Canadian Whiskies That Radiate the Spirit of the South
In March, when provincial liquor boards nationwide began removing products of U.S. origin, bourbon and Tennessee whiskey drinkers were sent scrambling. Absent their norms of Jim and Jack and Maker’s, they turned to Scottish, Irish and mainstream Canadian whiskies. Fortunately, there is a scant but worthy selection of Canadian spirits crafted in the style of bourbon, typically with names that hint loudly of their process without declaring it explicitly.
While meeting the basic definition of bourbon, many of these spirits take things one step further, embracing a philosophy perhaps best expressed by Kentucky’s Rabbit Hole Distillery, that bourbon is 51 percent corn and 49 percent possibilities.
Not all of the whiskies are available nationwide, but several can be purchased online.
Roughly two-thirds corn with the remainder split between malted rye and barley, this cheeky Nova Scotian is a perennial award-winner, including Best Whisky Spirit at the 2022 Canadian Whisky Awards. Spicy rye shines on the nose, bringing peppery notes to the oaky black-cherry aroma, while balanced vanilla-ish sweetness is complemented by flavours of the #4 char barrel used for aging and a touch of drying citrus. Manhattan material, but also delightful on its own.
One of a pair of bourbon-style whiskies produced by this four-year-old Niagara-on-the-Lake operation, it’s made from a mix of 78 percent corn, 16 percent unmalted wheat and, unusually, 6 percent unmalted barley. It all adds up to a lighter-bodied spirit with floral, citrusy butterscotch on the nose and notes of baked pear, dark berries, light butterscotch and vanilla on the palate. Ideal for aficionados of Maker’s Mark.
This innovative whisky substitutes the sort of malt brewers would use for a stout or porter in place of the 46-percent malted barley used in the distillery’s BRBN of the North. On the nose, there is no doubting the influence of that chocolate malt, with notes of milk and dark chocolate complementing aromas of peach cobbler and crème brûlée. The flavour furthers the impact, with cooked stone fruit layering over and under notes of raw cocoa and dark chocolate. Enjoy on its own.
This offering from Guelph’s famous brewing family adds 34 percent rye to a mash of 51 percent corn and 15 percent malted barley. The result: a punchy rye-forward whisky with cooked cream, cocoa and black and white pepper on the nose, and toasted vanilla bean, very dark chocolate, slightly burnt caramel and grilled pineapple on the palate, finishing dry and oaky with pinpricks of chili pepper. Made for Old Fashioneds.
If there is such a thing as a cult corn, Alberta’s Taber corn is it, which is why Bridgeland of Calgary chose it as the base of their Berbon, with the remainder made up of 32 percent malted barley and 8 percent malted wheat. This over-proof whisky offers roasted peach, cooked vanilla and hints of cream on the nose, with a body of stone fruit, toasted cornbread, light char and fruity oak on the finish. A solid late-night sipper.
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