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Forty Creek Heritage Ltd Ed 2017 40% abv Bottle # 14777

A Step In The Right Direction

3 1589

@paddockjudgeReview by @paddockjudge

29th Oct 2017

1

Forty Creek Heritage Ltd Ed 2017 40% abv Bottle # 14777
  • Nose
    23
  • Taste
    22
  • Finish
    22
  • Balance
    22
  • Overall
    89

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

Forty Creek has a reputation for creating delicious whisky. Many of their releases have been innovative, unique, and anything but trendy.

John Hall, the founder of Kittling Ridge/Forty Creek has been credited with being the catalyst for the recent Canadian Whisky Renaissance. With Hall's departure from Forty Creek, after the sale to the multi-national wine and spirits distributor Compari, a huge void was left in the tightly controlled Canadian distillery. Recent Ltd Ed releases have not lived up to the enormous popularity enjoyed during the Hall era.

In May of this year I engaged in a conversation with the always affable and enlightening Chris Thompson, Brand Ambassador for Forty Creek. During our chat, which took place at the end of the whisky soaked evening, I was treated to a taste of FC Heritage. It struck me as somewhat older than the recent releases that were dominated by (far too) young corn whisky. Chris confirmed my suspicion and indicated that older whiskies were employed in the 2017 Special Release.

Fast forward to today. Yes, there is older whisky in this blend, it is quite evident. The nose is rich and welcoming with a huge waft of cinnamon and raisins. A few more minutes reveal cacao, rich dark chocolate, toffee and green apples...and a sharp spirit note that eventually fades...apparently not all of the young whisky has been eliminated from this iteration. The entry is soft and chewy, very soft. Toffee, vanilla, a wisp of cinnamon followed by a wave of clean oak pierced by a peppery spike, fading into a warm, sharp exit and accented by the continuing pepper, fueled by heat from rye...fading into a dry sweet finish hinting at citric pith. A well balanced whisky, moderately complex. Apparently Forty Creek did not get an invitation to the Canadian Higher Proof Party. 40% abv!?! Campari, oh, oh!...what were you thinking? A definite improvement over recent releases. Welcome back Forty Creek. This is a step in the right direction.

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15 comments

@Victor
Victor commented

@paddockjudge, thanks for a very nice review. Sounds like an interesting whisky. Good to hear that Forty Creek is getting back on track.

6 years ago 0

@paddockjudge
paddockjudge commented

@Nozinan, Yes, I picked it up today. The boxes are also numbered...nice touch.

6 years ago 0

@Nozinan
Nozinan commented

@paddockjudge

Wow! How did you know I would be asking that question?

6 years ago 0

@Nozinan
Nozinan commented

Looks like a very limited release, given the numbers at the KGBO. I expect it to last longer tan NBC bottle though.

Did you pick it up today?

6 years ago 0

@JasonHambrey
JasonHambrey commented

Mark, completely agreed. Apparently this is modeled after the first limited release, small batch, finished in heavily toasted (not charred) oak casks. It's still not that old, but it doesn't matter - it doesn't taste immature. It's very much forty creek, too, which I like.

6 years ago 0

@paddockjudge
paddockjudge commented

@JasonHambrey, yes, the barrels have had time to bring this whisky to maturity, a vast improvement on some recent releases despite the use of older stocks with immature whisky.

I especially enjoy the texture in FC Heritage.

6 years ago 0

@OdysseusUnbound
OdysseusUnbound commented

@paddockjudge At $75 CAD, do you feel this whisky is good value for money? How does it compare to similarly-priced whiskies like Dissertation, Last Barrels, Wiser’s 18, etc.?

6 years ago 1Who liked this?

@paddockjudge
paddockjudge commented

@OdysseusUnbound, Forty Creek is in a category of its own when it comes to comparison. It is good value for the price, $75. This is soft, nuanced, layered. My bottle lasted two weeks. It got better with every pour. This style of whisky is not for everyone, especially big flavour seekers. This one needs to be romanced.

6 years ago 1Who liked this?

@Nozinan
Nozinan commented

@paddockjudge I thought you were bringing some for me to try...

6 years ago 0

@talexander
talexander commented

@Nozinan Don't worry, I picked up a bottle as well (haven't tried it yet though). So I'll bring mine if @paddockjudge has already dumped his into his liver.

6 years ago 1Who liked this?

@paddockjudge
paddockjudge commented

@talexander, @Nozinan, did you truly believe One empty bottle could deny us the pleasure of enjoying FC Heritage? wink

6 years ago 0

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@talexander
talexander commented

@paddockjudge No, not really, I figured you had more than one bottle. I just wanted to make the joke.

6 years ago 0

@paddockjudge
paddockjudge commented

@talexander, haha, two full bottles and three weeks until we gather, hmmm. What's the over/under?

6 years ago 1Who liked this?

@talexander
talexander commented

@paddockjudge My full bottle equals three full bottles. Plus a one-fifth bottle. Or a fifth of Beethoven. This is starting to sound like a Marx Brothers routine.

6 years ago 1Who liked this?

@talexander
talexander commented

I finally reviewed it - I didn't like it as much as you but it is very nice, just a bit too sweet for me. The maturity and complexity is there, though.

6 years ago 1Who liked this?