Canada Tops the whisky bible

except this still wasn't bottled at barrel proof....but a good whisky, for sure.

Thanks @newreverie! While I wouldn't call it the best whisky of the year, it's pretty damn good - I scored it a 90. I don't know if there is a secret except just being able to make great whisky that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with any others around the world...certainly, increasing the ABV and eventually offering barrel proofs eventually would be a start.

Well, I was going to sit this one out; however I've just finished three drams of the 2016 World Whisky of the Year and here goes...

CR Northern Harvest Rye is an excellent whisky. Does it deserve to be World Whisky of the Year? Probably, yes. Are there other whiskies that deserve to be WWOTY? Probably, yes.

Now, keep in mind that JM is a Rye Hound. Murray selecting a Canadian Rye as WWOTY is akin to the judge (who perhaps might be partial to Poodles) at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show choosing a Poodle/Poodle Hybrid as Best In Show.

JM is pissed at the Scots. Perhaps next year it will be Irish for top honours. To me, this is like the 1980 and 1984 Olympics when the two super powers and their allies took turns boycotting each other's games. A gold is still a gold nonetheless...and remember 1976, when a woman won the Mens' Decathlon....life is unpredictable.

CR Northern Harvest Rye, I like it, however, AP30 is still my favourite Canadian. This CR N. Harvest is a touch on the brittle side, but it works. It is also creamy, go figure. The balance is exceptional.

Floral notes on PALATE. Silky entry. Creamy mid-palate to exit. Pithy. Dry. Just enough barley for a hint of walnut meat. Barely enough heat, no, absolutely no heat, yet a tingling pepper effect from mid palate to exit...almost "Whisky Pop Rocks". Lots of spicy character. Experienced barrels employed. Some very old whisky in here. And a HUGE 4-EG effect: cloves, apples,vanilla, tobacco notes. Signature CR ripe bananas and chocolate nose.....I think that's enough for now.

If you don't like Rye, you won't like this one...it has everything I have ever tasted in Rye....but I'm a Rye Hound.

This award winning expression completes the Crown Royal trifecta of CR Hand Selected Barrel (Coffey Rye), CR Monarch 75th Anniversary (again some Coffey Rye employed), and now CR Northern Harvest Rye ( you guessed it, more Coffey Rye used).

My, oh my, oh my goodness gracious!

Who saw this one coming? WWOTY 2016.

A delicious whisky indeed. I think I can here Mr. Sam cracking a smile.

I can’t wait for the results in Victoria, British Columbia in January of 2016, to see if this is Canadian Whisky Of The Year at the Canadian Whisky Awards.

@paddockjudge, I rejoiced when I heard that Jim Murray had chosen a Canadian Rye Whisky to be 2016 World Whisky of the Year.

I think he was intending two effects:

First, drawing attention to both Canadian and Rye whisky, worldwide, and...

Second, closely relatedly, and more importantly, Mr. Murray is giving great "encouragement" to the Canadian distilleries by putting pressure on them to turn out more old school high quality rye whisky, and avoid the sweet additives stuff.

I only wish Mr. Murray had chosen Wiser's Legacy or Masterson's Rye for the role, and not Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye. Unless other peoples' bottles are a lot better than mine is, I just cannot get behind this whisky. 45% ABV World Whisky of the Year? I was thinking Sazerac 18, and prepared to buy a dozen bottles of Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye. Even at $ 26.04, I will not be buying a second bottle.

I'm waiting to get my bible through on Monday, but most disappointing thing for me is that 3 of the top scoring whiskys have never been released in the UK including CRNR. You can't get it anywhere here.

JM's book is always slightly out of date too with a lot of the new ratings on releases that have already been and gone.

@MuddyFunster, when you get your bible, please share the batch number of CR N Harvest Rye with us, if it is mentioned.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the "World Whisky" category means everything except Scotland (and Ireland?).

Not to take away from Canadian Whisky which has had a marvelous revival recently, not to mention Rye, which is making a well-deserved comeback, but I am tired of having salespersons in liquor stores trying to sell me a Nikka bottle because it was elected "best whisky of the world" (note the twist) by Jim Murray last year.

@olivier, You are correct, but in this case it is an all encompassing term, which is not UK-centric. We've been accustomed to thinking of "world whisky" as those 'other' places that make whisky.

I think it is better to have Murray and his bible rather than to not have Murray and his bible...lots of buzz about whisky the last few days. As for the pitchman on the floor, caveat emptor. I like to send them scrambling for something I have absolutely no intention of buying.

@paddockjudge

"I think it is better to have Murray and his bible rather than to not have Murray and his bible".... I don't know about that - by which, I mean, I really have no opinion, as I don't read or buy the annual books.

But I can tell you one thing...If I want good advice on a Canadian whisky, I know where I'm going to look to... and it's not Murray.

Let's see.... @paddockjudge, @talexander, @JasonHambrey, @Haveileftanyoneout?

Yes, @Victor and Curt at ALL Things Whisky.

@BlueNote

I very much enjoy reading @Victor and Curt, but though the former appreciates Canadian Whisky, I don't think it's his "specialty" that he focuses on. And the latter doesn't seem to care much for Canadian whiskies, focusing more on Scotches and single malts.

That's not a dig against them. I would rate them ahead of me as reviewers in any category.

@Nozinan, I am more sympathetic to Canadian whisky than almost every non-jingoistic-patriotic-Canadian reviewer I have ever seen. Canadian whisky greatly divides people. By my Canadian friends' standards I may appear a bit lukewarm to Canadian whisky in general. By the standards of almost all of my non-Canadian whisky-loving friends I am a raving-Canadian-whisky-loving-lunatic. Until less than about 18 months ago I had done the largest number of Canadian whisky reviews on Connosr, at over 30. Canadian whisky specialist @JasonHambrey and also my friend @talexnder have now surpassed that number.

@Nozinan

Not sure if Davin de Kergommeaux is a member on Connosr, but his blog at www.canadianwhisky.org deserves mention as the go to site for info on Canadian Whisky...

@tfahey1298 I have visited.... I would only use his reviews as a reference if they receive my Canadian Whisky mentor's approval...

@Victor, I too would have preferred to see Wiser's Legacy or Masterson's Rye or perhaps Crown Royal Monarch 75th Anniversary selected as the top whisky. I am however thankful they were not, for now I can continue to enjoy these three highly regarded Canadians without enduring immediate shortages or price gouging.

I currently have open bottles from two different batches of CRNH Rye: 1415A50380 and 087 31 0641. I like them both. However, they do not fit the flavour profile that I prefer; thick, chewy and full of dark-fruit flavours. Murray tends to have an appreciation for brittle and complex rye expressions and CRNH Rye certainly fits that style.

On Friday of last week, the day after CRNHR was declared World Whisky of the Year by Whisky Bible, 328 Ontario liquor stores, approx. half of the 650 LCBO retail outlets, (gov't of Ontario owned spirits monopoly) carried this item on their shelves. At the end of the business day Monday, only 38 stores shared a combined total of 97 bottles. A conservative estimate would place the 'weekend sales' for CRNHR at 10, 000 bottles in Ontario .

I would anticipate that most of the 10,000 bottles purchased this past weekend in Ontario will meet their demise by being drowned in a bath of ice and soda, sad, but true.

JM chose as his WWOTY a new release from an established distillery with 1.5 million barrels of sleeping whisky. This selection will in no way have an immediate impact on my ability to access dwindling stocks of CR Monarch, FC Heart of Gold, Danfield's 21, Gibson's Finest Venerable 18 YO, Masterson's 10 YO Straight Rye, Wiser's Legacy, Wiser's Red Letter....

@paddockjudge, so what are a couple of your favorites that provide those thick, chewy and full of dark-fruit flavours? I enjoy that profile too.

@paddockjudge unfortunately he doesn't give a batch number in his review

Here's a review (and some comments) on All Things Whisky, one of the few Canadian sources I go to for reviews... Caveat...the site owner has not expressed a great love for Canadian whiskies.

www.allthingswhisky.com

@broadwayblue, I consider Four Roses Ltd. Ed. Small Batch Barrel Proof to be chewy with red fruits (not so much dark fruits as it lacks plums/prunes).

Macallan Cask Strength is loaded with dark fruits.

Canadian Club 100% Rye has dark fruit notes.

Gibson's 18 is thick and chewy, but almost void of red and dark fruits (insanely delicious, I try to stay away from it for fear of...).

Masterson's 10 YO Straight Rye is more of a 'Juicy Fruit Gum' with excellent mouthfeel, almost chewy. Very near the top of my favourites list for all styles of whisky.

The following whiskies possess a huge amount of dark fruit while being thick and chewy:

Forty Creek Heart of Gold

CC 20 YO (2011, 2012, but not 2014)

Pendleton's 1910 Canadian Rye.

Forty Creek Port Wood Reserve 2012

Crown Royal Monarch

@MuddyFunster, thank you for checking the available information, much appreciated.

The Crown Royal win is definitely his most surprising outcome. I like his Bible but it has to be taken in context, i.e. alongside a variety of other opinions. He's a man in a world where every bottle, every cask, every batch can have variation. In trying to compile a book rating 1000s of whiskys he's trying to do an impossible job. There are going to be inconsistencies in anyone trying to do that job. But one thing I do know, is that he's tasted far more whiskies, in controlled conditions, over several decades, than most people blogging about whisky. I suppose the question should be, is the concept of a ratings book for whisky an impossible and pointless job? I'd say no because for me it's introduced me to more magnificent whiskies than awful ones. That said, I've learned to try and taste before buying!

Wondering if anyone could shed some light: 1. Is there much difference between Canadian Rye and American Rye? 2. I hear some American Ryes like Whistlepig and Masterson's are indeed Canadian of origin, are those different to the typical Canadian Ryes?

The only Canadian I have ever had is the Crown Royal XR "Red" which I enjoyed thoroughly but that came across as being more like a fine blended scotch.

By the way, congratulations to the Canadians on this achievement. Now I wonder how much longer before Jim recognises an Aussie whisky.

@sengjc, be careful what you wish for. Canadian Whisky enthusiasts got lucky this time with CRNorthern Harvest RYE being selected as WWOTY because inventory was plentiful. Gimli, Manitoba (home of CR) has capacity to produce 2.5 million liters of whisky each month and houses 1.5 million sleeping barrels.

After the selection of CR RYE as WWOTY, approximately 10, 000 bottles of CRNHR disappeared from Ontario stores alone in only 3 days. Retail price CDN$33.

I have not seen any indication of immediate pressure placed on existing top-tier Canadian expressions as a result of the Crown Royal selection. For this, I count my blessings. I have a few CRNHR on the shelf, and that is plenty for me. I continue my pursuit of difficult to obtain Canadian expressions and hope that Jim Murray will not choose another Canadian Whisky as WWOTY for a very long time. The buzz should come from the whisky, not about the whisky.

@paddockjudge,

Thanks for that list. I actually stopped by a nearby liquor store the other night to grab one of the two remaining dusty bottles of Macallan CS they had on their shelves....only to find they were gone. :( After speaking with the proprietor for a bit, he pulled out a bottle of ECBP which I was happy to purchase (even at inflated NYC prics) to gift to my cousin for inviting us to his place for Thanksgiving. We shard a dram and it was very nice.

@broadwayblue, I'm glad it turned out well. ECBP makes a nice host gift. There's always room for more guests at my Thanksgiving Dinner table.

@paddockjudge

Except that for you we's have to wait 10 months... and thanks for the invite but if you think you're getting my bottle of ECBP....

Here is my two cents worth on whisky awards: maltmileage.com/2016/01/…