​Whiskey around the world: Canada

Canadians were first introduced to whisky by Scottish immigrants. It is often referred to as “rye whisky” by Canadians, although unlike American “rye whiskey,” there is no requirement of a proportion of rye in the mash bill. The only requirements of Canadian whisky are that it be aged for at least three years in wooden barrels and bottled at 40% abv or more.

In the early years of Canadian whisky all of their whiskeys were high rye mash bills but in modern times a wide variety of mash bills have been used to produce Canadian whisky. Generally, Canadian whisky is presented in the bottle as a blend of different mash bills.

In the spirit of exploration, both of the examples of Canadian whisky I chose are brand new to me and both are somewhat unique specimens of the category.

One of the more legendary names in Canadian whisky is the Canadian Club brand. Boasting more than 150 years of tradition that includes being the most smuggled brand of whisky during United State prohibition, Canadian Club first introduced its 100% rye in 2014, and later took home Whisky Advocate’s honor of 2014 Canadian Whiskey of the Year. Just this year they launched the product into the States after it received a Double Gold at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

With such high accolades come high expectations and as I dipped my nose into the glass for a first nose, I knew I would not be disappointed. A very balanced and gentle nose of toasted rye grain with a touch of vanilla sweetness and hints of caramel was followed by the first neat sip where the spiciness of the rye comes to the forefront. The middle is where the caramel and oak come into play in a very smooth and almost creamy mouth feel and the finish is fairly long and very clean with touches of clove, more oak, and the sweet vanilla sensed at the nosing.

This whisky is a great sipper and would certainly make a stellar Manhattan or any other cocktail that is typically rye forward. Priced just under $20, this 100% rye whisky is something everyone should really consider adding to their bar, especially if you or your guests enjoy old fashioned whisky drinks.

Alberta Distillers Limited has been distilling since 1946 and offers up a very unique bottle of blended rye whiskey that contains 91% rye whisky(comprised of a blend of ryes), 8% bourbon, and 1% sherry.

While Canadian whisky is generally known to be not only smooth but fairly simple and easy on the palate, this oddball bottle is almost an assault on your mouth with rich, deep, bold flavors that really take several visits to begin to grasp. If you hadn’t seen the bottle and just ordered a pour from a bartender, it would be next to impossible to pick this out as a Canadian whiskey by its color.

Deep and dark amber that borders on crimson, the influence of sherry and heavily charred oak is visually noted though not very present on the nose. Aromas of vanilla and touches of spice come through an otherwise strong nose of oak. The flavors roll over the tongue one after another and it’s at times hard to tell when one ends and another begins. Dark and dense with an earthy backbone, the rest of the mouth is full of hints of coffee, burnt toffee, dark red fruit, dried fruit, and even touches of evergreen needles. The dark fruit and toffee linger and as the toffee turns to more of a burnt toffee the fruit notes turn in a way that reminds me of dried prunes.

The finish does have a bit more of a medicinal burn to it than I typically enjoy but the variety of flavors and the higher proof (90 proof, 45% abv) makes this Canadian whisky a departure worth experiencing again.

After tasting this whisky I had to learn more about it and was not at all surprised to find out that the process of creating it includes two different stills for the rye whiskey and several different barrels with different degrees of char to create the complex and nuanced flavors that were so unique and intriguing.

Priced at $39.76, it is a bit more expensive than a lot of the Canadian whisky on the shelves, but the craftsmanship that went into creating it is quite evident.