Canadian Ryes and Whiskys

[weinoo]

I just picked up a bottle of this and was wondering if anyone has tried it...

 

 

 

Edited March 23, 2014 by weinoo (log)

[KD1191]

They certainly made a point of making RYE stand out, but blended and 80 proof speak louder to me...feels like an attempt to cash in on the spike in rye consumption using the difference in labeling requirements for Canadian whisky.

[Ashen]

I think you will like it, but doubt it will be a  must replace bottle..  Try Lot 40  for an all rye Canadian  whiskey or more to my taste,  Forty Creek Copper Pot Whisky .  Forty creek is a blend of rye, corn and barley but there is a fairly aggressive edge from the rye in it.  Each grain is distilled separately and then  the resulting spirits are blended . http://fortycreekwhisky.com/Product%20pages/copper_pot.html

 

I have not tried Forty Creek Heart of Gold as yet, but hopefully the next time I visit the distillery I can get a sample.   Created to highlight the rye. 

http://fortycreekwhisky.com/Product%20pages/heart_of_gold.html

Edited March 23, 2014 by Ashen (log)

[mkayahara]

I think you will like it, but doubt it will be a  must replace bottle..  Try Lot 40  for an all rye Canadian  whiskey or more to my taste,  Forty Creek Copper Pot Whisky .  Forty creek is a blend of rye, corn and barley but there is a fairly aggressive edge from the rye in it.  Each grain is distilled separately and then  the resulting spirits are blended . http://fortycreekwhisky.com/Product%20pages/copper_pot.html

 

I have not tried Forty Creek Heart of Gold as yet, but hopefully the next time I visit the distillery I can get a sample.   Created to highlight the rye. 

http://fortycreekwhisky.com/Product%20pages/heart_of_gold.html

Just do it quick, before the new owners of Forty Creek start changing things!

 

No Canadian whisky (and yeah, it's "whisky" here, not "whiskey") is going to taste like an American straight rye; if you want to get to know the category, you have to take them on their own merits. I tend to say that Canadian whisky is to American whiskey as Cuban rum is to Jamaican rum. They both have their uses, but one is much more restrained than the other. From the Wiser's line, if you can't afford the Red Letter (I know I can't), the next best thing is the Small Batch. Also worth picking up is the Alberta Premium Dark Horse: it's bottled at 45% abv, and even though it's not pure whisky (there's some sherry added as flavouring, which is legal in Canada), it's damn tasty. I've been coveting a bottle of Lot 40 for a while, but like Ashen, I'm probably going to buy a Forty Creek Copper Pot as my next Canadian whisky purchase.

[Tri2Cook]

Just do it quick, before the new owners of Forty Creek start changing things!

 

I'm probably going to buy a Forty Creek Copper Pot as my next Canadian whisky purchase.

I picked up a bottle of the Copper Pot a couple days ago (for exactly the reason you stated in your warning). I haven't opened it yet but it's safely stowed in my cabinet. One of these days I have to make the decision to starting drinking more or collecting bottles less...

[Ashen]

I saw that Forty Creek was sold to Campari recently, but in the short term  at least  it looks like John Hall will  still be the  Chairman and chief whisky maker.    If Campari is smart they won't muck about too much with it in the long term. 

[Chris Hennes]

Is there a characteristic style of Canadian whisky that makes it identifiable as compared to, say, US whiskies? 

[Tri2Cook]

Is there a characteristic style of Canadian whisky that makes it identifiable as compared to, say, US whiskies? 

What makes it most identifiable for me is that it's on the shelf in my local store and US whiskies (other than Jack Daniels) are not.  

 

[Rafa]

Canadian whisky is characteristically soft, smooth, and blended. Laws regarding Canadian whisky are lax compared to those around bourbon or Scotch, so Canadian whisky can feature undisclosed additives like brandy or even wine, and can call itself rye even when no rye grain is present in the mash. Exceptions are Forty Creek and Lot 40, and presumably others without 40 in the name. US-based straight ryes like Whistlepig and Pendleton's are actually Canadian in origin, probably originating as flavoring whiskys for blends. These are generally fruitier, more floral, and sweeter than high-rye whiskeys from the States (e.g., Bulleit, Templeton, etc), despite being 100% rye.

[Anna N]

What makes it most identifiable for me is that it's on the shelf in my local store and US whiskies (other than Jack Daniels) are not.

Exactly what Kerry Beal and I discovered today! No American rye on the shelves. But at the second liquor store we visited, Kerry googled their supply of Bulleit rye. Google showed 11 bottles in inventory in this store! We asked and sure enough a clerk produced a bottle from "in the back". So is there some sort of black market in American rye? Fear that if they put it on the shelf there'll be a rush on it? Fear that 11 bottles of American rye will bring down the Canadian rye market? Sheesh.

[Tri2Cook]

Yeah, my Rittenhouse and one bottle of Sazerac 6 are gone. I have one bottle of the Saz left so I'm pretty picky about what I use it for. The LCBO site shows them having the Rittenhouse, Bulleit, George Dickel and Wild Turkey ryes in stock but none of them have made their way to this end of the province as yet. Still, it's nice to see the selection improving.

[Beebs]

My go-to whiskey for mixing is Alberta Premium, which is one of the few 100% rye Canadian whiskeys out there.  I'm not a big whiskey gal, and a newbie at that...but I like the AP because it is softer and sweeter than bourbon (I haven't tried American rye), but more interesting than Canadian Club.  I picked up a bottle of AP Dark Horse (45% abv) a few weeks ago, but haven't cracked it open yet.

 

In the BC liquor stores, it looks like Bulleit and Rittenhouse are the only American ryes available.

[Kerry Beal]

 

So took a picture of the Wiser's for sale in the LCBO - noticed that "Rye" is not prominent on the label at all. Guess the export market theory is correct.  

 

Mitch - did you buy it at the Duty Free?

 

And picked up a big bottle of the Copper Pot - $2 off right now.

 

 

[Plantes Vertes]

I was very, very impressed at your liquor stock for a second!

Edited March 27, 2014 by Plantes Vertes (log)

[weinoo]

IMG_1126.jpg

 

So took a picture of the Wiser's for sale in the LCBO - noticed that "Rye" is not prominent on the label at all. Guess the export market theory is correct.  

 

Mitch - did you buy it at the Duty Free?

 

And picked up a big bottle of the Copper Pot - $2 off right now.

I think that Wiser's might be a different age than the one I bought - the export stuff is a year older?

 

I bought it at a liquor store in DC - I haven't seen it in NYC.

[EvergreenDan]

I just saw Wiser's in Cambridge, MA. But I'm wiser now and didn't buy it.

[Kerry Beal]

I just saw Wiser's in Cambridge, MA. But I'm wiser now and didn't buy it.

There were a bunch of different Wiser's - labels all slightly different - none said rye.  In fact all of the Canadian Whiskies I looked at didn't say 'rye' on the labels.  

[Czequershuus]

Canadian whisky is characteristically soft, smooth, and blended. Laws regarding Canadian whisky are lax compared to those around bourbon or Scotch, so Canadian whisky can feature undisclosed additives like brandy or even wine, and can call itself rye even when no rye grain is present in the mash. Exceptions are Forty Creek and Lot 40, and presumably others without 40 in the name. US-based straight ryes like Whistlepig and Pendleton's are actually Canadian in origin, probably originating as flavoring whiskys for blends. These are generally fruitier, more floral, and sweeter than high-rye whiskeys from the States (e.g., Bulleit, Templeton, etc), despite being 100% rye.

I had no idea Pendleton was 100% Rye. Their marketing, at least in my area, seems to present them as a competitor to Crown Royal, kind of a younger, slightly cooler version of your dads whiskey, so I always assumed it was blended. 

[Rafa]

Here's what The Coopered Tot has to say on the matter:

 

A word about Pendleton 1910's labeling: Masterson's, Whistlepig, and Jefferson's all specifically state "Straight Rye Whisky" which in the USA means 51% plus rye, no additives, and at least 2 years in the barrel. Pendleton 1910 says something quite different: "100% Canadian Rye Whisky". I get the feeling that Pendleton 1910 doesn't comply with US legal requirements for Straight Rye Whisky - but I have no idea in what way. Given the dramatically different flavor profile I would guess that Pendleton's might be a blended Canadian product. I was rather struck, too, by the fact that I found Pendleton 1910 to be a high 4 star whisky when tasted sighted and by itself and a 3 star whisky when tasted in the presence of a bunch of other Canadian ryes. This points to the power of context and also of blind tasting.  UPDATE:  In conversation Davin DeKergommeaux (Malt Maniac, author, top Canadian whisky blogger and noted Canadian whisky authority) confirms that Pendleton 1910 is made from 100% rye - but crafted in a different way from the others - which accounts for its unique flavor profile.

[lesliec]

Could '100% Canadian Rye Whisky' be interpreted as 'stuff made entirely in Canada (and/or from Canadian ingredients), with some rye'?

[Okanagancook]

Dark Horse is fantastic for making Manhattans!

[tanstaafl2]

Another interesting and relatively recent Canadian true 100% rye is the Collingwood 21yo rye finished in toasted maple like the regular Collingwood is. The kicker here is this is 100% MALTED rye. A nice creamy well aged rye that is in the same price range as Whistlepig or Mastersons but waaaaay too easy to drink!

[tanstaafl2]

And the bottle looks like a giant cologne bottle! Who wouldn't want that?

[Czequershuus]

Another interesting and relatively recent Canadian true 100% rye is the Collingwood 21yo rye finished in toasted maple like the regular Collingwood is. The kicker here is this is 100% MALTED rye. A nice creamy well aged rye that is in the same price range as Whistlepig or Mastersons but waaaaay too easy to drink!

That sounds fantastic! I wish the chances of it showing up at a local liquor store were better than they are.