A gift from a friend: Canadian Club, Classic 12

Friends. Friends are great things to have. Friends are there to console you when you are sad. Celebrate with you when you are happy. They know to spend time with you when you are lonely and when to stay away when you need space. Friends pay attention to you, your needs and your wants. Sometimes, friends even give you gifts.

It was almost a month ago now that I was whining on twitter about really wanting to try a certain 100% Rye whisky that appeared only in the Canadian marketplace. It was about two weeks later that a surprise Christmas gift from a Canadian friend showed up on my doorstep. Inside that were three  whiskies. Two only available in Canada and this one, Canadian Club Classic 12 which is available in vast quantities in Minnesota. Available, yet somehow neither my wife nor I had never tried it.

When you look on the store shelf, the bottle looks remarkably like the Canadian Club Sherry Cask that we explored a while back. Maybe this was the source of my overlooking it for so long. It’s either that or even after all the experience that tells me otherwise, maybe I still suffer from a hint of a bias against inexpensive Canadian whisky due to past experiences from younger days. If that’s the case, shame on me. Especially since I even kinda enjoyed the regular Canadian Club.

So let’s see if this is one that should have stayed overlooked or if there has been a great value just sitting there waiting for us to find it.

Canadian Club Classic 12

Purchase info: Gift, though it is available for around $18 for a 750 mL in Minnesota

Details: 40% ABV

Nose: Cedar and butterscotch initially. After a bit, pencil shavings and brief hints of cinnamon and acetone are added.

Mouth: Rich butterscotch, honey, black pepper, baking spices and vanilla cake.

Finish: Lingering warmth with butterscotch, black pepper and vanilla cake.

Thoughts: If, like me, you like rich sweet whiskies, this is for you. It’s inexpensive, sweet, and has a much nicer finish than I am used to from an 80 proof Canadian whisky. I may have received this small bottle as a gift, but I’m certainly going to be buying a big bottle soon.


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