Wilson writes that Buffalo Trace, maker of many excellent bourbons and other whiskies, recently acquired a large stock of Canadian whisky and launched two brands, Royal Canadian and Caribou Crossing, which have more character than most other spirits in the category.
Canadian whiskies I’ve enjoyed include: Forty Creek, which is made in Ontario by John K. Hall and is an interesting blend of several individually distilled and aged single-grain whiskies; and Alberta Premium (only available in Canada, I believe), one of the few whiskies around made with 100 percent rye and which has considerably more feistiness of flavor than most Canadian spirits.
Canada isn’t a total loss as far as whisky is concerned, but most of the stuff out there leaves a lot to be desired. Are there any Canadian whiskies you’ve found particularly appealing? Tell us about them. For those of us whose early (or recent) drinking memories involve those purple velvet bags that swaddle bottles of Crown Royal, there’s a soft spot for Canadian whisky in our sodden hearts.
