Lot No. 40

Lot No. 40 2012 release. A "single copper pot still" Canadian whisky "made with malted rye". I have read that it is made of 90% rye grains and 10% rye malt, though I can't find official confirmation. I bought this bottle during a spirits sale at the Québec liquor store, the SAQ. Regular price: 40$CAD.

Drunk neat. First glass from the bottle.

Nose: Sweeter than I expected from a whisky made of rye. Caramel and vanilla with some mint and slightly spicy. Everything I expected from a Canadian whisky.

Taste: It arrives soft and syrupy, with caramel up front as the nose promised. For the first few seconds, It reminds me a bit of the Redbreast Irish whiskey, though this does not last: the Lot No. 40 rapidly turns sour and slightly bitter as fruit notes (citrus) and rye spices take over.

Finish: Pepper dominates here, with other spices and fresh oak lasting for quite a long time.

Balance: From the sweet attack, through the sour and fruity middle and finishing with the peppery and spicy finale, this is a very interesting sipper. It is not the most balanced and it is rather aggressive, which some might not like, but I would recommend trying it.

Will I be buying it again? It is certainly a very interesting whisky (especially for a Canadian whisky) and it can easily be win a permanent place in my cabinet. I do prefer other Canadians (Wiser's Legacy and the Forty Creek Pot Still Reserve), but both are quite hard to come by here in Québec. I can also see it becoming the base for some rye cocktails.

All in all, I say it's a must try. Every sip seems to bring out something different.