Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Ice Cask

COLOUR: Orange-bronze. LEGS: Very fast and thin (this does not bode well for a good mouth-feel); secondary legs much thicker and a little slower. NOSE: Delicate (2/5); sweet corn & slightly spicy rye; lots of acetone (unpleasant nail polish remover); caramel, honey & sugar; some grassy hay-like character; hint of salt. WITH WATER (3 drops into 10mL): almost everything is gone except for the annoying acetone. Score 3.10 TASTE: Very sweet; rich, oily & thick; powerful (4/5); drying spicy rye; butterscotch, honey & sugar (a bit like rum); very sweet and one-dimensional. WITH WATER: less sweet; chocolate emerges (very interesting); but the acetone also rises unpleasantly. Score 6/10 FINISH: Very short; delicate (1/5); sweet & spicy, but very subtle; butterscotch & sugar. WITH WATER: same, but with a remembrance of chocolate. Score 4/10 OVERALL: A very sweet dessert-like dram; the nose is very unpleasant and off-putting; the taste is better. Better without water, unless you want the chocolate taste, but you lose everything else. Weighted Score 4.9/10

Nose: Sweet rye, bubblegum, slight cinnamony rye spice, fresh toffee, minty plums, dusty and earthy dark chocolate, new duffle bags (strange I know), lemon and vanilla icing sugar, simple syrup, a touch of maple and corn syrup, light French toast, mix of old and fresh oak, cinnamon hearts, ex bourbon aged grain, a hint of dill, lusciously sweet ice wine, floral perfume, medium milk chocolate, pickle juice, cardamom and cloves (rye spice), ripe medley of unsliced apples, spicy pear Palate: Rye spices (clove, cinnamon, cardamom), strong, herbal and fresh wintergreen mint, white grapes, simple syrup mixed with a hint of maple, old caramel, peach candies, slight apricot and candied red apple notes, icing sugar sweetness cut by bitter rye and green paprika, slight manukah honey Finish: white grape skins, honeyed sweetness, sweet tobacco, bubblegum sugar powder, faint sweet and spicy oakiness, a touch of fresh toffee, vermouth grape must and wormwood

No. This is not a joke. This is Wayne Gretzky's whisky. Nobody knows what ice casks means nor is important. A canadian whisky, made by "Wayne Gretzky's estates". For you who dont know who Wayne Gretzky is, he is the Pelé or Maradona of ice Hockey. Bottled at 41.5%abv On the nose, RYE. Lots of it. Rye spiciness, grain, herbal notes and molasses. Its like rum and rye whisky mixed together. After the first sip, maple syrup notes appeared on the nose. On the palate, very straightforward: rye spiciness and bitter prunes. Aftertaste is full of chilli. Overall this is something i wouldn't buy, but an interesting whisky to come by, to know what sports stars are up to these days. 58 over 100.

No. This is not a joke. This is Wayne Gretzky's whisky. Nobody knows what ice casks means nor is important. A canadian whisky, made by "Wayne Gretzky's estates". For you who dont know who Wayne Gretzky is, he is the Pelé or Maradona of ice Hockey. Bottled at 41.5%abv On the nose, RYE. Lots of it. Rye spiciness, grain, herbal notes and molasses. Its like rum and rye whisky mixed together. After the first sip, maple syrup notes appeared on the nose. On the palate, very straightforward: rye spiciness and bitter prunes. Aftertaste is full of chilli. Overall this is something i wouldn't buy, but an interesting whisky to come by, to know what sports stars are up to these days. 58 over 100.

This special Canadian boasts a polished bronze color, and thicker semi-viscous legs ease their way back down the glass. The nose is soft and pretty. It almost has an effervescent smell like champagne or sparkling flavored water. There are also notes of raspberries, mowed grass, and baking spices. The palate has a watery mouthfeel and is overall sweet. There are delicious notes of white wine, maple, honey, orange citrus, and rye spice. The finish is medium in length with a fresh almost minty gum taste sending you off. The whisky is simple but so good! It’s a sweet, delicious dram. And if I ever come across it at a decent price I’ll get it again. Gretzky Estates, Thanks! Cheers!

Of the 3 varieties of Gretzky Whisky, Ice Cask offers the most unique flavor profile, along with having the most bourbon character due to its higher corn content. I find it is best enjoyed neat. As of July 2017, it is only available at the Gretzky Winery & Distillery in Niagara-On-The-Lake ($60 CAD), which is a shame as it is considerably superior to the Red Cask, widely sold through retail liquor stores. It is also more distinct and a much better value than the premium "99 Proof" offering ($99 CAD), which is highly similar to Canadian Club 12-year / Small Batch.