Forty Creek Port Wood Reserve

Thanks to @paddockjudge for the reviewed samples, which are from lot 061, bottle # 3486. The reviewed bottle has been open for 6 weeks

This review is in non-sequential format (SQVH); for more information on this format see my review and comments on Royal Canadian Small Batch

Strength: very strong flavours of Port wine, wood, and spicy rye on nose, palate, and finish. Score 24/25 all whiskies; 25/25 Canadian Category

Quality: all of the three sets of flavours are very very good in quality. The Port wine comes across as sweet and dry at the same time. The wood manifests primarily through vanilla flavours, with just background hints of oak and maple. Spiciness from rye with maybe a bit also of some rye dark-fruitiness, is aggressive, just as it is in Forty Creek Barrel Select. This is sweet and spicy like spicy candy. Score: 23/25 all; 24/25 Canadian

Variety: this sample of Forty Creek Port Wood Reserve gives me variety which a prior sample of Forty Creek Port Wood Reserve did not. With that prior sample all I could taste was wine. For this sample, Score 22/25 all; 24/25 Canadian

Harmony: the Port wine dominates this whisky to an unhealthy degree, despite the very high quality flavours of each of its component parts. Score 18/25 all; 20/25 Canadian

Total Scores 87/100 all whiskies; 93/100 Canadian Category

Comment: my other sample of Forty Creek Port Wine Reserve would have rated 80-all and 84 Canadian

If you don't mind aggressive wine taking over your whisky, you can really like this one. The aggressiveness of this expression reminds me of some of the things being done now by Balcones and Corsair