Forty Creek Founder John Hall
When I began to review spirits in general, and Rum and Canada Whisky in particular, some of the most exciting spirits to taste and review were the whiskies from the Forty Creek Distillery. This was because prior to 2007 the major distilleries which produced almost all the whisky bottled in Canada had very little real competition, and innovation was not a high priority (or at least from my point of view it did not appear so).
John Hall was the genesis of change. He opened the Kittling Ridge Winery & Distillery in 1992. The distillery portion (which would become the Forty Creek Distillery) was the first major distillery to be built in Canada since 1974. and once it was producing whisky, John Hall’s impact on the landscape of Canadian Whisky was profound. And, the release in 2007 of Forty Creek’s first Special Release Limited Edition Whisky made this clear.
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These Limited Edition whiskies became an annual affair. Each one gave the Whisky consumer in Canada a new twist on the Canadian spirit, and, since 2008, I have bought a few bottles of each annual release. My growing collection is a source of great enjoyment, and I look forward with anticipation to each year’s Special Release.
Here are some links to a few of my reviews for some of my favourite Forty Creek Limited Edition Special Releases:
- Forty Creek Portwood Reserve (2009)
- Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Lot 1867
- Forty Creek Founder’s Reserve
- Forty Creek Heritage
- Forty Creek Unity
Chimo!
I chose to call my new libation The Asylum, which is not only a reference to a place which might contain a section called Ward 8 (the original cocktail of inspiration), it also pays homage to another of my favourite writers (and a Canadian to boot), A.E. Van Vogt. His short story Asylum (Astounding Science Fiction, May 1942) was written during the Golden Aged of Science Fiction (which A.E. Van Vogt is often credited with ushering into existence with his short story Black Destroyer).
Here are some notes on Forty Creek 2014 Evolution Limited Release from John K. Hall, Whisky Maker:
What makes this whisky special is that this edition of Forty Creek Whisky has been finished in Port Wine Barrels. The whisky was produced at 45 % alcohol by volume and was limited to only 6600 bottles.
When I spoke to John Hall (Forty Creek founder and Whisky Maker) about this whisky, he mentioned that Canadian oak trees are heavier and more dense than American oak due to the harsher Canadian climate. As a result, the oak barrels made from these trees impart a different flavour characteristic to the whisky. The vanillans are more pronounced, and the wood tannins seem to be slightly stronger. In fact, John told me he almost scrapped this whisky altogether when after the first and the second years of ‘finishing’ in the Canadian oak barrels, the whisky was, to him, harsh and unappealing. But rather than scrapping the whisky, he allowed time to take its course. To his delight the whisky mellowed considerably after the third year of finishing, and the desired flavour profile for his whisky was achieved.
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