Canada has an internationally renowned reputation for its rye whisky. Rye is to Canada what bourbon is to America, vodka is to Poland and Russia, baijiu is to China, and what Scotch is to Scotland. Rye is our national liquor spirit. It is expected that Canada will produce the best quality rye in the world. I have tried many rye whiskies and while my opinion might be biased with a patriotic spirit I like to think that my palate remains objective and I do believe that Canada is the world’s leader in quality rye whisky production. Today, when a Canadian says they’re drinking rye whisky it is typically understood their dram was distilled from a predominantly rye grain mash bill, whereas in the past things worked differently. Historically, Canadian rye whisky was distilled predominantly from corn in conjunction with a few other grains to produce what we called “Canadian rye.” This might sound odd since to most people a predominantly corn based distilled spirit constitutes a “corn whisky” or “bourbon.” Bourbon is new make spirit distilled from at least a 51% corn mash bill and usually not more than 75%, which is aged in charred barrels. Most bourbon is Kentucky Bourbon, which comes from the state of Kentucky in the USA, however other bourbons are produced outside of the state. Corn whisky on the other hand is a new make distillate originating from a mash bill 80% or higher of corn and is either unaged, or aged exclusively in used or uncharred barrels.
The really interesting thing about Canadian whisky history is that reaching back in time the all inclusive Canadian term for whisky was “rye,” which applied ubiquitously to all forms of whisky produced in this country. Think of it similarly to Americans’ contemporary vernacular referring to bourbons and Tennessee whiskies as “whiskey” without due consideration to the fact that any distilled grain spirit falls under the umbrella term “whisk(e)y” thus conflating these terminologies. In the same way, it used to be like this in Canada. While there was and remains the expectation that distillates retain a Canadian like character, any high abv distilled grain spirit in the past was simply referred to as “rye.” This misnomer in spirit labeling is beginning to correct itself as more distilleries are turning towards what would be considered traditional Scotch making methods. Of course, Scotch is only made in Scotland, however more and more Canadian distilleries are reaching back to their European roots and discovering the joys of single malts, grain whiskies that in Canada are typically distilled from Canadian locally sourced wheat, and of course there remains our fabulous rye grain whiskies. Nowadays, these Canadian rye whiskies are more commonly distilled from at least a 51% rye grain mash bill and in many cases Canadian distilleries are using a 100% rye grain mash bill as the current staple to create a Neo-traditional Canadian Rye Whisky. I’m a stickler for the correct usage of terminologies and as such I am rather pleased to note this trend.
This lovely history leads me to discuss what is arguably Canada’s current leading distillery, which in many ways is paving the future of the Canadian whisky industry, Forty Creek Distillery. The distillery is located in lovely Grimsby Ontario, a lakeside community in South Eastern Ontario along the shores of Lake Ontario, one of five Great Lakes and home to Canada’s St. Lawrence Seaway. This natural waterway spanning 1200 kms/750 miles from the Gulf of the Saint Lawrence leading to the Atlantic Ocean on Canada’s East Coast to the Great Lakes Basin boasts some of the most magical water life on earth including beluga whales, swans, Canadian geese, Canadian beavers and a plethora of diverse aquatic species.
Preceding Forty Creek were other strong and illustrious Canadian distilleries, which laid a robust foundation for Canadian whisky and must be mentioned. This includes Canadian Club, J.P. Wiser’s, Gooderham and Worts, Seagram’s, and Crown Royal. Of these important Canadian distilleries the most historically entrenched and well known around the world is Canadian Club, which helped in many ways to influence the cultural evolution of post-Confederation Canada.
Hiram Walker founded his distillery in 1858 in Detroit. He first learned how to distill cider vinegar in his grocery store in the 1830s before moving on to whisky and producing his first barrels in 1854. However, with the Prohibition movement gathering momentum and Michigan already becoming “dry”, Walker decided to move his distillery across the Detroit River to Windsor, Ontario. From here, he was able to export his whisky and start to develop Walkerville, a model community that Walker financed to provide housing and services for his employees.
Walker’s whisky was particularly popular in the late 19th century gentlemen’s clubs of the United States and Canada; hence it became known as “Club Whisky”. Walker originally positioned the whisky as a premium liquor, pitching it not only on its smoothness and purity but also its five-year oak barrel aging.
Club Whisky became very popular and American distillers petitioned for the inclusion of the word “Canada” on the bottle to distinguish it from their competing whiskies, thinking it would hamper the popularity of Walker’s. This backfired, only making Club Whisky more exclusive[citation needed]. Walker saw this and changed the label again in 1889 adding the word “Canadian” to the top of the label, distinguishing Walker’s recipe for his whisky from the other processes of the time. In 1890, the word “Canadian” was moved down from the top of the label and incorporated into the name of the whisky.
Quote: Excerpt from Wikipedia
Forty Creek Distillery is located in picturesque Grimsby, Ontario Canada along the shores of Lake Ontario, which if you haven’t viewed in my previous blog posts boasts some of the most majestic water-based wild life in North America. On a typical day you can see the sun sparkling off the waves of Lake Ontario as the breeze gently whips in off the lake sweeping into the many bustling towns and cities along the lake shore including one of Canada’s best known cities Toronto, Ontario. What makes South Eastern Ontario so special are all of the wonderful pastoral lakeside towns that line its Canadian shores. All the way from Kingston, Ontario to Niagara Falls you can stop by and by for a stroll downtown just steps away from the beach enjoying local boutiques, used book stores, and artisan coffee shops. A little known fact about Canada is that we Canadians take our coffee pretty seriously and our baristas are some of the finest in the world. Did you know that some Canadian baristas have traveled to Italy and abroad just to refine their barista skills? That spirit of excellence runs deep in Canadian veins and it is the foundation upon which this country is built.
This same spirit of excellence is readily apparent in Forty Creek’s approach to its whisky making. With 21 years experience creating world class award winning whiskies the renowned Canadian approach to producing superior quality goods is self evident in the craftsmanship and artistry of these truly exceptional drams. What I respect the most about Forty Creek’s approach to whisky creation is the distillery embraces the most important aspects of Canada’s history and brings this to life in drams that are remarkably true to the Canadian spirit: quality, pleasurable and pleasing, smooth richness, and a texture so silken that it has become the signature benchmark in Canadian whisky.
I had the distinct pleasure of speaking directly with Forty Creek’s North America Brand Ambassador, Chris Thompson, about the distillery, the drams, where the distillery is and where the vision for the distillery will take it in future. Please kick your feet up, relax and enjoy hearing from the master himself about what in my opinion is Canada’s best whisky.
Canada has a long and deeply rooted history in the creation of rye whisky. Both Canadian Club and J.P. Wiser’s began distilling rye in the mid to late 1800s. As a modern distillery how does Forty Creek carry on Canadian tradition and in what ways does the distillery stand out, shine in its own light?
Great question….. Our Founder John Hall always used to say “We are inspired by tradition but not bound by it”. Forty Creek was born from John Hall and Bill Ashburn, both first generation whisky makers with little to no experience with whisky. They built on their own unique experiences with wines and eau de vie’s to create Forty Creek. Canadian whisky was built on that innovative spirit, something that got lost over time. Particularly during the late 70’s through the 80’s, Canadian whisky consolidated greatly and creativity and artisanship basically became extinct. Our category was eroding by scotch, bourbon, wine and heaven forbid….. VODKA!!!!!! There was literally nothing new or exciting to talk about in Canadian whisky basically since Crown Royal in 1939!!!!! Forty Creek changed all that. The goal was to bring artisanship back to the category, in essence we became Canada’s first craft whisky. We started a new era of Canadian Whisky by going down the road of premiumization and innovation and thankfully, the rest of the category eventually followed suit. With that, probably our most important contribution besides a long line of category defining whiskies is, we build excitement around our national spirit. Critics and consumers started to get excited about Canadian whisky again! We continue to push boundaries and give the whisky world innovative whiskies worth talking about, be it our award winning limited editions, tasty cream liqueurs or complete outliers like The Forager.
If someone was new to Canadian whisky and they asked you what makes a whisky a Canadian whisky how would you explain this to them from a Forty Creek perspective?
That is a tough question to answer as the palate of Canadian whisky is so broad now! From a Forty Creek perspective, a textbook Canadian whisky should be artfully blended, well balanced and smooth. Canadian whisky and in particular Forty Creek was built on that. Canadian whisky really represents the best in blending where the sum is greater than its individual components. That was always our focus. Using great individual whiskies, from the right barrels, you can create a very well balanced and highly drinkable whisky that exemplifies all the right flavor notes of vanilla, oak and spice, with beautiful, subtle complexities. Canadian whiskies and in particular Forty Creek whiskies were built on elegance and balance, not power.
What is it about the grain, water source and production process within the distillery that makes Forty Creek an excellent whisky embodying our Canadian heritage and tradition?
One thing that we as a category have only begun to talk about recently with Canadian Whisky, is our strength not as distillers but as blenders. Forty Creek in particular utilizes artful blending in every aspect of what we do. Since day one, all of our whiskies were developed with proprietary blends of Canadian corn, rye and malt. Our whiskies have blended both column and traditional copper pot distilled distillates. We have always experimented with different styles of wood and charring levels to let the wood broadly influence the whiskies and build more complexities within the whisky. The Lake Ontario sourced water used to proof down our whiskies to 40% is purified through our own locally produced, proprietary RO water treatment system. Our whiskies are true blends in every sense of the word at every step of the process. Like Canada, our whiskies are greater with unity than as our individual parts.
Many names of Forty Creek whiskies embody Canadian spirit and history: Confederation Oak released in 2017 in celebration of Canada’s 150 years since Confederation in 1867; The Forager, which immediately reminds me of Coureurs de bois and The Hudson’s Bay Company aiding in the expansion of our country moving West to the Pacific Ocean; and, Resolve, which as a Canadian I strongly resonated with because of the resolve required of our people to survive the unforgiving winter landscape and to subdue the tens of thousands of square kilometres of what once was and in many instances still is Canadian wild and untamed land. In what ways does Forty Creek view itself as embodying the landscape and spirit of the Province of Ontario, Central Canada, and our beautiful nation Canada?
We’ve always considered ourselves a quintessentially Canadian whisky brand. I got into a fairly hot debate with a fan(?) that argued that because we are foreign owned (our parent company is Campari, based in Italy) we can’t claim that, which of course I disagree. To name only a few things we do as a company to celebrate where we are from; Our plant is in Grimsby Ontario, our people who work there are local, we put the sign for the Town of Grimsby in our TV commercial!!!! The ingredients of all our portfolio come from Canada, and in the case of The Forager are sustainably harvested from the Canadian wilderness. The maple leaf is proudly emblazoned on our packaging. We named our flagship whisky (Confederation Oak Reserve) after our countries Confederation and named 2019’s limited edition after a local historic battle during the War of 1812 (Victory). We are proud of our Canadian heritage and regional roots and will continue to celebrate that in the future.
Traditionally, our country is known for its exceptional rye. How does Forty Creek fit in with this tradition and it what ways is the distillery looking to carve out its own Canadian story?
This depends if the question is about traditional Canadian whisky (corn forward, blended) and called “rye” or the newer trend of high rye or 100% rye Canadian whiskies out there. We’ve made whiskies under both banners. Most of our whiskies are made within the traditional theme of majority corn with barley and rye blended in for flavour. We have always included rye as part our blends even though many of our competitors don’t and it’s not a requirement. Rye helped define Canadian whisky. The latest trend in Canadian whisky is high rye’s, majority rye or 100% rye whiskies. This a relatively new phenomenon on the broader Canadian whisky landscape and is a completely different animal, flavor-wise than a traditional Canadian, corn forward blend. We have released a 100% rye whisky made in that vein as well. We also pot distilled that 100% rye and aged it for 22 years….. and every bottle of it sold out in 36 seconds. It is one of the most highly sought after Canadian whiskies on the aftermarket. We make a point daily to give a nod to tradition but not be bound by it and also represent newer tastes and flavor profiles with our expressions.
I have personally book marked an incredible page on Forty Creek’s website that includes several whisky cocktail recipes. What is it about Forty Creek whisky that makes it ideal for addition to a cocktail?
Mmmmmmm, Forty Creek cocktails! I, like many whisky nerds, typically abhorred mixing anything with my whisky. Having now spent the better part of 7 years as Brand Ambassador for Forty Creek and spending 70% of my time working with bartenders across North America, I have really come to embrace and enjoy Forty Creek in cocktails. This goes back to one of my earlier statements about Forty Creek being about balance instead of power. Forty Creek whiskies work really well in cocktails because it is a balanced whisky. This may just be a “me thing”, but I prefer to taste my whisky in a cocktail without it completely dominated the flavor profile. I want it to work in harmony within the cocktail. Forty Creek whiskies do that for me. Sure, zippy, young, high rye or pure rye forward cocktails are the trend right now, but I still generally prefer my cocktails slightly spirit forward but balanced.
We’re all looking forward to the end of the global slowdown. Once we can all get back up to speed and fling open our doors again, what makes the trip around the Golden Horseshoe – the Western end of Lake Ontario – into Canada’s Niagara region and stopping at the Forty Creek distillery a “must see” on any tourist’s travel itinerary?
We love it when people come to visit us at the distillery in Grimsby! It puts a face to our brand and our team at our Brand House are really great at telling our story. Our entire portfolio (minus sold out limited editions) is available to sample including some distillery exclusives and some products you have probably seen and didn’t know we made! There is usually a unique Forty Creek cocktail concoction available to try as well. At some point we will be back to doing behind the scenes tours which is always informative and fun. Our team do a great job at walking you through the whisky making process. Even guests who are not whisky fans and get dragged there by their family/friends always comment how they ended up enjoying their Forty Creek experience. It is always an informative, tasty and fun experience.
Forty Creek is a multi-award winning distillery. The long list of awards is rather impressive. There are a few in particular that pique my interest and I’m certain my readers would love to learn more about them. These would be the Barrel Select that won a Gold Medal at the 2020 New York International Spirits Competition, the Resolve that in 2020 received 90 Points from Whisky Advocate Magazine, and The Forager Botanical Whisky that in 2020 received 89 Points from Whisky Advocate Magazine. In your opinion what is it about these whiskies, be it the grain source and/or something unique about the production process or otherwise, which gives them such exceptional quality of character?
The fact that Barrel Select, a 21 year old recipe, is still winning Gold Medals is a real testament to how good that ground breaking whisky is. It almost like there are two eras of Canadian whisky. The era before Barrel Select, and the era after. They are two very different periods within the category and clearly Forty Creek Barrel Select was a pivot point. I think you coined it perfectly…. “exceptional quality of character”. All Forty Creek whiskies have that. I remember chatting with a few of the judges after the Canadian Whisky Awards and them saying they could identify a Forty Creek whisky immediately in a blind tasting. Different Forty Creek expressions resonate with people for different reasons but I think the overarching theme is “exceptional quality of character.” Forty Creek whiskies are built to have a defining character to them. Our house style with blending is at the root of everything we do and although Barrel Select, Resolve and The Forager are all VERY different whiskies, they are all clearly possess that distinctive, exceptional, Forty Creek quality of character.
Specifically on each whisky:
Barrel Select – this whisky was 8 years in the making! Like all great first albums, you have a lifetime of experience to bring to the table with your first release. Barrel Select really exemplifies that. Both Bill Ashburn and John Hall were blenders at heart. Bill Ashburn had worked on super wide variety of products including Ports, Sherry’s, Vermouths, Vodka, wine, eau de vie’s, Grappa, Kirsh to name just a few! Artful blending are at the core of what we do, from grains, to barrels, to charring levels to finishing barrels to the final blend. Barrel Select was a lifetime of experience from two masters of their craft, put in one recipe.
Resolve – the third and grand finale in a trilogy of wood treatment, port finished whiskies. This whisky exemplifies creativity. It takes a base blended whisky, is further aged with the addition of high spice oak staves, tweaked with aged bourbon and topped up with drop of vintage port. That’s quite a journey. It’s quite a whisky!
The Forager – a complete original in the Canadian whisky world and an outlier in the whisky category period. A young, fresh, artfully blended whisky infused with natural botanicals, sustainably hand harvested from the Canadian wilderness.
All are COMPLETELY different from one another, but all are clearly Forty Creek.
I’m sure you’ve tried them all. What are your top three Forty Creek whiskies and why? Do you have a favourite cocktail to enjoy them in?
That’s soooooo hard! It changes from time to time but the three I find myself coming back to most often are;
-Heart of Gold, our limited edition from 2013. It is still one of my all-time favourites. I wish I had more! Rye forward, super narrow cut off the still, slightly elevated abv, named after Neil Young…. Its pretty much perfect in every way.
-Copper Pot Reserve is my long-time jam. Sweet, spicy, full flavoured. Add a drop of water and it is the perfect sipper. Its my favourite beer and a shot combo.
-My new favourite is The Forager! It’s a beautiful sipper but it has become my new favorite cocktail whisky. I didn’t think it would be suitable for cocktails but I have changed my tune on that entirely. It’s a complete outlier in the whisky world right now…. Its lighter in style, its delicate, its young and fresh, the botanicals are unique, the flavor profile is a unique blend of citrus, resin and pine. I think its way ahead of its time but frankly, it’s just works and it’s delicious.
Cocktail wise, I am a big Copper Pot Boulevardier fan (1xCopper Pot, 1xCinzano, 1xCampari) or a Copper Pot Grand Manhattan fan (1.5 Copper Pot, .75 Grand Marnier, .25 Cinzano, bitters) but my new favourite is a Forager Smoked Old Fashioned (2.5xForager, sugar, bitters, cedar smoked glass)!
Forty Creek distillery has an incredible history. Reaching back to 1992, your Founder, John Hall, and Master Blender, Bill Ashburn, started something really special. In the pioneering spirit that is so true of Canadian heritage these two individuals spent eight years developing an unexpectedly sweeter and smoother whisky as compared traditional Canadian ryes, which ultimately challenged the boundaries of rye whisky, its flavour profile and trajectory. Taking into account its rich history, where does Forty Creek see itself in the next 20 years?
It has been fun watching our Master Blender Bill Ashburn step more into the limelight. He has been the unsung hero at Forty Creek since the beginning, working quietly behind the scenes making amazing liquid while our Founder John Hall was the face of the brand and our tireless promoter. Watching Bill really start to push the boundaries again (The Forager, Resolve) is a real pleasure and his creative spirit will be driving us forward. Innovation is very much back on the forefront at Forty Creek while still giving a nod to our heritage (20th Anniversary re-release of Three Grain). There is lots of exciting stuff in the pipe-line that I’m sure will delight and surprise Forty Creek fans and hopefully bring alot of new fans into the Forty Creek family. In my mind, in 20 years, Forty Creek will be the number 3 player in Canadian spirits but won’t act like it. We will still have that scrappy, challenger mentality. We’ll still be challenging the status quo.
Grimsby Ontario is near the picturesque shores of beautiful Lake Ontario, one of five Great Lakes of North America that are home to hundreds of air and water species, entertain fisheries and merchant shipping, and are the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth containing 21% of the world’s surface fresh water by volume. How does Forty Creek distillery fit into this iconic Canadian landscape and what makes Grimsby Ontario home?
Prior to Forty Creek being Forty Creek, John Hall and Bill Ashburn needed time to learn their whisky craft and more importantly, needed something to pay the bills while they were perfecting what would become Barrel Select. When we first opened up our doors in Grimsby, we were called Kittling Ridge Wines. John and Bill new they could rely on their wine making backgrounds to make wine, cheap and cheerful and quick to pay the bills. Grimsby is ideally suited for wine production being right between Lake Ontario and the Niagara escarpment (a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve). Both are globally recognized landmarks and distinctly Niagara. We have always celebrated our Niagara roots. It is a clear identifier when telling people where we hail from. We will continue to promote our Niagara roots and the uniqueness of our home landscape and will do so in even more powerful ways in the near future!
Ready to try Forty Creek? I bet you are after reading about how amazing this Canadian distillery is. Here are some Women’s Whisky World tasting notes on several Forty Creek whiskies to get you started. Slàinte.
Forty Creek Resolve
Colour: the sherry and wood influence is so evident in this lovely translucent melon coloured whisky.
Nose: sweet smoky scent of transition fluid with a bit of wet gasoline on the shop floor that hasn’t quite dried yet with base notes of ripened cherry, cassis and sherry. Orange blossom provides a light soprano counterpoint to the delightfully strong guttural body of this Canadian whisky. There is really nice Christmas rum infused fruit cake scent here, too.
Palate: Oh wow! Just amazing. Remarkably sweet and smooth with some spice and a hint of unexpected salt. Really nice Christmas flavours dance all over the palate popping up as raisin, cinnamon spice, crème de cassis, maraschino cherry, mincemeat tart, butter tart, and of course smoky wood.
Finish: At first sweet and spicy, the finish lingers and mellows into a gentle marzipan with vanilla, caramel and orange marmalade.
With H2O: the lighter side of this dram shows creating a more delicate texture on the palate. Interestingly, additional tangerine and orange come through as well as an increased woodiness, which is a lovely addition to the preexisting flavours already experienced on the palate before the addition of water.
Final Thoughts: A true sailor’s drink made for a heart of oak, and this is coming for a Navy veteran of nearly two decades service. This dram is something I definitely would have enjoyed with my shipmates.
Forty Creek Victory
Colour: a fully bloomed Lady Emma Hamilton rose, which was introduced by David Austin in 2005 (reference https://florgeous.com/orange-roses/ )
Nose: NAS speaks to a first fill sherry cask aged 12 years. Very much like an organic crème brûlée baked with from-scratch vanilla imparting a holistic richness to the nosing. Plenty of brown sugar, rum soaked raisins, and caramel.
Palate: tastes exactly like rum and cinnamon spiced tapioca Christmas pudding. It is similar to a fruit bread and I would imagine would be an ideal addition to any such recipe.
Finish: the finish is short and dry leaving a satisfying vestige of the nosing and palate notes.
With H2O: opens up the rye allowing for spice to poke through renewing the dram. Once the spice wears off you are once again able to thoroughly enjoy the holiday aspects of this dram. There’s plenty of cassis, rum soaked raisins and toffee. The sweetness is tempered with a slight herbaceous undertone that reveals a wonderful complexity to the dram.
Final Thoughts: A perfect apératif or dessert whisky. Idyllic pairing with blue cheese; seriously, it’s good. Try it. There is something special about blue cheese. It tends to bring the sweetness out of already sweet foods. The whisky brings out a delightful nuttiness in the blue cheese, too with makes for a really pleasant finish.
Forty Creek Unity
Colour: strawberry gold that beckons a person to hike in an autumn wood
Nose: distinct turpentine of a high rye mashbill. Some sweetness of dark chocolate, ripened cherry, and first fill sherry American oak casks. Mature light scent, pears and green apples, light vanilla and caramel, cinnamon and nutmeg spiced rum pudding.
Palate: gentle spice and loads of holiday spirit. Wonderful spiced rum cakes, mincemeat pie, butterscotch tart.
Finish: a very pleasant lingering finish with warm aromas and flavours of predominantly brandied cherries and toffee.
With H2O: the balance in the whisky shines through with water. There is a perfect blending of a hint of rye heat with a newly mellowed approach to the classic holiday flavours consisting of candied sweet potato, maple glaze, and mulled apple cider. The smoothness of the dram displays itself readily resulting in a velvety texture on the palate.
Final Thoughts: This is a very smooth and well balanced dram with water. It is really special and should be enjoyed with close family and friends who truly appreciate the fuller whisky experience.
Forty Creek Barrel Select 40% abv
Colour: A truly lovely Monarch butterfly lighter orange, which is fitting with how delicately the whisky dances in the Glencairn.
Nose: Similar to that of a high rye mash bill with the distinctive turpentine scent of a 100% rye whisky, which is interesting because three grains – rye, barley and corn – are fermented and distilled separately then blended and barrel aged to create Barrel Select. In conjunction with these distinctive rye scents many floral notes are present such as pink rose and trumpet daffodil with undertones of yellow freesia (see my online tutorial to learn how to identify floral notes in whiskies, which can be applied to any spirit. Also, see my official Women’s Whisky World Online Floral Notes in Whiskies Catalogue). These rye and floral notes are wrapped in the nostalgia of a sherry American Oak barrel; vanilla, toffee, caramel, Christmas rum pudding and the like.
Palate: Where Christmas meets rye whisky. The butterscotch-toffee warmth of this whisky mixes with the all spice and clove excitement that rye brings to a dram. This whisky is perfect for a long conversation in the evening.
Finish: initially sharp because of the spicy rye impact the finish quickly smooths out leaving a velvety coating behind with pepper dancing on the taste buds.
With H2O: Opens up the nose revealing a tremendous amount of lilac on a humid summer afternoon. It brings forth more soil notes on the nose. You also get an intensified Christmas sweets and spices experience. The palate is absolutely smoothed out reducing some of the intense spice from the rye, which makes the other flavours more accessible and lengthens the finish.
Final Thoughts: This dram demands a tepid autumn evening in front of the fireplace with a good friend and nostalgic memories.
Forty Creek Copper Pot Reserve 43% abv
Colour: a appealing translucent apricot.
Nose: A gloriously spicy dram possessing classic high rye like scents, however this one is particularly gripping because it demands patience to tease out the clear undertones of clay soil. If you quickly smell this dram you will miss the foundational base notes that balance out vegetal soprano notes, which immediately greet your senses. The trumpet daffolil and Monsella tulip notes nicely round out the dram.
Palate: a wonderfully sweet palate. I would not hesitate to serve this as a dessert whisky. The balance between herbaceous notes and overt sweetness makes for what I might dub a ______. There is plenty of sweet grass and lemon grass marrying with warm milk chocolate, brandy cherries and all spice. It the most balanced blended rye whisky I have tried yet. I can only wonder if it is due to copper pot still distillation, which is known to reduce sulfur content that might lend itself to a smoother and sweeter experience on the palate? This whisky is a quintessential Canadian dram.
Finish: moderate length and smooth with a hint of spice. It’s a welcoming finish.
With H2O: oh wow! Simply amazing. The water totally smooths out the spice of rye which allows the palate to access the sweeter and clay soil notes resulting in an incredibly well balanced Canadian dram. You really need to try this.
Final Thoughts: This whisky is ideal for parties with guests you want to impress especially once you add water. Personally, I’m a bit picky when it comes to which flavour profile I like to serve at a specific time of day. I would be inclined to reserve this whisky to an evening event where guests are invited to nibble on desserts.
Forty Creek Spike Honey Spiced Whisky 40% abv
Colour: Unripened Christmastime mandarin orange. Do you remember as a child when you knew you were no more than three or four days at most away from being able to dig into the cardboard box filled with paper wrapped mandarin oranges? What a sentimental thought.
Nose: warm, sweet and inviting causing the palate to water in anticipation of what is soon to greet it. It’s so lovely that one might think it is rum cask aged. The deep, rich notes of sultana raisins and spiced orange rum cake are welcoming indeed.
Palate: The honey is immediately evident on the palate offering a dramatically sweeter than usual dram, which is simply wonderful. It is somewhat what you might expect an ice wine except due to the rye content you also get a warming sensation on the palate that of course you would never experience with the ice wine (not the mention there is no rot here). It’s a honey-bomtastic smooth whisky. There is a tonne of Christmas pleasure here. Think brandy and cognac filled chocolates, a strongly spiked rum cake, liqueur soaked fruit cake and so on. If I were hosting a whisky event this would be one of my go-to’s as an aperitif to whet the palate to enhance the networking atmosphere in preparation for an enjoyable supper.
Finish: long, gentle, smooth and sweet. This is the perfect business casual whisky. A crowd pleaser for certain.
With H2O: the spice opens up in a really lovely way that compliments the enhanced sweet flavours.
Final Thoughts: This is an easy drinking Canadian whisky. Immediately, I can picture myself in a luxourious hotel event space amongst my business colleagues eagerly awaiting a special corporate occasion.
Forty Creek Double Barrel Reserve Lot 272 40% abv
Colour: Akin to an inviting sunrise one observes while sipping hot tea on the patio of a lakeside Muskoka cottage as the morning star’s rays glint on the waves.
Nose: Quite herbaceous and a rather gentle approach to the rye profile; spice, sweetness and turpentine, which reminds of the days I spent in Northern Alberta with my French Canadian family near the farmlands of Girouxville, Alberta, Canada. There is a nostalgic lighter undertone of father’s shop. I can remember when my father would arrive home from having worked all day in the aircraft hanger. The distinct scent of engine grease accompanied the telltale blackness under his finger nails and stains on his dark blue overalls. His first stop was always the washroom sink to scrub the engine oil off his hands.
Palate: Sweet and gently spiced, this dram politely requests to be left on the palate for longer than usual so as to tease out the intricacies of a multitude of flavours present; cantaloupe, melon, pear, Macintosh apple comprise the predominant flavour profile, which is rounded out and balanced with sweet grass, Saskatchewan wheat (that’s not to say wheat is in the mash bill – it isn’t – rather, this flavour does develop within the dram), and base note comforts of dark chocolate and aged rum cake.
Finish: gentle, lingering and warming to the senses. It’s lighter than some, which is welcome after a robustly flavourful dram.
With H2O: Really opens up the rye brings a lot of spice to the nose, while allowing for the sweeter notes to poke through. Water lightens up all flavours, which means the whisky is easily accessible to the morning breakfast tippler. I would be inclined to serve this with a light brunch to guests who are open to a Breakfast Whisky dram.
Final Thoughts: My favourite part about whisk(e)y is the history and the stories. Certainly, it’s delicious but it’s also an incredibly nostalgic and deeply historical rooted drink. Some drams bring up more memories than others for me and this is definitely one of those.
Forty Creek Three Grain 20th Anniversary Edition 40% abv
Colour: This is one of the most elegant tints of orange in a whisky I have ever seen. It is exactly like you see when you slice open a fragrant, mature, ripe mango fruit. There is such a richness and depth to the this dram offers.
Nose: The rye in this three grain whisky jumps right out to greet the ol factory senses in a burst of pungent joy.
Palate: A wonderful milieu of rye spices – ginger, cinnamon, all spice – and comforting luxury offered from corn distillates – toffee, rich rum cake, good quality milk chocolate – wrapped in an graceful barley and terra emphasis.
With H2O: The spice of the really mellows but all of the other rye-like aromas are emphasized considerably with the addition of water. There’s lots of turpentine and a wonderful blanket of Christmas flavours such as gingerbread, buttercream icing for dressing shortbread that is infused with vanilla bean and cinnamon stick.
Finish: dry and sweet. Oh so inviting for another sip to get the fullness of the dram again.
Final Thoughts: This is an involved whisky and as such I would recommend sharing a dram with an experienced tippler who is both willing and able to patiently allow the dram to develop on the nose and palate. This isn’t the kind of whisky that you want to work your way through quickly. This is meant to be savoured.
Confederation Oak Reserve Lot 1867-M 40% abv
Colour: the most delightful shade of fully bloomed marigold lining the walkway to a home’s front door
Nose: There’s something special about this dram. There is such a gentle touch of rye and warmth of Christmas spirits that immediately arrive to greet the senses married with base notes of earth, which peacefully grounds the soul.
Palate: Delicious! Organic honey from the farmer’s market and brown sugar are the first impression followed with lavender and rose, which develops into a warm rye spice that includes orange and tangerine essence.
With H2O: The spice opens up revealing a vegetal side to the dram that is reminiscent of a walk in wooded evergreen glen. The sweet side of the dram remains present, however the intensity mellows allowing you to access its savoury side.
Finish: A light spice that warms for a while as the sweetness rests asking you to contemplate the dram deeper before taking another sip.
Final Thoughts: This is dram is ideal for the business setting. It is just sweet enough to be a crowd pleaser and it is just demanding enough to allow for animated conversation regarding its scent and flavour profiles.
The Forager Botanical Whisky 40% abv
Colour: Beautifully delicate somewhat like an immature sweet grass.
Nose: surprisingly robust given the lighter colour. There is a hint of tell tale new make, but that is really more of an undertone a person might miss if they weren’t familiar with this virgin spirit. Predominantly, sweet and spicy scents come through – rum, cassis, raisins, caramel – but, what is gripping about this dram is the distinct seaside scent that demands your attention. I can only imagine this is the result of the blend of botanicals used to infuse this whisky.
Palate: the sweetness is well rounded out with wood and spice brings the dram to life. There is no seaside essence whatsoever, and this is replaced with a full botanical experience. To me, it tastes of a lovely rosemary infusion with a little bit of mint and a bark of some sort as a background base note to round out the dram.
With H2O: the water opens up the botanicals quite a bit, which at first seems rather bitter however the sweet undertones of the whisky remain to be enjoyed to the end.
Finish: long, lingering and smooth inviting one to try another dram.
Final Thoughts: It is such a romantic spirit that should not be drank quickly but rather savoured neat for hours sitting by the fireplace with your feet up. I would be hesitant to recommend this for a crowd or someone new to whiskies. This is a precious dram meant to be fully enjoyed with the experienced palate.
Forty Creek Nanaimo Bar Cream Liqueur 15% abv
Nose: quite like a Nanaimo bar. Delightfully sweet with the tang of the yellow custard strip in the center.
Palate: quite like Bailey’s Irish Creme in texture and flavour. The creme is thick and coats the palate nicely. It’s easily drinkable on its own or in coffee.
Final Thoughts: Let’s just say the sample bottle didn’t last long while I was writing this and that purchasing a full bottle is on my to-do list. This liqueur is fabulous! Buy one.
Forty Creek Cream – Cream Liqueur 17% abv
Nose: I honestly didn’t think there could be any improvement from the Nanaimo bar liqueur. I was inaccurate. This is the most unique liqueur I have tried. There is a wonderfully sweet savoriness to the nose where the honey and marzipan shines through and the undertone is something like that of a British Columbian mountain cedar glen.
Palate: a pleasant alcohol is obviously present, so if you’re like me and you enjoy a strong liqueur this would be a go to. It possesses all the sweet creaminess of a Bailey’s Irish Creme while offering a nostalgic jaunt into the woods.
Final Thoughts: Perfect for any dinner gathering or party where you’re looking to cap off the evening in a fun and eventful way. I am adding this to my “to purchase” drink list.
Women's Whisky World 