J.P. Wiser's Triple Barrel Rye

After a fairly stressful day at work (or, work-from-home, but aren't we all) I thought I'd finally get around to this stable of the LCBO shelves. Though called "Triple Barrel Rye" I'm pretty sure this is a blend, not 100% rye - matured in virgin oak, first-fill bourbon and indeterminate "used barrels", according to the website.

The colour is a medium amber. On the nose it's pretty fruity with Macintosh apple (or maybe candied apple? Or both?), wine gums, dates and cherry cola. Pretty oaky for an NAS Canadian. Charred wood. Burnt caramel, but the vanilla is more gentle. Water brings out some dusty rye notes. Bolder than expected.

Creamy on the palate with more caramel / vanilla, plus sage, plums, dark chocolate and a fair lashing of spice. Surprisingly hot but it's well balanced with the fruit (cherries, baked apples) and caramel. Like the nose, a few drops of water brings the rye forward somehow. Pretty good stuff.

The finish is toasty with lots of oak, black pepper, cherries and herbs. For a bargain-basement standard Canadian rye ($CAN30 in Ontario right now) this is pretty muscular: some bold notes, lots of fruit and brings on the herbs & spices. If you need a go-to Canadian you could do a lot worse.

Find where to buy Wiser's whisky