Tag Archives: 40yo

Canadian Club 40 Year Old

Not one to be out done by Corby and the Northern Border Collection, or the various Canada 150 special releases, Beam Suntory has just released the oldest age-stated Canadian whisky in history: Canadian Club 40 year old.

There is not a lot information available on this release, beyond that it was distilled in 1977, and aged in used American oak barrels. Classically, Canadian Club was made from a blend of corn and rye, but I have seen commentary from several sources online that this is a pure corn whisky.

As explained my recent review of J.P. Wiser’s 35 year old, it is a common practice in Canada to add a small amount of low-ABV rye “flavouring” whiskies to such a “base” of high-ABV corn whisky, to add extra character. I will come back to this point later, but my experience certainly supports the idea that a light corn whisky is the source spirit used here.

This first release has sold out in most jurisdictions (although is still available in some Alberta outlets), as only around 7000 bottles were produced. I was fortunate enough to manage to snag a bottle when it hit Ontario shelves early last month ($250 CAD at the LCBO). Bottled at 45% ABV, the whisky comes in a stylish presentation-style square bottle (which is actually a bit of a pain to pour from, truth be told).

Here is how compares in my Meta-Critic Whisky Database:

Canadian Club 20yo: 8.63 ± 0.30 on 10 reviews ($$$)
Canadian Club 30yo; 9.00 ± 0.18 on 6 reviews ($$$$$)
Canadian Club 40yo: 9.01 ± 0.48 on 6 reviews ($$$$$)
Canadian Rockies 21yo: 8.96 ± 0.26 on 8 reviews ($$$)
Gooderham & Worts 17yo Little Trinity Three Grain: 8.63 ± 0.41 on 5 reviews ($$$$)
J.P. Wiser’s 18yo: 8.58 ± 0.43 on 17 reviews ($$$)
J.P. Wiser’s 35yo: 8.78 ± 0.67 on 8 reviews ($$$$$)
J.P. Wiser’s Union 52: 8.82 ± 0.34 on 9 reviews ($$$)
Lot 40: 8.90 ± 0.34 on 22 reviews ($$)
Lot 40 Cask Strength 12 Year Old: 9.25 ± 0.09 on 7 reviews ($$$$)
Masterson’s Straight Rye 10yo: 8.87 ± 0.40 on 17 reviews ($$$$)
Pike Creek 21yo Speyside Cask Finish: 8.68 ± 0.27 on 5 reviews ($$$$)

Let’s see what I find in the glass:

Nose: Subtle, but detectable from a distance. Light honey and corn syrup. Gummi bears. Candied orange citrus. Vanilla. Tree bark (likely from the extended oak aging). Definite acetone, contributing to an artificial sweetener/candy note. But not offensive, seems to work with the other light sweet notes. Reminds me in some ways of Crown Royal Monarch for the oaky notes (but with less overt rye here).

Palate: Corn, corn and more corn. Corn syrup. Hot-buttered corn-on-the-cob. Definite caramel now, adding to the vanilla – a salted caramel. Light dried fruits. Buttery and creamy texture, quite decadent – yet it still feels relatively light and bright for the age. Aromatic wood note that I can quite place (juniper?). Slight nutmeg on way out. Touch of tannic tea. Very easy drinking – dare I say “smooth”?

Finish: Medium length. Light corn on the tongue, with butter. Nutmeg and a touch of cloves. Plums and citrus. Caramel lingers to the end.

Caramel seems to build over time with successive sips. A rich, liquid caramel – by the end of the glass, you feel like you drank insides of a Caramilk bar.‎ Slippery, buttery residue on lips also builds with time. Very distinctive, I would call this a dessert whisky.

While there are some light rye notes here (which I suspect are coming exclusively from the wood), it is really the base corn spirit that shines through. I’ve never had such a well-aged, mellow corn whisky before – it seems younger and brighter. Certainly interesting as a concept, but I can’t help feel that a splash of Lot 40 Cask Strength in here would really help wake this whisky up.

Personally, I prefer the Wiser’s 35 year old over this bottle, as it has a little more spice and character. But CC 40 really is a distinctive experience, so I urge you to try a sample if you ever get the chance.

Among reviewers, it gets outstanding scores from Jason of In Search of Elegance and Davin of Canadian Whisky and Whisky Advocate. Beppi of the Globe and Mail gives it a very good score. Among Reddit reviewers, TOModera and Strasse007 both give it an above average score, with muaddib99 giving it a more average one.