Forty Creek Barrel Select

40% abv

Score:  87.5/100

Oh man, is this nice.  The sweet smells and flavors of fresh baking.  All of my early memories, heavy laden with Canadiana and prairie life, are brought forth with a vengeance.  Gramma making homemade bread and buns, sweet fruitcakes, grains and cereals…farmlife.  Serious nostalgia here.

Forty Creek is a blended Canadian whisky produced in Grimsby, Ontario from rye, barley and corn.  According to wiki, each grain is fermented, distilled and aged separately (between 6 and 10 years) before vatting.  Some of these are sherry-finished.  Unique and interesting.  Just like the whisky itself.

For the malt enthusiasts out there…c’mon…branch out.  Live a little.  Canadian whisky can be quite stunning, and for the minimal investment required to nab a decent bottle (<$30), what have you got to lose?  It is a refreshing change, and adds an element of smooth, sweet and unbelievably rich flavor to your whisky collection.

Back to the Barrel Select…

The nose carries the downhome scents of oven-fresh baked goods, as mentioned, but rounds these out with a whiff of smoke, creamy caramel and shake of vanilla and nutmeg.  Yeah…it really is that nice.  Most of this is also be found on the palate, with a bit of chocolate and fruit as well.  The depth of this whisky and the waves of intensity are surprising considering this is a mere 40% abv.

The finish is of medium length and carries lingering chocolate.  Damn, is this nice.

Rewarding and satisfying.

- Reviewed by:  Curt

- Photo:  Curt