Forty Creek Barrel Select

Nose: Oak with notes of maple syrup, paprika, cinnamon, ginger, ample black pepper and chili flakes. A touch of maple, sweet chestnut, apricot jam, and apricot candy. Sweet tea with lemon, fresh caramel, molasses, and cola. A whisper of sherry or sweet vermouth, vanilla, and floral cologne. Pleasant sweet Canadian rye with subtle mint, earthy tobacco, and cherry, green apple, and strawberry hard candies. Palate: Brown sugar, chestnut, sweet tea, sweet rye, apricot and peach blend, lots of fresh grain, mild toffee, dark cocoa in the background, ripe plum, raisin bread, sweet oak and wood sugar with corn graininess, and a hint of candied lemon peel. Finish: Unripe red apple or apple skins, peach, oak spice, oak bitterness, sweet oak, a hint of candied apricot, rye grain, mild hoppiness, and a touch of caramel.

Here's another one from a small plastic bottle that was a holiday gift. Quite a mouthful to say. Unfortunately, this whiskey is difficult to drink. It coats the mouth with unpleasant flavors, like a tight, unflattering sweater. The scent resembles something for cooking, not for sipping. Corn starch, perhaps. It could also smell like a scented bath product. The only whisky aroma I detect is sugar, but it's syrupy, like pure simple syrup. The body matches the aroma. I feel like I'm witnessing a stage in the whiskey-making process rather than the final product. It's overly thick, buttery, and cloyingly sweet. It's awful. I've actually had better unaged whiskey. The finish has a melted butter taste. This is truly terrible. How does it have such a high average rating? I'm not asking sarcastically; I genuinely want to understand. My knowledge of Canadian Whisky is limited, so I might be foolishly criticizing a revered spirit. It's the best of its category. You do you, Canada. This isn't for me.

Some people I know consider this their go-to, inexpensive rye. We suspect its name comes from someone who consumed a large quantity of this spirit and then passed out near a body of water. But I'm getting sidetracked... Nose presents typical Canadian characteristics. Maple, grain, vanilla, and a hint of acetone. It's quite similar to CC. Palate is enjoyable, though slightly unbalanced. The mouthfeel is surprisingly less thin than it appears. Maple, grain, vanilla, and oak are present, echoing the aroma. This is definitely an improvement over CC. Finish offers a quick burst of oak and fruit, but vanishes rapidly. That's acceptable, however, as this is primarily intended for cocktails or serving over ice.

I generally like Forty Creek Barrel Select; it's an easy-drinking and smooth Canadian whiskey that's affordable, around $20, and mixes well with cola. The darker color in the glass is appealing. However, the nose has too much ethanol for my preference. The body is typical for Canadian whisky, being quite thin, though I detect some wood notes and mild vanilla sweetness. The finish is somewhat dry but not unpleasant. It mixes well with most beverages but is thin. Overall, I consider it a good value, but it doesn't compare to Rich and Rare Reserve and is pricier in my area. While not bad, it's not groundbreaking. Enjoy.

I appreciate the bottle's appearance, but that's the extent of it. The aroma was not appealing. I perceived a dominant vanilla extract note. With time, other sweet notes became detectable, but it was challenging to discern anything beyond the Vanilla Extract. The palate offered some caramel sweetness, but it was thin and dissipated rapidly. The finish was smooth, yet there was a lingering aftertaste that was unpleasant. The kind of aftertaste that one wishes to expel due to its persistence. Ultimately, it's not to my preference. However, for individuals new to whiskey, this is a mild pour that is more approachable than most. 2/10

Aroma is a subtle yet complex sweetness. Taste reveals strong maple sweetness, vanilla, a touch of spice, and some astringency. It has a typical Canadian profile that improves as it airs out and becomes less sweet. With aeration, sherry notes emerge, and a very faint oak presence appears. This was an older bottle that had been on the shelf for a while; I'm open to trying it again. Cost: $19.99 plus tax for 750 ml. Grade: C+/B-