Sadly not as expressive and flavorful as I had hoped for, what with it being pot distilled and worm tub-condensed. I guess the big boys really know how to take the fun (flavor) out of their products, even if they’re marketed as a small batch. At the end of the day it’s all about the smell and taste experience and this one is undoubtedly good stuff. As enthusiasts we all like to know exactly what’s in our glass, but when it comes to Canadian whisky, don’t strain your brain - it often doesn’t help.

Everything at the Hiram Walker distillery goes through a column still for the first distillation. In the case of Lot 40 they do a second distillation in the pot still, so although it’s all pot distilled, it’s not only pot distilled. Also I’m fairly certain the apparatus details on the label have nothing to do with the equipment used to make the current Lot 40. No worm tubs or wooden pipes here sadly. The flavour that has me most of all is the anise. Normally, I taste licorice, but this is sweeter and warmer. I will forever think of anise when I drink this whisky. Lot No. 40 is a Canadian rye whisky made entirely from unmalted rye grain. It is first distilled in a column still before a secondary distillation in a pot still. The standard expression is matured in new American oak, and there have been a few versions, including the famous 12yo and 11yo cask strength releases. This one was finished in port-seasoned French oak. It’s a great favourite of Master of Malt contributor Ian Buxton. And we don’t argue with Mr B about whisky. Lot 40 Rye is produced at Canada’s powerhouse the giant Hiram Walker distillery in Ontario which also produces the excellent J.P Wiser whiskies. That master blender Don Livermore really knows what he’s doing. This hardly tastes like a rye at all, much less one from Canada. The floral bouquet notes and springtime essences are all gone replaced by what amounts to a rich and creamy cappuccino. This is nothing like the previous year’s 11 year old version and would make more sense if it was a rye bottled by Woodford Reserve and finished in a second barrel (which does exist by the way!). This is not to say that this is a bad whiskey. On the contrary, it is actually very unique. I’ve never had cappuccino flavors paired with a rich creaminess to this degree before, not even in bourbons that were finished in a second new barrel.

Whisky

However, over the course of the year, they have starred releasing certain select specialty bottlings individually (often with very limited numbers). The first was the Pike Creek 15 Year Old Finished in Ontario Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels (limited release at the LCBO in August 2020). This was followed in early November with a limited online-only Ontario release of a few cases of their second aged cask-strength blend under the J.P. Wiser’s brand – a 22 year old bottling, finished in Port casks. I missed that one, but a wider release of it is planned “in the new year.” This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services.

Also, living in a tropical country, I almost always look forward to going to cold places, because you can always add on more layers to insulate yourself… while you can only take off so much to beat the heat. In our case that is a Drinks by the Dram World Whisky Advent Calendar and we’ve pulled out a delicious Canadian whisky, Lot 40 Rye Whisky . This delicious rye has something of a cult status because it offers massive amounts of flavour for the money. So much so that when the parent company tried to discontinue it in the 00s, there was outcry from Canadian whisky fans. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. Have you got your tree up yet? We always leave ours to the last minute but the trouble with this kind of sylvian brinkmanship is that you might get to your friendly local tree dealer and there will only be unhappy stunted little bushes available. Or no trees at all! Then you’ll have to get one of those silver plastic ones from the supermarket. But then again, they don’t drop needles and you can use them over and over again. So in some ways you win. Maybe stop worrying and have a look at what’s behind the next door of your advent calendar.On the nose: The first thing I get is a big hit of ground cloves, followed by fresh rye bread, orange peels, a touch of oak, and then vanilla and those soft caramel candies. There also some floral notes popping through after a rest in the glass, maybe lavender. I’m no botanist, so take that for what it’s worth. Going on a tangent, I love the subtle details on the label. It mentions a part of the process via sharing the equipment used. Pot still, worm tubs, doublers and wooden pipes. Yum. Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whisky Greg B mentions the original iteration used to be better. I have not had the opportunity to try it so I can’t comment on the taste, but the original did contain malted rye to supply the enzymes for starch conversion, whereas the present version uses 100% unmalted rye and use commercial enzymes for conversion.