Pike Creek 10 - Rum Finish

Windsor, Ontario's Hiram Walker Distillery is perhaps the most dynamic in the world. Covering an enormous area in the heart of the eponymous Walkerville neighbourhood, this massive facility churns out millions of litres of spirit from vodka to gin to liqueur. And of course whisky is the star here, being the home of Wiser's, Canadian Club, and Gibson's Finest among others. But the distillery also produces rum, most prominently the Lamb's brand. And with a one-year minimum aging requirement for Canadian rum, there are plenty of barrels imbued with the flavours of the sugarcane spirit. 

So, when Canada's preeminent brand of cask finished rye needed a new flagship, finishing Pike Creek in rum barrels only made sense. The whisky brand is named after the Windsor suburb where dozens of non-climate-controlled warehouses house the resting spirit, and appeared on shelves in 2012.

Originally, the flagship was finished in Port casks but around 2016, the switch to rum was made and the result has been a highly-praised sipping whisky. The brand puts out a handful of well-aged, rye forward blends that spend time in ex-Bourbon casks before being specially finished. For the 10 year old, which is listed simply as 'Double Barreled,' the liquid goes into the distinctive bottle at 42% and is resultingly a little bigger and richer for it. Up the ladder, the 21 year old Oloroso Sherry cask finish is very highly regarded and a 15 year Niagara wine cask finish will be released in the near future. Personally, I can't wait to get my hands on a bottle.

Pike Creek Double Barreled

42% alc./vol.

$35 at LCBO

If you didn't read the label, it wouldn't take long to figure out rum is involved in this bottling. The nose is quite strongly reminiscent of a personal favourite, Lamb's Spiced. Loads of caramel, vanilla, and molasses lead with a rich plum note providing depth. 

The sweetness of the nose carries through to a creamy palate led by sweet corn. Molasses and brown sugar drive with some cola notes behind. But lest this palate become too much like rum, a tightly integrated, oaky, spicy rye rises up from the background to bring this sipper right back into Canadian whisky territory. 

The hot rye leads the finish alongside bittersweet citrus pith. Some slight tannins add moreishness as the short but flavourful finish fades with a peppery burst of campfire rye spice.

This is a well-balanced sipping whisky that deserves its continued praise. A close analogue is fellow Windsorite Gibson's Finest Bold. The Pike Creek seems to have just a touch more refinement, though that term can be rather nebulous. Both are molasses-sweet whiskies with driving rye and higher bottling strengths. I really like how the rye grows so expressively into the finish of the Pike Creek, though, even moreso than the excellent Gibson's. It's almost too close to call if you had to pick a winner, but thankfully at around $35 for each, you can taste both. 

In all, we have a refined sipper from a brand that can hold its own at any tasting. Confidently a rye and with such balanced rum influence, this Pike Creek is a winner of a cask finished whisky.

Heatseeker Score: 88

Category Score: 91

Characteristic: Sweet and Spicy

Please also enjoy reviews of Pike Creek's sister brands J.P. Wiser's (Triple Barrel Rye) and Lot 40.

Gibson's Finest Rare (12 year)

Gibson's Finest is one of those Canadian labels you see everywhere, whether out or at someone's home. And for good reason; they were the first to really focus specifically on longer aging for their blends and made it the centrepiece of the Gibson's brand. Some great TV commercials, especially during CFL broadcasts, have made the "taste, fully aged" slogan a memorable one. With the distinctive and attractive bottle designs, Gibson's products lend a masculine feel to a whisky bar.

In fact, Gibson's history goes back to the 1850s when Irish spirits merchant John Gibson opened his own distillery in Pennsylvania. Like many of the distillers who's names now grace Canadian whisky history, Mr. Gibson's fortunes were shattered by the onset of Prohibition in the United States. Rather than move his operations to Canada, like many of his contemporaries, he was forced to shut down entirely. 

By 1945, the Gibson's Finest brand had been purchased by American spirits conglomerate Schenley Industries. At the time they were constructing the Valleyfield Distillery in Quebec, and later began producing whisky with the Gibson's name from there. That distillery grew, eventually becoming one of North America's largest, home to the Seagram's VO label (check out our review of VO Gold here).

Eventually, the brand was bought by Scotch giant William Grant and Sons and production of most bottles moved to the Hiram Walker Distillery in Windsor, North America's largest.

The Gibson's lineup focuses on a graduated scale of aged whiskies, from the young Sterling, up to Bold at 8 years (please enjoy our earlier review), Rare at 12, and 18 year old Venerable.

The Gibson's Finest Rare we enjoy today was distilled at Valleyfield though when production moved to Windsor, the casks followed, meaning blending was done there. The casks in question are ex-Bourbon and new white oak, so there's lots of potential for influence from the wood. In a year or so (2021) we should start seeing the new Hiram Walker distillate hit shelves, so it will be interesting to compare. 

For now, this is the rich and refined flagship of the Gibson's portfolio and upholds their reputation for reasonably priced whisky imbued with quality.

And, one thing to point out; I personally love the bottle design especially for the Mickey size (375mL). Instead of the usual, tired hip flask designs, Gibson's produced a bottle that is classy, ergonomic, pours well, and generally looks good when it comes out at a party or anywhere. So well done them for thoughtful design!

Gibson's Finest Rare

40% alc./vol.

$38 at LCBO (750mL)

The nose leaps between fruity and spicy, led by orange and rye, alongside butterscotch. After a few moments, the rye spice opens into a dusty, oaky warmth and some rich stewed prune. 

The palate is led by sweet, light corn and a potent rye with black pepper, orange zest, and toasted oak. Some baking spices - clove for sure - and vanilla are met by an increasing bitter citrus. Throughout, a medium intensity rye glow brings some oaky heat, and it spikes again late.

There's a surprising sour note that comes in too, adding some acidity that is set off very nicely against the full creamy mouthfeel. A late butterscotch note and some icing sugar sweetness lead into the short but warming finish.

The citrus returns here in the form of sweet orange and also bitter grapefruit. There's a nice tannic oak warmth and some medium rye spice. The echo of rye lingers a while longer with some bitterness and peppery heat. 

Not a bad dram at all with a lovely mouthfeel. If I'm looking to critique, which I am, I'd say this whisky is balanced but lacks some of the refinement you might look for in whisky this old. The mellowing influence of twelve years in oak seems to be pretty limited. 

That's not to say Rare doesn't pack a lot of flavour in; this is big whisky. Gibson's whiskies are known for bold flavours and this is no exception, but perhaps there's a bit more youthfulness than you'd expect from a whisky that so proudly trumpets it's extended aging. In the younger Bold bottling, the same peppery, brisk rye meets it match in that whisky's sweetness. Here, the rye maybe overpowers some of the subtle fruit flavours. Still, Rare is a flavourful all-rounder, even if lacking some elegance.

Though a little brash, Rare's creamy mouthfeel and moreish acidity make it an enjoyable sipper. That sour note, in particular, is a really nice signature element. It works so well set against the creamy sweetness, and makes this easy to drink. And as for the brashness, not every whisky needs to be gentle and elegant. I for one enjoy aggressive ryes.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the profile changes as 12 year distillate from Windsor starts to fill bottles. In the meantime, though, this is a broadly enjoyable whisky that presents well. It doesn't have the quiet refinement of Canadian Club's 12 year old bottling, but it does pack more flavour and nicely integrated rye. Overall it's a well-rounded sipper with a serious hit of heat and flavour. You can never really go wrong breaking out a bottle of Gibson's Finest and that's as true as ever after 12 years. 

Heatseeker Score: 86

Category Score: 87

Characteristic: Fruity

Please also enjoy our review of Gibson's Finest Bold (8 year old).

Canadian Club Classic (12 Year)

We recently reviewed Canadian Club's ubiquitous flagship, 1858, and found it surprisingly characterful. Now it's time to move up to the popular 12 year old expression from the iconic brand. Canadian Club Classic, as the more mature bottling is known, gets about twice the aging time of its younger sibling, using ex-Bourbon barrels. 

Canadian Club itself hardly needs an introduction as one of Canada's oldest and most prolific whisky brands. Its history goes back to 1858 when Detroit, Michigan grocer Hiram Walker began to distill whisky. With Prohibition looming in the State, Walker moved his operation across the river - and across the border - into Canada. Today the distillery that bears his name is a landmark on the Windsor skyline and forms the heart of the Walkerville neighbourhood which spring up around it.

The location of Hiram Walker Distillery right on the river made it a convenient spot for rum runners transporting alcohol into the US, but even before the onset of universal Prohibition, Walker's whisky had gained a reputation for its smoothness and became popular at private clubs throughout North America. In a bid to stifle the popularity of the imported whisky, the US government demanded Walker label his 'Club Whisky' as Canadian, but the move backfired and sent Canadian whisky's popularity into the stratosphere. To this day, Canadian whisky remains astronomically popular in the United States.

Canadian Club has obtained Royal Warrants from Queen Victoria through to Elizabeth and the whisky continues to be made in Windsor, though the distillery has changed hands at the corporate level. 

CC's 12 year bottling is particularly popular in Japan, and the Canadian version is a logical upward extension for the brand. The blend of rye (malted and unmalted), corn, and malted barley is (unusually, in Canada) aged together, rather than with each grain individually. In the end, twelve years in oak have bestowed a whisky that is elegantly mellow and quite pleasant.

^ the slightly redesigned current packaging

Canadian Club Classic

40% alc./vol.

$31.45 at LCBO (750mL)

Lots of caramel on the nose along with charred oak. Nutty and then a vanilla, cola profile. Some smoke on the back end and a buttery note, the combination is almost like bacon frying. But generally a gentle nose typical of sweeter Canadian blends. 

The palate begins with sweet maple and buttery creaminess set against a hint of hot rye. There is a pleasant malt flavour and lots of brown sugar. Some yeasty notes and a rich pumpernickel flavour come through subtly. The rye spice is white hot but very restrained, so that you get more of a suggestion of its flavour without the burst of heat. The palate is fairly simple but nicely balanced and quite creamy. 

The rye spice builds into the finish where it flashes with capsicum heat, though tempered by plenty of butterscotch. Slight bitterness but it's the hot rye note which lingers for a short while. 

That last burst of rye enlivens what is a most gentle, elegant, pleasant dram. What bold grain flavour the whisky may have lost from aging the different distillates together, it makes up for in thorough integration and balance. Classic 12 also has a nice malt note, from the high barley content, which is not often found in Canadian blends. 

It's not overly complex nor particularly bold in flavour profile, but I enjoy this as a truly pleasant sipper. It's ever so gentle, elegant, polite - a soft pillow rather than a lightning bolt, with just enough verve in it from the moment of spice on the finish. It's mild-mannered but offers up plenty of refinement thanks to its age. It's also worth noting, in spite of its age, this bottle is super affordable. A friendly whisky perfect for sharing with friends (or some happy sipping on your own).

Heatseeker Score: 87

Category Score: 89

Characteristic: Sweet

Please enjoy our other Canadian Club reviews; 1858 and Chairman's Select.