Wiser's Apple

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 

The Wild North

For perhaps the first time, this blog gets to blaze a trail as the first to review a new release. Which is great, but also means your humble correspondent must do all the digging on his own. No matter, there's a glass of whisky to help with that. 

That whisky, it turns out, is a bottle that's recently hit Québec shelves called The Wild North. Suffused with lumberjack iconography and an attractive bottle, this prominently-labelled rye carries an age statement of 5 years. The description on the back states that the liquid is actually a blend of 5 and 7 year whiskies. An educated guess is that the whiskies are corn - probably from Valleyfield Distillery - and rye. The label mentions these whiskies are aged onsite in "our own cellars."

Determining where exactly these cellars are requires a little digging and, as is usual with whisky, more educated guesstimations. If I find out more information, I'll be sure to update the review, but for now, let's trace back the origins of The Wild North through its distributor to its producer. According to the SAQ website, Wild North is produced by Mondia Alliance, which actually doesn't exist as a brand anymore. That's because, as part of a merger, it is now called Station 22.  Who, it turns out, are behind some well known labels including Spicebox spiced whiskies and the iconic Sortilège whisky liqueurs. 

Right then. We can assume Wild North is aged alongside the component whiskies in those blended products. Where exactly is it distilled and in which barrels is it aged? I have a pretty good guess based on taste but I'll have to get back to you on that. 

Either way, this whisky was released in Québec's SAQ a couple weeks ago, in mid-August. So as possibly the first Ontarian get his hands on this bottle, I'm keen to pour myself a dram or two and see what comes out.

The Wild North Rye 5 Years Old

43% alc./vol.

$39 at SAQ

The nose brings fruit and sweetness quite prominently. Actually, this reminds a lot of another Montréal product, Seagram's VO Gold. There's a citrus-y florality and linalool (Fruit Loops), with the overall sweet profile of corn whisky distillate. There's also a musty note that comes through early on. 

The palate brings much of the sweetness with a pronounced citrus character. Some butterscotch continues the dessert whisky taste until it's met by a rising, warm rye. Throughout, a full mouthfeel is the result of the elevated bottling strength. That 43% also gives a warming heft which nicely offsets the light citrus notes.

The finish is where the rye component really comes into its own. The whisky turns warming here, with white pepper and bitter grapefruit pith. There is some drying and oak, and the effect is sort of like Tabasco sauce. But it all wraps up on lingering maple.

Well, I was intrigued by the lumberjack branding and the reasonable midrange price point (as well as the forbidden fruit of a bottle you can't get in Ontario). And I wasn't disappointed, with a solid rye that runs to sweet and then spicy. It initially follows VO Gold, but takes the turn toward spice into the finish, and brings the warming 43% body. 

A solid all-rounder, let's say, and a whisky that should do quite well with consumers and mixologists. Simplistic but enjoyable, the sweet moves easily into the spicy and on a wintry Montréal day, one dram could quickly move into a lengthy session. I'm glad I find myself with a bottle of this and would certainly keep one on hand as a crowdpleasing warmer.

Heatseeker Score: 85

Category Score: 88

Characteristic: Sweet and Warming

Canadian Club Classic (12 Year)

We recently reviewed Canadian Club's ubiquitous flagship, 1858, and found it surprisingly characterful. Now it's time to move up to the popular 12 year old expression from the iconic brand. Canadian Club Classic, as the more mature bottling is known, gets about twice the aging time of its younger sibling, using ex-Bourbon barrels. 

Canadian Club itself hardly needs an introduction as one of Canada's oldest and most prolific whisky brands. Its history goes back to 1858 when Detroit, Michigan grocer Hiram Walker began to distill whisky. With Prohibition looming in the State, Walker moved his operation across the river - and across the border - into Canada. Today the distillery that bears his name is a landmark on the Windsor skyline and forms the heart of the Walkerville neighbourhood which spring up around it.

The location of Hiram Walker Distillery right on the river made it a convenient spot for rum runners transporting alcohol into the US, but even before the onset of universal Prohibition, Walker's whisky had gained a reputation for its smoothness and became popular at private clubs throughout North America. In a bid to stifle the popularity of the imported whisky, the US government demanded Walker label his 'Club Whisky' as Canadian, but the move backfired and sent Canadian whisky's popularity into the stratosphere. To this day, Canadian whisky remains astronomically popular in the United States.

Canadian Club has obtained Royal Warrants from Queen Victoria through to Elizabeth and the whisky continues to be made in Windsor, though the distillery has changed hands at the corporate level. 

CC's 12 year bottling is particularly popular in Japan, and the Canadian version is a logical upward extension for the brand. The blend of rye (malted and unmalted), corn, and malted barley is (unusually, in Canada) aged together, rather than with each grain individually. In the end, twelve years in oak have bestowed a whisky that is elegantly mellow and quite pleasant.

^ the slightly redesigned current packaging

Canadian Club Classic

40% alc./vol.

$31.45 at LCBO (750mL)

Lots of caramel on the nose along with charred oak. Nutty and then a vanilla, cola profile. Some smoke on the back end and a buttery note, the combination is almost like bacon frying. But generally a gentle nose typical of sweeter Canadian blends. 

The palate begins with sweet maple and buttery creaminess set against a hint of hot rye. There is a pleasant malt flavour and lots of brown sugar. Some yeasty notes and a rich pumpernickel flavour come through subtly. The rye spice is white hot but very restrained, so that you get more of a suggestion of its flavour without the burst of heat. The palate is fairly simple but nicely balanced and quite creamy. 

The rye spice builds into the finish where it flashes with capsicum heat, though tempered by plenty of butterscotch. Slight bitterness but it's the hot rye note which lingers for a short while. 

That last burst of rye enlivens what is a most gentle, elegant, pleasant dram. What bold grain flavour the whisky may have lost from aging the different distillates together, it makes up for in thorough integration and balance. Classic 12 also has a nice malt note, from the high barley content, which is not often found in Canadian blends. 

It's not overly complex nor particularly bold in flavour profile, but I enjoy this as a truly pleasant sipper. It's ever so gentle, elegant, polite - a soft pillow rather than a lightning bolt, with just enough verve in it from the moment of spice on the finish. It's mild-mannered but offers up plenty of refinement thanks to its age. It's also worth noting, in spite of its age, this bottle is super affordable. A friendly whisky perfect for sharing with friends (or some happy sipping on your own).

Heatseeker Score: 87

Category Score: 89

Characteristic: Sweet

Please enjoy our other Canadian Club reviews; 1858 and Chairman's Select.

Gibson's Finest Bold

Gibson's Finest is one of those Canadian labels you see everywhere, whether out or at someone's home. And for good reason, they were the first to focus specifically on longer aging for their blends and made it the centrepiece of the Gibson's brand. Some great TV commercials, especially during CFL broadcasts, have made the "taste, fully aged" slogan a memorable one. With the distinctive and attractive bottle designs, Gibson's products lend a masculine feel to a whisky bar.

In fact, Gibson's history goes back to the 1850s when Irish spirits merchant John Gibson opened his own distillery in Pennsylvania. Like many of the distillers who's names now grace Canadian whisky history, Mr. Gibson's fortunes were shattered by the onset of Prohibition in the United States. Rather than move his operations to Canada, like many of his contemporaries, he was forced to shut down entirely. 

By 1945, the Gibson's Finest brand had been purchased by American spirits conglomerate Schenley Industries. At the time they were constructing the Valleyfield Distillery in Quebec, and later began producing whisky with the Gibson's name from there. That distillery grew, eventually becoming one of North America's largest, home to the Seagram's VO label (check out our review of VO Gold here).

Eventually, the brand was bought by Scotch giant William Grant and Sons and production of most bottles moved to the Hiram Walker Distillery in Windsor, North America's largest. 

Bold, their newest release, is 8 years old and is still sourced from Valleyfield barrels. It was designed especially for mixing with cola, which apparently accounts for a significant amount of rye sales. To that end, the whisky has an amped up flavour profile at 46% which allows it to stand out in an overwhelmingly sweet cola mixed drink. 46% is a notable strength for whisky, as it tends to be the lowest strength for non-chill filtered whiskies (a practice primarily used for higher quality bottles to preserve complexity). So far as I can tell Gibson's doesn't make use of this practice, which is fair as subtleties are usually lost in a sweet mixed drink anyway. 

Still, the higher strength adds mouthfeel and flavour. And though this whisky included a new oak-aged component, it's exaggerated dark colour is surely achieved through liberal use of caramel colour rather than barrel char. As for the liquid itself, it's a blend of light corn base and some rich rye and malted barley flavouring whiskies. 

Like the other Gibson's whiskies, this is a perfectly solid dram. Unlike its younger and older brothers, Bold is targeted at a specific mixed drink, and perhaps sacrifices some balance in order to achieve that profile. It remains, however, an enjoyable and easy sipper in its own right, and at an attractive price point to boot. 

Gibson's Finest Bold

46% alc./vol.

$34 at LCBO (750mL)

The nose begins with suggestions of cola; vanilla, brown sugar, some orange even. A rich molasses and hints of new oak take over with some maple sweetness too.

On the palate, the higher strength is evident in an oaky, intensely rich rye that rises from a spiced rum-like sweetness. The sweet component of this palate is a good echo of the nose; some orange, some sugar, lots of vanilla, and more cola flavour. The rye is not overpoweingly spicy but relentlessly drives forward the sweeter flavours with its rich, peppery, oaky force.

The finish is medium length and straightforward, with warming rye and pronounced bitter citrus.

After writing this, I looked at the reviews on some other blogs and was surprised to see that they were all extremely similar. What I tasted quite closely agrees with multiple other bloggers and even the official description from Gibson's. Rarely do multiple tasters agree on the description and almost never with what the marketing team provide, but this is the rare exception. That, and the fact the taste profile would seem to work well with a cola mix, suggests the blending here is absolutely spot on. In short, this whisky achieves exactly what its creators set out to do. 

Gibson's Finest Bold is a sipper with a luscious, oaky rye heart surrounded by a bottle of Coke. I like to taste this alongside Pike Creek 10 year, which is finished in rum casks. It's a great taste analogue. Whether or not you choose to mix it, it's a big and finely balanced dram at a terrific price. It's not the most complex whisky on the market, and that colour is still quite aggresive, but from the first taste it's evident this is a distinctive, high-quality bottling that would do Mr. Gibson proud.

Heatseeker Score: 86

Category Score: 94              

Characteristic: Sweet and Rich

Please also enjoy our review of Gibson's Finest Rare.

Small Talk

We're branching out a little today, with a look at a BC craft single malt. It's not a rye, but playing a little fast and loose with the rules has long been the Canadian way to make whisky, and it might as well apply to this blog as well. Rye or not, this is one of the now many Canadian single malts forging a new tradition for an original whisky style.

Phillips Brewing, on Vancouver Island, joined the British Columbian distilling boom that came about after the province slashed red tape and taxes for craft distillers. Their distillery side operates under the cheeky name 'Fermentorium.' Unsurprisingly, BC now has the most distilleries of any province by far. Using local barley, Phillips' skill in brewing translates to some neat practices in whisky making. For one thing, they malt their barley in house. This entails heating to induce germination, and then arresting that process. The barley then becomes 'malted' and can provide the enzymes to convert starch to sugar in mashing. Most single malt distilleries in Scotland and elsewhere abandoned onsite malting decades ago, so it's refreshing to see a craft producer imparting some more control and customisation into their recipe.

The first whisky release from Fermentorium is Small Talk. It come in at 41% in an attractive bottle.

The artistic label design doesn't contain too much about the aging process but this whisky features a blend from Pinot Noir casks and ex-Bourbon casks that were briefly 'soaked' with Phillips' beer, presumably their cask aged Imperial Stout. The whisky spent five years in these casks according to a description on their website.

In terms of the bottle itself, the whisky comes only as 375mL. This can actually be a good thing as these small batch craft whiskies tend to be expensive. Indeed, the half size bottle is half the price (though a pricing mixup on The Strath's website led me to believe I had obtained a 750mL bottle for under $50 - that would really have been a steal). One thing I've noted is the cork seems to be quite high quality and is snug in the bottle, providing a satisfying pop as it's removed from the neck. 

This small batch release isn't available everywhere, and in fact can only be found on Vancouver Island and in the Lower Mainland. If you're in BC or (like me) you carefully cultivate friendships in provinces with better alcohol retail regimes than Ontario, this is a bottle that will stand out on your bar. It's a conversation piece for whisky lovers and a fine dram indeed, one that can compare favourably to any midrange single malt. 

Fermentorium Small Talk

41% alc./vol.

~$40 at The Strath bottle shop in Victoria

The nose is compelling, with pronounced sweetness in the form of apricot, fig, and honey. There's also an interesting briney smokiness I associate with Laphroaig 10 and describe as permanent marker. There's bourbon-y sweet oakiness and vanilla, but without the cloying corn sweetness that sometimes accompanies bourbon. A sweet grain note that to me recalls Cheerios takes over after a couple minutes in the Glencairn alongside dill. 

To taste, the youthfulness of this whisky is on display, though not to the detriment of the dram. It's very warming and in this regard is more like a rye than many single malts. The classic Canadian feel continues with caramel and butterscotch sweetness, and more honey, though there are intriguingly bitter citrus, caraway, and aniseeed notes that grow prominent on the palate. Sweet orange is also there in good measure as is some cinnamon heat. The mouthfeel is viscous and oily without much ethanol burn.

On the long finish, a number of flavours burst forward in an orderly procession. First up is a hot spice that gives way to more anise bitterness and a pronounced caraway flavour. This whisky departs very much like an akvavit! Dill and yeasty, malty notes come up alongside some very sweet orange and butterscotch. The Pinot cask now exerts its influence with a distinctive wine note. Finally the whisky leaves a lovely tongue-coating dryness that lingers for ages, just asking for another sip. Wow, this finish is one of the most intriguing and complex I've tried in a long time. It evolves continually, a beneficiary not only of its slightly higher bottling strength but of some thoughtful cask finishing. 

This is a lovely single malt. It gently suggests Speyside but has some of the smokiness of Islay, along with a spicy liveliness that reflects its origin in the land of rye. This whisky pairs well with the mild climate of the Pacific coast but for those of us outside BC who can get some, it is a bottle you'll want to show off. 

I'm excited to see what else Fermentorium will turn out in the future. Hopefully there will be lots more Small Talk in years to come, and some to share with the rest of the country. It's a real winner of a malt and one I definitely recommend!

Heatseeker Score: 86

Category Score: 82

Characteristic: Grain-forward

Collingwood

Though we're continuing on the sweet side after our last review of Seagram's VO Gold, this whisky is extremely different in method and result. Collingwood is the result of a distillery branching out in their aging and then again in their finishing process, introducing a process to Canada that seems like it should have been around for a long time. 

In the idyllic resort town of Collingwood, on the shores of Nottawasaga Bay, the Canadian Mist Distillery has long produced simple whisky for export to the US market. Canadian Mist has been a favourite for mixing amongst Americans for decades, but as tastes changed, the distillery decided to venture into more interesting bottlings. They created Collingwood Whisky as a result, but also pioneered their maple finishing process in doing so. 

Collingwood starts with a base of corn and malted barley, like it's sibling Canadian Mist, and is distilled in an unusual (for Canada) method. This base is triple distilled to become very neutral in flavour, then enters a 'doubler.'  The doubler is a common element of bourbon production, and removes some impurities through copper contact. It almost functions as a fourth distillation, which brings this base close to vodka territory for flavour neutrality. Though that may be ideal for the exported Canadian Mist brand, Collingwood needed a big hit of flavour, and finds this in the rye distillate made here. 

Added only sparingly to Canadian Mist, this punchy rye is added liberally to Collingwood and doesn't shy away from the white hot side of that grain. 

Now comes the interesting part; Collingwood's signature is a "mellowing" process using toasted maple staves. It levels out the bright rye with a sweet, round flavour that can only be from Canada. To achieve this, the fully-aged base and rye barrels are emptied together for marrying into stainless steel vats, with toasted (but not charred) maple staves; basically a deconstructed barrel. The staves float atop the blend for a couple months before proofing down with Georgian Bay water and then bottling. 

This standard bottle comes in at just $35 in Ontario, another example of the tremendous value to be found in Canadian whisky. It's now been joined by some limited release editions like the terrific Town Collection Double-Barreled and the rare, very interesting 21 year rye. All of Collingwood's expressions highlight the signature smooth maple finish and this entry-level bottle is a fine example of that. It looks great on a bar but more importantly entices whisky lovers with the prospect of future releases from this suddenly very interesting distillery. 

The Collingwood area is known for its skiing, boating, and golf and has also become a hotbed for cider. After a couple of those, a transition to a dram of this whisky could cap off a perfect day in this corner of paradise. 

^The stylish Canadian market bottle.

Collingwood Canadian Whisky

40% alc./vol.

$35 at LCBO

The nose is carried by rich brown sugar, caramel, green apple, and some earthiness. Maple, of course, follows as does what I can only describe as peanut butter and even a bit of a meaty note. There's florality and just a touch of oak, but no burn nor suggestion of the coming rye spice. Quite nice in all; rich, sweet, and ever so Canadian. 

On the palate, the oak leads alongside the maple, which is entwined throughout. The mouthfeel is thick and lovely. More brown sugar, caramel, and even some saltiness before a quick slap of scalding rye (in the best possible way!). Capsicum, peppercorn, and chili oil take over for just a fleeting moment, but leave big flavour implications. Before you know it, the maple washes back over and soothes the palate, departing in a viscous syrupy wave.

The finish begins with more of that great maple before the remnants of the rye take over, with lingering bitter citrus. The hot embers are still there but it's mostly the bitter pith noticed. 

What an interesting whisky. It brings so much rich maple but also rye heat in abundance. It's not perfect though; this won't be the first review to call the middles a bit thin. Maybe the rye component, in all it's fiery glory, is a little too fleeting. There so much there but it is almost immediately quelled by the maple's return. 

That's not necessarily a bad thing for most people who pick this bottle up; it manages to pack all that heat and still be a very easy sipper. With both the heat and the sweet balanced pretty well, Collingwood should please loads of rye drinkers. This whisky lover salivates at the thought of a higher-strength release that could unleash more complexity. But on its own, this is much more than just a good looking bottle; it's an innovative and very Canadian exploration that should always be on hand as a sipper. There's not a lot better out there for $35 and almost no other whiskies that can genuinely please everyone without compromising for anyone.

Heatseeker Score: 85

Category Score: 91

Characteristic: Maple

Seagram's VO Gold

These days, Bombardier is Quebec's fallen star, a global titan ravaged by mismanagement now a shell of its former self. But before Bombardier, another Quebecois company turned its back on its home and overextended itself to the brink. 

Unlike Bombardier, when distilling megabrand Seagram's began to founder, it didn't eventually catch itself, though the name still graces the shelves of bottle shops around the world. 

The Seagram Company can trace its lineage to 1857, when it was a distillery in Waterloo, Ontario. During American Prohibition, the Montreal-based Distillers Corporation acquired the distillery and used it as a base for a rum running operation, which only led to further success when the American market reopened in the '30s. At the same time, Distillers Corporation, run by Samuel Bronfman, bought the shuttered Greenbriar Distillery in Tennessee, dismantled it, and had it reassembled in LaSalle, Quebec. 

From here, the Seagram brand flourished, growing to hundreds of products that were exported all over the world. Seagram produced Crown Royal and VO, two of the most popular whisky brands on Earth. Even today, rare Crown Royal bottlings made from Waterloo and LaSalle casks fetch hundreds of dollars. 

However, all was not destined to end well. When New York-based heir Edgar Bronfman, Jr took over the family business, he aggresively diversified, investing in oil, entertainment, and myriad other properties. This drove Seagram into debt until, by 2000, the company was being sold off left and right. The beverage division ended up going to conglomerate Diageo. An Indiana-based distillery was sold to MGP, today known as the source of whisky for dozens of American producers large and small. 

Today, Seagram's whiskies are still produced, though not by the Bronfman family. Diageo moved Seagram's brands to the nearby Valleyfield Distillery in Sallaberry-de-Valleyfield, just west of Montreal. The distillery produces a sweet corn distillate and rye distilled elsewhere is blended into Valleyfield's whiskies. 

Seagram's VO  ('Very Own,' likely) produced here remains wildly popular as a cheap mixer, especially in the States. The Gold offering is an extension for VO fans looking for a richer, slightly more upscale blend. So far as I've been able to tell, it's only available as an export, so Canadians will have to travel to the States to find this on the shelf. 

It comes in an attractive bottle with a distinctive ribbon and a statement proclaiming it as the signature blend of Arthur Peterson, veteran Master Blender. A good effort went into making this look like and feel like a premium bottling. All this despite a bargain price, though it would probably be more mid-range if it were sold in tax-mad Canadian bottle shops. It does, notably, carry an 8 year age statement - extremely rare at this price point. It's an interesting mixer in an attractive bottle at an even more attractive price point. It achieves exactly what was intended here and, though it won't win any awards as a sipper, it is the star of many a cocktail. And it offers more than you might expect on its own. Bartenders both at home and professional should be glad the Seagram story continues in whisky form. 

Seagram's VO Gold

40% ABV

USD$18.94 (C$26.80 at time of writing) found at Total Wine and More, Florida

The first whiff of VO Gold brings peach and linalool (Fruit Loop-y) sweetness quite strongly, moving into caramel and a restrained oaky rye spice. There's a little ethanol heat but its not overpowering. Citrus comes through as well, and is that coriander? I dare say the nose suggests a floral London Dry gin (Hayman's, perhaps) as much as rye whisky. It's pleasant, though, and surprisingly complex; a testament to what eight years can do to the sweetness of corn distillate. 

On the palate, sweet, floral tastes lead off. That distinctive coriander is there alongside those sweet double distilled corn notes you'll find in cheaper mixers. Caramel, a little maple, and peach give way to a dry, oaky rye spice with bitter grapefruit rind.

The finish is medium-length and led by oak and bitter grapefruit. Plum and dark fruit follow before a wave of oily, spicy rye washes over all and closes out this surprisingly complex whisky. 

There's no doubt about it, VO is a mixing whisky and it's Gold brother is built from the same stuff. Those who stear clear of sweet whiskies ought avoid this bottle, but it checks all the boxes as a liquid dessert. As sipping whiskies go, there are obviously better out there, but that's not why this whisky exists. It does deserve to be sipped and will reward the drinker who pours it neat, but VO Gold is best as a valuable asset for the cocktailer looking to add more than just vanilla or dry rye spice. The bitter citrus part of this whisky simply begs for a slice of orange and some ice.

Its a sweet whisky, but in the totality of that descriptor. It's longer aging time bequeaths a complexity that makes this a great exploration of corn as a whisky grain, and it's highly demonstrative of the Valleyfield style. For a surprisingly complex bottle that looks great on a bar, at a terrific price, VO Gold is a truly solid choice. 

Heatseeker Score: 84

Category Score: 91

Characteristic: Sweet

Forty Creek Barrel Select

Forty Creek holds a special place in the history of Canadian whisky. Founded in 1992, at a global low point for whisky, the plucky startup had to take on the big Canadian players and the crushing LCBO monopoly without any support from today's craft spirits industry. Being located on the Niagara Peninsula, the distillery originally focused on grape spirits. Kittling Ridge, as it was exclusively known then, undertook a rebranding and pivoted to whisky, and the rest became history. Forty Creek can rightly claim to be something of a pioneer in small-batch whisky not only in Canada but in the world. 

Today, the distillery is owned by Campari, largely as a North American production facility for global spirits brands. Led by founder John Hall and blender Bill Ashburn, a range of whiskies from everyday to rare releases have come from Forty Creek in recent years earning them the plaudits they well deserve. They produce a number of non-whisky spirits including Kingsgate fortified wines; a fabulously affordable sweet sipper.

Within the whisky community, well-circulated speculation that much of Forty Creek's whisky is created at Windsor's Hiram Walker Distillery persists. Regardless, this isn't something to be ashamed of nor is it a black mark against Forty Creek. With Canadian whisky, the emphasis is so heavily on single-grain aging and then blending; the creative work is certainly done in Niagara even if the distilling is done in Windsor. More power to them if they're sourcing distillate and aging it themselves, much of the best world whisky is sourced from one distillery or another. 

This bottling is the standard, entry-level Forty Creek found all over Canada and abroad. It's a solid baseline Eastern Canadian rye (by which I mean it features a healthy dose of base corn whisky). The corn is blended with rye and also barley for complexity. Most of the whisky in here is aged 6-10 years and sherry cask finished. Pretty good for a sub-$30 whisky, and evidence that rye is still laughably underpriced in the whisky world. This is not a bottle that will blow anyone away but is perfectly solid for the price point and extremely versatile. Nothing wrong with that!

Forty Creek Barrel Select

40% ABV

$27.75 at the LCBO

The nose carries some dusty rye and a healthy dose of vanilla-y American oak. Quite a few subtle fruit and floral notes there as well - one conjures the vineyards that surround this distillery. 

On the palate, the oaky notes are strong. It's a vanilla forward taste, with plenty of toasted barrel influence. The sweetness betrays the double-distilled corn that forms the base here, before the rye comes through late. Not a tonne of rye on the palate, but it's in there, suspended between the corn and some subtle malty notes. Sweetness is the name of the game here.  A viscous sherry sweetness of dark fruit and marzipan comes through in hints, leading into the straightforward finish. 

More vanillin and oak come through on the finish, with a little rye spice. Short and with a touch of bitterness, the finish doesn't verge far from what came on the palate. Pleasant dusty rye lingers a little, with some maple sweetness.

In all, it's a fairly simple, sweet, oaky whisky. It's a little above what you'd expect at the price and is perfectly pleasant for a sip and great as a blender. Certainly one of the finer sub-$30 whiskies out there and from a trailblazing distillery no less. A great alternative to one of the mainstream entry-level ryes, and certainly a more interesting bottle to break out for casual drinks with friends.

Heatseeker Score: 82

Category Score: 88

Characteristic: Sweet and Oaky

Please also enjoy our review of Forty Creek's Double Barrel Reserve here.