Distiller: Forty Creek Mashbill: Rye Whisky + Barley Whisky + Corn Whisky Cask: ex-Bourbon Barrels & Canadian Oak Barrels Age: NAS ABV: 40%. about Kessler American Blended Whiskey Review, about Bunnahabhain 1973 Over 35 Years Artist Review, To make the Forty Creek Barrel Select master distiller John Hall starts by distilling three different whiskies. But far and away their best is the Three Grain Harmony. Skip the water. This whisky is finished for up to 2 years in new Canadian Oak barrels, which have a tighter grain due to Canada’s colder climate, and impart a truly Canadian flavour profile. Review: Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Canadian Whisky /October 11, 2018 Whisky is a fascinating process, packed with flavour, partially … Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Before I get on with my impressions of this whisky, here is what John Hall of Forty Creek Whisky has to say about his Confederation Oak Reserve: I have worked with many types of oak barrels, first as a wine maker and then as a whisky maker. The mild oak becomes mildly tannic – mouth drying – and the bitterness continues but is still balanced by the remaining sweet notes (brown sugar, mostly). Sweet vanilla, berries, barbeque sauce, mash, granola. There’s a distinct nuttiness to it, unlike anything I have ever tasted in a whiskey. Price Point: $20 – $30 for 750 ML. Perfect as an after dinner treat or … Those samples had wonderful nuttiness (walnuts) and dark fruit notes (dates, plums). Sweet – a ton of brown sugar, honey, and molasses accompanied by a twang of medicinal grain alcohol, a cross between middling vodka and rubbing alcohol. 80 Proof. Distiller: Kittling Ridge Distillery . Distiller Notes The color of old gold with huge whisky tears constantly evolving aromas and flavors; beginning with maple-raisin-vanilla-fig, evolving with layers of praline, banana, butter cream, honeyed nuts, and orange blossoms that lingers with dried dark fruits and anise. A 40 year-old whisky for $55 would be something, indeed. I’ve had some terrific samples of Confederation Oak this year. That would make them – drumroll, high-hat – about as old as Canada’s Confederacy. Add to a Favourites List Very low tongue burn (apropos for 40%), with those same sweet baked goods up-front on the palate. I liked Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye about 100 times more than this (and it’s half the price) and although as an all-rye product instead of a blend it’s not a fair comparison, I liked Lot 40 100% rye more than both of those. Review: Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Whisky 90.5/100 a review by Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf) Posted on September 18, 2011. However, I agree that the culprit in the disappointing bottles of FC is exactly what you’ve identified: an off, bitter, vodka-esque flavour. Users have rated this product 5 out of 5 stars. The medium-weight body feels good. As well you can have your bottle signed by their … Ontario is the most populated and prolific wine producing province in Canada. Looking at this bottle and thinking about all the other Canadian whiskies I’ve had, inc…, Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky Review, Bunnahabhain 1973 Over 35 Years Artist Review. Mostly sweet, it does have some spice and a fair amount of oak bringing it together. Almost chewy. As well you can have your bottle signed by their … With Water: A few drops of water increase the nose tickle without improving the complexity. 2 Responses to “Introducing: Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Canadian Whisky” DavindeK said. Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve is a blend of the individually aged corn, rye, and barley spirits that are "married" together for an additional aging. Forty Creek Confederation Oak is the colour of old gold and is a very full bodied whisky. The nose offers aromas of citrus, peach and honey with soft notes of caramel and vanilla; rich with creamy notes of toffee nicely framed with toasty oak and a long lingering finish. Today, and with this release, I am enjoying a pour of Forty Creek, Confederation Oak. Review: Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Whisky (Lot 1867F) 87/100 a review by Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf) Published September 1, 2016. Forty Creek’s Confederation Oak Reserve was making noise in whisky circles a half-decade ago. Peppery with sweet but subdued vanilla out front, and cedar in the background. NOSE The long est ... Stores and prices for 'Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Whisky, ... ' | prices, stores, tasting notes and market data. In 2010 Forty Creek Whisky introduced Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Whisky.What made this whisky unique was that it had been finished in Canadian Oak Barrels.These oak barrels were made from oak trees (growing only 40 miles … Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve is a blend of the individually aged corn, rye, and barley spirits that are "married" together for an additional aging. After a rest in the glass some of the ‘rubbing alcohol’ has dissipated, revealing sweet baked goods (“snickerdoodle” cookies) vanilla buttercream frosting, and sweet corn. Enjoy! Buy Now . Butterscotch, fresh-cut wood, toasted oak and wood smoke. Users have rated this product 4 out of 5 stars. This smooth and complex whisky has an elevated spice profile rounded out with a drop of vintage Villard Noir Port. Could just be that one batch, though, I DO understand. Enjoy reading The Whiskey Jug? Whisky: Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve: Country: Canada: Type: Blend (Grain) Cask: American Oak: Abv: 40%: Rating: 88/100: Reviews of Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve. Finish: Medium length. Overall: I’m not quite sure what all the fuss was about five years ago. John Hall, the whisky maker at Forty Creek, always wanted to see what whisky would taste like which is aged in Canadian Oak, as most whisky is aged in either American or European oak – different species which yield different flavours. Palate: Soft, silky body. Review: Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Whisky 90.5/100 a review by Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf) Posted on September 18, 2011. Or, I suppose, if you feel you must taste a whisky partially aged in 150 year-old Canadian oak there’s no better chance. Part of the appeal of Forty Creek is their Reserve line. Yes. Critics have scored this product 91 points. I regret now that I didn’t taste it at the time, because maybe the heady air of mass shared public delusion might have improved the experience. Beginning with a maple-raisin-vanilla-fig, layers of praline, banana, butter cream, … The Confederation Oak Reserve is fare better than Copper Pot. Confederation Oak was created to commemorate Canada’s 1867 Confederation. Mostly sweet, it does have some spice and a fair amount of oak bringing it together. It’s a bit too sweet and runs across the senses in a way that builds to become a cloying butterscotch bomb and the only saving grace is the bit of spice that keeps it from tumbling into overly sweet one notedness. Confederation Oak Reserve $ 69.95. Please log in again. Released to celebrate Canada’s 1867 Confederation, this whisky is finished in new Canadian oak for two years. Newer labels omit the “40”. EYE Dark honey. The trees used for these barrels were harvested from about 40 miles from the distillery. A delicious spicy whisky. I’ve got mixed feelings about Forty Creek. I have a habit of doing this, on the blog; I hoard bottles and samples and then take way too long to get around to reviewing them. I picked up my 750ml bottle back in 2015 for a whopping $55 a bottle – quite a stretch for a Canadian mass-market release – and if for some reason it matters my bottle is #04325 from Lot 1867-D. Today, and with this release, I am enjoying a pour of Forty Creek, Confederation Oak. Enjoy! Forty Creek Confederation Oak isn’t fully my style of whisky. I chanced upon their booth, which was one of … Lot: 255 Bottle: 00675. Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Small Batch Canadian Whisky (Lot 1867 L) 92 points, 40% ABV, $65 A complex nose with citrus fruits, hints of sultanas, … Quality control seems less consistent since founder John K Hall sold the brand and stepped away from day to day operations. The nose is not quite as sweet as anticipated. Ta-da! 7 Comments. The palate feels thinner – indeed watery – although the finish is a little sweeter. The whisky is composed of rye, barley, and corn which are individually distilled and aged in white oak. Ontario is the most populated and prolific wine producing province in Canada. Forty Creek Double Barrel Reserve Info. Forty Creek ages their copper pot-still components (rye, corn, and barley) in separate barrels and then carefully blends them together for the final product, an unusual approach. Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve isn’t just a mouthful, it also makes some sense when you read about it. In 2010 Forty Creek Whisky introduced Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Whisky.What made this whisky unique was that it had been finished in Canadian Oak Barrels.These oak barrels were made from oak trees (growing only 40 miles … Price: $60. Lemon cream, sweet- and-sour rye, dry grain, new sawdust, fresh fruit, and a citric zestiness. Reviews & Prices at Whisky Suggest Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve. Reply. Forty Creek Confederation Oak is the colour of old gold and is a very full bodied whisky. The resulting whisky is bottled without an age statement at the legal minimum of 40% ABV. When the whisky is ready to be married, they are then transferred to Canadian oak barrels. The Canadian oak, according to owner John K. Hall, contains a larger quantity of vanillins because of the colder winters. Fades without evolving. It’s a blended whisky that is finished for up to two years in new Canadian oak barrels, which the distillery says have a … This is a complex whisky which rewards patient sippers with a constantly evolving palate. Professional Wine Reviews for Forty Creek Canadian Whisky Confederation Oak Reserve Rated 94 by Ultimate Beverage Challenge A big whiff of maple candy and fresh herbs gives way to a robust mouthful showing notes of raisin bran, cinnamon toast, butterscotch, tobacco and a meaty charred quality that lingers through the finish. (750ml bottle) Purchased at K&L Wines and Spirits, Redwood City, CA, $55, Cocktails: Part One. The login page will open in a new window. When the whisky is ready to be married, they are then transferred to Canadian oak barrels. Forty Creek’s Confederation Oak Reserve was making noise in whisky circles a half-decade ago. The oak trees used are harvested from forests near the distillery in Grimsby, Ontario, and are estimated to be around 150 years old. “The rebirth of Canadian whisky” and similar phrases were bandied about. The finish is just great. In that case, though, look for a glass of it at a bar rather than dropping $55 – $70 on a bottle. “The rebirth of Canadian whisky” and similar phrases were bandied about. Privacy Policy. Confederation Oak was created to commemorate Canada’s 1867 Confederation. In its continuing series of special releases, Grimsby’s Kittling Ridge Distillery will introduce Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve in the next few weeks. To the nose it is a big whisky with constantly evolving aromas and flavours. Aged for a minimum of four years in vintage bourbon barrels then aged again for up to two years in custom made Canadian white oak barrels. Restrained, but full-flavoured. These are accompanied by mild black licorice (anise), corn pudding, butterscotch frosting, mildly bitter oak, and faint dusty charcoal. The Noob’s Top 10 Cocktails, The Balvenie (15 year) Single Barrel Cask #201, ScotchNoob Recommends: The Glencairn Glass, ScotchNoob Recommends: The World Atlas of Whisky, ScotchNoob Recommends: Whisky Advocate Magazine, Book Review: The World Atlas of Whisky by Dave Broom, Mortlach (15 year) – Game of Thrones “Six Kingdoms”. If you like your whiskies sweet and uncomplicated, get the Crown Royal above. Confederation Oak is sweeter than but not as weighty as Forty Creek Double Barrel, and not nearly as sweet as the toffeed Barrel Reserve.Finish: Medium-long. The trees used for these barrels were harvested from about 40 miles from the distillery. Background. Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve isn’t just a mouthful, it also makes some sense when you read about it. Filed Under: Canadian Tagged With: Canadian Whisky, Copper Pot Reserve, Forty Creek, review, Whisky. There’s also a lot of honey in this, both in the mouthfeel and the flavor. This whisky is aged entirely in selected Canadian Oak barrels from trees that predate the country. I would be ashamed if I had any kind of journalistic integrity or even any sense of responsibility to my readers. The whisky is composed of rye, barley, and corn which are individually distilled and aged in white oak. A celebration of both Canada’s 1867 Confederation, and Canadian ingenuity. Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Canadian Whisky rating was calculated by tastings.com to be 90 points out of 100 on 8/29/2017. Forty Creek Premium Barrel Select Canadian Whisky. I’m happy to see that newer bottle labels took care of one of my gripes about the original bottle design for Confederation Oak: The giant number “40” on the front, which naive consumers could be forgiven for reading as “40 years”. Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Canadian Whisky rating was calculated by tastings.com to be 90 points out of 100 on 8/29/2017. Would you buy this again? This whisky is aged entirely in selected Canadian Oak barrels from trees that predate the country. Please note that MSRP may have changed since the date of our review. Thanks so much for pointing people to my review of Forty Creek Confederation Oak. November 2, 2010 at 11:32 am. Review: Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Whisky (Lot 1867F) 87/100 a review by Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf) Published September 1, 2016. I regret now that I didn’t taste it at the time, because maybe the heady air of mass shared public delusion might have improved the experience. Thankfully, I have neither so here we go. This is an excellent expression from the Grimsby, Ontario distillery. In this case after blending, the whiskies are married – meaning aged – “up to 2 years” (a phrase I heartily dislike because one day qualifies as “up to 2 years”) in new Canadian oak barrels. Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve By El Vino , November 12, 2014 in Foreign Whiskey This topic has been inactive for at least 365 days, and is now closed. Expect aromas of maple, raisin, fig and praline, with a full-bodied palate of buttercream, pepper and walnut. Forty Creek Double Barrel Reserve Review. Copper Pot isn’t the best 40 Creek rye. Confederation Oak Reserve does still appear on store shelves, so this review isn’t totally useless, although there’s no telling what might have changed – aside from the label – in the 5 years since my bottle was filled. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. ★★★★☆(Note: This review was written in 2010.) Rich & Round. About “aging the components (rye, corn, and barley) in separate barrels and then blending them together for the final product”, it’s actually the most commonly used method in Canadian whisky. This is categorically Canadian whisky, by its soft mouth feel and dominant sweet notes, but it suffers the same downsides that less-expensive Canadian blends suffer: excessive ‘rubbing alcohol’ aromas, flat one-dimensional palate notes, and a vaguely bitter finish. Professional Wine Reviews for Forty Creek Canadian Whisky Confederation Oak Reserve Rated 94 by Ultimate Beverage Challenge A big whiff of maple candy and fresh herbs gives way to a robust mouthful showing notes of raisin bran, cinnamon toast, butterscotch, tobacco and a meaty charred quality that lingers through the finish. Beginning with a maple-raisin-vanilla-fig, layers of praline, banana, butter cream, … Facts Reviews How We Pack It’s a blended whisky that is finished for up to two years in new Canadian oak barrels, which the distillery says have a … Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve This review is from a sample graciously provided by @Nozinan This is the Original lot 1867, opened Sept 2015, gassed … A truly flavourful spirit, Forty Creek Cream is crafted using fresh dairy cream and award winning Forty Creek Canadian whisky. As well you can have your bottle signed by their own Master Distiller and Whisky Maker, John Hall, when you… A celebration of both Canada’s 1867 Confederation, and Canadian ingenuity. Nose: Distinctly Canadian whisky. Also, before you start digging out your Dixie flags, note that the “Confederation” in the title refers to the Confederation of Canada in 1867. Please support me on Patreon! For an example, see the bottle image above. Soft Corn. 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