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!
Forty Creek Whisky
The Rum Howler Blog 