Gibson's Finest 12 Year

Smell: The aroma is light to medium in intensity, featuring pears, green apples, strawberries, and honey, suggesting a significant malt presence for this whisky. Hints of rye spices like mint, cinnamon, and cardamom are present. Subtle corn notes include light marmalade, corn, vanilla, and light caramel. There are also light maple and oak undertones. Taste: Corn is more noticeable in the flavor profile, with strong vanilla, marmalade, and caramel. Fruit notes follow, including pears, green apples, and strawberries. The rye characteristics conclude the taste, primarily cardamom and mint. Maple and some oak notes with cinnamon and light pepper round it out. Finish: The finish is characterized by very floral honey with a light vanilla note, but it's quite brief. It's good but too short. Mouthfeel: The texture is very light and watery. Overall: This is a very good whisky considering its price point (which I exclude from my evaluations). Based on taste alone, it would have scored a 3.75. However, the short finish and very watery mouthfeel bring down the overall score. It remains a very good value, in my opinion. An important observation about this whisky is its remarkable drinkability. I could consume it very quickly. It is exceedingly 'pleasant' and an excellent daily sipper that requires little attention.

Aroma: Intense caramel, toffee, and butterscotch, yellow apples and their skins, a small hint of orchard fruit (pear and peach), powdered sugar and cinnamon, molasses with a touch of maple, sweet oak, some floral perfumed oak notes, a spoonful of sweet honey, complex citrus (candied lemon peel resembling a fizzy lemon drink, blood orange peel, and grapefruit peel), dried fruits (dates and old raisins), hard red cherry candies, dusty rye spice and corn mash, old black pepper, cooked/melted sugar, browned butter, some baking spices (clove, nutmeg), molasses, a hint of phenolic rubber, fresh fennel/celery. Palate: Honey, cooked/melted sugar, paprika, rye spice, oak sugar, sweet tea, simple syrup, a slight cola note, caramel-coated oak, some creamy oak, a touch of canned peaches with cream, some tart orange pith, candied lemons, barrel tannins, candied yellow apple peel. Finish: Yellow apples, lingering candied lemon, green paprika, a hint of oaky caramel, molasses, green apple candies.

Goji berry on the nose once you get past the screw cap. It really lingers. The palate is quite unremarkable. Not bad, but forgettable. It's a good recipe for getting seriously drunk. Some might describe it as mild. I'd say more, but I'm still contemplating the screw cap. The finish is overshadowed by the fact that it has a screw cap. Why? Why would anyone involved in the whisky industry choose screw caps. No serious enthusiast would detect hints of strawberry, leather, or raisin after twisting off the cap. It screams "I'm cutting corners on cost." I get Six Sigma, economies of scale, rising tides lift all boats, and EBITDA. If I take the time to stop on my way home from work on a Friday and spend $40 on some whisky, I want to pull a cork, just like my great grandfather did.

The aroma reveals notes from ex-bourbon casks: wood, spices, and a hint of vanilla, with a dry alcoholic finish. Corn makes a subtle appearance throughout. There are faint hints of orange peel and some dried stone fruits, along with minerality. On the palate, the corn is more prominent, its sweetness mingling with the cask's vanilla, orange marmalade, gentle spices, and a dry alcohol that slightly mars the texture. The finish is typical of Canadian whisky, sweet, with a touch of wood and stewed orchard fruit flavors. The texture is somewhat challenging to appreciate; the liquid seems to lack maturation. It's decent, but I expected more refinement from a 12-year-old. The price makes its flaws easier to overlook, yet better options exist in this category.

The first aroma that struck me was butterscotch. It was an intense butterscotch experience – rich, oily, creamy butterscotch, much like the hard candies found in bright gold wrappers. Coconut, floral notes, caramel, and a faint trace of cinnamon are also present. The palate is delicate and somewhat fruity, with less overwhelming butterscotch, milk chocolate, coconut, vanilla, and an oily, yet not heavy, body. This is a light, crisp whisky, ideal for warmer weather... but its lightness doesn't imply a lack of substance. It's quite enjoyable neat, though I imagine it would fare well on the rocks or with a splash of club soda for those occasions when a very light and refreshing drink is desired.

The nose is heavily saturated with sweetness. Strong honey notes are present, along with a hint of wood spice. Clove is prominent on both the nose and palate, more so than in any other spirit I can recall. It lingers on the finish, accompanied by vanilla and a waxy character. While not a revolutionary Canadian spirit, it does stand out for its balance. If introducing someone to Canadian whisky for the first time, this would certainly be included in the tasting.