Wayne Gretzky Red Cask

Amidst the vines and pastoral vistas of Niagara-on-the-Lake sits a new distillery that has really made a name for itself. Or rather, has been bestowed a name befitting it's aspirations of greatness. A collaboration between the Great One himself and Niagara wine tycoon Andrew Peller, Wayne Gretzky Distillery shows what a startup can be with massive financial backing. 

The sister to the successful Gretzky wine brand, this distillery quickly became a buzzy tourist attraction with an outdoor rink in the vineyard and year-round outdoor whisky bar. During my time living in Niagara, I could often be found with my skates and a half finished bottle of rye at the bus stop outside the distillery. Now, there is also a brewery as part of the trifecta of alcoholic pleasures to be found onsite. It's truly a fantastic addition to an incredible part of Ontario and we'll worth a visit. 

Though Gretzky himself is involved more in name than in day to day operations, the whiskies take his story into account. The grain, for example, is sourced from near his hometown of Brantford, Ontario. 

The base offering is Red Cask which features malted and unmalted rye as well as corn. The distillates are aged three years in ex-Bourbon casks and finished in red wine casks from Gretzky's wine brand. The aging process is undertaken at the massive Peller facility in Grimsby, visible from the Queen Elizabeth Way when driving into Niagara Region. Other Gretzky whiskies include an Icewine finish and "99 Proof," a gimmicky but really good bottling. They also put out a whisky cream that is, I must say, the best of any I've tried anywhere. 

^The gleaming column still at Wayne Gretzky Distillery

Wayne Gretzky No.99 Red Cask

40% alc./vol.

$40 at The Wine Shop

On the nose, a bright honey sweetness opens. There is a definite heat, reminiscent of young spirit, but not overwhelmingly so. Slight spice and a subtle tart berry note take over, no doubt the wine cask showing its hand. Some dry grain notes and light powdered sugar sweetness follow; the effect is quite strongly reminiscent of Cheerios.  

The palate brings an orderly, if slightly belligerent, procession of caramel, bitter grapefruit, and rye spice. By belligerent, I mean the youthful heat and intensity has not been tamed very much by time spent in oak. That can be a positive or negative depending on your personal tastes. 

After the caramel, there is a wholesale transition to the bitter citrus pith. Next, a sharp whack of spice; a clean, grainy heat I find common in lots of column still rye. The heat is intense but quite welcome, offset by an oily viscosity. Earthy, dark bread and lots of grain tag off with the flaming rye. Tart cranberry flies just under the heat for those who can tease it out.

That spike of rye and a resumption of the bitter note constitute the medium length finish.There is some more berry and tannic oak - more of the wine cask - but even as these fade, a rising smoky note takes over. The finish is actually quite nice and, I'd say, the biggest strength of this bottle.

This is definitely young whisky, more raw than refined. But sometimes that's a good thing; personally I welcome that vivacity in winter sipping. This dram lurches more than slides from the sweet corn portion into the hot rye but there's no dearth of flavour. Definitely an eye-opener and something I'd love in coffee.

So, though it may not be refined, it's definitely interesting. At $40, Red Cask starts to invite some competition from some good Canadian bottles. Niagara neighbour Forty Creek's Double Barrel Select is similarly priced but more polished. However, it doesn't punch nearly as hard with the rye spice, which is what some whisky drinkers look for. Gretzky's higher-end bottlings (which we will be reviewing in the near future) tend to better contain the flavour swings. And though I think more care went into the crafting of this whisky, the flavour profile compares with Liquormen's Ol' Dirty, and not just because of similar celebrity collaborations. The rye in this bottle is more complex and the finish is superior, though the cost is also higher.

Along with the other Gretzky whiskies, this whisky seems priced a little higher than what it ought to be, no doubt because of the celebrity name. I'm sure sales figures are exceptional on strength of brand, but I find this bottle and its siblings to be rare instances of poor value in Canadian whisky.

Still, sometimes you want an assertive whisky, and Red Cask delivers with big caramel and big heat alike. Though precocious, the full-on flavours of this whisky will appeal to those who don't care much for subtlety, and it will do well as a mixer. And of course, it comes from perhaps the best distillery to visit anywhere.

Heatseeker Score: 82

Category Score: 79

Characteristic: Hot

Crown Royal Northern Harvest

As with the iconic purple-bagged Crown Royal De Luxe, no Canadian whisky discussion can ignore Crown's Northern Harvest Rye bottling. Or at least not since 2016, when it was awarded World Whisky of the Year in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible, the foremost authority on whisky rankings. Enthusiasts were surprised, to say the least, that a $30 whisky from Canada beat out ancient single malts. In Scotland, there were howls of outrage that Mr. Murray had betrayed his nation and whisky fans worldwide greeted the decision with anything from excitement to indignation. 

Still, Northern Harvest flew off every shelf across Canada and bottles were listed for resale on the international secondary market for tens of thousands of dollars. Now, there's something to be said, and that's the reality that the first release which Jim Murray tried is not the same as subsequent releases in which Crown Royal scrambled to meet unlimited demand. Though this bottle didn't start the trend toward big, rye-forward Canadian whisky, it certainly kicked it into high gear.

The bottle now widely available is 90% rye and retails Canada-wide for under $40. Is this bottling the best whisky in the world? Probably not. But is it the best whisky in the world under $40? That's quite possible. 

Since Northern Harvest won its 2016 award, the trend toward big rye-forward whisky has only picked up steam, and there are now plenty of options at this price point and above. Some will point to Lot 40 as being the superior affordable big rye, but Northern Harvest continues to win legions of fans and global awards alike. Whether or not it's the best whisky on Earth, it's absolutely worth picking up and enjoying, so that every rye fan can judge for themself. 

Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye

40% alc./vol.

$36 at LCBO

On the nose, Northern Harvest doesn't open with the spice notes you might expect from such a prominent rye. Instead, dark stone fruit, sweet butterscotch, pear, and even bright citrus. The rye comes in a little later as a dry, sharp heat and the suggestion of dill, but it isn't the dominant note by any stretch. 

The palate is quite buttery and viscous. Strong butterscotch flavours emerge first before the awaited rye explodes in a flash of heat. I don't find this burst of rye to be as complex as in Alberta Springs, for example, it's mostly just hot at first. It's quite a jarring start to a tasting but Northern Harvest soon settles in and rewards our patience. 

Compelling ginger and baking spices lead the reinvention of this whisky as a balanced, complex dram. The heat quickly dims to a background glow and the butterscotch falls into balance as a nice undertone to vanilla and oak. The now-restrained spice is complimented by nutmeg, clove, black liquorice, and dried orange - it's Christmas!  

The heat picks up again on the finish. Mostly that's in the form of cinnamon but there is a slight, off-putting alcohol burn. Very slight though. The oak comes to the fore alongside dry grain character, which finally brings the dusty, dry Prairie character you might expect throughout. A touch of bitter citrus rind joins in but the finish is mostly a drying, hot, and long one, and it leaves you wanting another sip.

So, is this the best whisky in the world? Probably not. It's not even the best whisky in Canada. But it's easily one of the best whiskies in the world under $40. And it's certainly one of the biggest, most intense drams you can find. If you can get past the challenging first sip, you're in for a rewarding rye bursting with warmth and midwinter flavour. 

So it may not be the best in the world, but it is fantastic whisky. Most people think 'smooth' when they think Crown, which makes sense. This bottle, though, is the exact opposite; there's none of Crown's devotion to smoothness, only to the intensity of flavour readily on display. This is a demanding and rewarding whisky and for less than $40, I dont know of any bottle packing in quite so much. For the drinker looking to awaken their tastebuds, this is your whisky. Such big, brash flavours usually only come to those who shell out for cask strength bottlings, certainly not value-priced bottles like this one.

If Crown Royal decided one day to release an older Northern Harvest with more time to smooth out the youthful brashness then look out world, you may have found the real best in show. But until then, this is the affordable whisky that delivers massive flavour to those ready for it.

Heatseeker Score: 87

Category Score: 93

Characteristic: Warming