Choice Canada/US offerings; my 4 bottle limit

Wow. That came out weird... Let me try that again...

I believe I've mentioned it before on this website, but my parents will be visiting from Canada later this year. Scotch is everywhere in Taiwan, and it's cheap. But Canadian whiskies are nowhere to be found, and American whiskies are sparse. Ironically, whisky that hails from my home and native land is the precise kind of whisky I can’t get my hands on out here.

With the 2 bottle travel limit per person, my parents have agreed to bring me 4 bottles of my choosing. So now I have to narrow Canada and America’s best down to just four bottles. I like big bold flavours and I'd like at least two of these bottles to be rye-heavy. So far Lot 40 and Wiser's Legacy are likely candidates, but I’m flexible. Any other suggestions? The more widely-available the better, as I don’t want to send the old folks out on wild goose chases for elusive super-rare bottles. Help me out, guys!

I have no clue whether or not it's available in Canada, but I would recommend a bottle of Johnny Drum Private Stock. I had it for the first time just last night, it was a very good bourbon. Big oak both in the nose and on the palate.

If your parents are coming from Ontario you might consider something be Forty Creek (Confederation Oak or maybe John's Private cask #1)

You can actually check if it's available in their city and which store by going to the LCBO website.

If you like rye, maybe some Alberta Premium?

@CanadianNinja: Hmm... No hits on the SAQ or LCBO websites, but big oak is definitely something I'd go for. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for that one...

@Nozinan: They’re in Montreal, but they head to Ontario quite often, so anything from the SAQ or the LCBO could work. Forty Creek has also been a consideration. The problem is that John’s Private Cask #1 appears to be quite difficult to track down. Would the Confederation Oak Reserve be a decent second choice from Forty Creek?

Give Davin's site a look at:

www.canadianwhisky.org/category/reviews

Gives you some pwerspective of how he places some of our whiskies. Another super choice is Gibson's Finest Reserve 18 year old.

@hunggar - You won't find any Forty Creek John's Private Cask and there may be a few Forty Creek Port Wood Reserve on shelves, but not in Ontario nor Quebec....Legacy over Lot 40....contact me.

@hunggar

I have to say I LIKE Confederation Oak. I can't compare it to the private cask because I haven't got to it. I do prefer it to the port wood.

You mention you want something rye forward. I don't know if the confederation oak is or isn't because I don't have enough experience tasting rye ( except Alberta Premium once and whatever my father drank when I was a kid ( I took an occasional sip and regretted it). But it's good. My favourite way to drink it ( the first time I tried it at the distillery) was in a miniature glencairn glass.

For a lark you could always ask them to bring you a bottle of Canada's first single malt, Glen Breton. Or it's second, Stalk and Barrel if they go up to Concord to the distillery (they may still have cask strength bottles of their first cask that they released). But beware. Ralfy reviewed a different one and was not overly impressed.

@paddockjudge

So does that mean my 2 bottles of the private cask are worth more than I paid for them? Or less?

Wisers Legacy all day long for sure and for the price you just cannot go wrong. I agree with @JonesZ on the Gibsons 18 if you can get hold of it. I am probably In a minority of those who really didn't like Forty Creek Port Wood reserve(anyone In Vancouver interested in an almost full bottle just send me a message) the Confederation Oak is good and Johns Private Cask great.

@Nozinan - your two bottles should be worth par or better; however the resale market for Canadian whisky is virtually non-existent. I had the good fortune to sample a 1975 Wiser's that was recently purchased for $25 - that is basically replacement price.

I really enjoyed Canadian Club 12 Year, but there's not much complexity to be had there so if you're looking for something more interesting I'd ignore it.

Elijah Craig might be a good choice, but it's not as easy to find in Montreal.

@paddockjudge

Well, who is planning to resell? It's just nice to know when you crack a bottle 10 years later that if you bought it now it would cost a lot more. For instance, the LCBO sells Balvenie 15 YO single cask at about 25-30 dollars more than when I bought it 2 years ago. Sure it's a different cask ( they pretty much all were), but that's an annual increase in value of about 15%. Better than any bank.

Of course, if I move my collection to Alberta it will plummet in value by 30%...

@Nozinan - I can't follow your line of questioning - you inquire as to the value of Canadian whisky and site scotch malt as an example of possible depreciation in a different regional market...the logic escapes me....but your FCJPC#1 remains more valuable than the book value.

hunggar, at the risk of going contrary to what you said you would like (big, bold, rye-heavy), perhaps you would be willing to try something different. And by different, I am suggesting a bottle of Writer's Tears irish whiskey. Your parents may have to check several LCBO to locate a bottle, but it may be worth the hassle. Not necessarily the easiest bottle to locate; even in the UK region, so I would be surprise if available to you in Taiwan.