Collingwood Town Collection Double Barrel

It's interesting how this received an “expert” score of 92. While it's a good whiskey, I wouldn't rate it above 89. I sampled this whiskey on three separate occasions when beginning my evening's drinks. Night 1: I started with this neat and found the aroma somewhat unusual due to the double oak treatment. I drank it anyway. Night 2: I began drinking this after having had a couple of drinks. I didn't notice the aroma issue from Night 1, and I found myself appreciating the dram's other characteristics more. Night 3: I repeated the process from Night 1 and appreciated it better, but I still wouldn't consider it a top-shelf whiskey, despite identifying different aspects of this drink at the start or midway through two of the evenings. In summary, I would not buy this again. It's worth trying, as it's a decent Canadian Rye, but it's not something that particularly appeals to me.

Serving: 1.5 fl. oz. shot, neat. Nose: Prominent caramel or salted caramel notes. Some vanilla. A subtle cereal note. Floral. Wintergreen notes (this will resonate if you're from Ontario). Low citrus. Palate: Largely mirrors the aroma. Subtle oak/wood/maple notes emerge with continued sipping. Moderately sweet. Finish: Low bitterness. Caramel and vanilla notes fade quickly. Earthy, almost seaside/wharf-like notes appear later (enjoyable). Some maple, but not intense. Overall: An excellent value, offering medium taste and body, acceptable harshness, and some intriguing and unexpected complexities.

While visiting Canada, I picked this up at the LCBO. After converting to USD, it cost around $30. For that price, this spirit surpasses what I anticipated. Don't expect too much, but after opening this, I didn't reach for anything else until it was finished. Turns out, I really wanted Canadian whisky. The packaging isn't fancy and most people won't know it, but anyone who tries it will enjoy it. It's a great value for the money. I'll grab another one when I return to Canada.

This whisky begins quite sweet. On the nose and throughout the palate, I'm definitely detecting ample brown sugar, toasted caramel, and what seems to be maple syrup. Fortunately, there's a secondary, balancing element to this whisky: rye. The spice is faint on the nose but becomes prominent on the palate – a peppery, drying spice that helps to counter the sweetness or balance the sugar. The finish is a bit too woody, bitter, and dry for my preference, but it invites another sip!

A very delicate finish on the palate, not at all strong, with floral notes and tastes of cinnamon, brown sugar, and banana bread. Highly recommended for those exploring whiskey or bourbon.

Sweet fruit (pear, apple, and plum) and smooth vanilla with a peppercorn spice on the finish. A bit of alcoholic heat. It paired wonderfully with butternut squash soup!