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Canadian Whisky Trends 2021

Following on my inaugural Whisky Trends post last year, I thought I’d provide an update for what has been a most unusual year.

Obviously, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot personal and economic disruptions this past year. Many producers had to alter their release plans, but there were still a significant number of new Canadian whiskies over the course of the year.

For example, while Corby cancelled the annual Northern Border Collection (NBC) release for 2020, they did continue to put out a number of specialty release whiskies (see below for a summary, and how they performed). The most significant (and which would likely have been the cornerstone of the NBC had it come out) were Lot 40 Dark Oak and J.P. Wiser’s Cask-Strength 22yo Port Finish (again, see below for a quality assessment). Both of these are now widely available. I know from Dr. Don Livermore’s twitter feed that they are working on a new crowd-sourced recipe for a Canadian whisky blend, so stay tuned for further developments on that front.

One high-profile event later in the year was Jim Murray’s naming of the first batch of Alberta Premium’s Cask Strength 100% Rye as his Whisky of the Year for 2021. This didn’t have quite the same impact as the first time he named a Canadian whisky (Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye in late 2015), as the limited release of the Alberta Premium Cask Strength a year previous meant that available bottles were almost completely gone. Further dampening the impact, Mr Murray had finally been publicly called out on his persistent sexism, leading many in the industry to sever ties with him. While this was past due in my view, the timing was unfortunate for Alberta Premium. Fortunately, a second batch of this cask-strength rye has recently been released, to generally positive reviews (I haven’t had the chance to try it yet). And if you are really desperate to try the first batch, I note there is a rare bottle currently on auction at Waddington’s in Ontario.

With the recent announcement of the Canadian Whisky Awards for 2021, I thought it was good time to re-review the current Canadian whisky scene – and what it bodes for your whisky purchases.

As a refresher, Davin de Kergommeaux assembles a panel of very experienced Canadian whisky reviewers for this competition each year (many of whom – like Davin – are tracked individually in my Meta-Critic Database). But what is significant is that all reviewers score the whiskies “blind”, with the results tabulated to assign medals each year into 3 tiers; Gold, Silver and Bronze. As an aside, I don’t recommend you pay too much attention to the special award categories (outside Whisky of the Year, which has the highest cumulative score). Given the expanding range of categories, it’s possible to find lowest tier Bronze whiskies among the special award recipients.

As background, here are how the major medals for the last decade correspond to the individual average scores for those same whiskies in my database:

Bronze medals: 8.04 ± 0.32
Silver medals: 8.50 ± 0.28
Gold medals: 8.81 ± 0.25

As a comparator, the overall average Canadian whisky in my database is currently 8.45. So on the basis of this, I recommend you stick with the Gold and Silver medal winners to try.

As with last year, I think it is worth considering here two classes of observations: how do recent specialty bottlings compare to past ones, and how have standard bottlings changed over time?  Let’s take these questions one at a time.

Specialty Releases

The annual premium Canadian Club special release this year made a big splash – the Canadian Club 43yo The Speakeasy not only won Gold at CWA, but was the highest scoring whisky – giving it the Whisky of the Year title. Currently available in Ontario for $320 CAD. That makes four years in a row that the Canadian Club >40yo releases (collectively known as Chronicles) have consistently won Gold medals.

Alberta Premium’s Cask Strength again won a Gold medal this year (not sure if this was the 2020 second batch). Preliminary reviews for the second batch remain very high, so this bodes well.

Last year, I was surprised that the J.P. Wiser’s 23yo Cask-Strength only received a Silver medal (especially given the extremely high Meta-Critic average for this whisky). But they re-entered it into the competition again this year, where it now won a Gold medal. Same is true for the new J.P. Wiser’s 22yo Cask-Strength Port Finish – and in addition to Gold, it also seems to have been a runner-up for Whisky of the Year this year (winning “Best Blended Whisky Highly Commended”).

Lot 40 Dark Oak also received a Gold medal this year, which isn’t surprising given how enthusiasts tend to like heavier oaky elements (and the general popularity of Lot 40). The release of the third series of NHL Alumni whiskies – Captains Dave Keon 14yo, Mark Messier 11yo, and Yvan Cournoyer 12yo – won Gold for the Messier and Cournoyer whiskies, and Silver for Keon. I personally thought this was best release yet, so I am not surprised by the medals. I haven’t heard anything further for this series going forward, but I hope they continue it.

Also offered by Corby this year were limited regional releases of J.P. Wiser’s Seven Rebels (in BC), Wheatfield Gold (Manitoba), and Pike Creek 15yo Cabernet Sauvingon Finish (Ontario). While Seven Rebels has gotten good reviews, all three medaled in the Silver category.

So, taken together, this is another good year for the specialty releases from the major producers. Although value will depend on the individual bottlings, they are all getting above average scores – including some of the top-ranked awards.

What about the craft/new producers?  Consistent with recent competitions, the last five Two Brewers’ releases all received Gold/Silver medals (2 Golds, 3 Silvers). Last Mountain received a fairly even mix of Gold/Silver/Bronze medals, as did Last Straw distillery. Shelter Point is still getting mainly Bronze and Silver medals for their various releases, although they did take one Gold this year. Macaloney’s Caledonian similarly got a mix of Bronze/Silver medals. Wayne Gretzky whiskies continue to get fairly consistent Silver medals. Lohin McKinnon was a consistent Bronze performer this year, down from a mix of Silver/Bronze last year. All told, that’s a very good showing for the craft producers.

Changes Over Time in Standard Bottlings

This is the area that I am also most concerned about – it is not hard to produce excellent one-off special releases (often with a steep price tag to match). But how are the commonly-available standard bottlings doing? Some common whiskies are shown below, according to their typical performance – and with the specific indication to how they did this year (green is up, red is down from historical performance).

Consistent Bronze Medals:
Alberta Premium ($) – Bronze again for2021
Canadian Club Premium ($) – Bronze again for 2021
Gibson’s Finest Sterling ($) – Bronze again for 2021

Variable Bronze/Silver Medals:
Canadian Club Classic 12yo ($) – Silver for 2021
Crown Royal ($) – Bronze for 2021
Forty Creek Barrel Select ($) – Gold for 2021
Forty Creek Copper Pot ($) – Silver for 2021
Forty Creek Double Barrel Reserve ($$$) – Bronze for 2021
J.P. Wiser’s 18yo ($$$) – Silver for 2021
Royal Canadian Small Batch ($$) – Silver for 2021

Consistent Silver:
Crown Royal Reserve ($$$) – Silver again for 2021
Gibson’s Bold 8yo ($) – Gold for 2021

Variable Silver/Gold:
Crown Royal Black ($$) – Gold for 2021
Pike Creek 10yo Rum-finished ($$) – Silver for 2021

Highly Variable Bronze/Silver/Gold:
Canadian Club 100% Rye ($) – Silver for 2021
Caribou Crossing Single Barrel ($$$$) – Silver for 2021
Gibson’s Finest 12yo ($) – Silver for 2021
Gibson’s Finest Rare 18yo ($$$$) – Bronze for 2021
J.P. Wiser’s Triple Barrel Rye ($) – Silver for 2021

Consistent Gold:
Crown Royal Northern Harvest ($$) – Silver for 2021
Gooderham & Worts Four Grain ($$) – Bronze for 2021 (after a Silver in 2020)
Lot 40 ($$) – Silver for 2021 (and the second time in a row)

The news is somewhat mixed here.

On the plus side, some of the budget ($) offerings actually got higher scores than usual – with Forty Creek Barrel Select and Gibson’s Bold 8yo both getting Gold for the first time ever. And a good number of the relatively low priced, popular Silver/Gold winners like Canadian Club 100% Rye, Crown Royal Black, and Pike Creek have all kept up their standings. Crown Royal Black remains a real stand-out for me in its price class (and a good replacement for those who bemoan the loss of Alberta Premium Dark Horse). J.P. Wiser’s Triple Barrel Rye remains a solid budget choice as well.

But now the bad news – three of the most popular perennial Gold medal winners have lost that standing.

Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye got Silver for the second time in three years, indicating it has come down off its consistent Gold highs.

But even more concerning: Lot 40 – the darling of Canadian enthusiasts – got Silver for the second year in a row (after 7 years of consistent Gold, including a couple of Whisky of the Year wins). This confirms what I’ve heard repeatedly from folks in the community the last couple of years – it is not as good as it used to be. It is not hard to imagine that the past several years of specialty Lot 40 releases have diminished the stocks for the standard bottling. This is disturbing, as I personally preferred the standard bottling over the last couple of specialty releases.

Interestingly, this is the first year I haven’t seen Masterson’s 10yo 100% Rye at the CWA – and it is another one that took a Silver downgrade last year. So I would want to keep eye on that one.

But the surprising one to me is the Gooderham & Worts taking Bronze this year (after a Silver last year). That is after a run of consistent Gold medals for the first four years of its life (plus a number of specialty CWA awards). Personally, I’ve never been a big fan of this four-grain whisky – but I know a couple of people who love it, so its sad to see a quality decline.

Again, I wouldn’t read too much into one bad result, especially as the number of new specialty bottlings go up every year (i.e., only about a third of whiskies tested can earn Gold, it seems).  But consistent reductions over time are worrisome.

Take-Away Lessons

As always, these results show that you don’t have to spend a lot to get good quality Canadian whisky – as determined by both the medals assigned through blind taste-testing, as well as through my Meta-Critic integrator. These are largely restricted to the domestic market, but some may make an appearance internationally on occasion.

At the bottom shelf (i.e., ~$30), Canadian Club 100% Rye is a great value.

For a few dollars more (~$35-$40), Crown Royal Black is a real stand out, and Pike’s Creek is a consistently good buy. Sadly, the previous stalwarts in this class – Crown Royal Northern Harvest, Gooderham & Worts Four Grain, and Lot 40 – don’t seem to be as consistently outstanding, but are still always good value.

I would also like to shout out again the J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series, especially the most recent third series Captains release. These limited releases are always well worth picking up – I am still amazed they get so little attention by reviewers and enthusiasts. I don’t know if more releases are planned, but they are always well worth considering (especially given all the details provided on each bottling – and all age-stated to boot). And Two Brewers remains a distiller to watch – consistently high quality on recent batches.

Another feature of these comparisons is the observation that price doesn’t necessarily correlate with consistent quality (e.g. Forty Creek Double Barrel and J.P. Wiser’s 18yo are way too expensive for the medals/Meta-Critic scores received). And as usual, some well-regarded bottlings have actually been quite variable for years (e.g. Caribou Crossing, Gibson’s 18yo).

If you are looking for something a bit more prestigious, the higher-end releases from Corby (J.P. Wiser’s), Canadian Club Chronicles, and Alberta Premium Cask-Strength releases are all outstanding. The prices for many of these can be relatively high compared to the quality standard bottlings. That said, they are still a bargain compared to specialty releases in most other whisky jurisdictions. Availability may be an issue, but note that many of the Corby releases eventually become available in Ontario at the J.P. Wiser’s shop (local Ontario shipping only).

Except for the quality concerns raised for the most popular low-mid range bottlings above, it doesn’t seem like quality is dropping overall as more specialty releases come out. On the contrary, some entry-level bottlings are actually seeing their ratings rise – despite the increasingly crowded field. This bodes well for the coming year – as before, there is a lot to sample and enjoy here at very reasonable prices.

Slainte for 2021!

Lot 40 Dark Oak

For the last few years, one of the most anticipated events in the Canadian whisky scene has been the annual Fall release of the special whisky set from Corby known as the Northern Border Collection. Consisting of unique bottlings from each of their major brands (Lot 40, J.P. Wiser’s, Gooderham & Worts, and Pike Creek), this specialty series typically generates a lot of buzz. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Corby announced earlier this year that they wouldn’t be doing a Northern Border Collection for 2020.

However, over the course of the year, they have starred releasing certain select specialty bottlings individually (often with very limited numbers).  The first was the Pike Creek 15 Year Old Finished in Ontario Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels (limited release at the LCBO in August 2020). This was followed in early November with a limited online-only Ontario release of a few cases of their second aged cask-strength blend under the J.P. Wiser’s brand – a 22 year old bottling, finished in Port casks. I missed that one, but a wider release of it is planned “in the new year.”

Now comes the initial release of a special version of Lot 40 known as Dark Oak. Released in BC and online-only in Ontario in late November 2020, it sold out in under 3 minutes (!) at J.P. Wiser’s website (despite being limited to only 2 bottles an order, shipping in Ontario only). Again, a wider release is planned for February 2020.  I was lucky enough to grab one of these first bottles (all personally signed by Dr Don Livermore, as shown below).

This is a no-age-statement (NAS) release, bottled at a slightly increased strength of 48% ABV compared to 43% for regular Lot 40 (but not cask-strength, like the recent Northern Border Collection Lot 40 releases). Like regular Lot 40, this is a 100% rye that is column and then pot distilled, and aged in virgin American oak casks (no. 2 char). This special release has then undergone additional finishing in heavily-charred oak casks (no. 4 char). This should impart greater oaky notes, includes caramel sweetness and wood spice (plus of course, darker colour).

Dr. Don has indicated that he hopes this will eventually become a core release, depending on how well it sells. Sold for $59.95 CAD in BC and Ontario, which is $20 more than standard Lot 40 (which is similarly NAS, but bottled at 43% ABV). However, that is still $30 less than last year’s third cask-strength release (also NAS, finished in French oak).

It is too early to find sufficient reviews of this one online, so here are how the other Lot 40 bottlings out there compare in my Meta-Critic Database.

Lot 40: 8.88 ± 0.36 on 26 reviews ($$)
Lot 40 Cask Strength (Single Cask): 9.16 ± 0.10 on 9 reviews ($$$$)
Lot 40 Cask Strength 12yo (2017): 9.04 ± 0.30 on 20 reviews ($$$$)
Lot 40 Cask Strength 11yo (2018): 9.17 ± 0.20 on 13 reviews ($$$$)
Lot 40 Cask Strength Third Edition (2019): 8.80 ± 0.41 on 10 reviews ($$$$)

Let’s see what I find in the glass for Dark Oak:

Colour: Medium tan. Definitely a darker hue than regular Lot 40, more on par with the aged cask-strength releases (or even darker).

Nose: The substrate is clearly classic Lot 40, with its fruity, floral, and baking spice notes (nutmeg and cinnamon in particular). But it is richer here, especially on the spicy side, with cardamom and some cloves. Caramel and creamy vanilla custard. Sour cherries add to the typical lighter fruits (apple and pear). Interestingly, I also get a lot of bubblegum (rare for Lot 40, but present on many other straight ryes). Some actual woody oak. Bit of nose prickle, likely coming from the higher alcohol strength. Still very clean overall, but there is a touch of organic solvent. Water brings up brown sugar (and dill), but deadens the other notes if you add more than a drop or two.

Palate: Heavier brown sugar and caramel than typical Lot 40. Cherries are also more prominent. But it is the heavier spice that really standards out, with dill and chilies added to the typical baking spices (plus cloves again). Strong peppermint note. Very oaky in the mouth as well. Noticeable alcohol zing from the higher strength, combined with the extra spice gives it a real kick. Drying on the swallow. Water lightens the mouthfeel quickly, and just delays the spice attack (i.e., it doesn’t reduce its impact).

Finish: Medium length. Hot chilies and sweet caramel initially, followed by the dill. A lot of woody notes. Bubblegum and cloves return at the end, and it is again drying on the final finish.

This is a different type of Lot 40 release. I found the various cask-strength specialty releases all quite drinkable neat, but this Dark Oak comes out of the gate with a lot more spice and kick. However, adding even a few drops of water sweetens the taste (and lightens the mouthfeel) without actually adding anything or dampening the spice. Indeed, it quickly drowns out the subtle flavours (and may accentuate the dill note), so I recommend drinking it neat, or with no more than a drop or two.

It is certainly an interesting concept, but it takes the already fairly spicy Lot 40 and amps it up to very heavy levels. I would only recommend this release if you like your rye whiskies very spicy. Personally, I prefer the regular lot 40 and the previous cask-strength releases (although it is close in quality to last year’s French-oak finished cask-strength release). To put that in context, and using my own scores (on the Meta-Critic scale), I would personally score and rank them all as follows:

11 Year Old cask strength 2018 (9.3) > 12 Year Old cask strength 2017 (9.2) > regular Lot 40 (9.1) > Third edition cask strength 2019 (8.9) > Lot 40 Dark Oak (8.8).

My ranking here is actually consistent with the overall Meta-Critic scores for these releases, but of course individual tastes vary (e.g., most reviewers who have tried both prefer the original 12yo release over the second 11yo batch). Regardless, I expect Dark Oak will settle in around the level of the third cask-strength release, once more scores come in.  For one early review, check out Davin at canadianwhisky.org. I’m sure more will be coming as we get closer to wider release in February.

Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy

Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy is a premium blend of single pot still whiskeys which have been matured exclusively in American ex-bourbon barrels. First released in 2011, this whiskey bears the the name of their second-generation Master Distiller, and is one of the top quality products produced by Midleton (as you can see from the presentation case, shown below).

As previously discussed, Single Pot Still whiskey is closely associated with Ireland, where it has come to be seen as their quintessentially distinctive style. It is made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, triple-distilled in traditional copper pot stills. This tends produce more delicate but potentially complex flavours, including the so-called “green” fruity notes, along with a characteristically sticky or greasy mouthfeel (Midleton’s promotional material calls it “creamy”). The aging in standard ex-bourbon barrels allows the distillate the shine through here, without the complex cask management and finishing that comes into play for most blended whiskey products.

Bottled at 46% ABV. I first got to try this whisky in late 2016, from a miniature bottle included in the Midleton premium whiskey set sold at the Duty Free in Ireland’s International terminal (included along with Redbreast 12yo, Powers John’s Lane 12yo, and Green Spot). Although that Powers bottling remains one of my favourite Irish whiskeys, I enjoyed this one enough to purchase a full bottle when I found it at a great deal.

To explain, the price of this whisky is rather high – for years, it was fairly consistently around ~$300 CAD in Ontario and Quebec, and in the ~$330-340 CAD range out west (BC and Alberta).  Then about a year and half ago, one of the big retailers in Alberta got their hands on a large inventory, and dropped the price by ~45% (when I bought my bottle, shown below). Other retailers in Alberta followed suit, and it actually went as low as ~$175 before selling out. Thanks to COVID-19, I haven’t been out west since early this year, so I don’t know its current availability. But it seems to be pretty much sold out most places at the moment (except in BC, which still has it listed at $340, but with low inventory).

For a comparison, Midleton’s other high-end offering – Midleton Very Rare – similar sells for ~$330-340 out west, but oddly is listed at the more reasonable ~$200 in Ontario/Quebec. Again, as a limited batch offering, these bottlings don’t hang around indefinitely, and are not currently in stock in most jurisdictions.

Here is how these higher-end Irish whiskeys compare in my Meta-Critic Database:

Bushmills 21yo Single Malt: 8.97 ± 0.37 on 11 reviews ($$$$$)
Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy: 9.10 ± 0.23 on 16 reviews ($$$$$)
Midleton Dair Ghaelach: 9.06 ± 0.40 on 10 reviews ($$$$$)
Midleton Very Rare (all vintages): 8.81 ± 0.40 on 15 reviews ($$$$$)
Powers 12yo John’s Lane: 8.84 ± 0.37 on 19 reviews ($$$$)
Redbreast 12yo: 8.71 ± 0.41 on 26 reviews ($$$)
Redbreast 12yo Cask Strength: 9.03 ± 0.27 on 27 reviews ($$$$)
Redbreast 21yo: 9.10 ± 0.29 on 20 reviews ($$$$$)

In terms of relative ranking, I agree with the Meta-Critic assessment giving Barry Crockett Legacy a higher score than than the average Midleton Very Rare bottling. Batches can vary though, so you may find an individual Very Rare that better matches your tastes (e.g., see my comparison of the 2015 and 2016 batches).

For this review, I am relying on my notes of the 2016 bottling of Barry Crockett Legacy. When I open my 2018 bottle, I’ll provide an updated review.

Colour: Golden light caramel

Nose: Honey sweetness, with a touch of vanilla. Lots of fruits, with banana, apple, pear, peach and citrus. Some malty notes, with plenty of grass and hay. And something lightly floral, but I can’t quite place it. A bit of caramel shows up eventually. Complex nose, with a lot going on. Slight acetone smell. Water brings up the vanilla, and seems to diminish the acetone note – I recommend a few drops.

Palate: Leads off with honey, caramel and vanilla. Loads of fruit (over-ripened, gooey fruits in particular – almost stewed). The citrus has picked up significantly (grapefruit). Creamed wheat. Some unusual earthy notes, like dried leaves and tobacco. Some cinnamon and cloves, plus ginger. Very complex for an Irish whiskey.  Syrupy mouthfeel, you want to hold in your mouth for a long time to experience the flavours. More ethanol burn than typical for the class and ABV. Slight bitterness creeps in at the end. Water seems to accentuate the tongue tingle a little, but helps with the bitterness.

Finish: Medium long (for an Irish whiskey). Creamed wheat sensation holds the longest, along with some light toffee and vanilla. Fruits fade in and out (winds up being a bit Juicy Fruit gum-like).  Well balanced, with a good mix of sweetness and astringency.

I can see why Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy is so highly ranked – it is one of the most complex Irish whiskies I’ve tried to date.  Personally, I would probably rather sip on a good batch of Midleton Very Rare or Powers John’s Lane 12yo for a relaxing evening – this one demands your attention more. But it definitely seems to highlight the spirit character well (compared to say Redbreast 21yo, where the cask management comes up more clearly).

Among my database reviewers, everyone ranks it highly.  The most outstandingly positive scores come from Michael of Diving for Pearls and Josh the Whiskey Jug. Serge of Whisky Fun, Richard of Whiskey Reviewer, Dominic of Whisky Advocate, The_Muskok and xile_of Reddit and Jim Murray all give it very high marks as well. More moderately positive are TOModera and Whisky_Lads of Reddit.  I’m personally closer to middle of the range of the Reddit reviewers (so, not as high as the Meta-Critic average), but I still consider this a very good dram.

Two Brewers Yukon Single Malt Innovative (Batch 14)

This is my first review of a Two Brewers single malt whisky – but I’ve actually enjoyed many of their releases over the years. In my opinion, they are one of the best single malt whisky makers currently operating in Canada.

Two Brewers was originally started by two friends as a brewery in the Yukon in 1997. In 2009, they bought their first still and decided to make whisky. As I’ve noticed in my travels, many new whisky producers started out as beer brewers (e.g., Copperworks in the US, and Santis in Switzerland). The main differences are that you don’t need to boil the wort if you are making whisky (as you will distill it later), and you will need to add hopps to stabilize the lower-proof beer.

Two Brewers whisky is always made in small batch releases, which vary in the varieties of of malted barley used, fermentation techniques and types of barrels for aging. While the intent is to make it so that no two releases are the same, they alternate releases into four main classes (labelled on the bottles): Classic, Peated, Special Finishes, and Innovative.  The last is the most distinctive, as this is where they vary their malt recipes and fermentation styles.

I’ve actually had the the Classic (including a cask-strength version), Peated and a PX Special Finish, and enjoyed them all. But this is my first review of a purchased bottle, under the Innovative label.  My bottle is Batch 14, bottled in 2019. Only 1460 bottles were produced (mine is bottle 0561). Bottled at 46% ABV. What is distinctive here is that they used roasted malts, dark malt, and chocolate malt (apparently the same recipe as used in their Midnight Sun Expresso Stout beer). This should bring in extra coffee, chocolate, and nutty notes to the whisky.

Since there are relative few scores for most releases, I’m combined the scores for the main classes in my Meta-Critic Whisky Database, presented below compared to some other craft single malt whiskies:

Two Brewers Classic (all releases): 8.61 ± 0.41 on 9 reviews ($$$$)
Two Brewers Cask Strength (all releases): 8.77 ± 0.26 on 6 reviews ($$$$)
Two Brewers Innovative (all releases): 8.56 ± 0.37 on 6 reviews ($$$$)
Two Brewers Peated (all releases): 8.75 ± 0.46 on 7 reviews ($$$$)
Two Brewers Special Finishes (all releases): 8.73 ± 0.19 on 6 reviews ($$$$)
Two Brewers Release 14 Innovative: 8.77 ± 0.32 on 6 reviews ($$$$)

Copperworks American Single Malt: 8.50 ± 0.26 on 6 reviews ($$$)
Glen Breton 10yo Rare: 7.99 ± 0.54 on 17 reviews ($$$$)
Glen Breton 10yo Ice: 8.22 ± 0.58 on 8 reviews ($$$$)
Lohin McKinnon Wine Barrel Finished: 7.98 ± 0.64 on 6 reviews ($$$)
Lohin McKinnon Single Malt: 7.98 ± 0.36 on 9 reviews ($$$)
Lohin McKinnon Choclolate Malt: 8.21 ± 0.50 on 3 reviews ($$$)
Lohin McKinnon Peated: 8.63 ± 0.46 on 3 reviews (reviews ($$$)
Santis Edition Dreifaltigkeit (Cask Strength Peated): 7.20 ± 1.75 on 12 reviews ($$$$)
Santis Edition Säntis: 7.49 ± 0.86 on 7 reviews ($$$$)
Santis Edition Sigel: 7.91 ± 0.75 on 8 reviews ($$$)
Shelter Point Artisanal Single Malt Whisky 8.15 ± 0.49 on 10 reviews ($$$)

As you can see, the Two Brewers Release 14 outperforms most Innovative releases, and is on par with the higher average class scores for this distillery. What you can also see from above is that Two Brewers typically out-performs other small “craft” single malt whisky operations in Canada and elsewhere.

Let’s see what I find in the glass:

Nose: Very sweet nose, caramel and honey. Apples, pears, plums and cherries. Baked bread with mild baking spices, like nutmeg, plus a touch of pepper. I find the grain is coming through most clearly, but in a subtle way – definitely getting some roasted notes, but it is just providing a touch of distinctiveness, nothing too strong. No real off notes. A pleasant and enticing nose.

Palate: Caramel and honey sweetness to start, with the same fruity notes as the nose (plus raisins). But the grain really begins to assert itself now. The bread has turned decidedly toasted, with all the baking spices more prominent (along with a touch of salt and more black pepper). This going to sound strange, but it tastes like licking a baguette! Actually, toasted raisin bread is probably the best analogy. On the swallow, I’m getting a strong coffee/expresso note. Dark chocolate throughout. It is quite the evolution in the mouth – which is like having an appetizer, dessert and then after-dinner coffee while skipping the main course.

Finish: Medium-long. Fairly simple to start – lightly fruity, more candied now (e.g. red licorice). But holy cow do those coffee/expresso and dark chocolate notes dominate and linger – their impact builds with time. I’ve never found chocolate malt “coffee beers” all that strong, but the malt is coming through in an almost overwhelming way now.

This is a pretty unique experience – I’ve never seen this level of chocolate malt influencing the final whisky like this. But its approach is subtle, building over time and really dominating only on the finish (in contrast, the roasted malt bread notes are present throughout). “Innovative” is the right term for this bottle – it is unlike any of the other Two Brewers I’ve tried.

The highest score I’ve seen for this batch is from Andre of Quebec Whisky, followed by Jason of In Search of Elegance. These are balanced by average scores from Patrick of Quebec Whisky and Jim Murray, and a Silver medal from the 2020 Canadian Whisky Awards. My own rating is actually pretty close to the resulting Meta-Critic average. I highly recommend you give this distillery a try if you come across their bottlings.

 

Kavalan Solist Port Cask

Kavalan is the best known whisky distillery in Taiwan.  It makes a number of relatively entry-level single malts (like Kavalan Single Malt, Podium, Conductor and Concertmaster), but is best known for higher-end single cask whiskies sold under the Solist label (detecting a theme there?). I’ve previously reviewed a number of most popular Solist series (e.g., ex-Bourbon, Manzanilla Cask and Sherry Cask) and now add the Solist Port Cask.

I am typically a big fan of port-finished whiskies, even more so than sherry-finished – which is not surprisingly, since I typically prefer Port over Sherry (see my Port primer here). I’ve actually had this Kavalan bottle for awhile now, which I picked up at a Hong Kong duty free in November 2018. I figured it was about time I reviewed it.

As always, these single cask Solist series whiskies have a lot of information on their labels. On the front, my bottle identifies Cask O110112009A and Bottle 055/144. The latter is self-explanatory, but the former provides a lot of cask information; specifically, O is for Port cask, 11 is the distilling year (2011), 01 is January, 12 is the 12th of the month, and 009 is the 9th barrel of that day’s dumping run. On the back is a sticker with ” 2018.09.20 11:37 HK (1 L)”, which is the date and time it was bottled, plus for what market and the bottle size (travel retail often offers larger bottles). That makes this single cask over 7 and half years old, which seems slightly above-average for a Kavalan Solist.

Don’t be fooled by that apparent young age though – Taiwan has a marine tropical climate, which means whiskies mature more quickly there than in more temperate northerly climes like Scotland and Ireland.

Bottled at cask-strength, 58.6% ABV in this case. I paid $175 CAD for the 1L bottle (with fancy presentation case with metallic closing clasp) at the time in 2018, which was a very good price compared to other markets.

Here are how some of the major Kavalan expressions compare in my database.

Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask: 8.31 ± 0.54 on 25 reviews ($$$$)
Kavalan ex-Bourbon Oak: 8.89 ± 0.25 on 7 reviews ($$$$)
Kavalan King Car Conductor: 8.47 ± 0.31 on 11 reviews ($$$$)
Kavalan Podium: 8.66 ± 0.27 on 11 reviews ($$$$)
Kavalan Sherry Oak: 8.50 ± 0.51 on 11 reviews ($$$$$)
Kavalan Single Malt: 8.42 ± 0.44 on 19 reviews ($$$$)
Kavalan Solist Amontillado Cask: 9.02 ± 0.24 on 8 reviews ($$$$$+)
Kavalan Solist Ex-Bourbon Cask: 8.84 ± 0.25 on 25 reviews ($$$$$)
Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry Cask: 8.83 ± 0.51 on 16 reviews ($$$$$+)
Kavalan Solist Manzanilla Cask: 9.02 ± 0.20 on 10 reviews ($$$$$+)
Kavalan Solist Port Cask: 8.92 ± 0.32 on 17 reviews ($$$$$)
Kavalan Solist PX Cask: 9.04 ± 0.51 on 8 reviews ($$$$$+)
Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask: 8.97 ± 0.31 on 26 reviews ($$$$$)
Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Cask: 9.05 ± 0.21 on 20 reviews ($$$$$)

Let’s see what I find in the glass.

Nose: Brown sugar and molasses. Vanilla and milk chocolate. Raisins, grapes, currants and dark plums. Red licorice and swedish berries. A bit of orange zest. No real off notes, but some nose prickle from the high ethanol heat comes though. Otherwise you could almost mistake this for a Port, give how strongly those characteristics are really coming through. Water accentuates the candied fruit notes.

Palate: Sweet, with the candied fruit notes amplified, along with the grapey and plumy characteristics. Has a luscious mouthfeel, thick and syrupy. The oaky backbone asserts itself mid-palate, with wet oak, vanilla, nutmeg, and touch of pepper. Burnt brown sugar, with a bit of ginger and coffee showing up as well (plus the chocolate is still there). Great complexity here, with the base spirit poking through on the swallow. With water, the sweetness increases, as do to the fruity notes initially – it can handle a lot of water before feeling diluted, but the simple sugar goes up and the fruitiness goes down if you add too much.

Finish: Long. The fruity, candied characteristics return initially, and then fade into the more oaky elements (love that burnt sugar note). And that classic Kavalan astringency shows up now on the finish – glad to see it wasn’t lost under all that Port. Water actually accentuates the astringency, and increases the ginger notes.

It’s not surprising that I enjoyed this expression – it is clear to me that a good quality Port cask was used.  And as I observed on the entry-level Concertmaster, Port seems to combine well with the astringent base Kavalan spirit. But the quality and complexity is hugely amped up here  – this is a great example of what good Port casks can do with a distinctive base spirit, accentuating rather than masking.

For a second opinion, you might want to check out Jason of In Search of Elegance and The_Muskok on Reddit – both actually reviewed from this bottle. Other reviewers with similarly very high scores are Serge of Whisky Fun, Thomas of Whisky Saga and Jim Murray. Most Reddit reviewers were consistently moderately positive – like Devoz, strasse007, TOModera, , and Unclimbability, washeewashee and xile_, among others) Lower scores (but still favourable reviews) from Jonny of Whisky Advocate, and Josh the Whiskey Jug.

J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Yvan Cournoyer 12 Year Old

Following on in my reviews of the “Captains series” – the third release of the J.P. Wiser’s NHL Alumni series of whiskies – today I am looking at the whisky named after Yvan Cournoyer of the Montreal Canadiens. This series is actually the second batch of the 2019-2020 edition, which includes fellow Captains Dave Keon (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Mark Messier (Edmonton Oilers).

Collectively, the NHL Alumni whiskies are something of the sleeper hit of the Canadian whisky scene in the last couple of years. While they don’t garner a lot of reviewer attention, all the individual whiskies are limited editions that feature age statements and more distilling and barreling details than typically found in Canadian whisky. As before, the profits from the series are shared evenly with NHL Alumni Association, to help support former players in need. This batch all currently retail for ~$45 CAD in most jurisdictions.

At this time (July 2020), all of the second batch 2019-2020 edition whiskies are available from J.P. Wiser’s website (for delivery in Ontario only).

Let’s check out the composition of this Yvan Cournoyer whisky:

Grains: a blend of corn, rye, and malted barley
Age: 12 years old
ABV: 40%
Distillation: single column distilled rye, column and then pot-distilled rye (i.e., Lot 40), double distilled corn, and column distilled malt.
Oak: a mix of used Canadian barrels, ex-Bourbon and Virgin Oak casks

Yvan “The Roadrunner” Cournoyer was a right-winger and Captain of the Montreal Canadiens from 1975-78. But his peak years were 1971-73, and he was famous for his role in the 1972 Summit Series – scoring three goals, and providing the crucial assist for Paul Henderson’s series-ending winning goal. And that is one of the nods here – apparently the mix for this whisky was “inspired” by the 1972 recipe for Carleton Tower, an old Hiram Walker blend. It is aged for 12 years in honour of Cournoyer’s retired Canadiens jersey number. This was the whisky that I was most curious to try when the new edition was released, with its inclusion of Lot 40 rye.

Here is how it compares to other Wiser’s whiskies in my Meta-Critic Database:

Gooderham & Worts Four Grain: 8.58 ± 0.33 on 18 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s 15yo: 8.32 ± 0.27 on 8 reviews ($$$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Darryl Sitter 10yo: 8.08 ± 0.41 on 7 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Dave Keon 14yo: 8.86 ± 0.17 on 7 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Guy Lafleur 10yo: 8.48 ± 0.10 on 10 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Lanny MacDonald 9yo: 8.09 ± 0.47 on 10 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Larry Robinson 6yo: 8.55 ± 0.33 on 7 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Mark Messier 11yo: 8.76 ± 0.35 on 6 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Paul Coffey 7yo: 8.20 ± 0.41 on 7 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Wendel Clark 11yo: 8.90 ± 0.28 on 10 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Yvan Cournoyer 12yo: 8.68 ± 0.32 on 6 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Triple Barrel Rye: 8.48 ± 0.29 on 10 reviews ($)
Lot 40: 8.88 ± 0.36 on 26 reviews ($$)
Pike Creek 10yo Rum-finished: 8.47 ± 0.27 on 11 reviews ($$)

Let’s see what I find in the glass:

Nose: Sweet corn, corn syrup, and candy corn (notice the theme?). Peaches and dried apricots. Dried barley. Quite floral – but again, in a dried flowers way. Not really getting a lot rye spice yet. Slightly organic note, but not offensive. Overall has a young and bright nose, with a lot gentle dried fruit and flowers.

Palate: Creamy corn. Vanilla. Dried apple and apricots. Orange zest. The grainy notes are coming through more stewed than dry now. Woodier than the nose suggested, with a nice mix of oaky notes. The rye spices show up on the swallow, with some classic cinnamon. Mouthfeel is fairly light, in keeping with the standard 40% ABV.

Finish: Relative quick finish. Remains pleasantly floral, with violets and touch of roses. Orange citrus still. Bit of lingering saccharine, balancing out the slight oaky bitterness (and a touch of spice).

The corn notes are fairly dominant here, as you might expect. The rye is coming through more in a floral way than in a spicy sense. And the fruits definitely tend toward the dried variety. A refined and contemplative whisky. I can’t help but feel that a higher proof would have helped amp it up a bit though.

This whisky received a gold medal at the annual Canadian Whisky Awards. Among reviewers, the highest score I’ve seen comes from Chip the Rum Howler. Jason of In Search of Elegance was fairly positive as well. This whisky received moderately positive reviews, but mediocre scores, from Andre, Patrick and Martin of Quebec Whisky. My own assessment is good match with the overall Meta-Critic average score. A good buy, but the Wendel Clark and Dave Keon whiskies remain my top picks.

J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Dave Keon 14 Year Old

Corby came out late last year with a second batch of the “2019-2020 edition” of the J.P. Wiser’s NHL Alumni series of whiskies. The first batch of the 2019-2020 edition featured whiskies named after Larry Robinson, Darryl Sittler, and Paul Coffey. These followed on from the initial 2018-19 edition, which featured Guy Lafleur, Wendel Clark, and Lanny McDonald

This second batch is the “Captains series,” featuring whiskies named after Captains of well-known NHL franchises in Canada. The whiskies were all designed by Dr Don Livermore, Master Blender of Corby (who owns J.P. Wiser’s). All whiskies featured age statements and more distilling and barreling details than typically found in Canadian whiskies (especially at this price point). As before, the profits from the series are shared evenly with NHL Alumni Association, to help support former players in need.

At this time (July 2020), all of the second batch 2019-2020 edition whiskies are available from J.P. Wiser’s website (for delivery in Ontario only). All bottles in this batch currently retail for ~$45 CAD in most jurisdictions.

Let’s check out the specific composition of this Dave Keon whisky:

Grains: a blend of corn, rye, and malted barley
Age: 14 years old
ABV: 45%
Distilling: single column distilled rye, column and pot-distilled rye, single column distilled malt, and double-distilled corn.
Oak: a mix of used Canadian barrels, ex-Bourbon, Virgin Oak, and ex-Speyside casks

Dave Keon was a centre forward for the Maple Leafs – from an earlier generation in the early-to-mid 1960s when they won several Stanley Cups (prior to his being named Captain). Aged 14 years in honour of his jersey number 14. The ABV is also a nod to Keon’s 45-point first season. And the 4 types of oak casks are a nod to his 4 Stanley Cup wins.

Here is how it compares to other Wiser’s whiskies in my Meta-Critic Database:

Gooderham & Worts Four Grain: 8.58 ± 0.33 on 18 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s 15yo: 8.32 ± 0.27 on 8 reviews ($$$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Darryl Sitter 10yo: 8.08 ± 0.41 on 7 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Dave Keon 14yo: 8.86 ± 0.17 on 7 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Guy Lafleur 10yo: 8.48 ± 0.10 on 10 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Lanny MacDonald 9yo: 8.09 ± 0.47 on 10 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Larry Robinson 6yo: 8.55 ± 0.33 on 7 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Mark Messier 11yo: 8.76 ± 0.35 on 6 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Paul Coffey 7yo: 8.20 ± 0.41 on 7 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Wendel Clark 11yo: 8.90 ± 0.28 on 10 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series Yvan Cournoyer 12yo: 8.68 ± 0.32 on 6 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Triple Barrel Rye: 8.48 ± 0.29 on 10 reviews ($)
Lot 40: 8.88 ± 0.36 on 26 reviews ($$)
Pike Creek 10yo Rum-finished: 8.47 ± 0.27 on 11 reviews ($$)

As you can see, this is one of the highest-scoring Wiser’s whiskies at this price point.

Let’s see what I find in the glass:

Nose: Light, simple sugar to start (molasses) – with creamy corn notes followed by vanilla. Apple juice. Dried fruits, including apricots. Grassy. Range of woody notes, with some nice rye spice (cinnamon and cloves). Slight acetone note, but not bad. Hints at cask variety, but doesn’t come off strongly as anything specific. How very Canadian!

Palate: Even heavier dose of molasses, plus caramel corn. Vanilla. Only lightly fruity, and definitely more floral than grassy now. Cinnamon and cloves again, plus a touch of anise. Black (indian) tea. The oakiness is more obvious now, with dried paper on the swallow. This is nice in the mouth, lots of character with good balance. Really nice mouthfeel too, buttery texture. Nice.

Finish: Medium long. The dried fruits are back, with apple and apricot being the most prominent. Candy corn coating on lips and gum. Cinnamon and cloves still prominent. A bit of old wet tea bag (tannic tea notes) lasts the longest.

A quality whisky to be sure. The complexity kind of makes me think of an aged version of Larry Robinson (although without all the winey notes from that whisky). A nice sipper, probably the most well balanced member of the collection so far.  A good example of what Canadian whisky can be. I would say this is my second favourite so far, after Wendel Clark.

This whisky received a gold medal at the annual Canadian Whisky Awards. Among reviewers, the highest score I’ve seen comes from Andre of Quebec Whisky, followed by Jason of In Search of Elegance and Chip the Rum Howler. Patrick and Martin of Quebec Whisky are also very positive, but give it slightly lower scores (still well above average).  I’m probably closer to the middle of the pack on this one – if the nose were a bit fuller (and lacking that off note), my rating would probably match the top ones. A very good value.

Pike Creek 21 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish (2019)

I find Pike Creek to be one of the more under-appreciated (and under-valued) whiskies in the Corby/Hiram Walker stable of whiskies. In its standard 10 year old form, it is a pleasant, sweet, easy sipper – nothing too exciting, but popular with everyone I’ve ever shared it with (although some reviewers are fairly negative on it). See my earlier reviews of the original Port barrel-aged Pike’s Creek 10 year old, and newer rum barrel-finished version.

The initial 21 year old release as part of the Northern Border Collection in 2017 featured additional aging in Speyside scotch whisky barrels. I never picked up the 2018 release that was aged in Hungarian oak (as that kind of finishing isn’t something I typically enjoy). But last year, they released a version that used Oloroso sherry casks for aging – which is much more likely to be up my alley. I typically enjoy single malt scotch whiskies aged in sherry casks (Oloroso in particular – with their classic nutty, dried dark fruits, rancio and tannic oak notes). Sherry oak casks are not something you come across too often in Canadian whisky, so this was certainly worth a gamble.

Like most Pike Creek’s, this is made predominantly from the light base, column-distilled corn whisky that underpins most Canadian whisky, aged for 21 years. Added to this base is a touch of column-distilled rye whisky, for extra peppery spice. The blend was then finished (or re-gauged, in Canadian whisky parlance) in Oloroso sherry casks for an undisclosed period of time.

Bottled at 45% ABV. This edition retails for $90 CAD at the LCBO in Ontario. I picked up my bottled on sale in Alberta for a bit less late last Fall. Only 4481 bottles were produced, but it can still be found in some jurisdictions (including Ontario).

Of note, this whisky won Whisky of the Year at the Canadian Whisky Awards in early 2020. This competition involves blind taste testing by an experienced panel of Canadian whisky reviewers, and is always worth a close look every year. You can learn more about these awards in my Canadian Whisky Trends for 2020 article.

Here is how this Pike Creek 21yo compares to other Canadian whiskies in my Meta-Critic Whisky database:

Gooderham & Worts 19yo 49 Wellington (2019): 8.77 ± 0.30 on 8 reviews ($$$$)
Gooderham & Worts Eleven Souls Four Grain (2018): 8.89 ± 0.35 on 13 reviews ($$$$)
J.P. Wiser’s 23yo Cask Strength Blend (2019): 9.08 ± 0.34 on 9 reviews ($$$$$)
J.P. Wiser’s 35yo (2018): 9.15 ± 0.20 on 8 reviews ($$$$$)
Lot 40 Cask Strength 11yo (2018): 9.17 ± 0.20 on 13 reviews ($$$$)
Lot 40 Cask Strength Third Edition (2019): 8.74 ± 0.38 on 9 reviews ($$$$)
Pike Creek 10yo Port-finished: 8.25 ± 0.53 on 17 reviews ($$)
Pike Creek 10yo Rum-finished: 8.47 ± 0.27 on 11 reviews ($$)
Pike Creek 21yo Double Barrel European Oak Cask (2018): 8.58 ± 0.38 on 11 reviews ($$$$)
Pike Creek 21yo Double Barrel Speyside Cask Finish (2017): 8.66 ± 0.32 on 16 reviews ($$$$)
Pike Creek 21yo Finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks (2019): 8.84 ± 0.43 on 10 reviews ($$$$)

This is certainly the highest-scoring Pike Creek expression, and second highest scoring of the 2019 Northern Border Collection.

And now what I find in the glass:

Nose: Sweet and buttery, almost rum-like in a way. Creamy, with vanilla, chocolate and toffee notes. Orange rind and apple juice. Some dark fruits, but fairly restrained. Wine gums. Slightly nutty. No off notes. It is a good nose to linger on, seems mature for a Canadian whisky. And the sherry is quite mild and not at all over-powering, like they struck a good balance.

Palate: Sweet, with a lot more caramel than I expected from the nose. Milk chocolate too (Rolo candies come to mind). Orange zest. Sour wine gums now. Cinnamon. The nuttiness comes across more like earthiness in the mouth. The caramel sweetness and cinnamon heat (plus some black pepper) makes it seem like there was some active wood in the mix (i.e., virgin oak). I suspect this “woodiness” must be coming from the French oak Sherry casks, as I don’t see any published reports of virgin oak aging here. Definitely more woody than typical for a Pike Creek, or Canadian whisky in general – you would be excused for thinking this was actually a light bourbon.

Finish: Longish. Mainly caramel and red wine dregs initially (somewhat tannic). Oakiness remains throughout, with a nice light cinnamon note and touch of pepper. It never gets too bitter, and some lingering sherry sweetness persists to the end.

I can see why this won the CWA’s Whisky of the Year – it is very distinctive for the Canadian class (and one that is indeed very much in my wheelhouse). Sherry barrels are relatively rare in Canadian whisky, and the drier Oloroso seems to have paired really well with the sweet light corn and rye whiskies used here. Indeed, the overall sweetness made me think of PX or Moscatel sherry initially – but the faint earthy/nutty notes are consistent with Oloroso.

It is a shame we don’t see more sherry-finished Canadian whisky, as this is one of the best examples that I have had of a fortified wine-matured Canadian whisky. With its woody and sweet nature, it seems less like a Canadian whisky and more like a sherry-finished light bourbon – or a sherry-finished scotch that had some virgin oak aging.

It never occurred to me to trying adding water to this – it drinks beautifully just as it is. This is one of better Northern Border Collection whiskies I’ve had, outside of the cask-strength Lot 40s – and my new favourite for the 2019 collection so far.

In addition to winning whisky of the year at the Canadian Whisky Awards, Jason of In Search of Elegance and Mark of Whisky Buzz gave this expression top scores (which match my own assessment). Moderately positive scores came from Davin of Whisky Advocate, Martin of Quebec Whisky and the Toronto Whisky Society. The lowest scores I’ve seen come from Andre and Patrick of Quebec Whisky, and Tomodera.

Yellow Spot 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey

Yellow Spot is a member of a family of “bonded” Irish Whiskies produced by Irish Distillers for an independent wine merchant in Ireland, Mitchell & Son, of Dublin.  As with Green Spot and the recently re-released Red Spot, the whisky name derives from Mitchell’s historic practice of marking casks of different ages with spot of coloured paint.

Green Spot – the youngest in age and the lightest in flavour – became their most popular seller, and is the only one to remain in continuous production over the years (albeit with no age statement in recent years). The others were discontinued in the late 1960s, with Yellow Spot (12 years old) relaunched in 2012, and Red Spot (15 years old) recently relaunched in 2019.

All are examples of single pot still Irish whisky (aka pure pot still). This is when a  combination of malted and unmalted barley are distilled together in a single, large copper pot still. This is the traditional method for whisky production in Ireland.

Yellow Spot has a 12 year old age statement, and is a combination of pot still whiskies matured in three types of casks: American bourbon casks, Spanish Sherry butts and Spanish Malaga casks. The latter two are is in keeping with Mitchell’s tradition of importing fortified wines. The Malaga casks are an unusual choice, very rare in the whisky world. Malaga is a sweet fortified wine originating in the Spanish city of Málaga, and is made from a mix of Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel grapes. Full-term maturation is used for this component, which should impart a richer and sweeter flavour than more typical sherry cask finishing.

The whisky is non-chill-filtered, and bottled at a respectable 46% ABV. I picked up my bottle a couple of years ago at the LCBO here in Ontario for $100 CAD.

Let’s see how it compares to other higher-end Irish whiskies in my Meta-Critic database:

Green Spot: 8.51 ± 0.35 on 24 reviews ($$$$)
Green Spot Chateau Leoville Barton: 8.82 ± 0.35 on 14 reviews ($$$$)
Green Spot Chateau Montelena: 8.44 ± 0.29 on 7 reviews ($$$$)
Red Spot 15yo: 8.61 ± 0.35 on 9 reviews ($$$$$)
Yellow Spot 12yo: 8.79 ± 0.24 on 22 reviews ($$$$)

Jameson 12yo Special Reserve: 8.37 ± 0.27 on 12 reviews ($$$$)
Jameson 18yo Limited Reserve: 8.65 ± 0.26 on 12 reviews ($$$$$)
Jameson Gold Reserve: 8.44 ± 0.49 on 11 reviews ($$$$)
Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy: 9.10 ± 0.24 on 15 reviews ($$$$$)
Midleton Very Rare (all vintages): 8.81 ± 0.42 on 14 reviews ($$$$$)
Powers 12yo John’s Lane: 8.84 ± 0.36 on 19 reviews ($$$$)
Redbreast 12yo: 8.71 ± 0.41 on 26 reviews ($$$)
Redbreast 12yo Cask Strength: 9.02 ± 0.30 on 26 reviews ($$$$)
Redbreast 15yo: 8.73 ± 0.26 on 20 reviews ($$$$)
Redbreast 21yo: 9.11 ± 0.31 on 20 reviews ($$$$$)
Redbreast Lustau Edition: 8.66 ± 0.32 on 20 reviews ($$$$)

Let’s see what I find in the glass:

Nose: Definitely woody, with light caramel, vanilla and honeysuckle notes. Fresh and dried apricots and peaches, and a touch of fresh cherries. Wood spice, especially nutmeg and cloves. Wet green tea leaves. Hay and fresh-cut green grass. It is unusual to find both the fresh and dry notes at the same time, which must be due to the diverse wood aging. Faint hint of sweat socks, but not objectionable. With a bit of water it gets sweeter, as brown sugar joins the mix – plus a creamy custard.

Palate: Spicier than I expected, with the wood spice up front (especially the cloves), as well as black pepper. Caramel, vanilla and honey sweetness. Ground cherries. Consistent with the nose, it is very earthy, with moist and dry notes both present. Oily mouthfeel, likely thanks to the higher ABV (which also brings with it a fair amount of alcohol heat, unusual for an Irish whisky). Dry paper note returns on swallow. A bit of water sweetens and helps with the ethanol sting, without affecting the pleasant oiliness. Definitely recommend you add a few drops.

Finish: Medium long. Cinnamon and nutmeg are prominent now. Dried apricots again. Astringency shows up, in a tannic tea way. A faint lingering sweetness for sure, but I find the oaky notes dominate, with a mild woody bitterness. The classic Irish pot still “greasiness” shows up at the end, with a sticky coating on the lips and gums. With water, I find a bit of anise joins the woody/earthy character, which I like.

A bit of water really helps here, restoring a more typical Irish whisky sweetness, and taming the mouth burn and bitterness on the finish. Highly recommended you add a few drops.

My only (minor) complaint here is that the classic Irish pot still character is a bit submerged under the fortified wine finish. It is still there if you hunt for it though. A very nice example overall of what good sherry finishing can do with a delicate base spirit.

Yellow Spot receives very high scores from Nathan the Scotch Noob, Josh the Whiskey Jug, Kurt of Whiskey Reviewer and Jan of Best Shot Whisky (honestly, I’m in this camp as well).  Moderately positive are Jonny of Whisky Advocate, Serge of Whisky Fun, and The Muskok and Tomodera of Reddit. The lowest scores (although with still fairly positive comments) come from Ruben of Whisky Notes and Thomas of Whisky Saga.

Canadian Whisky Trends 2020

As a Canadian whisky enthusiast, I have been heartened by the strong trend toward new quality Canadian whiskies in recent years. There continues to be many quality bottlings coming out on a regular basis, from both the main producers, and from an increasing number of smaller “craft” distillers on the scene.

To be clear, the vast majority of mass-produced, bulk-released, low-cost Canadian whisky remains – to borrow a phrase from the wine world – plonk. This is especially true for what we export. I am constantly embarrassed when I browse whisky shops around the world and see Canadian whisky products (often with a prominent maple leaf) that wouldn’t even qualify as bottom-shelf whisky here (e.g. Ensign Red, Ellington, McAdams, etc.). If they do have established Canadian brands, it is often no more than Seagram’s VO, Canadian Club Premium and perhaps entry-level Crown Royal.

But as all local Canadian enthusiasts know, we are getting spoiled by an increasingly diverse range of specialty bottlings of Canadian whisky (e.g. J.P. Wiser’s Northern Border Collection, the Rare Cask series), and new producers trying innovative things, including often a focus on malt whiskies (e.g., Two Brewers, Shelter Point, Lohin McKinnon). Many of these of are still geographically limited in distribution, but a lot is available here in our most populous province of Ontario – and I personally get to travel around Canada a lot as well.

While my Meta-Critic Database provides a lot of great information in helping you choose a whisky, I thought I would spend some time in this article describing what I’m gleaned from the results of the annual Canadian Whisky Awards, organized by Davin De Kergommeaux.

Looking over the recent list of winners at the Canadian Whisky Awards for 2020, I couldn’t help but notice how many more whiskies are being reviewed each year. But a few interesting patterns reveal themselves, if you compare to past years.  For a full list of past year results, please check out the News and Views page of Davin’s canadianwhisky.org.

First, a quick word about why these awards are interesting. In addition to being exclusively focused on Canadian whisky (and whisky-based spirits), Davin assembles a panel of very experienced Canadian whisky reviewers (a number of whom – like Davin – are tracked individually for scores in my Meta-Critic Database). But for the annual awards, all reviewers score the whiskies “blind” to the identity of the samples they receive.  The independently tabulated scores are then used to assign medals each year.

This gives us the opportunity to see what happens when reviewers don’t know what they are drinking. I always find it interesting to see when new specialty bottles medal lower in blind tasting than they do by scoring in open reviews (and conversely, when standard entry-level bottlings medal higher than expect from the scores).

But it also gives us an opportunity to see how the performance of different standard bottlings have changed over time, as most of the main offerings of the major producers are re-entered into each competition each year. So, let’s how what trends we can identify through this helpful resource.

Comparing the Award Medals to the my Meta-Critic Database

I don’t know what cut-off scores Davin uses for the specialty awards or the Gold/Silver/Bronze medals, but there is generally a fairly equal distribution across the three medal classes each year. There is also enough data over the last decade to allow me to compare and correlate to the Meta-Critic. As of my current build (May 28, 2020), here are how the major medals for the last decade correspond to the individual average scores for those same whiskies in my database:

Bronze medals: 8.04 ± 0.32
Silver medals: 8.50 ± 0.28
Gold medals: 8.81 ± 0.25

Note that the overall average Canadian whisky in my database currently sits at 8.43 ± 0.46.

This gives you a pretty good idea that Silver medals are typically at or slightly above average for this class as a whole.  The Gold medals are particular interesting, as they often represent the top Canadian whiskies in my database. Personally, I wouldn’t consider Bronze medal winners as anything I would want to seek out.

There are two classes of observations that I would like to share, as I think they are instructive: how do recent specialty bottlings compare to past ones, and how have standard bottlings changed over time?  Let’s take these questions one at a time.

Specialty Releases

The Northern Border Collection by Corby has been the darling of the Canadian specialty release scene since the first batch came out in 2017.  At that time, three of the four bottlings won Gold medals. In 2018, all four bottlings won Gold. But for 2019, only one bottling won Gold (and was also named Whisky of the Year – Pike’s Creek 21yo Oloroso-finished), with the other three only receiving Silver awards.

I’m a bit surprised that the J.P. Wiser’s 23yo Cask-Strength from last year didn’t score a Gold, given the extremely high Meta-Critic average for this whisky. It was also quite the darling of the collection in online discussion forums.  In any case, the lower medal rankings this year are consistent with the lower sales of this collection in 2019, with many of the bottlings still available in a lot of markets. Of note, there will apparently not be a 2020 release, due to production delays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The half-dozen or so Rare Cask Series releases by Corby (under the J.P. Wiser’s brand) have mainly received Gold medals, with just a couple of Silvers. The two Commemorative Series (i.e., Canada Day) releases have both received Gold medals. I don’t know if they plan a Canada Day release for this year (they didn’t in 2019), but the previous bottlings were a great deal at $40 CAD.

The one series from Corby that I would like to highlight is the J.P. Wiser’s Alumni series, with bottles named after famous former hockey players. The latest release from last Fall (the Captains series) received two Golds (Dave Keon and Yvan Cournoyer) and a Silver (Mark Messier). All three scored quite well in my database (~8.7-8.8), along with the Gold medal-winning Wendel Clark (~8.9) from the first release. These are all age-stated whiskies, with detailed information on the component whiskies going into each blend, and with many bottled above standard proof – yet all sold for $45 CAD. That makes many of them excellent value among the specialty releases.

The annual Canadian Club >40yo releases (now called Chronicles) have consistently won Gold medals for all three years in a row.

Alberta Premium’s Cask Strength release in 2019 won a Gold medal, but the 20yo edition won a Silver.

Taken together, these results suggest that you can largely rely on on specialty releases from the major producers to be good quality (although value will depend on the individual bottlings). The pause for the Northern Border Collection in 2020 may be a good thing, as it gives them a chance to refine the selection for 2021.

New Producers

One of my favourite new producers is the Yukon-based Two Brewers. Up to 18 releases are now tracked in my database. Although initial bottlings received Bronze and Silver medals, the last half-dozen or so releases have consistently received Silver or Gold – and many are getting quite high scores in my Meta-Critic Database (e.g., ~8.6-9.0).

Shelter Point and Lohin McKinnon typically receive Bronze and Silver medals for their various releases.

Wayne Gretzky whiskies get fairly consistent Silver medals, except for the 99 Proof release, which has won Gold twice in a row.

But are these specialty bottlings or new producers’ products worth the price premium you will typically pay (with some exceptions)?  It is worth taking a look to see what is going on with standard bottlings from the main producers over time.

Changes Over Time in Standard Bottlings

Overall, the news is fairly good here: most of the standard bottlings have remained stable over time, with many inexpensive bottlings getting high medals. But some trends are worth noting, as you go through the medals for the last decade. Some common whiskies are shown below, with approximate relative price in brackets.

Consistent Bronze:
Alberta Premium ($) – but received Silver for first time this year
Canadian Club Premium ($)
Gibson’s Finest Sterling ($)

Variable Bronze/Silver:
Canadian Club Classic 12yo ($)
Crown Royal ($)
Forty Creek Barrel Select ($)
Forty Creek Copper Pot ($)
Forty Creek Double Barrel Reserve ($$$)
Gibson’s Finest 12yo ($) – but received Gold for first time this year
J.P. Wiser’s 18yo ($$$)
Royal Canadian Small Batch ($$)

Consistent Silver:
Crown Royal Reserve ($$$)

Variable Silver/Gold:
Crown Royal Black ($$)
Masterson’s Straight Rye 10yo ($$$$) – but received Bronze for the first time this year

Consistent Gold:
Crown Royal Northern Harvest ($$)
Gooderham & Worts Four Grain ($$) – but received Silver for the first time this year
Lot 40 ($$) – but received Silver for the first time this year

Highly Variable Bronze/Silver/Gold:
Canadian Club 100% Rye ($)
Caribou Crossing Single Barrel ($$$$)
Gibson’s Finest Rare 18yo ($$$$)
Pike Creek 10yo Rum-finished ($$) – but received Gold for the last two years in a row.

I wouldn’t read too much into one bad result last year – especially as the number of new specialty bottlings go up every year (i.e., only about a third of whiskies tested can earn Gold, it seems). However, I have heard complaints on the whisky forums about recent batches of Lot 40 and Masterson’s, which is consistent with their Silver downgrades this year. If that trend continues in future years, it would be worrisome for these two stalwart straight rye whiskies.

Some key general observations here:

  • Price doesn’t necessarily correlate with consistent quality (e.g. Forty Creek Double Barrel and J.P. Wiser’s 18yo are expensive for the medals/Meta-Critic scores received)
  • Some bottlings do remarkably well on blind tasting despite lower price and Meta-Critic scores (e.g. Crown Royal Black and Northern Harvest, Pike’s Creek 10yo)
  • Some well-regarded bottlings have actually been quite variable for years (e.g. Caribou Crossing, Gibson’s 18yo)
  • Some well-regarded bottlings may have dipped recently in quality (e.g. Lot 40, Gooderham & Worts Four Grain, Masterson’s Rye 10yo) – but we would need more data before drawing any conclusions

The consistently high performance of Crown Royal Black and Northern Harvest are worth noting. Crown Royal Black reminds me of Bushmills Black Bush – for a barely nominal extra cost, you get a much better whisky than the standard bearer (and in both cases, I believe this comes from additional sherry-cask finishing in the mix). Even better is Northern Harvest Rye – I’ve done taste tests with groups comparing Northern Harvest to standard Crown Royal, and there is simply no comparison: everyone is blown away by the quality of Northern Harvest (and for just a couple of bucks more). Pike’s Creek 10yo is also a real crowd pleaser.

Take-Away Lessons

The first point I would like to make is that you don’t have to spend a lot to get good quality, and consistent, Canadian whisky – as determined by the medals assigned through blind taste-testing, as well as through my Meta-Critic integrator. These are largely restricted to the domestic market, but some may make an appearance internationally on occasion.

At the bottom shelf (i.e., ~$30), Canadian Club 100% Rye is an outstanding value (if a bit variable, from batch to batch).

For a few dollars more (~$35-$40), Crown Royal Black, Crown Royal Northern Harvest, Gooderham & Worts Four Grain, Lot 40 and Pike’s Creek 10yo are all great values. I also recommend you keep an eye out for the J.P. Wiser’s Commemorative Series at this price point, typically released around Canada Day in the past.

I would also like to shout out the J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Series at $45, especially the most recent third series Captains release (each 11-14 years old). These all score quite well in my database, with two out of three getting Gold medals this year. Along with the earlier Wendel Clark release, these can be well worth picking up. I am still amazed these get so little attention by reviewers and enthusiasts, given all the details provided on each bottling – and all age-stated to boot.

If you are looking for something a bit more prestigious, many of the Northern Border Collection, Canadian Club Chronicles, and Alberta Premium releases can be good quality. Two Brewers is also a relatively new distiller to watch. The prices for many of these can be relatively high for what you are getting, compared to the quality standard bottlings. That said, they are still a bargain compared to specialty releases in most other whisky jurisdictions. Availability may be an issue, but note that many of the Corby releases are available in Ontario at the J.P. Wiser’s shop (local Ontario shipping only).

There are a few points of concern on the horizon, with potential drops in quality this year for some of the popular standard mid-range releases – but it is too early to say if these are significant or not. Overall, I’m heartened to see that the quality of entry-to-mid level whiskies remain consistently quite stable in Canada, or even increasing (like Gibson’s 12yo and Pike Creek’s 10yo this past year). When you factor in all the new specialty releases and new producers, there is a lot to sample and enjoy here at a reasonable price.

And finally, a shout-out to Davin and his team of reviewers – thanks for providing this valuable and uniquely Canadian source of information on whisky quality every year, through the Annual Canadian Whisky Awards.

 

 

 

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