Wiser's Paul Coffey Alumni Series

Wiser's, or more generally Corby, is my favourite Canadian whisky producer at the moment. This is simply because they produce a good number of whiskies at a consistently high quality level and I'm rarely disappointed. The Alumni Series is just the latest example of this trend. Some might argue that these whiskies are only a small variation on the Northern Border whiskies (Pike Creek, Lot 40, and Gooderham). I won't entirely disagree but I guess I'm okay with it.

The Paul Coffey edition weighs in at 7 years old and 48% ABV. The young age is somewhat made up for by the cask selection, which includes Canadian, bourbon, Speyside, and virgin oak. This is a 2-grain whisky (almost certainly corn and rye), so you wouldn't really expect it to step too far offside, and it doesn't. The nose offers buttered pancakes with maple syrup, reminding me of other more well-aged Wiser's whisky. A bit of walnut in there as well. On the palate it is rich and full-bodied, quite dry and oaky. Canadian through and through. Think Wiser's Small Batch, but on steroids.

Overall I think you have to have at least somewhat of an appreciation for Canadian whisky, or grain-forward whisky in general, to really like this bottle. It doesn't have the zingy spice of Lot 40 or the rich sweetness of your typical bourbon. But the maple-nut theme works well for me, as does the drying oaky finish.

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