Though purists may disagree, you can't talk about Canadian whisky these days without examining one of the biggest trends in the category - the growth of flavoured whiskies and the expansion of rye into a whole new market segment. For over a century, spiced and honeyed whiskies (like Glayva, Southern Comfort, or Fireball) have been popular, as have whisky liqueurs like Sortilège. But in the last decade, ever-versatile Canadian whisky has led the world in bottling flavoured whiskies up and down the market. Crown Royal may be at the forefront of the trend, with a dozen flavours from peach to maple to Texas mesquite. And their most prominent is Regal Apple, which along with the others, has pushed sales growth for the brand even as their flagship bottling has seen declines.
It's not just Crown Royal though; indeed most of the major brands sell flavoured whiskies now, and some exist only in the subcategory. Revelstoke, Root Out, and Select Club are just three of the many brands doing big business in the States bottling Canadian whisky with unique flavours. And one of the largest and oldest, J.P. Wiser's, have tuned in to the market with their own offerings.
Founded in 1857, Wiser's can make the claim to be Canada's oldest extant whisky brand, beating out Canadian Club by one year! As with the namesake of the distillery, John Philip Wiser was an American who crossed into what would become Canada to distill whisky. He started in Prescott, Ontario and grew the distillery into a massive produced at home and for export. As Wiser's distillery grew, they became trailblazers in offering whisky for sale by the bottle at a time when whole-cask sales were common. In time, the distillery would be incorporated into Canadian spirits company Corby and, along with Gooderham and Worts, moved production to Windsor.
When they released their apple flavoured bottling in 2018, they chose to go with natural flavour. Aside from being probably less bad for your body and hangover, the choice of natural flavour elevates this from being a cheap 'gateway shooter' to something more; a whisky drink worthy of consideration and a neat alternative to your usual tipple. Perhaps in summer weather or for a twist on cocktails, this is a bottle worth a look for whisky enthusiasts.
J.P. Wiser's Apple
35% alc./vol.
$30 online at J.P. Wiser Experience
The nose brings apple juice right off the hop. Even from a distance, the crisp green apple skin note is pronounced. There's also a slight smokiness, providing a counterpoint to the bright fruit. Finally, the sweetness turns toward banana and a fresh corn note.
The banana note from the nose plays a surprisingly large role on the palate, which is led by banoffee pie; an interplay between fruit and butterscotch. Of course the green apple is there too, and there is the slightest suggestion of warming whisky spice. The palate is, as expected, sweet. But it isn't overly so - it manages to mostly avoid becoming cloying. What's more noticeable in its absence is the artificial saccharine flavours of, for example, an apple vodka. It tastes like whisky and apple juice, not whisky and 'apple flavouring green 45B' or whatever else.
The sweetness rises into the finish with both the green apple and lots of caramel. There is the hint of a crisp edge as well as lingering brown sugar and more sweetness. There's virtually no heat to speak of, surely a result of the 35% bottling strength.
Well, it's apple whisky. So, unsurprisingly it tastes like apple juice. No one looking for a spicy dram on a winter night should grab a bottle, but as a sweet spirit this is really nice. It doesn't taste artificial and is by far the best apple whisky I've tried, of the probably four or five such examples in my experience.
The cocktail potential is plainly evident but even as a sipper, this bottle manages to present the apple in an integrated, genuine way. I'm definitely feeling the sweetness on my tongue after sipping, but I wouldn't call it cloying or saccharine. As far as flavoured whisky goes, this one was crafted with a rare restraint and authenticity. In my flavoured whisky experience, however limited, this would be my recommendation.
As a whisky drinker, I'd love to try this at 40% and see if the heat and grain come through any more. But if I were looking to sip something sweet, this is a good bet at a great price.
Heatseeker Score: -
Category Score: 89
Characteristic: Fruit forward
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