Forty Creek Copper Pot Reserve (Discontinued)

Copper Pot is my favorite product out of the Forty Creek line up. If law would permit me to have a drip bag of this nectar of the gods I would surely by slapping the wrist every day for a hit. Copper pot has an abv of 43% and scents of toffee, caramel, and brown baking spices. I began drinking this almost 10 years ago mixed with pepsi or coke. A great cocktail for any occasion and a wonderful way to introduce someone into the world of whisky. I believe that starting out with their intro product - barrel select - as it showcases their staple in the industry. Not only that, but it has a wonderful taste of vanilla, ginger and toasted oak. A go to for those seeking the experience at a low cost of $40 approximately. Back to Copper Pot though. This is a product I would say is a 4 out of 5 based on how enjoyable it is although it's not a barrel strength whisky. It's pure fun and is one on the palate that always brings me back to the first time I've had it. A distiller score by the experts of 89...hard to say if that holds true. Is it enjoyable? Yes. Is it something you can compare to a single barrel / cask strength? No! Would I recommend to pick up a bottle ov er the premo bottles in their collection? Yes definitely. Folks, go get yourselves a bottle of this. It's inexpensive, a good bang for it's buck and has wonderful notes to continue revisiting it years after past.

This is not even close to my first taste of this. Many years ago I ran into a deal at a liquor store. They had put pretty much all of the Forty Creek product at 50% off. Confederation oak at $38, and this pot still reserve for I think $12. I bought as much as I could. This is one of the last two bottles out of the case of this expression I purchased. Tasted neat here and given a few moments rest after the pour. On the nose this is faint honey, butter, toasted bread, and a bit of sweet vanilla. On the palate it follows through with the promise made by its aromas and adds a light dusting of ginger and white pepper. The finish is short, clean, and with a hint of rye spice. This is very enjoyable, and has been a regular staple with soda, or ginger ale, as a long drink for me. Equally nice over some ice cubes for a casual sip, especially in the summer heat when I would like something less challenging. I have not tried this in either a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned, and that's on me. I think it would be a pretty good cocktail mixer when looking for something that approaches whiskey from its sweet and easy side. 43% ABV isn't going to make it crush, but I'm sure it'll show nicely. Recommended as a solid budget Canadian whiskey choice.

Nose: Sweet corn flakes cereal, sweetly floral with some white pepper, sweet apricots, candied apricots, a touch of honey, butterscotch and toffee covered wet oak, caramel sauce, candied red apples, kale salad with raisins and ranch (strange I know), slight hint of sweet-savoury malt, ripe and drying white grapes, golden/sultana raisins, semi-sweet amber/deep gold sherry type wine, a touch of sweet corn, spicy steak seasoning (cloves, black pepper), medium brown tobacco, some turmeric and mustard seed, dried jerky, dusty rye followed by candy corn, peach candy, some sweet green apple, maple sap Palate: Caramel, tons of dried fruit (apricots, raisins, figs, sweet caramely dates, some prunes), signature forty creek raisin bread profile, some steak spices (black pepper, salt, dried rosemary), slightly spicy and bitter oak, dark fruits (black cherry and plum) some wine oak tannins, Smokey oak char with some toffee, a hint of sweet maple Finish: Apricot, gentle white pepper heat, sweet thick honey, candied apples with honey and caramel drizzled over them, lime pith, slight root beer note, marshmallow based candy, maple-toffee, candied lemon peel, sweet tangerine peel

Maybe it's just that it's Girl Scout cookie season around here, but my initial thought was that this is exactly what a Samoa (or Caramel Delight...apparently there are regional variants for the names) would taste like if it were a whisky. Given that Samoas are my favorite Girl Scout cookie, I would call that a positive association. As soon as I poured myself a dram, I could pick up a rich, fudgy chocolate note. It's joined by caramel, vanilla, and coconut, and maybe even a little cherry cola. We're already talking my language here at the end of a long, stressful day. The palate doesn't disappoint, either; rich and full, it's full of chocolate, caramel, a slightly salty nut (pecan, maybe) accent, and bit of black pepper. The finish is reasonably long, with a slightly dry nuttiness to round things out. It's not the most challenging or complex dram of all time, but it is as pleasant as they come. This is a hell of a find for less than $30 a bottle, and it is certainly not the kind of anemic, characterless mixed drink fodder that's typical of mass market Canadian whisky. Definitely going on my list of go-to house whiskies!

One of the best whiskeys no let’s say Spirits for under $30 cad! You have something better let me know :) Some rate good whiskey by smoothness and blandness if that’s you this probably would rate this low but 1 give me a break hate seeing 1’s on distiller hope they erase outliers...anyways this is thick mouth coating and tastes rich and decadent with flavours of chocolate, spice, vanilla and corn, there is a little musty note but really delicious and yes it burns a little but it is 43% so add a little water and it gets sweeter and smoother excellent whiskey not much I would buy until $70 and that would be wisers 18 or Canadian Rockies 21 maybe bear face at $39 :)

Thanks to the nifty app we all use here, I was able to do some research and learn more about Canadien whisky. Canada gets a bad rap, though the options available to us in the USA are somewhat limited and the rumor is that they keep all the good stuff for themselves. Maybe they’re smart to do so, but I’m glad they shared this one with us. Drinking this reminds me of being in a dusty wood shop while roasting s’mores. The unique blend has a malty, biscuity mouthfeel with some subtle notes of chocolate, and a nice long finish that’s perfect for curling up in an armchair with a large book. At under $30, and with a little water to open it up, this is one tasty deal!