Canada is No. 1? We’ll drink to that
When people from other countries contemplate Canada, they think of maple syrup, Mounties and hockey. But in a game of word association, “Canada” is not usually paired with “whisky.”
But Jim Murray, renowned whisky aficionado and author of the Whisky Bible, has named Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye the 2016 World Whisky of the Year, awarding it a record-tying 97.5 out of 100 points and calling it a “masterpiece.” It’s the first time a Canadian whisky has received this honour.
Canada’s distinct style favours rye grain over barley, wheat or corn.
“The game has changed for Canada, for sure,” says Joanna Scandella, Canadian whisky master blender with Crown Royal and the woman behind the Northern Harvest Rye.
“I think for Canadian whisky, it’s a recognition of the quality. That Canadian whisky in itself is a style that has its own merits. The recognition definitely is going to make everyone sit up and notice.”
Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye, made with 90 per cent rye and distilled and aged in Gimli, Man., is smooth and interesting.
I enjoy classic Crown Royal as a mixer and was surprised how well I like the Northern Harvest Rye as a stand-alone nightcap.
“It is the rye that makes it stand out. The spiciness,” says Scandella.
“We could have gone 100 per cent (rye). But we thought 90 per cent was the perfect blend because you want to have the complexity. You think of cloves, cinnamon tied in with the oak. But it’s still smooth.”
And that makes the spirit — blended by Scandella in LaSalle, Que. — versatile enough to sip on its own or mix into cocktails.
Last year, Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 from Japan took the top spot in Murray’s list, sending ripples of disbelief around the whisky world while simultaneously raising the profile of Japanese whisky.
“This year, doubtless, there will be many more eyebrows raised because rarely is Canada mentioned when it comes to the world’s top whiskies,” said Murray on whiskybible.com.
While that statement may be up for debate and other Canadian whiskies have won awards, what’s true is in recent decades our ryes haven’t received accolades they once did.
During Prohibition, Canadian whisky made inroads into the U.S. and was the spirit of choice for classics like the Old Fashioned and Manhattan.