Canadian Whisky: Canada's spirit
 

Hello all,
I recently came across a neat blog (www.heatseekerwhisky.blogspot.com) as I was shopping for my latest quarantipple. I realised as an extension of the 'What are you drinking today's thread, it may be nice to share some thoughts on Canadian whiskies or even other spirits. Quite a few distilleries are working to produce sanitiser but it's always good to taste what is the original and most important spirit we make here.

In order to spite Ontario's evil overlords the LCBO (if you're in a province with regular private bottle shops, you don't know how good you have it), I've been ordering direct from the distilleries. I picked up a few from the JP Wiser website, which is an innovation I hope will last post-Covid.

I'll go first, with my evening dram:

https://www.lcbo.com/content/dam/lcb...1280.1280.jpeg

Lot 40
Distilled in Windsor, Ontario at Hiram Walker Distillery

Really nice at under $50, fairly complex and not just a dry rye spice, though that can be good sometimes. A fantastic gateway rye whisky, I'd say, with a balance of sweet, hot, and fruity/floral flavours. Really great stuff!

Anyone else with a good rye recommendation? Would be neat to see some of the bottles you can buy in Alberta and BC that the rest of us are deprived of l.

Cheers/Santé!

Edmonton's first Whiskey ever.

https://hansendistillery.com/products/northerneyes/

What makes this the first Canadian Craft whisky to come from Edmonton?
To qualify as a Canadian whisky, the spirit must be barrel aged for a minimum of three years. Northern Eyes Whisky is a 100% rye-based spirit that has been produced and aged at Hansen Distillery. The spirit has been barrel aged in a single, American oak barrel for the prerequisite three years. No neutral spirits. No blending. Northern Eyes Whisky is made right, right here in Edmonton, Alberta and the first craft Canadian whisky to come from a craft producer in the municipality of Edmonton.

NORTHERN EYES WHISKY

The Pride of Edmonton
As far as aged whisky goes, three years may not seem like a long time. However, in Edmonton’s very new craft distilling industry, three years is not only significant – it’s historic!
Handcrafted by distiller Kris Sustrik using 100% Alberta rye, and aged for three years in a single American oak barrel.
Proofed down to 43% ABV
Tasting Notes:
Nose: pear, leather, and tobacco
Palate: savoury and spicy with notes of dark caramel, mild vanilla, black pepper, and caramelized banana.
Finish: crisp with spiced pear while the barrel char and mild tobacco notes linger long afterwards

Not Edmonton but near by. I like this young whiskey. Normally drink a minimum 10 YO Scotch or Irish whiskey but found this one quite smooth.

Wandering Elk Albino.

https://www.elkislandspirits.com/?li...aItem-j0e7lf4x

Have Tasted Hansens and quite like it.

Anybody out there who, like me, finds "rye" a rather old-fashioned tipple? Something my parents would drink mixed with ginger ale or cola. Kind of a down-market beverage, although Crown Royal always seemed classier. :shrug:

Although, when I'm feeling retro and it's chilly outside, a good Manhattan does go down well....

For what it’s worth Canadian Club Whiskey is super popular in Japan and can be found at pretty much every supermarket, convenience store, night club and bar.

CC and Canada Dry is probably Canada's biggest contribution to bars around the world.

Canadian Whisky unfortunately has never done a whole lot for me by itself. I just can't really justify drinking a Canadian Rye (or American Bourbon) neat instead of Scotch. I always have a bottle around for mixing though.

Part of good whisky is a nice looking bottle as well. This one from Forty Creek is a favourite of mine.

https://i.imgur.com/7KEsFptl.png

I just polished off the last bit of my bottle of Lot 40 Rye last night. There's not a whole lot of Canadian Whisky that gets me excited (not the easy to get stuff anyway), but Lot 40 is up there. A tad bit sweet as a rye, but that makes it super approachable for people who may lean towards bourbon or some of the softer Canadian Whiskys. It's a strong recommend from me.

I could see that. Rye was the whisky of choice before prohibition, and it's only started to see a resurgence lately. Canadian whisky has always had a higher % of rye malt, though not enough to be considered an "American Rye". I still have relatives who interchangeably say rye when asking for whisky (which in turn will almost always mean Canadian whisky).

Rye is dang good in cocktails. The spiciness helps give that extra pop over everything else.

Forty Creek is my go-to whiskey. I don't usually sip it on its own, but it makes a great Boulevardier or Manhattan.

You are too concerned with image!

CC had a great ad campaign a decade or so ago where they just stepped up and owned it when it comes to brand perception

https://s22735.pcdn.co/wp-content/up...ll-321x391.png

https://s22735.pcdn.co/wp-content/up...ma-295x391.png

https://s22735.pcdn.co/wp-content/up...es-265x391.png

et cetera

source: https://www.printmag.com/featured/se...brand-revival/

Crown Royal, Canadian Club, Weiser's. 3 huge Canadian names in the whisky world.

Great thread idea.

I'm still 30 years old in my heart, but my decades-long marriage to rye and ginger (beginning aged 14 or 15 years onward)... reveals the harsh reality hidden on my birth certificate.

Switched to vodka on the rocks but that didn't turn out well.

BTW, pretty sure most Americans think Canada is basically "igloos and rye whiskey".

I'm a big 40 Creek fan, personally.

When the Wayne Gretzky 99 rye came out, I had a fantastic bottle. I got it again about six months later, and it was completely different. Very disappointing.

so am i the only one that thinks crown royal sucks?


winnipegs got a bunch of whiski being aged by fewplaces these days so be few yrs till we get to try it though

A seal waddles into a bar.
Bartender: “what’ll you have?”
Seal: “I’ll take anything but a Canadian Club”

I've never liked Crown Royal, and have always been a bit shocked to see it's a premium shot in many American bars.

When it comes to brown liquor I tend to prefer Scotch or Brandy (if that counts). But I do enjoy having 40 Creek on hand as a go-to mixer. Though right now we are making it through the rest of our extensive collection that's built up over the years.

On the whole I drink a lot more beer than hard liquor those days, which treats my head a lot better. Wish I could say the same for the mid-section, though...

Not big on Crown either, but I think a lot of people consider it the quintessential Canadian whisky. Considering the price it fetches per pour in a bar, you'd best be served having something like Canadian club in any mixed drink.

Bottle sure is nice though.

^well someone has to add a snare rimshot after that dark joke... thx for the smile.

Inspired by the joke:

A navy Seal wanders into a bar.

Bartender: "what'll you have?"

Seal (cleaning his night-vision goggles): Bin Laden... neat.

Bartender: Neat?

Seal: Yeah "neat" you f%cking asshole.

Bartender spills some of the drink. Seal grabs the Bartenders rag and cleans the counter.

I used to down rye by the gallons. Lost the taste as I got older. 40 Creek is great.

Yeah, Crown is overrated but nothing like Johnnie Walker Blue.

If you wanna try something fun...

Fifteen-month-old Champion City whisky (unaged). Alberta wheat whisky, double-barreled: First rest in virgin American oak quarter casks, then finished with a splash of rye in Marsala Italian sherry casks from the Isle of Sicily.

https://www.strathconaspirits.ca/pro...frontier-waltz