Canadian Club 100% Rye

Two things right off the top: 1. I never thought I would be giving a Canadian Club product a better review than "I had this at a wedding reception because it was the only option, and I didn't die so we're calling it a win," and 2. The four stars is reflective of the versatility of this whisky...it's more of a 3 .5 or so for flavor, but read on and see why I'm rounding up. After seeing Distiller's high rating, and since their "Affordable Canadian" list came out right as I was thinking I should do a little boozy exploration of the Great White North, I figured it was worth a spin. For $20, you're hard-pressed to find a better rye whisky for low-key, casual sipping with some friends, or (best yet) making cocktails. The nose is sweet, with clove and freshly chopped dill; meanwhile, the palate somehow manages to be smooth, dill pickle-y, a bit spicy, and a bit sweet all at once without becoming a busy-seeming trainwreck. That's not a half bad balancing act. It's a little too smooth and easy for my personal rye preferences insofar as drinking neat goes, but I can already imagine how good this will be in my go-to summer cocktails - Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, and Sazeracs especially. I'd even venture a guess that a (sacrilege alert) mint julep would be pretty decent with this as the whisky base.

Brand reputation is an interesting thing. A company that is barely known in the market can suddenly win visible awards with high quality spirits. Others that are relative behemoths may lead consumers to disappointment and crushed expectations. I received a sample of Canadian Club 100% Rye and I had my Canadian pride at the ready. This rye's early nose smells like cherry syrup, grain, demerara sugar and wet newspaper. It later settles to burnt sugar and wood shavings. Canadian Club 100% Rye has a modest, light flavour profile: Subdued simple syrup sweetness is paired with polite pepper. There's light tanginess with notes of plain vanilla biscuits. It has a moderate, vaguely bitter finish that ghosts you for flavour like a fun conversation with a person who was never to be heard from again. The lasting impression is just a quiet tongue tingle without much discernible flavour. It feels like drying, television static that makes me wish for the momentum this rye gained from its nose. Canadian Club 100% Rye may appeal most to people who would like to "shoot" whisky or "don't really like the taste of whisky." Though this pour is not directly off-putting, there are other "local" bottles I'd prefer for the (fortunately low) price point. 5.25/10

I’ve never seen a 100% rye, so I just had to grab this. While this is Canadian Club, blended, and likely not that old, $18 for a 750 seemed reasonable, and could help me explore the flavors of rye more. Look: Canadian Club 100% rye is a nice amber colored, with golden yellow on the edges, showing in the light. Nose: I get a lot of ethanol, some slight wheat note, mild spice, little bit of oak. Not much to speak of, but this is also a 40% alcohol. Disappointing to say the least. Palate: The flavor is much better. Big time rye bread, some slight oaky notes, almost maple. The rye bread is really what sticks out. Not a lot of cinnamon or pepper until you let the rye sit on your tongue. Finish: The finish is nice and sweet, the rye bread again is what I get, not really a vanilla or brown sugar I’d get from a bourbon. Some slight bitterness in the finish, but pretty mild in length. Overall: For 18 dollars, this is pretty good. I’d say upping the proof would be helpful, but I’m not sure that’s a realistic proposal for a CC product. If you’ve ever wondered what flavors and aroma rye gives off in a bourbon or mixed grain spirit, take a look at Canadian Club 100% rye.

Nose: Subtle peppermint and old oak, vanilla, candied green apples, a little honey and a hint of butterscotch, candied orange, sweet cinnamon and paprika, sour rye bread, hint of fennel and aniseed, sweet caramel and molasses, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies (not very buttery ones), sweet peaches, old sweet raisins, hint of bitter asphalt char, wood sugar/sweetness, fresh yet refined rye greenness, sweet berries (raspberry, strawberry), maraschino cherry, a hint of fresh paint, fresh apricots, a little cream/butter Palate: Lemon citrus, spicy white pepper, apricots, dried fruit (dates, nectarines), fresh rye grain, rye sweetness, hint of toffee, hint of mellow oak, candied fruits (orange, pineapple, bit of mango), light touch of mint, barrel tannins, sour rye bread, vibrant notes of pear and apricot nectar Finish: Light medium sweet fresh raisins, slightly bitter green paprika spice, rye bread, touch of caramel, hint of tangy wood spice and sweetness, hint of dill, reminder or subtle pepper, well balanced and hearty oak

Another Barreled transfer from December 2016 This review is coming from across the border in Windsor from my brother in laws liquor cabinet. This blended Canadian whisky is 100% rye, comes in at the minimum 40% ABV, appears to be a heavily colored dark amber and is most likely chill filtered. The nose is quite interesting. It smells heavily of breaded and baked whitefish. To clarify, it doesn't smell fishy, you can have fish that isn't fishy. Nice rye bread aromas as well. It's not very complex but it is very warm and inviting. Unlike the standard Canadian Club, the palate is very smooth and easy to drink. A bit of rye spice but nothing even close to too much. Again, not overly complex. Given my lack of rye experience I can't really pick out much more in the palate. It does have a sweetness to it. It does have a bit of spice on the finish which is medium short. Not bad for a cheap every day sipping rye or for mixing.

Canadian Club is a very solid rye. It pours a very dark amber in the glass (caramel No40?). The nose is plenty of rye spice and vanilla/oak. It is true to these in the mouth and is very smooth. It doesn't have any strong swings one way or the other, so it works very well in any and all standard rye based cocktails. My son-in-law loves rye Manhattans and I often gift him a bottle of rye or strong rye bourbon. He seems to be the happiest with this Canadian Club 100% rye, no matter what price I have paid for the others. By the way, this can be found in the KC region for $14-$20. This would be a fantastic rye as the "house rye" for an upscale bar. It may not be your favorite rye style, but it should offend no one. I really prefer the a rye in the 60-95% range, but this is really good, very affordable, and is always in my home.