Pike Creek Oloroso-finished 21 Year Old Named Canada’s Best Whisky
A jury of ten independent whisky experts has named Pike Creek Oloroso-finished 21 Year Old Canada’s best whisky at the Tenth Annual Canadian Whisky Awards gala, held on Thursday, January 16, 2020 at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Victoria, BC. Chair of the Judging Panel, Davin de Kergommeaux, described Pike Creek 21 Year Old as:
“Toasted cereal tones bursting from a complex, spicy bushel of red fruits.”
Distilled at Hiram Walker Distillery in Windsor, Ontario, the whisky is named for the nearby community of Pike Creek where it matured for twenty-one years. Each year for a special limited-edition Pike Creek release, master blender, Dr. Don Livermore pours mature whisky in exotic barrels for a short time to develop new flavours. The Oloroso sherry barrels he used this year imparted fruity flavours and a pinkish hue to the already complex whisky. Dr. Livermore also accepted the Award for Blender of the Year.
Hiram Walker master distiller, Don Livermore (centre) accepts the award for Whisky of the Year from head judge, Davin de Kergommeaux (r), and co-host Heather Leary (l). (Photo Credit: Orlando Carillo)
Accolades for Whisky of the Decade were accorded to Forty Creek Confederation Oak. Forty Creek Distillery, in Grimsby, Ontario, has won Whisky of the Year three times in the past decade. Over that time the Confederation Oak Whisky has consistently scored well in the blind tastings that determine the annual award winners.
Retired whisky maker, John K. Hall was named Whisky Maker of the Decade, having founded the relatively new Forty Creek Distillery, where he created a number of international bestselling whiskies.
Other big winners at the 2020 Awards include Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye, Canadian Club 42-Year-Old and Crown Royal Black.
Honours for Artisanal Distillery of the Year went to North of 7 Distillery in Ottawa, while The Crown Royal Blending Team accepted a lifetime achievement award.
A record number of high-quality whiskies entered by Canada’s distillers, large and small, predicts a very exciting 2020 for fans of Canadian whisky, worldwide.
About the Canadian Whisky Awards:
The Canadian Whisky Awards, held annually in conjunction with the Victoria Whisky Festival, recognize the very best Canadian whiskies and encourage distillers to maintain the highest quality standards. To qualify, the whisky must be distilled and matured in Canada. An independent panel of whisky experts selects the winners after tasting each whisky blind. Operated on a not-for-profit basis, the Canadian Whisky Awards are fully independent of the Canadian whisky industry.
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has an annual tradition of producing a special limited release whisky which is built upon the foundation of the company’s flagship whisky, Forty Creek Barrel Select. These annual special releases each seek to bring new character to the Forty Creek family.
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