Review by: TOModera
So for my Xmas Secret Santa swap, I was lucky enough to be paired up with muaddib99 . I had specified that I wanted all mystery drams of whisky I haven’t had before.
So after he tried to sneakily see when I would be home, I figured out we were each others Secret Santa Swappers, had a good laugh, and he dropped off 4 mystery drams and a very fun note.
Anyway, as I’m punctual about mystery drams, and I’m itching to find out, let’s start off with the first clues:
WW1/WW2: no, I don’t mean the wars, these are world whiskies. These two drams are both from your list of what you’re looking for according to your old request inventory page. Hopefully you haven’t had either of them since posting it so you can cross two off your list!
So, these are both on my wanted to review list, in the World Whisky section. Well that should… kinda… narrow it down.
I’m screwed. Let’s see how these taste.
J.P. Wiser’s Legacy
WW1 was from 1914-1918, mostly caused by old world beliefs in having vast tracts of land and constant military buildup. It eventually led to WW2, due to harsh sanctions on Germany.
The WW1 I’m reviewing today has nothing to do with that, and if it did, I’d be afraid to drink the liquefied essence of a World War. It’s a World Whisky. And that’s about all I know about it.
Distillery: Corby Distillery.
Bottler: Distillery Bottling.
Region: Canada.
ABV: 45%.
Age: Unknown.
Cask type: Unknown.
Price: N/A.
Color: Dark Brown.
Nose: Maple, light mace, stewed pears, sweet grass
Lots of stewed pears. Tons of them. If I didn’t know better, I’d actually think this was alcoholic stewed pears. However that’s not on my want list…. yet.
Given the initial maple, and the light nose, and just a little spice, I’d guess this was a Canadian, and probably 40-43%. Somewhat young as well.
Taste: Peach, white cake batter, lime rind, ginger, pear
Some more complexity than the nose, mostly because it’s not just “pear juice and booze”. More spice, some wheat notes. Interesting.
Given the watery nature, I’m feeling that 40% is accurate.
Finish: Caramel, pear, smoke, lemon candy
Strong finish with some caramel, some pear, and a nice amount of smoke. Hmm…
Conclusion: So this is interesting. It’s not overtly complex, though it’s smooth, not disagreeable, and has a nice flavour to it. As something that’s nice to sip, it works. As something complex? Not really.
Part of me thinks that this isn’t a rye
Final Score: 74.
Guess: Wiser’s Special Blend
Actually: J.P. Wiser’s Legacy
Canadian Club Chairman’s Select 100% Rye
WW2 started at a different time based on what country you lived in, was a horrible wake up call for the world, and is the first step in proving that humanity needs trade rather than wholesale execution and take overs.
The sample WW2 comes in a glass bottle, has a definite start and end date, and is being reviewed by me. Now. Let’s see how it tastes.
Distillery: Corby Distillery.
Bottler: Distillery Bottling.
Region: Canada.
ABV: 40%.
Age: Unknown.
Cask type: Unknown.
Price: N/A.
Color: Brown/Gold.
Nose: Lemon, cumin, nutmeg, fresh honey doughnut, light earthiness
Smells like a rye. I’d almost guess Rye no matter what. There’s honey, a little earth, some spices, a little lemon, and some yeast.
Or this could be doughnut flavoured vodka. Which I would laugh about. A lot.
Taste: Ginger cookie with nutmeg in it, walnut, mandarin orange, toffee
Decent amount of spice and sweetness to this one. Young, with some burn. Canadian. 40% most likely, kinda watery.
Which is too bad, because if this was stronger, I feel like the taste would have a great punch to it.
Finish: Cream, cumin, floral, peach drink, funk
That funk is funky. Very funky. Not a good funk either, with an afro and casual drug use in a pre-HIV sexual freedom world. No, this is funky like farting after a night of drinking.
It’s creamy though, so that’s nice.
Conclusion: Interesting dram. This one was more complex than the last one, though actually had some rough spots. I’m pretty sure it’s rye, and that it’s a Canadian. If they took some more care with this one, I think it could really be something.
Final Score: 74.
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.
Malt Runners 