Lot No. 40

Here is a whisky that until now existed on in legends for me, since it was discontinued before I came to appreciate fine spirits. Now it has been reintroduced, owing no doubt to the resurgence of demand for fine Canadian whisky. The bottle delcares that it is a "single copper pot still" whisky, which is an unusual designation which seems to indicate a straight, unblended product. The label also states "made with malted rye", and "pure Canadian rye whisky in its simplest form." Interesting.

Nose: from the bottle, it reminds me of American straight rye (or rye-heavy bourbon), but without the heavy oak char influence. In the glass I get an estery sweet-sour aroma, laced with spice. Some herbal aromas emerge in time. Also pine needles and sawdust. A heavy aroma for a Canadian whisky. There are traces of the typical caramel and vanilla, but these are overwhelmed by the intensity of the rye.

Taste: Quite aggressive without seeming harsh. Rather it is big and oily, with a big sour dough sort of flavour that coats the tongue. I don’t find this whisky even remotely fruity. Instead the sweetness is of hard candy, like crunching a Wurther’s with a mouthful of hot spice.

Finish: a flawless finish in my book. Very long and smooth, fading on just the right notes. Pleasantly tangy.

Balance: in many ways, a whisky-lover’s whisky. It gives us whisky geeks a good chance to experience unadulterated rye, and helps us recognize and appreciate that grain’s influence in other whiskies we love. On top of that, it is an uncompromising whisky that delivers on all fronts, and is extremely drinkable.