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Archive for the ‘Canadian Whisky’ Category

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Review: Canadian Club Reserve Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on August 21, 2011

Canadian Club Whisky is the oldest and probably the most influential brand of Canadian Whisky in the world. It can be found in over 150 countries and boasts sales in Canada that are unmatched by any other premium whisky brand. Its popularity spiked during the days of Prohibition when Canadian Club was the whisky of choice for smugglers and whiskey runners, and it has even been reported that Canadian Club was the whisky of choice for Al Capone who is said to have smuggled thousands of cases of Canadian Whisky into the USA .

The Canadian Club Reserve is a step up from the previously reviewed Canadian Club Premium. Still ‘Blended at Birth’, the whisky is a mixture of rye, rye malt, corn and barley spirits.  Although separately distilled, these spirits are blended before being placed in white oak barrels where the blend ages for a minimum of 10 years.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…In the air, a light toffee has developed which has that same almond taint I noticed in the younger Canadian Club whisky. Dank tones of corn and tobacco are present as well as a light smokiness which hints at baked apples. A dusty rye and light oak spices weave in and out of the aroma which is noticeably more complex than the Canadian Club Premium…”

Here is a link to my full Review:

Review: Canadian Club Reserve Whisky

I have included a nice cocktail with the review called the Woodcutter. I hope you enjoy the review and the cocktail.

Cheers!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Cocktails & Recipes, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Canadian Club Reserve Whisky

Review: Gibson’s Finest Sterling Canadian Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on August 14, 2011

Gibson’s Finest Whisky has an unusual heritage which stretches back to 1856 when John Gibson purchased 40 acres and set out to build a distillery along the shores of the Monongahela River in Pennsylvania. In fact in the early 1900’s, the Gibson’s Distilling Company was the largest distiller of rye whisky in North America. Of course, we all know what happened to American distilleries at that time in history; it was called prohibition, and unfortunately in 1923,  Gibson’s Distilling Company was bankrupt and was forced to sell all of its assets ( Sheriff’s auction) to the highest bidder. The highest bidder turned out to be Schenley Industries of New York. It took 50 years, but Gibson’s whisky, formerly an American whisky, was re-introduced as a Canadian Whisky in the 1970’s at the Schenley Distillery in Valleyfield, Quebec. Thirty years later, in 2002, the Gibson’s Whisky was sold to William Grant & Sons who acquired the brand to strengthen their position in the Canadian spirits marketplace. William Grant & Sons has moved the production of Gibson’s Whisky from the Schenley plant in Valleyview Quebec to the Hiram Walker Distillery in Windsor, Ontario.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…The initial nose from the glass is of light rye spices and sandalwood. There are hints of butterscotch in the air which gives the whisky a light sweetness and a few dashes of ginger and cardamom. The nose invites me to sip, and I quite contentedly oblige…”

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Gibson’s Finest Sterling Canadian Whisky

I have included a nice recipe for the Gibson’s Sterling which I call, The Long Autumn.

Please enjoy the review and the cocktail that follows.

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Cocktails & Recipes, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Gibson’s Finest Sterling Canadian Whisky

Review: Chinook Canadian Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on August 7, 2011

Chinook Canadian Whisky is produced by Alberta Distillers Limited (ADL) in Calgary, Alberta. I do not know much about this whisky. It appears to be a relatively new brand on the Canadian Whisky landscape. The bottle tells me it is a five-year old Canadian Whisky bottled at 40 per cent alcohol by volume.  I received the bottle for review from Ravinder Minhas, of Mcbsw Sales Company Inc. who is the distributor of this spirit  where I live.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…The nose from the glass is a pure expression of dusty dry Canadian rye whisky. There are a few hints of oak and vanilla but the rye is first and foremost. It is almost as if you can smell the field of ripening grain right there in the glass. I even smell bits of straw and chaff as if the autumn harvest is about to begin…”

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Chinook Canadian Whisky

Of course I have offered a suggested recipe at the end of the review and have included a link to that recipe here:

The Canadian Cooler

Please enjoy the review and the included recipe.

Cheers!!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Cocktails & Recipes, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Chinook Canadian Whisky

Review: Canadian Mist Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 31, 2011

Canadian Mist has been on the landscape of Canadian Whisky since the 1960’s when Barton Brands, Inc. of Chicago, contracted with a Quebec distillery, (Melcher’s), to supply bulk whisky to the United States for bottling and marketing. Based upon the potential of the new brand, Barton established their own plant in Collingwood, Ontario. Sales caught on south of the border very quickly, and Canadian Mist was soon the second most popular Canadian Whisky brand bottled stateside. In 1971, Brown-Forman Corporation bought Canadian Mist, and with further investments in marketing and promotion, Canadian Mist’s sales quadrupled in the ’70s and ’80s, to more than four million cases.

The brand is still owned by Brown-Forman, and it is still produced in Collingwood, Ontario. The whisky has always been produced for the American market where sales have remained strong. It is a triple distilled blended grain whisky made from corn, malted barley and rye. The water source for the distillery is the waters of Georgian Bay, part of Lake Huron, one of the largest (and purest) fresh water lakes in the world. The whisky is aged in charred oak barrels and blended in Collingwood, Ontario under the supervision of the Canadian Government.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…The initial entry in the mouth is mellow with a flavour of soft, lightly dank corn leading the way. There is a sweet tinge to the whisky with a honeyed spiciness quickly following making the whisky lively in the mouth but not sharp or uncomfortable…”

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Canadian Mist Whisky

As well I have included a nice cocktail suggestion, the Buckeroo.

Please enjoy the review!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Cocktails & Recipes, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Canadian Mist Whisky

Review: Pendleton (Let ‘er Buck) Canadian Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 24, 2011

Pendleton (Let ‘er Buck) Canadian Whisky is distilled and aged in Canada. The spirit is then transported to Oregon where it is brought to bottling proof by Hood River Distillers using the glacial fed waters from Mt. Hood. The whisky is named to honour the Pendleton Round-up, a well-respected rodeo in Pendleton, Oregon, and in fact, Pendleton Whisky sponsors numerous rodeos, including the aforementioned  the Pendleton Round-Up, the Cheyenne Frontier Days, and the Walla Walla Frontier Days.

A few websites mention that the spirit is aged for 10 years in American Oak barrels, but I could find no age statement on my whisky bottle or confirmation of a minimum age on the Hood River Distillers website. I think it is probably more correct to assume the brand is blended to a specific taste profile and the actual age of the blend may vary from batch to batch.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…The whisky has a crisp and smooth delivery. Rye and light oak spices lead out in front. Sweeter flavours of honey and toffee follow which are rounded out by ginger and a light touch of vanilla. I also taste hints of grain and straw, and a light touch of corn…”

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Pendleton (Let ‘er Buck) Canadian Whisky

I have also included a nice cocktail suggestion at the end of the review called, The Canadian Mammy.

Please enjoy the review!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Cocktails & Recipes, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Pendleton (Let ‘er Buck) Canadian Whisky

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