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.
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