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 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).
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