Goodridge & Williams 100% Rye

I've been seeing this craft whisky brand from British Columbia pop up on LCBO shelves, and have been curious yet hesitant to try it. Craft whiskies are, after all, hit and miss at best. This one is 100% rye, aged in ex-bourbon and red wine casks.

The nose is not too inspiring. I get next to no rye spice, but lots of raw spirit with a neutral, vodka-like aroma. Given time in the glass, there is some oak, butterscotch, and a bit of red berries. Finally, some almond extract.

On the tongue it is light-bodied, almost watery, before the oak provides some grip. Again, the rye grain as very little to say here. I wonder what sort of stills were used. The taste is clean and lean with a bit of oakiness. Only in the short finish does it develop the sort of "classic" Canadian profile mentioned on the bottle.

Balance-wise, it is not quite there yet. The spirit and oak keep an awkward distance, afraid to be seen holding hands in public just yet. The wine casks add a soft touch of sweetness and charm, which certainly doesn't hurt.

Overall, I feel like I struck out with this bottle, especially for the price. The aroma isn't terrible and there's a decent moment of oak spice mid-palate but I would never had pegged this as 100% rye. In a head-to-head against Reifel Rye, the difference was astonishing. This has almost no flavour compared to the new ADL bottling, which was comparatively pungent, almost smoky, with a strong spearmint character. G&W, on the other hand, reminds me of other under-developed craft whiskies I've had, namely some of Stalk and Barrel's lower offerings.