Gooderham & Worts Four Grain Canadian Whisky

I was excited to see this one finally arrive stateside at my local Total Wine. I've been a big fan of the work Dr. Don Livermore has done in the past, but a lot of his best work never makes it south of the Canadian border. Some of the best Canadien whiskies I've tried have been Lot 40 and the Wisers 18, both of which possess what I call "subtle complexity". This one is the highest rated of the four core offerings from Corby Distillers LTD. (Lot 40, Wisers, Pike Creek, G&W) here on Distiller, so what are we gonna find? At first whiff when I popped the cork, I thought I was smelling bourbon. Layers of oak and vanilla, with a hint of rye spice. After some time in the glass, the more "traditional" Canadian profile starts to show up, with maple syrup and dusty lumber making their fashionably late entrances. After that, it's vanilla. Vanilla pudding, creme brule, vanilla ice cream, cream cheese frosting, and cafe latte. Quite a bit of lovely stuff packed in to the nose here. It's unmistakably Canadian on the palate, but Dr. Don has shown us that this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The expert blending really shines here, with corn and wheat sweetness, an oily mouth coating from the malt, and the rye shows up on the back palate with a spiciness that evolves into the finish. The proof is quite precise at 44.4 percent, and you can really feel it on the finish, which lasts longer than any Canadian whisky normally does. I'm going 4.25 on this. I like this just as much as Wisers 18, but it doesn't quite beat out 40 Creek Confederation Oak. Very happy with my bottle purchase. Don't go into this expecting bourbon, but do go in expecting a quality dram at an affordable price. Cheers!

COLOUR: Medium gold; King Tut's death mask, after a quick polish for the press in 1922. LEGS: Very thick clothesline; big bulges formed and stayed on the line for ages; finally formed broken tears that fell very slowly (this all bodes well for a good mouthfeel). NOSE: Delicate-moderate (2/5); sweet corn, spicy rye & malty richness; caramel, honey & powdered candy; licorice; herbal & flowers. Quite pleasant and nothing off-putting. WITH WATER (5 drops into 10mL): same, but subdued. Score 7/10 TASTE: Rich, oily (4/5), thick & round; quite powerful and bitey (5/5); sweet corn, spicy rye & malty barley; vanilla, caramel, butterscotch & runny honey; orange(!) & sour citrus; licorice; very herbal; salt & pepper. Not too bad, but it does have a bit of young herbal acetone in the background. WITH WATER: not good -- sweet acetone dominates all else. Score 7/10 FINISH: Very short and unmemorable; a bit of everything (corn, rye, barley, wheat). WITH WATER: sweeter. Score 3/10 OVERALL: An interesting dram, due to the history of G&W, and the blend of four grains which all contribute to the whole without losing their individual character. Weighted Score 6.6/10 IMAGERY: Standing on the Canadian prairie and tasting everything that is growing in the field.

Nose: Fruity bubble gum (some red apple, strawberry, banana medley gum), blue raspberry cotton candy and pink strawberry cotton candy, grainy rye, a hint of floral eau de cologne, mild spice (a mix of white & black pepper, cayenne pepper, green paprika, and a slight hint of cloves), some corn syrup and caramel, a hint of vanilla, some sweet and slightly spicy oak, pencil shavings, candied lemon peel, some dill, lilac wheat floralness, sweet creaminess, milk soaked whole wheat cereal, a touch of unripe apricot, some pine resin, minty milk chocolate filled with caramel, malty chocolate/cocoa powder Palate: Rye bread with orchard fruit (apricot, sweet pears, green apples), some light black and white pepper, a touch of honey, some bitter spicy green paprika, slightly spicy oak, a touch of vanilla and some caramel Finish: Plenty of tangy apricot, a hint of sweet cream, sweet tea, caramel, slight cinnamon sweet spice, some rye bread covered in margarine and honey

This is an amazing whiskey. It is very atypical, both complex and very easy to enjoy. Interestingly perceptible influence of the wheat, the corn and the rye with a perfect balance. a delicious, profond, suprising whisky. Nose: Dried and slightly dusty cereals, raisins macerating in spiced rum, crème brûlée crust, cherries, a lot of sweetness. There is a distinct spice which I believe to be cumin. Very rich, complex and powerful. Palate: Very aromatic, an explosion of flavours. A lot of what was in the nose comes back on the palate. Very sweet and pleasantly liquorous. Very refined taste. Brown sugar, some blackberry fruit paste. The colour brown comes to mind when I have this in my mouth. Finish: Medium length. More woodiness, a lot drier than before but still a good sweetness. A return of the raisins in rum. Price/quality is absolutely insane, +0.5 for that. You absolutely need to taste this.

The G&W Four Grain has now become my favourite whisky! It’s flavours are tightly intertwined, complex and subtle. Best to let it sit in the glass for a while first. On the nose, caramel, dark fruits, sweet dusty cereals, and a hint of black pepper, and lots more too. The palate starts with the sweet caramel and opens up into a kaleidoscope of chewy and delicious flavours almost impossible to pick apart, before merging again inside spicy wood notes. Though you can sense the other grains there, they humbly submit to their role of enhancing the rye which takes the spotlight. It ends with a nice medium finish, bringing with it a bit of bitterness and some cherry, along with a hint of roast beef... wait, that was the leftovers my wife just reheated in the microwave. This creative Canadian whisky makes me proud!

Finally a Canadian whiskey that doesn’t smell or taste like every bottle of Crown that came before it. The nose is super subtle and doesn’t feel the need to try and get your attention with sickly sweet notes. There is some complexity here, with layers of corn, tree nuts, maple and caramel coming out of the glass. The palate backs up the nose, refusing to give in to that classic Canadian sweetness, instead delivering more grain, spice and barrel tannins, wrapped in a rich oily mouthfeel. Unexpected and greatly appreciated. The finale doesn’t disappoint, with a long finish that brings more wood and mild warmth then most other things you’ll find on the Canadian shelf. For the price, I can’t believe people are buying anything else, but please don’t mix this, neat pours only.