High River Canadian Whisky

On December 23rd, my wife and I were at my brother-in-law's house in Windsor for a Festivus celebration. If you're not familiar with Festivus, look it up – and you should be ashamed if you aren't! One of the guests, a pleasant Canadian who resided in Australia and was visiting for the holidays, brought a bottle of this blended Canadian whisky. He opened it, and by the end of the night, the bottle was gone. However, before that, I managed to get a couple of samples to take home for review. This NAS whisky is exclusively available in Canada. It's bottled at 40% ABV, is chill-filtered, and likely has added color, giving it a bright copper appearance. The bottle indicates it's from recipe #9108, whatever that signifies. The aroma is very mild and unobjectionable. Typical Canadian style. Distinct butterscotch, toffee, and vanilla. Light fruits, oranges, tangerines, plums, and a hint of cherry. Faint mint or pine scents. Light oak and toasted marshmallow. There's a grain alcohol note, but it's smooth and well-integrated. Not much else; this appears to be a straightforward and seemingly young whisky. Again, this presents a typical Canadian profile on the palate. Strong butterscotch, maple syrup, brown sugar. Vanilla, oranges, and a (very) mild pepper. A slight grain harshness, but similar to the aroma, it's not particularly unpleasant. A light-bodied mouthfeel, smooth and dry. The finish is medium-short with butterscotch and grain alcohol, but predominantly butterscotch. This is an exceptionally smooth and easy-drinking whisky, though quite simple. It's perfect for sipping throughout the day or night. You could pour a generous measure and drink it without really noticing how much you've consumed. Then have another. And another. It's fine served neat or on the rocks, but I'm uncertain how it would perform in a cocktail. If this weren't exclusive to Canada, I would definitely purchase a bottle to have on hand for friends or when hosting a party. I believe it costs around $30-35, which isn't a great price for a mid-range Canadian, but I'd still buy it. 3.25 Cheers

Nose: Cinnamon (red hot candies), other baking spices (a small amount of clove, some ginger, nutmeg), table syrup, a touch of maple syrup, some dill, rye spice, sweet corn and corn husks, stone fruit (apricots, nectarines, peaches, some light plum), vanilla, sweet oak, orange pith, a mix of caramel, toffee, and brown sugar, red apple skins, candy apples, rye bread, spearmint and peppermint, some pine needles and candied orange, hay, dark chocolate, dried fruits (figs, dates, raisins), carrot cake, molasses, chocolate-covered raisins. Palate: Dates and carrot cake with cloves and nutmeg, white pepper spice, raisins and a touch of fig, fairly unrefined molasses, peppermint, candied orange peel, brandy chocolates, cinnamon, fresh corn and rye, table syrup, maple, sweet nectarines. Finish: Sweet oak, mixed mint, dates, cinnamon spiciness, raisins.

The aroma offers vanilla and ethanol, reminiscent of a young rum. It's sweet, fruity, and slightly watery on the palate, and certainly smoother than the scent implies. The finish brings a bit of warm spice and brown sugar. If I were tasting this blind, I'd think it was a gold rum. As others have noted, this is very easy to drink and would be ideal for a weekend camping trip.

A favorite of mine!! Splendid with one cube!! The RYE spice is so prevalent..if you like that...then this one is for you!!

Very easygoing and delightful. Subtle notes of sweet maple, faint vanilla, and a bit of caramel. Not strong at all.

A faint vanilla aroma. Smooth and doesn't require ice. Offers a spicy sensation on the tongue. Wonderful. Only $35 in Ontario.