by gillmang » Fri Mar 10, 2006 3:46 am
Just to elaborate on the old Canadian tax system, the date on the stamp was not the date it was sold but rather was the date the whisky was made (the youngest in the blend), so that if the whisky was, say, 6 years old, if the stamp read "1960" this meant that whisky was sold in 1966. If in fact (as often happened) some whisky in the bottle was older than 6 years old, one could deduce that that whisky was distilled before the date on the stamp. The youngest whisky in CR was (and still is I think) 10 years old, so as I said, whisky stamped say 1954 was distilled no later than that year and some of it much earlier. CR used to state on the rear label that some whisky in the bottle was 30 years old, so one could infer therefore that the oldest whisky was from 1934. This system is no longer used in Canada, there are no stamps on the labels any more. But the basic ages haven't changed (except for OFC evidently): CC (the regular one) was and is 6 years old; VO was and is 8 years old; and CR 10 years. However there are more expressions today than before (although fewer brands) so that CC comes in say 6, 10, 12, 15 and 20 year old versions, but not all the time, the first three are perennials on the market, the 15 and 20 only occasionally. In these the make-up of each is different, so it isn't just age that distinguishes them: for example, the 10 year old has more low-proof rye in it than the others.
When I sample Canadian whisky, I prefer my own blends. Right now I have one that is a combination of Danfield's Private Reserve, Royal Reserve, the two whiskies from Forty Creek, and a little Lot 40. I get very good results, light but fruity and rich-tasting. I have another another bottle which is made from similar but omits the Danfield's and it is heavier and based more on the Barrel Select of Forty Creek. Some of these actually remind me of the early 50's CR.
There is definitely a Canadian taste and Danfield's and also the new Wiser's Special Reserve 43% abv show it to perfection. It is a complex barrel taste, almost cigar box-like, hard to describe but I detect it in most brands of Canadian whisky (although some are almost sui generis like Barrel Select or Lot 40). The signature taste of Canadian in the 50's was similar but richer and more fruity, that is why a report on that OFC would be instructive. Joe, you might work these into your blind tastings against other, current Canadian whiskies.
Gary