Canadian Club Chronicles Issue 2 is a 42-year-old whisky called The Dock Man. The whisky pays homage to the Hiram Walker distillery dock workers that tirelessly loaded freighters with crates of Canadian Club during American Prohibition. Just like last year’s 41-year-old Chronicles, this whisky was batched and barreled in 1977. This time, Canada’s 9.09% rule, which allows producers to add up to 9.09% of non-whisky to a blend and still label it as Canadian Whisky, was exercised to blend the ultra-aged corn whisky with 16-year-old rye, 12-year-old pot-distilled rye and a splash of brandy. Available across Canada, the United States and travel retail in limited quantities.
How it tastes
Measured across 14 flavor axes. Tap a note to find other bottles that lead with it.
Really excited about trying it out, but not overly impressed with it. The nose is really rich and sweet but not very complex. The pallet is also very sweet and spice forward, but there’s really nothing much else to it. I thought the extensive age would round off most of the spice, but on the contrary it was still quite spice forward. It is a very easy drinking whiskey. It is uncomplicated good whiskey. These terms should used for a intro whiskey and not a 42 year old. I’m glad I got a sample from a friend because after tasting it I don’t think I would pay that much to acquire it. Pretty looking bottle though.
RRichard ModernDrinking
I tasted this and it was nice, but after all the good honest whisky we’ve had out of Canada recently I don’t have much patience for a rule that allows a splash of brandy. Mixing spirits is what I call a cocktail. I enjoy cocktails. I like to make them too. It’s just a huge part of the enjoyment of whisky for me is marveling at the magic of time and wood. This feels like cheating. I don’t judge anyone who loves this or other traditional Canadian whiskies, but I’ll save my tasting notes and ratings for the unadulterated stuff.
