not rye trying to be Scotch, like the sherry flavoured stuff..its Candian whiskey with just a hint of maple, and fruit…quite peppery on the finish, but that I think is what hides its youth to a degree.
looking to buy
My favorite has been lost; Canadian Club 12 year old, replaced by Small Batch 12 year old.
Harsher.
I stand in my local LCBO, scanning what is available, thinking and trying reasonable alternatives.
My list:
Alberta Premium; the best tasting, less expensive whiskey going. However, short on lingering flavour.
40 Creek. both regular and Copper. Just too sweet for me. Good stuff but…
Wiser’s Deluxe; hmmm. Local to me but, terrible stuff.
Crown Royal. No flavour. Maple; wow- too sweet. CR Black; best alternative for flavour.
Wiser’s 18 Year Old: great! too much for my budget
Centennial; gave it away; weak.
Gibson’s. Disgusting. End of sentence.
Dark Horse. Wow. Strong stuff. Mite try this one again. Again. strong flavour., but good stuff.
Tonight; trying Collingwood. So far, great taste. A little sweet. Decent secondary flavour, but not there for the finish.
I am torn.
Maybe, someone can read what I am looking for and suggest a replacement for CC12 Classic.
sadCCwdrinker
Have you tried Hiram Walker Special Old? It is priced at lcbo below $25 and a great sipper. I would be willing to bet this whisky in a blind tasting vs others in the $50-$100 range would do quite well.
[...] Collingwood Canadian whisky is reviewed here. [...]
I just picked up a bottle of this as a “Last Chance” item at the Newfoundland Liquor Corporation, with $5 off the $39 price tag to help clear it out of the NLC’s inventory.
I like the whisky quite a bit, but the plastic insert in the opening of the bottle is useless and frustrating. It would be fine to pour through if it were tight and flat with the glass, but it is not. There’s enough space for a thin stream to dribble out between the plastic and the glass, at the same time that the intended full stream of whisky comes through the designed opening.
So, I removed the plastic bit and some whisky still dribbled down the neck and side of the bottle while the main stream poured into the glass. It seems that I cannot pour this whisky from this bottle without losing some whisky each time. Maybe, without the plastic insert, tipping the bottle very quickly will keep it from dribbling as it pours in one forceful stream. I’ll likely end up pouring more than I intend as I do the quick tip, but at least it’ll be going in my glass (hopefully), and not onto the table.
The bottle and cover look good, but it doesn’t seem very practical. I’ll give it another shot without the plastic insert, but if I lose more whisky, I may have to do a quick tip and pour the whole bottle into an empty bottle from another brand.
Re: the Laphroaig of whiskey, you have to have a cigar with Laphroaig just to dull your olfactory senses enough to choke it down. This is smooth right out of the bottle, I’d equate the Collingwood more to the Oban or Glenmorangie of Canadian whiskey.