Forty Creek Double Barrel Reserve Review

So here’s the deal with Canadian whisky, dear readers. Our close, personal friends living north of the border keep most of the good stuff to themselves. To the best of our vast and ever reaching knowledge, this has more to do with the legality and process of which goods pass between our nations than it does with the Canucks keeping their grubby hands on the variety and giving us the rest. However, there does remain a number of quality bottlings available to the curious drinker looking for something other than Crown Royal. One such example is Forty Creek Double Barrel Reserve Canadian Whisky. A few specifics first before we dig in…

Double Barrel Reserve is part of a range under the Forty Creek label and is distilled at Kittling Ridge Estate Wine and Spirits in Ontario. John Hall, an experienced wine maker, is responsible for crafting the broad Forty Creek range and has done so with a number of accolades to his name.  For your information, please allow a brief word on a unique concept employed at Kittling Ridge called “Meritage.”While us Yankees combine our various grains in one mash bill before distillation, Hall prefers to distill and age the component whiskies of corn, rye and barley separately to be eventually married together at a later period. The corn component is aged in heavily charred oak for buttery sweetness; the barley is aged in medium charred oak for its nuttiness; the rye is aged in lightly toasted oak to allow the spicy assertiveness to shine. The period of aging for all three components together lasts for years, not months, to allow the components to properly marry. Does a unique process such as this make a difference? If you must know, yes, it does.

When all is said and done, Forty Creek Double Barrel Select is anywhere from six to ten years old and is bottled at 40% ABV. Let’s see what $60 bucks tastes like…

SWC Group Review

Nose– Sweet maple, butterscotch and melted caramel. Confectionary notes abound. Ice cream parlor. Teased out some floral notes with light oak and rose petals.

Taste– Creamy sweetness. Vanilla cake with Crème Brulee. Sweet, but perfectly balanced. Herbal notes with cinnamon.

Finish– Medium length. Burst of sweet spice then trails off to buttery caramel and vanilla.

Comment– Double Barrel Reserve excels in all categories. Sweet to be sure, but that sweetness is nicely spread out with supporting flavors providing balance. Highly recommended and quite the delectable bottling. Oh, Canada!

SWC Rating- 90/100
Contact us at: SpokaneWhiskey@gmail.com