If we decide not to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms, such decision shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. Sadly not as expressive and flavorful as I had hoped for, what with it being pot distilled and worm tub-condensed. I guess the big boys really know how to take the fun (flavor) out of their products, even if they’re marketed as a small batch. On the nose: The first thing I get is a big hit of ground cloves, followed by fresh rye bread, orange peels, a touch of oak, and then vanilla and those soft caramel candies. There also some floral notes popping through after a rest in the glass, maybe lavender. I’m no botanist, so take that for what it’s worth. G. Ultimately, what this all means it that the words “Canadian whisky” imply some things with certainty (aged at least three years in wood), while leaving a whole lot of room for variation. Case in point: Both a 3-year-old, double-distilled, 100% corn spirit aged in used bourbon barrels, and a 10-year-old blend of single-distilled corn, rye and barley whiskies aged in newly charred oak and with a portion of sherry added can both accurately be described as simply “Canadian whisky.” The finish is more of the same with lots of spices and wood. At the death, the tannins take control, leaving your mouth dry.

Lot 40 has garnered significant recognition within the whisky world for its quality and craftsmanship. It has received numerous awards, a testament to its exceptional character and the skill with which it is produced. These accolades serve not only as a badge of honour for the brand but also as a signal to whisky lovers that Lot 40 is a benchmark for Canadian rye whisky.Before I set foot in Canada, I genuinely believed that I possessed, as a spirits writer, at least a competent working knowledge of what makes for “Canadian whisky.” I had read articles on the subject, and sampled quite a few Canadian blends and rye whiskies over the years. Certainly, I’d never given this particular corner of the whisky world the same kind of attention that I typically reserved for American whiskey and scotch, but I was confident that I knew what Canadian whisky was, and generally how it was made. This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. Taste: It arrives soft and syrupy, with caramel up front as the nose promised. For the first few seconds, It reminds me a bit of the Redbreast Irish whiskey, though this does not last: the Lot No. 40 rapidly turns sour and slightly bitter as fruit notes (citrus) and rye spices take over. Regardless of whether the Service offers the functionality to contribute, you are solely responsible and liable for any content and information that you create, upload, post, publish, link to, duplicate, transmit, record, display or otherwise make available on the Service or to other Members, such as chat messages, text messages, videos, audio, audio recordings, music, pictures, photographs, text and any other information or materials, whether publicly posted or privately transmitted (“Contributions”).

Also, living in a tropical country, I almost always look forward to going to cold places, because you can always add on more layers to insulate yourself… while you can only take off so much to beat the heat. Given the continued success of Lot 40 and its limited edition Cask Strength iterations, it was only logical for Pernod Ricard/Corby spirits to introduce a permanent line extension to the Lot 40 family. Lot 40 Dark Oak takes the popular Lot 40 rye and adds a second maturation in heavy #4 char casks. It’s also bottled at 48% ABV, which is nice. The whisky seems to be a total chameleon; just about every review seems to say something completely different. E. The other, biggest difference to someone used to the American model of distillation is that many Canadian whiskies (especially blended whiskies) contain some spirit that has been distilled a single time, and some spirit that has been distilled multiple times. The “double-distilled” portion of spirit has been distilled to a very high level of alcohol before entering the barrel, removing “impurities” but simultaneously stripping it of most of its grain-derived flavors. This is referred to as “light whisky,” and helps achieve the lighter flavor profile and mouthfeel that customers tend to associate with Canadian whisky. The single-distilled whisky, on the other hand, retains more of the grain-derived notes, and is referred to as “flavoring” whisky. The combination of numerous different types of “double-distilled/DD” and “flavoring” whiskies are used to create classic Canadian whisky blends, whereas more modern styles such as the Lot No. 40 Rye produced at Hiram Walker are solely, 100% rye whiskey, running through the column still only once before aging in oak, and would come close to qualifying in the U.S. as “straight rye.” I don’t think this is the best whisky in the world, but I enjoyed it. I keep a bottle around more often than not because of how accessible it is to those new to whisky, Canadian or otherwise. It also gets a high five for its affordability. Score: 5/10 Finish - Medium. It fades to a sort of fruit syrup drenched oak with some dry and bitter tannins; but given the relative richness of the mouthfeel it balances this whisky out nicely and makes you reach for the glass again (which is always a good sign). There's also a kind of minty 'nip' that lingers about nicely as well.This hardly tastes like a rye at all, much less one from Canada. The floral bouquet notes and springtime essences are all gone replaced by what amounts to a rich and creamy cappuccino. This is nothing like the previous year’s 11 year old version and would make more sense if it was a rye bottled by Woodford Reserve and finished in a second barrel (which does exist by the way!). This is not to say that this is a bad whiskey. On the contrary, it is actually very unique. I’ve never had cappuccino flavors paired with a rich creaminess to this degree before, not even in bourbons that were finished in a second new barrel. And yeah, I was wrong. Indeed, more wrong than I even realized it was possible to be. The things I didn’t know about Canadian whisky can, and have, filled plenty of books. This is simply not the spirit that I thought it was; the spirit I expected it to be. Canadian whisky, as a subject, is a whole lot more complex than meets the eye.

Everything at the Hiram Walker distillery goes through a column still for the first distillation. In the case of Lot 40 they do a second distillation in the pot still, so although it’s all pot distilled, it’s not only pot distilled. Also I’m fairly certain the apparatus details on the label have nothing to do with the equipment used to make the current Lot 40. No worm tubs or wooden pipes here sadly.Lot No. 40 isn’t widelyknown in the United States yet based on limited availability and no special releases being offered here (just the standard 86 proof version). However, it may surprise you to hear it won the 2021 “World’s Best Rye” in the World Whiskies Awards. Lot No. 40 comes extremely close to meeting the specifications of an American rye whiskey.