Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Maple Cask

Continuing with the cracking of unopened bottles, today we'll do a classic North American faceoff: Canada vs the US. Representing Canada: Wayne Gretzky Maple Cask & JP Wiser's 15 year rye Representing USA: Maker's Mark no. 46 & Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. First up: The Maple Great One Nose: Maple syrup bomb, oak, brown sugar, butter. Palate: Very sweet, hot and watery mouth feel. A bit of cereal and rye spice to go with the delicious maple. Finish: Short and fades quickly. Kind of like swallowing a mouthful of pancakes at the Cabane à Sucre. This would likely be way too sweet for a typical whisky snob, but as a proud Canadian who taps and boils my own maple syrup every winter, this hits me right in the guilty pleasure. Is it complex? Hell no. Would it be the perfect thing to add to your coffee while ice fishing? Hell yes. 3.75/5

I didn’t expect to like this whiskey. Before I ever pulled the cork, I suspected that it would be incredibly sweet. It is. It’s not Drambuie or Glayva sweet, but it is definitely better suited to consumption after a meal than before. This is my first time drinking any of the Wayne Gretzky whiskeys, and I expected to be disappointed. Even though this whiskey is very sweet, it has a funkiness and distinctive character that makes it worth trying. It’s not light, but it is eminently drinkable. It deserves good water, and not to be too cold, because the sweetness and other flavour notes will be dumbed if you chill your drink too much You will taste maple, of course, but also other fruit, including applesauce some mild orange notes. If you like Macallan, this one is worth a try, 

Opened up this bottle after purchasing it last autumn direct from the distillery in Ontario on my Toronto trip. Definitely a good maple taste, with subtle maple syrup viscosity to the whisky. Different than anything I could find in Maryland, so glad I made this purchase and brought it back stateside.

So far my least favorite of the great ones collection. It's got maple up the wazoo, maybe I thought it would be more subtle. Don't hate it, but the bottle will be around for a good part of 2021.

Was not expecting the smoothness. Clearly whiskey bite but, backed up with creamy buttery flavour of maple, not too strong, just right. Definitely will get another bottle in the future!

Strong maple nose. Reminiscent of morning eating pancakes with real syrup so a bit of underlying breadiness to the nose. Sweet up front taste quickly fades to medicinal bitterness.