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Archive for the ‘Whisky Review’ Category

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#Top100CanadianWhisky #20: Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 4, 2017

Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye Whisky was released in 2015 by the folks who run the Crown Royal Distillery in Gimli, Manitoba. It is a bit of a throwback in style as the whisky features a heavy dose whisky produced from Canadian Winter Rye grain in the blend (almost 90% of the spirit is produced from Canadian Winter Rye grain). Winter rye imparts a robust spiciness throughout the spirit when distilled which (in my opinion) provides a much stronger ‘Canadian Whisky’ feel for this particular Crown Royal Whisky than we find with the flagship blend Crown Royal Deluxe which is produced predominantly from corn rather than rye.

Here is a link to the Rum Howler #20 Canadian Whisky in my list of the 100 Best of 2017:

Review: Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye

“… The whisky has an overt youthful brashness with both wood and rye spices abounding, I receive barely a whisper of gentle alcohol burn. Malted milk chocolate and crusty rye bread flavours seem to ooze from the woody spices. When sipped neat, the whisky is robust with a stronger presence of rye, orange peel and yellow fruit. With an ice-cube added, the whisky is oozes milk chocolate and light impressions of marzipan …”

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Note: To follow the countdown list of the Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017, you should follow me on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100CanadianWhisky.

Alternatively you can view the list as it grows by viewing my Reveal Page here on this website:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017

The Reveal Page will be updated at as frequently as possible throughout the month of December.

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on #Top100CanadianWhisky #20: Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye Whisky

#Top100CanadianWhisky #21: Canadian Club 20 Year Old Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 3, 2017

Canadian Club Whisky (C.C. Whisky) is blended before it is aged, and this process, which has been called ‘Blended at Birth’, is the foundation for the entire portfolio of Canadian Club Whiskies. The particular whisky which is examined in this review is the Canadian Club 20 Year Old Whisky. It is a blend of rye, rye malt, corn, and barley malt spirits which were set down to age together 20 years ago. In fact, I believe that the actual blending formula of base spirits for the 20-year-old Whisky is the same as the blending formula used for Canadian Club’s flagship brand, Canadian Club Premium, which is of course the 6-year-old Whisky which anchors the Canadian Club brand.

Here is a link to the Rum Howler #21 Canadian Whisky in my list of the 100 Best of 2017:

Review: Canadian Club 20 Year Old Whisky

The whisky is smooth with oak spice and hints of sap melded nicely into the other flavours. There is also a smoky quality with dry fruit flavours of raisins and prunes holding the whisky together. A peppery rye note bobs up to the surface, and somewhere in the mix, and I taste dabs of nutmeg and cinnamon as well as a dash of Apricot Brandy. 

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Note: To follow the countdown list of the Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017, you should follow me on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100CanadianWhisky.

Alternatively you can view the list as it grows by viewing my Reveal Page here on this website:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017

The Reveal Page will be updated at as frequently as possible throughout the month of December.

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on #Top100CanadianWhisky #21: Canadian Club 20 Year Old Whisky

#Top100CanadianWhisky #22: Crown Royal Cornerstone Blend

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 2, 2017

This year Crown Royal introduced what they call their Noble Collection, and  the first limited release Whisky in that Noble Collection is the Crown Royal Cornerstone Blend. Cornerstone is a blending of three of Crown Royal’s most essential whiskies. Two of these ‘essential’ whiskies are predominantly corn-based, one produced on the large multi column still (about 60 % of the blend), one of them produced on Crown Royal’s Coffey Still (about 6 % of the blend). The third whisky which comprises about 33 % of the blend is a high percentage rye blend whisky. These three whiskies represent the cornerstone of the Crown Royal Whisky flavour profile.

Each of the whiskies in the blend is aged at least 8 years and the final spirit is bottled at 40.3% alcohol by volume.

Here is a link to the Rum Howler #22 Canadian Whisky in my list of the 100 Best of 2017:

Review: Crown Royal Cornerstone Blend

The rye grain is complimented by the lightly spicy flavour of sap from freshly split wood. There is also a nice fruity sweetness which brings me impressions of marmalade, canned peaches, butterscotch, maple and vanilla. There are also underlying flavours of raisins, damp tobacco, hints of clove and ginger, some fresh leather and a touch of musty burlap.

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Note: To follow the countdown list of the Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017, you should follow me on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100CanadianWhisky.

Alternatively you can view the list as it grows by viewing my Reveal Page here on this website:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017

The Reveal Page will be updated at as frequently as possible throughout the month of December.

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on #Top100CanadianWhisky #22: Crown Royal Cornerstone Blend

#Top100CanadianWhisky #23: J.P. Wiser’s 15 Year Old Canadian Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 1, 2017

John Philip (J.P.) Wiser, purchased a distillery in Prescott Ontario in 1857, and began to produce Wiser’s Whisky.  In fact, it may have been J.P. Wiser who first used the term “Canadian Whiskey” on a whisky label when he introduced his spirit to the World at the Chicago’s World Fair in 1893. Today Wiser’s is distilled at the Hiram Walker Distillery in Walkerville, Ontario, and aged in their facilities at Pike Creek near Lakeshore Ontario. Through all of these changes the Wiser’s Brand has been recognized as a vital component of each company’s portfolio of brands.

J.P. Wiser’s 15 Year Old Canadian Whisky (bottled at 40% alcohol by volume) was recently released across Canada.

Here is a link to the Rum Howler #23 Canadian Whisky in my list of the 100 Best of 2017:

Review: J.P. Wiser’s 15 Year Old Canadian Whisky

” … Smooth and yummy with a rich toffee-like flavour of wood and grain spices melded butterscotch and maple. Canned fruit as noted above is joined by light impressions of raisins and a very light cherry-like impression similar to red licorice (Turkish Delight). The vanilla has joined with the orange peel bringing impressions of marmalade. Rich tobacco and new leather with an underpinning of almond syrup …”

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Note: To follow the countdown list of the Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017, you should follow me on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100CanadianWhisky.

Alternatively you can view the list as it grows by viewing my Reveal Page here on this website:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017

The Reveal Page will be updated at as frequently as possible throughout the month of December.

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on #Top100CanadianWhisky #23: J.P. Wiser’s 15 Year Old Canadian Whisky

#Top100Canadian Whisky #31: Last Mountain Private Reserve

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 23, 2017

Our #31 Canadian Whisky takes us back to the Last Mountain Distillery, Saskatchewan’s first micro distillery. I am a big fan of the husband and wife team of Colin and Meredith Schmidt and the spirits they distill. So it is no surprise to me that their Private Reserve Whisky is, according to my rankings, the best craft (micro-distilled) whisky produced in Canada for the year that is 2017.

According to the distillery website,  Last Mountain’s Private Reserve Whisky is a blend of 4 to 5-year-old wheat whisky which has been aged in a combination of used bourbon barrels and then finished in new 10 gallon oak barrels. The Wheat Whisky is bottled at 45 % alcohol by volume.

Here is a link to the review for Canada’s Best Micro Distilled Whisky, and the #31 Canadian Whisky of 2017:

Review: Last Mountain Private Reserve Wheat Whisky

“… I taste yummy butterscotch and maple melding with oak spice, leather and tobacco. There is a very appealing rye-like flavour and bitterness as well as a dusty dry spiciness which features both grain and wood spice combining with orange pith and touches of cinnamon. The whisky evolves as I sip, the flavours becoming more robust and appealing …”

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Note: As indicated earlier, I will not be creating a posting for every whisky in my countdown on this website; but I am going to try to highlight every Canadian spirit that I have not reviewed previously.

To follow the countdown list on a daily basis, you should follow me on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100CanadianWhisky. Alternatively you can view the  list as it grows by viewing my Reveal Page:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017

The Reveal Page will be updated at least weekly through September, October and November and then daily in December.

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on #Top100Canadian Whisky #31: Last Mountain Private Reserve

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