Forty Creek Three Grain Harmony

@paddockjudge and I recently made a trip to Forty Creek to visit the distillery and see the release of the new limited edition whisky. We both tried it, and weren't very impressed - the whisky has grown on me, though.

This whisky is the 9th annual release from Forty Creek, containing some of the original whisky produced by the distillery 22 years ago. In the Forty Creek style, there is corn, rye, and barley whisky in this - but some very old whiskies. For the first time, the barley whiskies in the first year of the distillery were put into a whisky - resulting in a 22 year old single malt in the blend. Moreover, there is some 27 year old rye in here - you might ask, how is the rye older than the distillery? In 1992, John Hall bought Rieder distillery, and with that came some rye stocks from their distillate which was 5 years old at the time - resulting in some 27 year old rye in this blend. So, this is a blend with some quite significantly aged whisky in it, and the oldest stocks yet to go into a Forty Creek release.

Nose: The age shows on the nose. Burnt pumpernickel toast, rye, sour corn (the corn whisky in here actually seems like it might be young), fresh baked bread, rye flour, vanilla, ceylon tea, leather, oak (not heavy), sherry, brown sugar, and some barnyard-like flavours. Oddly, it seems a mix of very old flavours and very young flavours, but overall, it seems to be quite an old and quirky style with the spicy leathery notes contrasting with some oily fresh corn. It's definitely blended, as we know - the complexity and diversity are there. 87%

Taste: Rich toffee, brown sugar, dark rye bread, followed by what appears to be some sharp sugary barley before fading in a flurry of spices and chocolate and more toffee. Slightly sweet, and slightly saccharin too. Ends on a slightly sour, bitter tinge. The spices here are interesting - they're more in line with caraway than anything else, though stale cinnamon comes through at the end. It certainly suits a fall day! The texture is nice too, and some of the unique characteristics are a bit addictive - the spiciness. A bottle that will likely grow on you. 88%

Finish: Caramel, orange, and plum, along with a slightly sour grainy note. Slightly bitter and tannic, with some nutmeg and clove and the lightest touch of a wine influence, along with some nuttiness. Don't let the fruit deceive you -it's quite grain driven in the finish, but doesn't quite come together. Still very much with that toasted oak characteristic. 17.5/20 88%

Intrigue: A bit quirky. There are some dusty notes and unique old flavours in the mix, but overall it's not fabulous though still deep in some dimensions. Unique, as often with the Forty Creek releases, but this time it is missing the usual mark of really high quality. However, I will say this - if you have a bottle spend some time with it. There is a fair bit beneath the surface that you don't see with a cursory taste, and I found my appreciation for the whisky has grown as I've spent more time with it - take small sips and let them sit in your mouth to sift through them, and you'll discover a thing or two. 85%

Weighting the nose 25%, the taste 35%, the finish 15%, and intrigue 35%, the overall score is 87.