Canadian whisky is finally coming of age
40-plus-year-old bottles from producers at ‘low’ prices will soon be available
Canadian whisky is starting to show its age.
Unlike scotch, often measured in years, Canadian whisky doesn’t draw much attention to how old it is. Age statements, which convey how long a spirit rested in the oak casks that are responsible for so much of a whisky’s flavour (and all of its colour), are rarely a prominent feature on a label. This fall, that’s all about to change, thanks to the release of some seriously old expressions.
The oldest, by five years, is Canadian Club 40-year-old, a whisky that was distilled the same year the RCMP raided Keith Richards’s Toronto hotel room, Canada switched its road signs to metric and Trudeau was the prime minister — the first Trudeau. It’s a rare release, breaking its own record (a 30-year-old released a few years ago) and is sure to be snapped up by those who want a taste of a historic event.
Nipping at CC’s heels is a 35-yearold Wiser’s, a 21-year-old Pike Creek (usually only 10) and a special 17-year-old Gooderham & Worts, which doesn’t usually sport an age statement at all.
Although these aren’t the first oldsters — Highwood Distillers and Collingwood have released 21-year-old whiskies — it’s a sign of things to come. It also shows that our whisky business is all grown up and ready to tackle the premium spirits market. Even so, by comparison to well-aged American and Scottish whiskies, these are quite affordable. The Wiser’s 35 will set you back $164.95 at the LCBO and the Pike Creek and Gooderham & Worts are $89.95 and $79.95, respectively.
“Even up to the Canadian Club 40-year-old, which is $249.95 in Ontario, it’s outrageous how low the prices are, considering the value that you’re getting,” says Davin de Kergommeaux, who’s about to launch the second edition of his book Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert. “They’re also some of the best whiskies I’ve ever tasted. Not the oldest, but some of the best.”
By comparison, a 40-year-old Glenfiddich is at the LCBO for a cool $9,639.95. And bourbon? Well, you wouldn’t want to drink a bourbon old enough to have a mid-life crisis, since it’s aged in new oak, meaning it generally starts to take on a tannic quality somewhere in its teens. Canadian whisky has that advantage over bourbon, since it’s generally aged in used barrels, which have lost that “new cask smell.” It makes for a subtler flavour, which De Kergommeaux says shows in the Wiser’s 35-year-old:
“I find it crisp and complex, with a little bit of wood and some really high fruity esters that give it such a great flavour,” he says. “But it’s so tightly blended together that it’s kind of hard to suss out the elements, you know, because it’s a unit. There’s spiciness in there, and some pepper in there, there are just no sharp edges. It’s wonderful.”
The Pike Creek 21 is creamy and sweet, but with a sophisticated side, while the Gooderham & Worts “Little Trinity” has spent17 years achieving a delicious blend of caramel and spice. And the Canadian Club, de Kergommeaux says, has all the best flavours you’ve come to expect with CC, but with the volume dialed up to 11.
“It blew me away. As soon as you open the cask, the lovely plummy clean notes come out, which is the signature taste of Canadian Club,” he says. “When you taste it, it’s big, lush
“It’s outrageous how low the prices are, considering the value that you’re getting. They’re also some of the best whiskies I’ve ever tasted.” DAVIN DE KERGOMMEAUX AUTHOR OF CANADIAN WHISKY: THE PORTABLE EXPERT
and rich, with a broad spectrum of flavours that work well together.”
Forty really might be the new 30, after all — now that Canadian whisky is finally coming of age. Gooderham & Worts “Little Trinity” 17-year-old, Pike Creek 21-year-old and Wiser’s 35-year-old are scheduled to hit the LCBO in the first week of October. Canadian Club 40-year-old will follow in mid-October.