> 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. ★★★★☆
> 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 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 (40% alc/vol.) Canadian Whisky Review
Dark fruits, Concord grapes, roses and spring flowers with a rich and creamy mouthfeel. Split cherry firewood with earthy rye and tingling hot pepper. Floral & Fragrant. ★★★★
> 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 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.★★★★☆
> 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 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.
> 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 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 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. ★★★★★
> 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. ★★★★☆
> 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.
> 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 – 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. ★★★★★
> 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. ★★★★☆
> 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. ★★★★★
> 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. ★★★★
> 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. ★★★★☆
> 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 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 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. ★★★★★
Can you let me know what cocktail that is in the photo? Looks great.
Hi Paul,
It’s a take on a Dry Manhattan in a Glencairn Canadian Whisky glass. Yes, it’s great for hot weather. Do you have a favourite cocktail or a Manhattan recipe to share? I have a piece on Manhattans (with appropriate glassware) in the queue waiting for when I run out of new arrivals and tasting notes.
One of the best canadian whisky ever for sure. A sure shot at any time ! and a true bargain. And again not available in Quebec province (no more comments on this one…)
Well LCBO has loads of it.
Yeah, these guys know how to make whisky, for sure.
It is a shame that the Three Grain was discontinued in the US. To me, it had much more rye character than the Barrel Select, but it is clear the US market wants sweeter smoother, more mix-friendly things from their CW than I. John’s Limited Editions like the Port Wood Reserve are truly outstanding examples of modern Canadian whisky-making.
Hi George,
Yes, the Three Grain is a very tasty whisky. I’m not sure you can find it in the shops anymore, but it is still available at the distillery. Since most Canadian distilleries will not accept visitors at all, maybe knowing the Three Grain is available at Kittling Ridge is just one more reason to make the trek there.
As far as withdrawing the Three Grain from the US, my understanding is it was a simple matter of not wanting to divide their marketing attention between two whiskies. Now that Barrel Select is a big hit, who knows, maybe there’s hope for Three Grain to return again.
Just got a message from John K Hall, and Forty Creek Double barrel makes his way in Quebec’s SAQ store by the end of september. What a good news !!!
You’re telling me, André, good news indeed. Double Barrel is even better than Barrel Select. And I’ll bet you are looking forward to the new one – Confederation Oak – which is to be released in September.
Well, John Hall will be with our whisky club in november for a private tasting. We will sample the new Confederation oak, with the barrel select, the double barrel, the 3 grains and the Mountain Rock.
Well expect great things! On top of making great whisky he is a very interesting speaker as well.
We are now offering the Official Glencairn Canadian Whisky Glass at http://www.scotchwhiskyglass.com
Davin, do you have any plans to taste the “three grain”?
Hi Darko,
Yes, I have notes for the Three Grain and the Portwood Reserve almost ready. Actually, I have quite a few reviews almost ready. The problem is getting them into the queue. Have you tried the Three Grain? I like it.
Davin
Actually, I just tried it today. I live near the distillery, and had gone to pick up some more “Barrel Select”.
I was surprised what a difference there was between the two whiskies. Of course, I came home with a bottle to give it a more in depth tasting.
Just tried the Forty Creek this evening and was blown away at it’s body and smooth flavor. Had to look up some reviews and this is the first one Google gave me. Love the whiskey and the site!
Thanks Shamus. I am glad you enjoyed the whisky and the review.
I look forward to reading your reviews on other libations!
I have enjoyed many bottles of Barrel Select. It has become a very popular whisky and as such the quality is now suffering. My last bottle had no sherry aroma, just a sweet taste, and a short alcohol finish. This last lot/batch is terrible. I will not be purchasing the more expensive versions of Forty Creek Whisky. Just a shame that these people have sold out the consumer!
Hi Larry,
If you are like me, from time to time your palate changes. Before you write off any particular whicky that you have already enjoyed, why not do a head-to-head tasting of an older and a newer bottling. My bets are you’ll find them quite similar. As well, the more you taste whisky, the more refined your palate becomes and you are much better able to taste the nuances.
I’ve bought about 15 quarts since the end of Nov. 2011 and am noticing the same thing as Larry. I don’t drink them all and have given a few away, but in the last while it doesn’t contain the same flavour and I sometimes find the urge to mix it while I normally enjoy it in a glass neat……
I did purchase a bad bottle, as subsequent bottles; purchased at different locations throughout my state, have been fantastic; furthermore, I have bought both the Confederation Oak and Double Barrel and found these whiskies excellent. Just wanted to set the record straight!
I’m also heading to Alberta for a while, can you recommend any good local whiskeys?
LCBO no longer carries the 40 Creek 3 grain. When will it be available again? Does anybody know?
Thanks
Forty Creek Three Grain was discontinued and the last bottles were sold at the distillery this past fall and winter. I don’t think they have any plans to re-issue it.
Davin
Sitting here in a TX bar and saw this bottle on the rail so pulled the trigger and asked for a pour. This is surprisingly good at 80 proof. I can’t find this in VA where I live so may have to get bottle for the trip home.
Being finished in sherry casks, does this bare any resemblance to Canadian Club sherry cask?
The CC is a lot fruitier.
I’m no expert , however , the Forty Creek Barrel Select is wonderful ! I’m an Evan Williams , Jim Beam Black and Wild Turkey 101 fan [ for when I want to feel like I just got smacked in the face
] . My wife would buy me a bottle of Crown Royal for a holiday , feeling it was something special and fancy . So , last Christmass she happened upon buying me the Forty Creek for something different . It’s very smooth and the flavor is fantastic ! Being it’s aged in sherry casks must really smooth out the edges in every way . The aroma is a touh sherry like , which is a mind bender . I drink it neat and I love it . For the money , it’s the finest whiskey I’ve ever tried
[...] Forty Creek Barrel Select is reviewed here. [...]