Hood River Distillers Pendleton

This whisky has rye as its main ingredient and matured for 10 years in charred cask, before being cut to a drinking strength using ice water from Mount Hood, the highest mountain in Oregon. Hang on. Oregon? Is that not in the States? Yes it is, but the distillate is produced in Canada, hence it remains a Canadian whisky. The tagline ‘Let ‘r Buck’ shows the target audience are the Canadian and Oregon rodeo boys.

On the nose, the sweet caramel is immediately imbued with malt, grain, tobacco, a light scent of (new) leather and pecan nuts. Marzipan and syrupy raisins. Complex, but pretty sweet. This can easily be confused with a well aged Plantation Rum.

The attack is soft and rather watery, somewhat astringent ans spirity. But it develops beautifully and midpalate I get all sorts of brown sugars and spices. Toasted oak.

The short to medium length finish remains sweet on fading spices.

My Canadian friend Ross mixed this with Sprite, the barbarian. I find it quite quaffable and one of the better Canadian whiskies on the market. Thank you, Glenn, for the sample.