So this is what Canadian r/ye can taste like… wow. I’m a man who loves his rye whisky, but isn’t necessarily the biggest fan of Canadian Whisky and Lot 40 might be single dramedly changing my mind about the potential in whisky that comes from our friends in the Great White North. Sure Stalk and Barrel is an awesome Canadian single malt, but Lot 40 is a full fledged rye that’s been crafted to show a different aspect of the spicy grain.
Distilled at the Hiram Walker Distillery this whisky was originally released in the late 90’s and then discontinued in the early 2000’s for reasons unknown. It was hit amongst whisky aficionados and until this latest release it enjoyed a rather infamous, almost Pappy like, status amongst whisky geeks who sought it out by looking for bottles collecting dust in tiny liquor stores. So how does this latest release compare to older ones? Well according those who have had both it’s every bit as good as the original.
Lot 40 Canadian Whisky Review
ABV: 43%
Age:NAS
Price: $55
Distiller: Hiram Walker
Bottler: Corby Distilleries
Mashbill: 100% rye (10% malted rye)
EYE
Deep caramel
NOSE
Oh man this has a great sweet rye nose that’s filled with rye spice, sugar and dill. Some nice bright secondary notes of orange heavy citrus zest, caramel and cinnamon pair up nicely with the lighter malty notes, chocolate, wood and vanilla.
PALATE
What’s happening on the nose translates pretty well to what’s happening on the palate with rye, dill and brown sugar taking lead. Caramel, cinnamon and wood play the secondary roles here and some nice light notes of vanilla and gummy bears lend added complexity and dimension to the whisky.
FINISH
Long slow finish of rye, cinnamon, dill, wood and vanilla.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Great balance with nothing sticking out. Riding a med-full body everything blends together rich and smooth like a fine straight rye. Overall a nice drinking experience with very little bite.
OVERALL
Lot 40 has completely blown me away. It’s deep and full of complex notes that run from sweet to savory and back again. The combination of malted and un-malted rye is stunning and creates a whisky that has it’s own subtle melody. It lifts and lilts with the sweet notes and comes thundering down with the rye and spice notes. I can’t say that I’ve had too many Canadian whiskies in my life, but outside of the hard to get Stalk and Barrel this is my favorite northern import.
SCORE: 90/100
