Whisky Neighbour

Canadian Club Chairman Select 100% Rye has been bringing up some solid scores and positive reviews lately. Earlier this year the Canadian 2017 Whisky Awards gave out a gold medal and the title “Sippin’ Whisky of the Year” to JP Wiser’s Double Still Rye. When I sat down to think of some good Canadian rye to put Head to Head, these two came quickly to mind and I’m very glad I did. I enjoy both of these expressions, but find them fairly unique from each other while still providing interesting rye notes. When I approach Canadian Club 100% Rye I find the nose inviting, but subtle. The grain notes are soft, the wood is hardly there, but there are a few sweet notes. Although it is not very floral, there is a little spice and it is interesting enough to start to think of how it might taste. On the palate I find this smooth with a little sweetness of vanilla. The baking spices are there, but also not overwhelming. With time they can become more interesting but if you only have one dram, you...

To get things moving I decided to review a very special Canadian Whisky. J.P. Wiser's One Fifty. They only released 7,827 bottles which corresponds to the number of weeks since confederation. each bottle is numbers and the week it represents is clearly marked on the front. One note I need to add here is that this whisky was aged in new oak. during the YouTube recording I could not remember and I misspoke. It is new oak. This release is a wonderful way to celebrate Canada's 150! I enjoyed this smooth whisky on July 1st and picked up toasted sugars, a bit of vanilla and balanced oak. I generally find Wiser's a bit sweet, but this expression had a longer finish and and fuller mouth feel than a few of their other offerings I have had. Coming back to it now in October, I do notice some spicy notes, but they are well balanced with age or blend, so they are interesting, but not overpowering. If you can still find a bottle I would definitely go out and pick one up. This is an e...