If you’re a fan of whiskey and you haven’t branched out into Canadian whisky (unlike the US, Ireland, and Mexico, Canada omits the ‘e’ in whiskey), you’re missing out on some special expressions. Whether you enjoy blended whisky, spicy rye, or other types of whisky, Canada has something for every palate.
Sure, Crown Royal and Canadian Club might be the most well-known names, but many more noteworthy whiskies from our friendly neighbors to the north are absolutely worth adding to your home bar cart.
Our favorite Canadian whiskies
If you didn’t know it already, Canada is most famous for two whisky styles: blended and 100 percent rye whiskey. And while the US (specifically bourbon whiskey) is known for its staunch rules and regulations, Canadian whisky only needs to fit a few criteria. It must be matured for at least three years, made with a mash bill recipe of grains, and must be at least 80-proof. The rest is up to the distiller. They can get as creative as possible with the blends, aging, and finishing barrels.
Now that you have learned a little about the exciting world of Canadian whisky, it’s time to find some to sip right now (and all year long). Below, you’ll find a list of our favorite Canadian whiskies. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whisky
Few expressions are more beloved in the pantheon of well-made Canadian whisky than Lot 40. This copper pot still distilled whisky is made with a mash bill of 100% rye. It’s named for the plot of land the whisky-innovating Corby family first settled in the 1800s.
Tasting notes: This complex, sippable rye whiskey is known for its flavor profile of dried cherries, sticky toffee pudding, toasted vanilla beans, wintry spices, and cracked black pepper.
Caribou Crossing Single Barrel
If you ask a Canadian whisky fan to tell you one random bottle they can’t live without, many will mention Caribou Crossing. This legendary single barrel is a bit of a mystery, as parent company Sazerac doesn’t disclose its mash bill or its age statement. But that doesn’t change the fact that it has countless fans.
Tasting notes: This whisky’s palate features flavors like toasted vanilla beans, marzipan, caramelized sugar, oak, and gentle wintry spices.
Pendleton Whisky Directors’ Reserve
Pendleton Whisky Directors’ Reserve (like all of Pendleton’s whiskies) was first matured for two decades in American oak barrels in Canada before being moved to Oregon and proofed down to 80-proof using glacier-fed spring water from Mt. Hood.
Tasting notes: The result of the tireless aging process and proofing gives this whisky a complex flavor profile featuring notes of candied orange peels, toasted vanilla beans, charred oak, cinnamon, caramelized pecans, and gentle spices. This whisky deserves to be enjoyed neat on an unseasonably cool evening.
J.P. Wiser’s 15 Year Old
This double-distilled blend of corn and rye distillate was matured for fifteen years in a combination of new white oak barrels, ex-bourbon casks, and barrels that previously held Canadian whisky.
Tasting notes: The result is a nuanced, memorable whisky loaded with flavors like maple candy, toffee, toasted vanilla beans, wintry spices, and a hint of peppery rye. It’s sweet, spicy, and highly memorable. Sip this one neat or on the rocks as you sit by a roaring fire, swaddled in a warm blanket.
Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye Whisky
If you haven’t paid attention to world whiskies recently, you might not be aware of Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye Whiskey. Well, the rest of the world is. That’s because this 100% rye whisky was named ‘World Whisky of the Year’ by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2021.
Tasting notes: It’s known for its memorable cask strength flavor profile featuring notes of orchard fruits, maple candy, candied nuts, toffee, oak, and peppery rye. It’s best enjoyed neat with a splash or two of water to open it up.
Crown Royal 12 Year Reserve
No Canadian whisky list is complete without at least one expression from Crown Royal. And while you can’t go wrong with its classic blended whisky, if you want to try something special, you’ll opt for a bottle of Crown Royal 12 Year Reserve. This recently launched expression matured for twelve whole years in charred American white oak barrels.
Tasting notes: The result is a sublime sipping whisky with notes of caramel apples, charred oak, milk chocolate, candied nuts, cinnamon, wintry spices, and just a hint of peppery rye. It’s a mellow, sweet, gently spicy sipper for the cold months ahead (and all year long).
