Pike Creek 10 Year Double Barreled Port Finish

Review by: TOModera

Yes, the glass is dirty, it’s been a rough 3 weeks.

Hi all! I was at the LCBO, looking around, bemoaning the fact that I live in Ontario, and thus Scotch is very expensive, when I realized that I actually live in Canada and Rye is inexpensive (love the one you’re with and all that). So I picked up Pike Creek 10 Year Double Barreled Port Finish and Alberta Premium Dark Horse. As everyone seems to have tried Dark Horse but me, I tried the Pike Creek First, as I’ve been wanting to try a Port Finish whisky for awhile now.

So based on what I’ve found, this whisky is made by Corby’s, which is owned by Pernod Ricard. Originally created in the 1990’s along with other flavoured ryes. It didn’t sell too well (even though it was much loved) and was then discontinued… up until 2012, when Corby’s brought back both Pike Creek and Lot 40.

Pike Creek is a name for a suburb in Windsor Ontario, or at least that’s what it tells me, as I had never had the chance to go to that suburb while I went to school there.

Distillery: Corby

Bottler: Corby

Region: The grand duchy of Canada

ABV: 40%

Age: 10 years. Distilled in 2002. Bottled in 2012.

Cask type: Finished in ex-Port Casks

Price: $39.90 (CAD)

Color: Raisins (some gold, mostly brown, some brick dust)

Nose: Port, dried apricots, currants, dark caramel, a little smoke, a strawberry field, plum, sour lemon candy

Palate: Cherry, orange rind, blackberries, honey, nutmeg, lemonade, brown sugar, butter

Finish: Smoke, sour cherry, cumin, chocolate

Conclusion: This is a well done, very interesting rye. Much better than the Canadian Club Sherry Cask, very nice to sip. It’s main downside is it is only 40%, and there are flavours that just don’t pop as much as they should. Here’s hoping this catches on. I’ll have to pick up the Lot 40 as well.

Final Score: 82.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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