Forty Creek Cherrywood Reserve

I suppose Forty Creek was so important to me in my Canadian whisky journey - kickstarting a very impressive wave of Canadian whisky interest and releases. Granted, it's looking like more of a bubble than something enduring - sadly (though, I must say, some of the small producers continue to impress).

This is the 17th annual release of a series that, in its early years, set a terrific bar for Canadian whisky. This whisky was "kissed with brandy" and was steeped with cherrywood. Given the recent releases and the price, I split a bottle with 5 friends.

The nose is very "new Forty creek" - nutty and oily - but this also has a mixed grain porridge character and a good kick of wood - not the caramel wood of bourbon but more like freshly sawn lumber. Some spices here and there, and a good bit of dried fruit - indeed, a bit like a rehydrated mixed dried fruit compote. Youthful.

The taste is fairly lightbodied, and easier than the nose. It starts nutty and oaky, with light graininess, some milke chocolate, and, indeed, dried fruit. I taste dried cherries but, given the name, my taste buds may have been biased by "cherrywood". There is a kick of cloves and other woody spices, and a touch of bitterness, towards the end. It is a bit thin at points, despite the ABV, and there is some youthful raw-ness. Reasonably enjoyable on the palate, I could enjoy a few pours of this casually.

The finish is woody, with a kick of dried peach, clean grain, vanilla, and prune. Slightly drying - which I always like. The whisky has the feel of a whisky from a micro/craft distillery.

After last year's release, which I bought and promptly gave away to a willing recipient after three drams - this is better. But, it continues to be far from the quality of the pre-Campari annual releases and, in my opinion, isn't better than barrel select (which is now, in my opinion, their best - and cheapest- whisky).

I've rated this a 79, which by my ratings sits at about the 9th percentile.