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.
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
