Pike Creek 10 Year Old Canadian Whisky, 70cl

Product Information

Take a step outside and you’ll discover what you didn’t know was missing – a reward for your curiosity that immediately feels like a part of who you are. Pike Creek is the whisky that can take you there. From how it’s matured to its rum-barrel finish, it’s a step outside the ordinary. This new version of Pike Creek is still aged 10 years, but has been finished in rum barrels and the ABV increased to 42%Nose: a bit hot at first. Then the typical Canadian wet stone and caramel aromas…

I meant to review all of these a few months ago, but hey life gets in the way.....these are Corby Distillers' new range of premium Canadian whiskies (they also include Gooderham & Worts 17 Year Old Three… Tasting Notes "The port wood influence is strong and pleasant on the nose, suggesting raisins and ripe red fruits. Though lightweight on the palate, it is not light on flavors as blood orange, ginger, and mild baking spices make their presence known. Due to the modest ABV, this whisky has just enough heat to let the port flavors and wood tannins merge to a balanced finish. I really, really hope that the new 10 year-old rum finished version of this is an improvement, but I’m now gun-shy about putting down actual money to try it. This sister whisky to lot no. 40 is 10 years old, finished in vintage port casks, made in Windsor at the Hiram Walker distillery.Nose: Very fruity, contrasted with the dry rye dancing around in the…

Almost like medicine from when you were a kid, but the good kind that you kept trying to break into the drug cabinet for.

Featured at World Whisky Day 2017: Pike Creek is a relatively newer Canadian spirit that first saw light of day several years ago when the spirit was finished in Port casks and released by Corby Distillers along with Lot 40. After a couple of years, reportedly due to sourcing issues, the Port casks were replaced with rum barrels. This attention to finishing is in part due to their master blender, Dr. Don Livermore, whose PhD is appropriately enough in wood science. This focus on the wood gives the distillery another element to make their whisky stand out. Pike Creek 10 has been labeled by some reviewers as a “high-end” whisky, and maybe that is true when compared to regular Canadian blends, but we sure hope this attention to details becomes the new normal.

Overall: I’m not sure I’ve ever had such an irredeemably awful glass of whisky. The liquid provides ample warning of what’s to come with its repugnant aroma, and those that fail to heed the signs will be greeted by an increasingly wretched experience, right down to the unmercifully long finish. Maybe it would have been more bearable if the “Elements” that “Crafted” it had been allowed another 3 years to work. If you happen to see some of these bottles still lying around on sale, I can’t say this often or loudly enough: Do Not Buy This Whisky. The barrels also house an endless source of inspiration for Hiram Walker Master Blender Dr Don Livermore's Pike Creek whisky releases. This growing series elevates Corby's wood management program to euphoric levels by finishing their whisky in a new barrel type for each release. The latest, Pike Creek 15-year-old is finished in Ontario Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels. Finish: Medium-long, unfortunately. Warming, with a little bit of caramel and oak mixed with the unrelenting vodka notes. Finishes with a bit of port wine, which finally tastes slightly like something real. This is, however, marred by the sudden appearance of charcoal bitterness, which is all that remains when the finish fades. About a year later the Cabernet Sauvignon casks yielded 2,058 bottles of Pike Creek, exclusive to the LCBO. As a scholar in oak management, Livermore knew that the majority of the wine flavours trapped in the oak would diffuse into the whisky in 200 days. Anything past that point would create a concentrating effect due to evaporation losses of alcohol, otherwise known as Angel's share.