Forty Creek Resolve

Melissa Bernais is back with another guest review of a 2020 Forty Creek limited release. A fellow Niagara College distilling grad and experienced Forty Creek-er, she also contributed a review of Three Grain. I haven't tried either of these bottles yet (tragically), so no scores for now but I'll be sure to add them when I finally get my hands on some.

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Tasting Resolve alongside Three Grain, the line from then to now is impossible to miss! Fruit forward, lush spice...it's all here, but is also absolutely a unique thing unto itself.

Resolve is the 14th annual limited edition release for Forty Creek, and the final installment in Master Distiller Bill Ashburn's triptych exploring the effects of barrel finishes. Unity (2018) was finished with mocha-forward staves, Victory (2019) showcased the effects of vanilla-toned oak, while Resolve absolutely doubles down on spice. Like Unity and Victory, Resolve also includes a small measure of aged starboard wine - a fortified red, similar to port - that Bill made back in 1999, tying the three bottles together in an unmistakable way. 

Hands down, this bottle is my fav Forty Creek limited release (sorry, Confederation Oak!). While showcasing spice, the baking spice and pepper-heat are in no way overwhelming - they're complex and assertive, showcased and tempered by sweet, lush elements that make this bottle intensely sippable. I seriously would've sold a butt tonne of this to anyone walking through the door - and it's probably better that I'm not there anymore, because this is where all my tip money would go!

Forty Creek Resolve

43% alc./vol.

$80 at LCBO

Nose: Barley and barley.  Did I say barley? There's a lot of sweet cereal on that first sniff. It's quickly followed by a tonne of gorgeous, complex notes: Raisin and ripe plum. Vanilla, a little bit of cocoa, and caramelized sugar. Nutmeg and cinnamon. And more delightfully, a complex undernote of barrel char. 

Palate: Following its nose, the first expression here is a lush sweet cereal grain, followed quickly by peppery heat and baking spices. A deep, red wine lives in the heart of this sip, bringing lovely round, jammy notes. Vanilla asserts itself, with a nice little explosion of cinnamon, and a hot, complex spiciness that lingers, and swings back to say HELLO! again, just so you don't forget it (how could you, really, though?)

Yep, these two bottles. They're very, very good. You need them. Trust.

Characteristic: Spicy and Fruity

Man, I need to try this one! -Robbie