#Top100CanadianWhisky #1: Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old
Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 23, 2017
Five years ago, I encountered Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old Whisky as a random sample in the group of 45 such samples which I was assessing as part of my duties when I served on the jury for the 2012 Canadian Whisky Awards. Whenever I participate as a spirits judge I always make note of any of the samples which strike me as being particularly good, and the small sample bottle which contained the Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old Whisky was one which I had earmarked as a superior whisky. So, when the Awards Competition was complete, it was to my dismay that I learned this particular whisky (Random Sample number 7 by the way) was a brand destined not for Canada; but instead for Taiwan.
Fortunately Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old is now a standard bottling available in Canadian markets as well. According to the information provided me, the spirit is (as it was before) distilled and aged by Highwood Distillers. It is a 100% corn whisky bottled at 46% alcohol by volume.
In a year which saw the best field of Canadian Whiskies ever produced, Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old stood out as the best. Here is a link to the Rum Howler #1 Canadian Whisky in my list of the 100 Best of 2017:
Review: J.P. Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old
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We have reached the best whisky in my 2017 countdown of Canada’s top 100. Just to make sure I got it right, I re-tasted each of the top 5 spirits side by side to determine my final scores and rankings.
You can view the entire list by viewing my Reveal Page here on this website:
The Rum Howler – Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017
I hope everyone enjoyed the Countdown!
Merry Christmas!
2 Responses to “#Top100CanadianWhisky #1: Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old”
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neandrewthal said
Ok, I’ve got to ask about the Pike Creek 21. I was expecting the Canadian Rockies all along, but as soon as I saw the Last Barrels on the list (wasn’t expecting it since it was from 2016 and supposedly Ontario only) I knew Dissertation must be coming too, which doesn’t leave room for both PC and CR21.
So I thought that must mean that the CR isn’t available in Alberta this year and PC is the winner, I really thought that since all the other expressions in the Northern Border Collection made the list you must have tried to Pike Creek and if it’s not in the top 100 yet then it must still be upcoming.
So which is it? You didn’t manage to get a bottle or sample of the Pike Creek? Or you did and didn’t even think it was top 100 material?
Arctic Wolf said
I only include whiskies I have had a chance to taste and score. Pike Creek was released quite late, and was never made available to me. Although I try really hard to taste everything, with the explosion that is occurring across the world with respect to a rediscovered love of Canadian Whisky, it is getting harder and harder to taste them all. There were probably more than 25 brands I did not get a chance to taste, some of them will probably be forever lost to me (sad face).