Wendel Clark 100% Rye

As Canadian whisky's upmarket revolution continues, no large distiller has made as strong an effort to keep enthusiasts engaged as J.P. Wiser's. Far from content with their old-school blends, Wiser's have introduced a growing roster of unique, rye-forward brands for the avid drinker. 

In addition to Lot 40, Pike Creek, and Gooderham and Worts, themed limited editions celebrating NHL alumni have hit shelves over the past few years. Though somewhat contrived, there has been an effort to match the flavour profiles of each release to the playing style of the namesake players. In today's review, the bold and tenacious Leafs legend Wendel Clark gets a big 100% rye with his name on.

The liquid is an 11 year old blend of pot- and column-distilled rye aged in both ex-Bourbon and charred new oak casks. To an extent, this is an older brother to Wiser's Triple Barrel Rye, which has a similar distillate profile. 

To honour Toronto's 416 area code, and perhaps for some slightly bigger flavour, this whisky is bottled at 41.6%. It was originally released for the 2018-2019 hockey season but there are still bottles to be found in the Wiser's online boutique, with shipping available across Ontario. If you can find a bottle, I recommend picking it up, this is terrific rye at a great price point.

J.P. Wiser's Alumni Series - Wendel Clark

41.6% alc./vol.

$45 at J.P. Wiser's online shop

On the nose, the Bourbon cask influence is pronounced. There's sweet corn and lots of oak. Bright fruit notes, particularly red apple come up with dry grain and spice notes; caraway and dill foreshadow the palate. I also find some subtle dry fruit, particularly apricot amidst the smooth oak and grain.

The palate is the grainy, herbaceous type of rye rather than the white hot spice you might expect from the 'bold and tenacious' description on the label. The much-loved rye bread (or akvavit) profile of caraway and dill from Lot 40 are prominent, with the spice restrained underneath. There is a pleasing, acidic sourness like fermenting bread. Herbaceous flavours continue; black liquorice, molasses, and a very subtle bitter citrus. This is like drinking a loaf of bread - delicious and without any discernable off-notes or rough edges.

Restrained spice rises on the medium-long finish along with pronounced mint. There is rich tobacco, oak, and loads more rye bread as the finish slowly fades. 

What a fantastic sipper. Though I wouldn't necessarily call it tenacious, this rich, quite flawless whisky tastes like a trip to the bakery with its big grain profile. Making liberal use of Hiram Walker's grainy column still rye distillate, this is the liquid equivalent of a freshly baked loaf. 

Of course you want to drink this as a Leafs fan, but the quality and big, grainy flavours will be enjoyed by any whisky drinker. This is quality rye at a great price, and a champion on any bar.

Heatseeker Score: 88

Category Score: 93

Characteristic: Grain forward

J.P. Wiser's Triple Barrel Rye

One cannot discuss Canadian spirits without looking to Canada's most versatile producer, by far; Windsor's Hiram Walker Distillery. More than just whisky, this truly massive distillery churns out millions upon millions of bottles every year ranging from brown to clear to all kinds of coloured liqueurs. There are few bottle shops on earth that don't sell something which passed through a still, warehouse, or bottling line in this mild corner of Southwestern Ontario. 

As a Canadian distillery, though, the public focus is invariably on the whisky they make here, and they make a lot of it too. Whiskies from Canadian Club, Gibson's Finest, and other brands are made here, but today the distillery is first and foremost the home of J.P. Wiser's wide portfolio of whisky.

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. 

 

From entry level bottlings like Special Blend and Deluxe up to increasingly audacious efforts (a 23 year old blend at cask strength!), this age old brand has repositioned itself at the forefront of innovation in the country. Frequent one-off and regional releases tend to garner critical praise as the brand has wholeheartedly embraced the new direction of the whisky market. Much of this is due to the work of Master Blender, Dr. Don Livermore, who has taken on a public role as ambassador not only for his distillery but for Canadian whisky in general. 

Toward the value end of the Wiser's lineup, Triple Barrel Rye is a response to ballooning demand for rye-forward whisky. Variations of this bottling exist for Europe, Australia, and the US, but here at home this is a blend of pot- and column-distilled rye. The former highlights the spicy side of rye with the latter more grain-forward. The namesake three barrels are new American oak with a relatively light char, first fill ex-Bourbon casks (meaning they were used once in Kentucky before being sent to Canada), and older multiuse barrels from amongst the millions on hand. The blend is bottled at the slightly elevated 43.4% and comes in a thoughtfully ergonomic bottle perfect for gripping and pouring. It's an entry level big rye and is a terrific jumping off point for those looking to explore the grain.

J.P. Wiser's Triple Barrel Rye 

(Canadian edition)

43.4% alc./vol.

$33 at LCBO

The nose is oaky with pronounced sweet prune. Grainy rye, biscuit notes, and florality are also in there. There's a warm spiciness and some honey to round out the luscious bouquet.

On the palate, there is initial manuka honey bringing floral sweetness and a warming, oaky rye spice undertone. That sweet honey note becomes delicately floral, suggesting rose petals. Beneath, the rye becomes sharper and hotter, graduating to a flash of white hot pepper. This is slightly tempered by well-integrated oak and it's subtle vanilla sweetness. It's all set against the florality and subtle honeydew and clove notes.

The finish is short but focused, with plenty of hot rye. Cinnamon and white pepper bring the heat, set against tannic oak that imparts almost a red wine richness. The finish fades quickly but has already brought plenty of heat.

All in all, Triple Barrel is a straightforward, but very well balanced whisky that doesn't shy away from big rye flavours. It has that raw electricity that only rye can give, but it's so nicely integrated. It would be my go-to for rye cocktails, with its dusty heat and subtle sweetness. As a sipper, this will please those who enjoy their rye on the hot side, like Alberta Springs 10 year.

Compared to that bottle, Triple Barrel is more floral but less tart. The two compare quite nicely; I'd definitely recommend tasting them side by side. Compared to Canadian Club 100% Rye, Triple Barrel has less of a bitter citrus note. The sweetness here is more subtly fruity and floral, rather than the butterscotch of the CC. 

This is a very nice, budget friendly, rye-forward bottling from J.P. Wiser's. It's a go-to for cocktailing but also an enjoyable sipper for those who like their rye sharp and hot. Not terribly complex, but balanced and focused, this is a great budget bottle that I'd keep on hand any time.

Heatseeker Score: 85

Category Score: 88

Characteristic: Spicy and Floral

^ Customised transport trucks bring barrels to the Walkerville bottling facility from the warehouses in the suburb of Pike Creek, and back again.

Stalk and Barrel 100% Rye

Despite its name, Vaughan, Ontario's Still Waters Distillery has been making waves since they first fired their still in 2009. Run by the 'two Barry's;' Barry Stein and Barry Bernstein, this distillery forged the trail toward craft brewing in Ontario through dogged determination. As one of the first craft distillers in the province, they ran headlong into the web of outdated regulations surrounding distilling and alcohol sales. And while far too many of those regulations continue to hamper Ontario distillers, the tireless work of the Still Waters team blazed a path that is slowly getting clearer. 

The distillery is now also home to a large contract distilling operation for some well known vodka and gin brands, and proprietary 'Purtrak' software they've developed is employed by numerous other Canadian distilleries. 

In terms of their whiskies, though, they're already a decade into doing special things. Their single malt has won loads of plaudits and their cask strength ryes the same. Initially, these high end single cask releases were augmented by two classic Canadian blends, but they helpfully added this single rye at a lower strength and price point. A recent switch to a less weighty bottle design helped the distillery bring prices into the range where you could casually pick up a bottle for everyday sipping. And this whisky brings quite a bit to the table when compared to its shelf mates at under $40. 

It's still bottled at an elevated 46% which notably allows for the use of non-chill filtration. This is a less invasive filtration method in terms of preserving subtle flavour complexities.  There's also no added colour, so what you see us what you get, and the flavour isn't unduly diminished. The liquid itself is a mix of malted and unmalted rye aged for a little over three years in ex-bourbon barrels. 

Stalk and Barrel 100% Rye

46% alc./vol.

$36 at the distillery

The nose on this whisky - incredible! Waves of new oak and hard, dry rye spice wash over deep, jammy red wine. Dried apple rings, green grass, freshly dried hay, they're all here. There's some maple hiding underneath alongside honey, prunes, sultanas, and oatcakes. There's also underlying bitterness and sliced almond. The oak influence is massive and pulls you into the glass yet brilliantly balanced with the spice and deep sweetness. Wow, if you could bottle the scent it would be a great perfume. I simply want to keep sniffing this but my mouth is watering.

The palate doesn't have the same complexity, but is pleasingly tannic. The bourbon influence from the cask presents first with a sweet, corn profile. There's lots of oak alongside, though it's held in nice balance, without overpowering the grain. Throughout, a pronounced citrus bitterness grows and persists into the finish.

The higher bottling strength yields a rich, oily mouthfeel and there is a fulsome warming character even though this isn't a particularly spicy dram. What spice there is comes from a youthful, slightly alcoholic heat. Though that heat isn't too overpowering, it does momentarily drown out some of the grain character and subtlety. As the heat subsides, there's some dry straw and also mint, not unlike Lot 40. Lovely grainy rye and spices - caraway and clove - round out the palate. 

The finish is very clean and 'foresty.' Lots of mint and resinous, earthy pine. There's a bit of spice at the start as well as the bitterness, but what lingers for some time is the very clean, green spearmint profile, alongside the grainy rye. This is quite pleasing; the oaky warming sensation on the palate has been replaced by a profoundly fresh cooling sensation on the finish. I feel as though I've just had some mouthwash and everything is light and clean. 

Quite a nice dram at this price. The nose carries such tremendous complexity that the palate can't entirely match (though it is quite good in its own right), but all is redeemed by the wonderful warm-cool progression.

I'm very excited by the thought of trying this whisky, and it's cask-aged siblings, as they age some more. The intriguing green, almost alpine freshness through the finish is delightful; a departure from expectation. At its sub-$40 price, this is a very, very smart buy. If nothing else, it's a great after-dinner mint, but when tasting this whisky you'll feel you're drinking something in a higher price range. It's easy to see why this distillery has garnered so much praise in its first decade.

Heatseeker Score: 87

Category Score: 92

Characteristic: Fresh

Alberta Premium Cask Strength

- UPDATE: This bottle was named best in the world in Jim Murray's influential 2020 Whisky Bible. How fantastic to see Alberta Distillers getting the credit they've long deserved, but good luck finding a bottle of this for $65 now! -

Calgary's Alberta Distillers should be famous amongst whisky enthusiasts as the world's foremost distiller of rye. The grain, though it flourishes in Canada, is generally considered the most difficult and expensive to work with. It's strong husk and low starch content make rye hardy enough for the worst weather, but also increase the amount of doing needed to mash and ferment it. It frequently gums up equipment and it's yields are quite low relative to other whisky grains. Of course, what it lacks in efficiency it more than makes up for by packing the most substantial flavour of any grain.

Because of the relative difficulty of working with it, Alberta Distillers are doubly deserving the praise their whiskies often get. However, because a great deal of their best distillate is shipped to the US to be bottled by independent American brands, the credit often passes Alberta by. This humble approach has benefitted consumers, though, as we pay a pittance when we pick up bottles of whisky worth way more than they retail for. 

Finally, though, we are seeing some of Alberta Distillers' best whisky bottled with their own name on the package. The much-loved Alberta Premium has benefitted from premium brand extensions in the past (the Dark Horse bottling and some limited well-aged releases) but today's most coveted bottle joins the 'cask strength' trend that's worked it's way over from Scotland. 

Cask strength bottling is a simple concept that, like everything in whisky, can't actually be described without great complexity. In short, cask strength means the whisky is bottled without any dilution; it is bottled at the strength it comes out of the barrel at. As with age statements, though, this doesn't actually tell you everything. There's no law about which exact barrel is referred to, whether it's the barrel it spent years in, a finishing barrel, or a marrying vat. Really, we don't know these things, but we do know cask strength means this whisky is substantially stronger than most bottlings.

In this case, we get whisky presented at a whopping 65.1% , a great deal more potent than the standard 40% Alberta Premium. This means the same Alberta Premium flavours are massively amped up, without any dilution. But it can also be difficult to discern some of those flavours in the face of so much hot alcohol. For that reason, many choose to add water to cask strength whisky, but depending on the water used, the flavours can change in the glass. Reverse osmosis or distilled water would be the most "correct" to preserve flavours without adding minerals, but the most fun thing is to try and pair the whisky to water from its local area. Personally, I enjoy cask strength rye at cask strength, with no added water. Perhaps it's a mix of pain and pleasure, but so is much of drinking spirits. 

At this high strength and limited availability, this bottle is significantly more expensive than its standard Alberta Premium brother. Still, it's about the best deal on cask strength whisky anywhere, as you might expect from this distillery. Similarly potent bottlings from Scotland or Kentucky can easily run into the hundreds of dollars so at under $70, this is a real bargain. To pass savings on to us, the distillery packaged it in the standard Alberta Premium bottle, albeit presented in a cardboard box featuring tasting notes. It's a wollop of flavour that will only be appreciated by enthusiasts but wow, what a treat it is for us!

Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye

65.1% alc./vol.

$65 at Co-Op World of Whisky in Calgary

First, a note of warning for those trying their first cask strength whisky: small sips! There's a lot of hot, hot alcohol here and this isn't a drink to quench your thirst. You've been warned!

Now, on the nose, the warmth rises up to greet with loads of oak, vanilla, and black pepper spice. The rich breezes seem almost to suck you in with their fullness.

Taking the first tentative sip, the first brief hit is maple sweetness for an instant before the heat begins to rise. Yeeeeooouuu that's a slap of hot rye! It's not just spice, though, like drinking hot sauce. It's an actual warming sensation on the tongue that almost takes your breath away for a moment. Now a new oak flavour profile comes in with lots of tannic influence, causing a drying sensation in the mouth. Here's some cinnamon coming in. Now the heat keeps building with a crashing wave of salt. The wave sweeps toward the back of the palate with blackberry, banana, and nutmeg. As the heat peaks, a new set of dill and caraway flavours arise along with fresh baked bread. A dollop of tobacco arrives late and, when combined with the heat, gives the feel of smoking a cigar.

The finish is, as is to be expected, lasts ages. It's still quite hot, but moreso puckeringly tannic. There's a rising bitter citrus and more caraway, all yielding eventually to some green apple sweetness, maple, oak, and grainy rye. And still lots more heat!

Well, basking in the lingering warm afterglow, it's time to try and decode the rollercoaster ride of this cask strength whisky. The heat is there, of course, but is perfectly complimented by the dusty, hot rye. It's complex heat rather than just ethanol like in most vodka. 

Like all cask strength whisky, there's tremendous potential for flavour and its all there. This whisky doesnt have any age statement and doesn't have the complexity of longer-aged drams, but it's not anything approaching simplistic. Like other cask strength whiskies, it demands respect. It must be sipped tentatively because it delivers its waves of flavour with tremendous force. Alberta ryes are rarely subtle even at 40% and here, even a half finger's pour can provide an hour's sipping. The enthusiast will enjoy the massive flavours but will also relish the opportunity to mentally deconstruct the experience of sipping, allowing for a healthy dose of amazement at how much flavour can exist in so little liquid.

The most notable aspect of this dram is its structure; the heat washes over the palate, growing as it marshals an orderly parade of sweet, salty, spicy, fruity, and doughy. Coupled with a great finish, this cask strength version of Alberta Premium is a world apart from its standard sibling. It shares the trademark extreme value of so many whiskies from this province, though, and is a fantastic choice for the rye lover looking to reach a new level of flavour altogether.

Heatseeker Score: 93

Category Score: 94

Characteristic: Spicy

We're reviewing five different ryes produced at Alberta Distillers as part of a series. We invite you to check out the other reviews and find your favourite.

Alberta Springs 10 Year

Canadian Club 100% Rye

Snake River Stampede 8 year
Alberta Premium (standard bottling)

Alberta Premium

Calgary's Alberta Distillers should be regarded the world over as the last word when it comes to using the rye grain to make top notch whisky. Unfortunately, until very recently their glorious whiskies have been a well-kept secret, as much of their production has been bulk purchased and bottled by American brands. The result has been a lack of proper recognition for this tremendous distillery. Alberta Distillers became known in Canada for churning out bottom shelf whiskies, yet these whiskies attract fierce loyalty from their legions of fans, and with good reason.

Much of Canadian Whisky over the last two centuries has involved producing light corn, wheat, or barley whisky flavoured with a touch of spicy rye. But today's consumer looks beyond those light blends and demands bolder flavours. Canadian distilleries coast to coast are burning the boats as a result, trying to produce as much rye distillate as they possibly can. Alberta Distillers, however, have used rye almost exclusively for their entire existence. Simply put, there is plenty of rye growing in their part of the country.

Nowadays, well-aged, boutique Alberta bottlings have hit the market but at least one Alberta-branded whisky has long been recognised as well outperforming its price. Alberta Premium is a bottom shelf whisky that is probably better known as the favourite tipple of Jim Lahey, but enthusiasts have long known this whisky is much more than cheap plonk.

A single rye from before single rye was cool, Alberta Premium is the most widely available of the array of dramatically underpriced whiskies coming from the province (think Centennial or Alberta Springs, among many others). It consists of two rye distillates blended together after at least four years of aging in ex-bourbon oak. One of these is the lighter, base rye distilled to a high percentage and the other is a bolder 'flavouring' rye. These whiskies are 'married' for a final year before bottling, which would account for a five year age statement if one were added. The bottom shelf reputation of this whisky isn't only shattered by unvaryingly positive enthusiast reviews, it's also won plenty of awards including multiple 'Canadian Whisky of the Year' from Jim Murray's Whisky Bible. Rye's renaissance of late has certainly brought classier new bottles to the table but this whisky is by no means being left in the dust. 

Although it now has a growing family of high end (but still absurdly underpriced) brethren, Alberta Premium remains the standardbearer for entry level single rye. It's fairly straightforward in its sweet-spicy balance but, compared to its shelfmates, provides way more of what you'd expect when you ask for rye. Other brands have pivoted to showcase the kind of things this distillery's been doing for years, and as a result can command higher prices for their bottles. Alberta Distillers seem happy to keep selling for volume, avoiding today's inexorable rising prices, and for that we can be extremely thankful. Its worth comparing this bottle with its cask strength sibling, bottled at 65.1%, to get a more powerful look at what's in this bottle.

Bursting with spice and the distillery's signature bone dry character, those who don't yet have a bottle of Alberta Premium should grab one right away. It's the undisputed baseline for single rye and a steadfast ambassador for both the history and future of Canadian whisky. It costs less than almost all other whiskies but is an absolute staple for rye forward cocktails and happy sipping, reputation be damned.

Alberta Premium Canadian Rye Whisky

40% alc. / vol.

$28 at LCBO

Alberta Premium is marketed as a 'national treasure' and a whisky providing this much flavour for the price is a treasure indeed. On the nose, plenty of oak and rye spice, as you might expect. It's clean, crisp, and hot. Some butterscotch sweetness and lemon zest is present but big, sharp rye is at the fore.

The palate arrives with a little more sweetness than might be expected after the nose. Zesty lemon and orange joins butterscotch sweetness but oaky, spicy rye is the driver of flavour here. There is some earthy bitterness underneath all, tying things together nicely. This is a lighter rye, emphasis here is on the base whisky component. However, the mouthfeel is creamy and full.

The finish arrives with drying spice, glowing cinnamon heat, and dry oakiness. Though the finish is short, the drying aspect and lushly spicy profile suggest a higher strength than the 40% in the bottle.

Alberta Premium is dangerously easy to sip and, especially with its price point, demands to be poured liberally. There isn't a great deal of complexity here but everything is nicely balanced and there is no shortage of bold flavour. 

Loads of spicy rye and a compelling citrus character make this bold and warming but also extremely drinkable. This is a staple to have on hand and though this blog doesn't encourage Jim Lahey's bottoms up approach to Alberta Premium, no one denies the ease with which this bottle can be finished. Truly a Canadian flagship whisky and one that uniformly surprises those expecting a cheap dram. It may not be a showy bottle but forms the bedrock of a properly stocked bar for cocktails or casual sipping. This is a whisky worth drinking and worth much more than its blissfully low price.

Heatseeker Score: 86

Category Score: 93

Characteristic: Sweet and Spicy

We're reviewing five different ryes produced at Alberta Distillers as part of a series. We invite you to check out the other reviews and find your favourite.

Alberta Premium Cask Strength

Alberta Springs 10 Year

Canadian Club 100% Rye

Snake River Stampede 8 year

Snake River Stampede

Calgary's Alberta Distillers has long shipped bulk quantities of single grain rye to the States to be bottled by high-end American brands. Most of the time, this top-class whisky ends up being something of an open secret; few of these American labels like to reveal that their beloved whiskies are actually imports. Those in the know, however, should gravitate to Alberta's signature dusty hot distillates. 

Snake River Stampede is one of a couple whiskies from the northwestern American states that highlight rodeo culture. The Pendleton brand comes to mind as perhaps the best known. This one is bottled by Oregon-based Indio Spirits but commemorates its namesake rodeo held in Idaho. (Of course, the biggest rodeo of them all, Calgary Stampede, takes place just a short gallop up the road from where this whisky is made!)

Snake River Stampede spends eight years in ex-bourbon American oak casks before being finished in sherry casks, imparting the sweetness found in this whisky. That sweetness is balanced with a dusty rye profile that is the signature of Alberta Distillers. After its time in the barrel, it goes to Oregon for bottling. Usually priced in the mid-$30 range in Canada, though something of a rare find, it's great value for a spicy sipper that goes down easy. This is definitely a staple of my home bar and a rye I'll pour for anyone looking to explore the style. In spite of its American label, this is a very good look at Albertan whisky.

Snake River Stampede 8 year old

40% alc. / vol.

Found for US$26 in California, 

~C$35-40 in Alberta

This smells like cowboy whisky! On the nose it's the dusty Alberta rye signature along with hot ginger spice. There's some ethanol too, but the more intriguing hot note is reminiscent of hot pickled onions (Hayward's anyone?) and perhaps sushi ginger. It's a savoury, spicy, slightly earthy backdrop to the hot prairie rye. Very intriguing. 

On the palate, it's a balance between the powder-dry rye and sweet caramel. The sweetness takes over with fairly simplistic maple-caramel and brown sugar. It's just shy of cloying, helped by the smouldering rye just underneath. The straightforward interplay is perhaps a little underwhelming after the complex heat from the nose but a building bitter citrus and white pepper heat fully redeem things heading into the finish 

The finish is medium-length but brings the bitter citrus and rye spice to the fore. The whisky leaves with an echo of the flaming rye and the burning desire for another sip. 

A standard 40% bottling strength and likely chill filtration may have stripped some complexity out of this whisky, but it's simplicity doesn't diminish the achievement of this bottling. It's a dram very easily taken neat as a sipper or shooter; its rye spice compliments its smooth profile, rather than being diluted to achieve an easier profile.

In this case, what's in the bottle matches the label and those who like Alberta's powder-dry rye spice have found an easy sipper at a solid price. This is a bottle I always seek out when in Alberta and a definite recommendation for rye lovers. 

Heatseeker Score: 87

Category Score: 87

Characteristic: Spicy

We're reviewing five different ryes produced at Alberta Distillers as part of a series. We invite you to check out the other reviews and find your favourite.

Alberta Springs 10 Year

Canadian Club 100% Rye

Alberta Premium (standard bottling)
Alberta Premium Cask Strength

Canadian Club Chairman's Select (2016)

Canadian Club needs no introduction as one of Canada's best known exports and a staple of bars across the country. Alongside Crown Royal, 'CC' is a wildly popular brand based around a value blend. It's history goes back to the 1850s in Detroit, Michigan. Hiram Walker, a grocer, began distilling but was forced out when the state, along with many others, enacted Prohibition. Not wishing to see his burgeoning enterprise thwarted, Mr. Walker moved his distillery across the river - and across the border. 

He founded Windsor's Walkerville neighbourhood and opened what would eventually become one of the world's largest distilleries. It's location just across the river from the United States meant it was a perfect place for rum runners to smuggle barrels into Michigan.

His whisky eventually became known as 'Club Whisky' due to its popularity in gentlemen's clubs across North America. Distillers in the States grew angry at the lost market share and convinced the government to force Mr. Walker to label his whisky as 'Canadian,' in hopes American customers would reject it. The move backfired, however, and both Canadian Club's new name and Canada's whisky style became the symbol of smooth, enjoyable whisky for millions of fans. Interestingly, and in spite of its Royally-named rival, Canadian Club remains the only whisky from outside the UK to have been granted Royal Warrants, having enjoyed them from Queen Victoria onward to Queen Elizabeth.

 Fast forward to the mid-2010's, when the rye boom hit. Canadian Club, now owned by Beam Suntory, needed to source massive stocks of single grain rye whisky and at the time, they couldn't find enough in Ontario. Conveniently, Beam Suntory also own Alberta Distillers in Calgary, renowned as the world's foremost rye grain distillery. To meet the demand for spicy rye whiskies, CC introduced Chairman's Select as a single grain offering in line with their value approach using whisky sourced from Alberta.

A name change followed with 'Chairman's Select' dropped so that now it's known simply as Canadian Club 100% Rye; straight to the point. It competes alongside numerous rye-heavy value offerings from Alberta Distillers and remains a key extension of the Canadian Club brand, even as CC ventures into premium long-aged bottlings (approaching fifty years now!). CC 100% Rye is a very good cocktail base but is also widely enjoyed as an easily-sipped introduction to the world of single rye whisky.

Canadian Club Chairman's Select 100% Rye

40% alc./vol.

$30 at LCBO

^The current design makes a few tweaks to the original Chairman's Select label.

On the nose, lots of oak and butterscotch with the expected dusty rye spice. More vanilla-forward than similar Alberta Distillers rye, and keeping more in line with Canadian Club blends. There's a subtle sour citrusy note that keeps the rye spice restrained.

Taking a sip, the characteristic Alberta rye of dry, dusty, white pepper is there, but not as aggresively as in their other bottlings. There's quite a bit of maple but the most pronounced flavour here is mixed citrus fruit. Bitter orange carries the middles along with plenty of oak. A distinctive marzipan flavour also comes in to balance the bitterness and spice, leading to a balanced trifecta of spice, sweetness, and bitterness. There's a brief but quite nice hit of drying, warming tannins at the tail end. 

The finish is short but returns to the hot cinnamon spice of the rye. The heat is matched by some maple before yielding to pronounced bitter citrus. Short and light but beckoning another sip.

Chairman's Select, or CC 100% Rye as it's become known, is a solid entry-level single rye. It's tailor-made for those who want proper rye spice but without any face melting heat. For me, I find this whisky's similarly affordable cousin Alberta Springs offers more complexity and unabashed rye heat, but this is a lighter alternative that's still definitely single rye. It's just a bit thin for me when I compare it to some other bottles, but others will surely appreciate its balance between rye heat and CC smoothness. This is definitely the bottle for someone just getting into rye but is also perfect as a casual sipper or with some ginger ale.

It's very widely available in Canada and also found fairly easily in a growing number of international markets. I recommend tasting this alongside Crown Royal Northern Harvest to see which of these mid-decade trendsetters you prefer. 

Overall, this is a rock-solid whisky that should be an easy staple on any bar. It's ideal for mixing or sipping and was one of the first big name releases of last decade's rye renaissance. It achieves great balance between East and West as a Canadian whisky, with both fiery rye and restrained sweetness and is unlikely to find many detractors. Another winner from Alberta Distillers that carries the iconic Canadian Club label.

Heatseeker Score: 85

Category Score: 89

Characteristic: Spicy

We're reviewing five different ryes produced at Alberta Distillers as part of a series. We invite you to check out the other reviews and find your favourite.

Alberta Springs 10 year

Snake River Stampede 8 Year

Alberta Premium (standard bottling)
Alberta Premium Cask Strength

And please enjoy our reviews of Canadian Club 1858 and Classic 12 Year.

Lot 40

No fulsome Canadian spirits discussion would be complete without lengthy attention paid to Canada's largest distillery, by far; Windsor's Hiram Walker Distillery. More than just whisky, this truly massive distillery churns out millions upon millions of products every month ranging from brown to clear to all kinds of coloured liqueurs. There are not many bottle shops on earth that don't sell something which passed through a still, warehouse, or bottling line in this corner of Southwest Ontario. 

As a Canadian distillery, though, the public focus is invariably on the whisky they make here, and they make a lot of it too. The vast J.P. Wiser portfolio, Canadian Club, and numerous other brands are produced at Hiram Walker. But of all these, few have consistently garnered such admiration as Lot 40. 

The 2012 resurrection of this niche 1990s label was greeted with jubilation by nostalgic whisky fans. When the brand first launched, the market wasn't there for bold ryes, but thankfully Lot 40 is perfect for today's adventurous palate. 

Made from 90% unmalted and 10% malted rye, the comparisons to world-beater Crown Royal Northern Harvest are inevitable and frequent. Also inevitable and frequent are the awards lavished on this whisky and it's transcendent cask strength brethren. In fact, Lot 40 claims the title as Canada's most awarded whisky brand over the past decade.

The standard Lot 40 carries no age statement but is reputed to be at least seven years old in large part, and is bottled at 43%. Much of the blend comes from a relatively small pot still tucked in a corner of the towering stillhouse. It's then aged in virgin American oak. In the bottle it's spicy, woody, and massively flavourful; a highlight in Master Blender Dr. Don Livermore's portfolio. If this bottle is perceived as the global standardbearer for Canada's whisky renaissance, that status is richly deserved. Oh, and the best part, it's not even $40 a bottle.

Lot No. 40 100% Pot Still Rye

43% ABV

$39.95 at the LCBO

Oak immediately hits the nose, but not with the signature vanilla of American oak. Sour cherry, dark plum, and lots of tobacco come forward alongside a restrained rye spice. There's no astringency or ethanol burn at all. 

The nose closely begets the palate, which is further testament to the blending skill evinced by this whisky. Brown sugar leads to a distinctive rye bread flavour, with caraway and dill. The dill takes on a sour note, complementing a slowly growing restrained spice. Nutmeg and a touch of capsicum with more bready, slightly sour notes. 

There's still no burn here, but a slight heat builds leading into more fresh, dry oak and just the slightest hot Tabasco sauce before a lingering, distinctive cool mint refreshes the tongue.

This is not a typical rye whisky in any way. The juvenile heat and typical flavour profile of a young rye are replaced with full, complex, and surprising notes blended to perfection. There is skill on display at every step of the process.

Dr. Livermore suggests Hiram Walker's focus has squarely turned to the rye grain these days and new, smaller pot stills are being added. This is the leading edge of a trend seeing distilleries large and small renew the focus on rye in this country. Lot 40 is simply a preview of what we can expect as craft distillers and large ones alike put aside lots of pot rye and age it longer.  

Wrapped up in its stylish bottle and sold for far less than it could be, this whisky deserves its massive award haul and its role as the flagbearer for a new generation of Canadian whisky. Lot 40 is quite possibly the best whisky anywhere at this price point and is a true global ambassador for rye.

Heatseeker Score: 90

Category Score: 95

Characteristic: Complex

Where the magic happens; the Lot 40 pot still at Windsor's Hiram Walker Distillery.

Last Straw Rye - Batch 1

I'm really pleased that the first review on this blog should be from a distillery who've gone to great distances to pay forward their success in the industry. Last Straw, aside from producing a variety of intense, unique spirits, have allowed startups to create spirits using their facility and under their licence as they navigate the arduous process of acquiring their own stills. 

They also have a fascinating spirits programme of their own, working often with local farmers and the nearby Lake Wilcox craft brewery. The rye was their first whisky release, after three years in oak. The public were invited to a launch event at the distillery, which operates out of an unassuming industrial unit not far from fellow whisky pioneers Still Waters.

They weren't always in Vaughan, though. From the sound of it, it was a town planner with a vendetta who quashed their already-constructed farm distillery just outside the village of Erin. After sinking tens of thousands into that operation, the distillery had to pack up and relocate. In Vaughan, they found an enthusiastic council and wasted no time on their second attempt. 

After three years, at the launch party for their rye whisky, I was lucky to obtain a bottle signed by distiller Don Dimonte. Like it's quirky sprouted corn sibling, this single rye has won lots of praise. And it's well deserved, as this is a classic rye-forward whisky.

 In contrast to some whiskies (here but also in Scotland and elsewhere), this whisky is only distilled to 62.5%. That means a lot of the congeners that can add complexity are preserved, unlike the 'cleaner' whiskies that are distilled as high as 95%. After only three years in oak, even with a powerful new barrel, it would be quite possible to see those congeners come through as off-flavours in need of more aging to mellow out. That's not the case here though, as the rye is sharp and focused throughout. Those congeners will only serve to add to the flavour profile of this whisky as it ages further.

Interestingly, Last Straw label their whiskies with the American designation 'straight.' In the States, this designation stipulates certain grain quantities, still and cask strengths, and the use of new charred oak barrels. The term doesn't have any recognised definition in Canada, but it's been embraced anyway by Last Straw. To that end, the liquid spends it's time in #3 char virgin American oak. Regardless of label, this rye is superbly true to style and a fantastic option for someone exploring the spicy side of rye.

Last Straw Straight Ontario Rye

Batch 1 (2019)

43% ABV

$75 at www.laststrawdistillery.com

Clove, nutmeg, and grassy notes on the nose. With less of the sweet hints you sometimes get, this rye also brings hot spice right from the outset. 

That spice follows through to lead the palate with a fresh oakiness and sweet-hot cinnamon. Underneath, earthy flavours reveal themselves. I get some fennel late on the palate; perhaps its the interplay between the peppery heat and vegetal undertones. The middle is richer than many whiskies at this age with its herbaceous character. The complexity of the lower-strength distillation is revealed here.

The finish lightens somewhat with citrus, more peppery spice, and lingering maple and caramel. Really a nice way to round this one off.

This is a great rye after only three years and holds huge promise for the future. I can't wait to see what becomes of the vegetal undertones that lie beneath the hot rye. Today it's a terrific, warming dram  and a solid showpiece from a distillery doing a great deal behind the scenes of our fledgling industry. Ontario needs more distilleries like Last Straw!

Heatseeker Score: 88

Category Score: 86

For an explanation of the scoring system, please see the Reviews page.