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Kensington Wine Market's 2023 Whisky Calendar UBER EDITION Day 11 - Canadian Club 45-Year-Old

Posted on December 15, 2023

by Evan

What we have here, is the oldest Canadian Whisky ever bottled.

Over the past five years, there have been a series of 40+-Year-Old Canadian Club bottles. It started with the release of the Canadian Club 40, back in 2017. The Canadian Club 45 Year Old is the fifth and final release of the series. For now at least. All of the whisky for this series was distilled back in 1977, using corn as the grain, at Hiram Walker Distillery in Windsor, Ontario.

Over the past 40+ years, the whisky for these releases quietly matured in ex-Bourbon barrels that previously held 10-Year-Old Canadian Rye Whisky, until the bottling of 40-Year-Old Canadian Club was released. Rumour has it that some of the whisky from this stock of 1977 whisky is being held back for an eventual 50-year-old release. Perhaps we will be talking about that in 2027 or 2028. For the moment, the 45 Year Canadian Club is the oldest whisky and boasts the highest ABV of the releases as well, clocking in at 50%.

The brand itself came to life back in 1854, created by Hiram Walker himself. It was originally known simply as Club Whisky, so one would assume it was a massive hit at all-night rave and techno parties during that era. It became known officially as Canadian Club in 1889, and the rest is history!

The Canadian Club brand has had it share of ownership changes during its century and a half lifetime. It was owned by Hiram Walker & Sons up until 1926, then the combined Hiram-Walker-Gooderham & Worts Limited from then until 1987. Allied Domecq had control of it from 1987 until 2005 when the company was acquired by Pernod Ricard. Fortune Brands held it for six years after that.

From 2011 up to now, the Canadian Club brand has been owned by Beam Suntory. Beam Suntory is a massive spirits company that was formed when the Japanese Suntory whisky company merged with (read: took over) Beam Global. The combined company also owns the Yamazaki, Chita, and Hakushu distilleries in Japan, Maker’s Mark and Jim Beam distilleries in the USA, Bowmore, Laphroaig, Glen Garioch, Auchentoshan, and the Ardmore distilleries in Scotland, The Cooley and Kilbeggen distilleries in Ireland, and more. Oh – and Alberta Distillers right within Calgary, Alberta.

Over the past few years, there have been rumours of the Canadian Club’s production at Hiram Walker Distillery coming to an end. This would make sense since the Hiram Walker Distillery is owned by Pernod Ricard and not Beam Suntory. One Canadian Club product is already made at Alberta Distillers in Calgary – that is the Canadian Club 100% Rye. Will the future of the Canadian Club brand be Alberta-bound, or will it stay in Ontario?

While we dwell on that, let's give the Canadian Club 45-Year-Old a taste.

Canadian Club 45-Year-Old – 50%

Evan’s Tasting Note

Nose: Varnished wood furniture, Lemon Pledge, bookshelves full of leatherbound hardcovers, a tweed jacket brought out of the closet for the fall, apple juice, cherry pie with vanilla ice cream drizzled in butterscotch sauce, just-shucked ears of corn and fresh mint leaf.

Palate: More apple, cherry, and butterscotch notes along with oak spices, light brown sugar, gingerbread cookies, cinnamon stick, and cooling mint.

Finish: Sweet and waxy on the fade with lingering spice notes and drying oak tannin.

Comment: This is the best of the series of 40+ Year Old Canadian Club releases to me, and much of that is thanks to the 50% ABV. The higher alcohol adds to the sweet decadence and the finish in a good way.

Cheers,
Evan
evan@kensingtonwinemarket.com
Facebook & Instagram: @sagelikefool

You can find all blog posts for the UBER EDITION of Kensington Wine Market’s 2023 Whisky Calendar Here

This entry was posted in Whisky, Whisky Calendars, KWM Whisky Calendar 2023 UBER EDITION

 

 

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