Canadian Club 1977
Three Old CCs - Part III of III
4 287
Review by @talexander
- Nose22
- Taste21
- Finish22
- Balance22
- Overall87
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Distribution of ratings for this:
- Brand: Canadian Club
- Type: Canadian
- ABV: 40%
Our final CC was distilled in 1977, and is a 1L bottle (purchased in the same lot as the 1985, it's the larger bottle on the left in the picture).
The colour is a pale yellow. Citrusy on the nose with white pepper, green apple, lightly toasted oak and butterscotch. Hint of vanilla, with a bit of wood smoke. Slightly herbal. A bit of wood smoke with water. Light and smooth, similar to the 1985, but lacking that buttery luxuriousness.
On the palate we have more citrus (again, lemon pith and grapefruit) but the spices have retreated to the background. Slightly oily mouthfeel. The notes here are pretty close to the 1983 "black bottle", with that bitterness. The caramel and vanilla are fairly light. Slightly vegetal. Star anise. Slightly more bitter with water. I like it but it comes across as a bit of a run-of-the-mill Canadian.
The spice returns for the long finish, with mouth-pulling oak, beef stock and smoked paprika. There's nothing wrong with it but it doesn't transcend its genre. Now, if we compare them all (and with today's CC), the 1985 is my winner here. All three of the older bottlings are lighter than today's version, but the 1983 "black bottle" has a bitterness that knocks it out of balance. Having said that, given my scores are all in the mid-to-high 80s, I am generally a fan of this brand as it tends to be a bit punchier than most Canadian whiskies.
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@talexander, that is good to hear that those old bottles of Canadian Club from the 1970s hold up and can be enjoyed. I am still sitting on an unopened bottle of Canadian Club with a 1973 tax stamp on it, which I myself purchased in 1973 or 1974--my memory is a little fuzzy on that!. Since I was not of legal purchasing age until 1974 it was probably 1974 when I bought the bottle.