Remarkably flavorful, with linen, oilcloth, dragon fruit, hints of cereal, dark fruits, warm peppers, creamy rye spices, vague chocolate, and coffee. Not overly sweet and just slightly floral. Viscous and creamy, yet massive, muscular, and so beautifully complex, balanced, and integrated. (102 bottles; Canada exclusive) $225 CAD

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Winter 2018)

Perhaps the finest Canadian whisky I have ever tasted. Creamy and seamless from beginning to end. Gently sweet, with orange creamsicle, marzipan, sultana, praline, maple syrup, and a hint of coconut macaroon. Forty Creek whiskies have always been very good, but none have ever had the right stuff to reach classic status. Until now, that is. An outstanding, very distinctive whisky!

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2010)

If you worried what would happen when Forty Creek ran out of Canadian oak barrels, you will be pleased to know John Hall found more local oak trees and had new barrels made; this time in Canada. This tightly integrated dram is rich in woody maple syrup, with raisins, almonds, and vanilla ice cream that softens a peppery glow. Silkier than the original, slightly restrained, and ever so quaffable. A longish, pithy finish begs another sip. Still a classic. Editor's Choice.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Summer 2015)

Each fall, whisky lovers in Canada and Texas anticipate John Hall’s new limited edition whisky. This year’s sits squarely in the golden heart of classic Canadian rye. Tingling gingery pepper is bathed in ultra-creamy butterscotch, woody maple syrup, black tea, and barley sugar. Prune juice and ripe dark fruits dissolve into dried apricots and zesty hints of citrus. Then floral rye notes turn dusty, with gentle wisps of willow smoke. Complex, full-bodied, and slowly evolving, so let it breathe. C$70

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Winter 2013)

Fifteen years ago, Forty Creek used starboard (port-style wine) barrels to finish their legendary Portwood Reserve. The wine was emptied into fresh Forty Creek whisky barrels. Now, master blender Bill Ashburn has added back some of that original starboard to Forty Creek Unity. This lush, mouth-filling, butterscotch-sweet whisky bursts with red fruits, raisin tarts, hints of burnt toffee, and a restrained peppery glow.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Fall 2018)

A fan favorite now in its 11^th year, the 2017 edition, Heritage, maintains the grain-forward, fruity Forty Creek house style, adding a buttery slipperiness, honeycomb, citrus peels, kumquats, marzipan, and blazing rye spices. Nutty and oily, but clean and spicy, with a never-ending finish. (under 16,500 bottles)

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Winter 2017)

Master blender Bill Ashburn invited five Forty Creek fans to help him create this year’s special release. It is one of the tastiest new whiskies in recent years from Forty Creek. Rich, luscious caramels, grape jelly, sultanas, sweet red wine, and hot rye spices, with a round and velvety mouthfeel. Forty Creek’s annual releases are collectors’ favorites in Canada and the U.S. Some editions sell in the thousands of dollars, and Unity seems poised to become one of these classics. Number 12 in the 2018 Top 20 

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Winter 2018)

A complex nose with citrus fruits, hints of sultanas, barrel tones, mild vanilla, butterscotch, and manuka honey. The sweetish palate is rich in stone fruits—peaches and apricots that merge into a vaguely pithy nuttiness, then dried Mediterranean fruits: dates and figs. Classic slippery corn sweetness complements hot, sweet rye spices. Ends in a medium, vaguely oaky, smoky finish.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Spring 2020)

This final reprise of one of Forty Creek’s original whiskies is one juicy, succulent dram. Fruity hints of red grapes on the nose mingle with sherry-sweetened pipe tobacco and herbal earthiness. Sizzling peppers bolster a palate rich in nutty waxy barley, soft oily corn, and dry dusty rye. Suggestions of halva and citrus zest lead into a long, briskly spicy herbal finish.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Fall 2020)

Corn and rye whiskies blended with a tad of Villard Noir Starboard wine commemorate Canada’s victory in a battle fought in the War of 1812 where Forty Creek now distills whisky. Toasted oak staves were inserted into half of the fully matured whisky for 2 months. A strong maple nose dissolves into hints of fruitiness, while a sweet palate balances and restrains drying tannins. Fruity, creamy, and mouth-filling with peppery spices. (600 bottles for U.S.)

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Fall 2019)

Finished in wet, freshly dumped bourbon barrels, Double Barrel shows strong bourbonesque vanilla and a slippery, almost syrupy lushness. This latest batch is even creamier than the early ones made by John Hall himself. After a deceptively simple start, a mouth-filling toffee sweetness broadens into ripe tropical fruits with fleeting under-notes reminiscent of earthy dragonfruit. Hot, peppery flares punctuate the soft fruitiness as it moves to the fore and the creamy mouthfeel subsides.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Summer 2015)

Three Grain Harmony marries rye and barley whiskies from 1992-94 to 4 year old corn whisky. The corn lends voluptuous body to a complex assortment of carefully integrated grains, dark fruits, prune juice, and butterscotch. Dried herbs, potpourri, and orange peel follow as the palate begins to broaden. When the big notes fade, look for delicate subtleties. Hot spices and pepper build from sip to sip and linger long into the sandalwood finish.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Winter 2015)

Vague fruitiness, barrel notes, and corncobs on the nose turn to lush caramels, with a plush mouthfeel punctuated by hints of rye spices that become more assertive as notes of cloves meld into candy cane on a long, spicy, then pithy finish. There is more fruit in this special Canada 150 edition of Confederation Oak—sweet ripe apples and tart gooseberries. A masterful example of blending.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Fall 2017)

Each batch is a little bit different, this one leaning to sweet orchard fruits, nutty barley, and hot spicy rye. Butterscotch and vanilla on the nose translate well onto the palate. Brisk peppery spice underlies developing layers, adding another dimension of complexity to an already broad range of flavors. Hints of oak tannins on the finish remind us this was finished in Canadian wood.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Spring 2016)

Opinion is seriously divided on whether this or an earlier Port Wood edition is the best thing ever to come from John K. Hall’s Forty Creek distillery in Grimsby, Ontario. A winemaker, Hall used his own port barrels to finish a mature blend of barley, corn, and rye whiskies. Stewed prunes, butterscotch, and licorice rule the nose, while the palate broadens into savory herbs, spiced fruit, sweet pipe tobacco, and hints of, yes, gunpowder. C$70

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Spring 2013)

A rich, full nose interweaves red wine, canned pears, smidgens of barrel wood, and dark maple syrup into a plush Christmas cake palate. Weighty and mouth-filling amid unsweetened breakfast cereal and mild tannins, balanced by candied fruit, prunes, crisp apples, and dried pears and apricots. Glowing peppery heat moves to the middle of the tongue before a long, spicy, and pithy yet creamy finish.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Fall 2020)

Similar to the standard Forty Creek Barrel Select, whiskymaker John Hall produces three different whiskies (rye, corn, and malted barley), ages them separately, and then marries them for a period before bottling. Unlike the Barrel Select, with Double Barrel Reserve, the resultant whisky is married in first-fill bourbon barrels rather than sherry casks. The result is a rich vanilla creaminess that coats the palate. Mixed in, you’ll find coconut, marshmallow, citrus, and pineapple, with emerging toasted pecan, dried spice, and dusty corn on the finish. Quite soothing and dangerously drinkable. My favorite so far from the various Forty Creek releases.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2009)

Created by distiller John Hall to celebrate his fifteen years of making whisky. It really is a whisky that defies categorizing. More body than most Canadian whiskies; softer and less aggressive than bourbon. When compared to Forty Creek Barrel Select (John’s standard whisky), it’s richer, more velvety, and sweeter on the nose and palate. Notes of toffee, silky caramel, mixed nuts, exotic spice, and a hint of marmalade. A soothing, almost rummy, very drinkable whisky.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2008)