Why is blended whiskey never mentioned in these threads? Scotch and bourbon, Scoth and bourbon. What’s wrong with Canadian Whiskey?
There’s nothing ‘wrong’ with it, per se. It just is neither fish nor fowl for whisk[e]y adherents of the US, whom prefer either Scotch or American whiskeys like bourbon, Tennessee whiskey, etc.
If I had to put my finger on one characteristic of Canadian whiskeys that I don’t like, and I think is the issue that makes Canadian whiskeys of limited popularity in the US, it would be this: their ‘finish’ is too sweet, or seems to be cloying. I’m not some hoity-toity gourmand wanker writing columns and books, so I can’t put it into words as accurately or floridly as others might, but if we were at an appropriate establishment for the vending and consumption of adult beverages, I believe I could show y’all what I mean in a side-by-side test.
Obviously the Canadians like it, and they’re not dropping like flies from drinking it, so there’s nothing ‘wrong’ with it. The nose is OK, the start of the taste is OK, for me it is the finish. And since most of us tend to drink whiskey in sips, the finish is rather important...
Oh, and “blended” whiskies. Here’s what I think about them:
The aim of blending is one or both of two things:
1. To create uniformity in large scale bottlings.
2. To allow the dilution of a pure product with something like clear spirit made from straight distilled corn mash - purified moonshine, if you will.
I’d rather pay for and drink the 100% undiluted product. I gots only one liver, might as well use it for only the good stuff.
For a good Canadian, I highly recommend Forty Creek as the best bang for your buck.