Yes, this Pike Ceek just received the best Canadian whisky award at the world's whiskies award. My queston: Is it deserved?
Even if I'm Canadian myself, I am not a fan of Canadian whiskies. But I find it's my patriotic duty to buy Canadian whiskies from time to time. Of course, that means I have to drink Canadian whiskies from time to time. Life is tough! So, time to go to work!
On the nose, I find the regular notes for a Canadian rye that are the cherry, the orange, the mint and the maple (a lot like the maple in the pot still from Forty Creek). At those you can add some almond extract and some balsemic vinegar. The nose is quite vibrant and you are surprise to read that it is only 40% of alccol.
On the palate, the body is smooth. The flavors are exactly the same as the nose. The balsemic maybe is absent and the sweetness transforms the maple wood into maple butter. Everything else is there but not as well defined as the nose is.
The finish is not as long as you would expect it, shorter then the Gibson's finest and rare 18 yo which doesn't taste as big as this one, but is a bit oily and add a whiff of lavender that I don't know what to make of.
For a Canadian whisky it is very good and truly Canadian. It is very tastefull even if the spice kick is gentle. So, I think it deserves its title! For me, I find that all the Canadian rye have the same story going down. By that, I mean that the noses are intriguing and interesting, the palate are in line with the nose but loose some complexity to the sweetness and the finish are not long enough. But saying that, if you like Canadian style, go for it!
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