Lot No. 40 Canadian Rye Whisky 70cl, 43% ABV

Product Information

Taste: Tannic, and really it has pushed the oak right to the edge. Quite intense with some dark fruits and banana, mint, and lots of rye notes - for sure. Still has that classic mouthwatering, rich taste though which makes it hard not to adore this one. Light arugula is there as well. Delicious, pure and simple. Has the intensity and boldness to be chewed, really. Sometimes, similar to some bourbons and straight whiskeys, it is a bit too sweet - but, in this case, it's still nicely offset by the spice. This is really quite addictive stuff on the palate, and I think I like it a touch more than the 2012 batch - though, once again, they're consistent and very close. 27/30 (90%) If the Internet is correct, the original Lot 40 (released in the late 1990s) was the brainchild of then Master Distiller Mike Booth. It was an attempt by Hiram Walker to create three different premium whiskies known as the Canadian Whisky Guild. The success of these whiskies was limited, probably owing to the reticence of consumers to embrace premium Canadian whiskies. Lot 40 was discontinued, much to the chagrin of Canadian whisky enthusiasts.

Lot No. 40 Rye Explorations Release No. 01, finished in peated single malt casks, cask strength, 55.5% ABVHere is a whisky that until now existed on in legends for me, since it was discontinued before I came to appreciate fine spirits. Now it has been reintroduced, owing no doubt to the resurgence of demand for fine Canadian whisky. The bottle delcares that it is a "single copper pot still" whisky, which is an unusual designation which seems to indicate a straight, unblended product. The label also states "made with malted rye", and "pure Canadian rye whisky in its simplest form." Interesting. To celebrate the holidays of 2022, a bunch of my relatives and I decided to visit Vancouver. This would be what I’d consider my first real trip to Canada, as I’ve previously been to Victoria for only a few hours about a decade ago.

Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. B. As a result, unlike in American blended whiskeys, such as Early Times or Ten High, Canadian whiskies, even Canadian blended whiskies, cannot contain any portion of unaged grain spirits. With that said, Canadian blends often feature significant portions of distillate that are aged in used rather than newly charred (“virgin”) oak barrels, which contributes a significantly different profile. In this way, the Canadian whisky aging process contains elements of what is common in both the U.S. and Scotland. Canadian distillers are free to determine which types of wood and barrels to use (with an upper limit on how large they can be), rather than required to use newly charred oak, as in the case with American bourbon in particular. 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. Overall it’s interesting and makes for a unique sip, but it’s a bit light and feels like it’s not… quite… there. Could use a bit more age or a bit higher proof or both to get it really up there, but as is it’s not bad. Especially at the price, I don’t have much to complain about. 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.Going on a tangent, I love the subtle details on the label. It mentions a part of the process via sharing the equipment used. Pot still, worm tubs, doublers and wooden pipes. Yum. Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whisky You are responsible for all activities through your account. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide to us in relation to your account, and for updating it where necessary. You are not allowed to create multiple accounts. We may terminate or temporarily suspend your account to protect you, ourselves or our partners from (suspected) identity theft or other (suspected) fraudulent (e.g. false, misleading, deceptive) activity. You have the obligation to keep your login credentials confidential. You shall not authorize any others to use or access your account. 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. So Don, how wet were those casks anyways? If you know Canadian whisky you know this question is irrelevant since this whisky could contain up to 9% actual port by volume without disclosure * Aengus gives a sideways glance at the suspiciously low cask strength ABV*. It doesn’t say 100% rye on the bottle the way the core releases of Lot 40 do either. The only whiskey that remotely comes close to this one is Shenk’s Sour Mash whiskey from Michter’s. If I was grading this as a blind whiskey instead of a Canadian Rye Whiskey, I may actually score this an “8” for being so unique and flavorful. But in the realm of ryes, this is not what a person pouring a rye would ever expect. Even High West’s MWND shows off a base rye character, but this one is hard to tell between a rye whiskey and an extremely strong liqueur. Final Thoughts

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. No partnership, joint venture, agency, or employment relationship is created as a result of your use of the Service. Cool factor comes from authenticity – the confidence in knowing you’re doing the right thing with no concern for outside perception. There’s nothing cooler than making well informed, passionately authentic decisions, and the fakers and copycats are easily spotted. 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.It’s interesting that Corby (owners of Hiram Walker Distillery and its brands) never released these special bottles here in the US. They finally changed that at the end of last year when they announced that Dark Oak was coming to the US in certain large cities. This should bring more attention to the distillery and one that I think could rival the US-based enthusiasts that also have fallen in love with products from Alberta Distillery and others. By the way, if you’ve never heard of past special releases, here’s a rundown: