Is all Canadian whisky blended?

Talk about Tennessee, American and Rye Whiskey here.

Moderator: Squire

Is all Canadian whisky blended?

Unread postby Cbalducc » Mon Jun 30, 2014 12:56 pm

Does all Canadian whisky contain "grain neutral spirits"? Are there any that go beyond "brown vodka"?
Cbalducc
Registered User
 
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2014 1:23 pm

Re: Is all Canadian whisky blended?

Unread postby shulaw05 » Mon Jun 30, 2014 6:02 pm

i know caribou crossing is a single barrel Canadian. Pemberton distillery also has a new single malt Canadian (not sure if it is available yet)
shulaw05
Registered User
 
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:53 am

Re: Is all Canadian whisky blended?

Unread postby gillmang » Wed Jul 02, 2014 11:57 am

Canadian whisky does not contain grain neutral spirits since the base, while quite like GNS when new, is barrel-aged together with the "flavouring" (i.e. traditional, distilled-at-low proof whiskey). Generally 3 years aging is required, and often more is given. However, it is true that the base, being a fairly flavourless drink except for some wood taste picked up in the aging, does "bulk out" the product while at the same time softening the flavour of the straight element which can be pretty feisty on its own.

Collingwood 21 years old is all-flavouring whisky, no base whisky derived from GNS is used. You can get this in the States in many places. Buy it if you want to see what Canadian whisky which isn't bulked out is like, it is very flavourful, quite like a U.S. straight rye but different too in some respects.

Lot 40 may be all-flavouring whiskey (it tastes like it to me) and at any rate has a high percentage of flavouring whiskey. It too offers a true taste of the Canadian straight product which in this case is nutty, caraway seeds, minty.

Finally, Masterson, Whistlepig, Jefferson and that other group of ryes made and aged in Canada, would be all-straight too. Not sure about Pemberton, I think one brand of that line was all-straight and derived from the same source as this group. This group, also, was apparently aged 100% in new charred barrels. By my taste, Collingwood 21 and Lot 40, or say, Wiser Legacy or Dark Horse (both these blend a high amount of flavouring whisky with an aged base spirit) are not new charred barrel-aged, or not 100% anyway.

The "typical" taste of Canadian flavouring rye, IMO, is a new make chemically kind of taste, sometimes minty. On its own, it is not always easy to drink neat although a small market likes it. Collingwood 21 is aged a very long time and smooths out that character considerably, but there is still a new make quality to it, IMO.

This may clue you in to why the Canadian product ended up being (typically) blended, to smooth out that taste while offering it in a small dose. Canadian Club is a good example, also Crown Royal. Incidentally the flavouring element doesn't have to be a straight-type rye. It can be a bourbon, or even a rum.

Gary Gillman
User avatar
gillmang
Vatman
 
Posts: 2173
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2005 4:44 pm


Return to Non-Bourbon Whiskey

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 35 guests