The options are endless when you’re looking for the best bottle of Canadian Whiskey.
You’ll find plenty of top-shelf options, one more expensive than the next. But what you won’t find a guide to really help you break down and understand which brand of Canadian Whiskey you never knew you wanted.
This is that guide.
Canadian Whiskey Might not be your first choice for an on-the-rocks sipper.
But on this list, you’ll find absolutely divine flavors and you will learn to enjoy Canadian Whiskey like you never have before.
And of course, if you prefer a nice cocktail instead, our recommendations will work brilliantly with all your favorite mixes.
Below, you’ll find our list for the top brands in the world and a buyer’s guide to Canadian Whiskey as well as answers to how it’s made and what types are there.
Finally, we’ll round off this article with tips on how to drink and really enjoy Canadian Whiskey as well as the key tasting notes and vocabulary you’ll need to become a true aficionado.
The 9 Best Canadian Whiskey Brands you can buy
Before we introduce our top 9 best Canadian Whiskey brands, let us list down the best popular ones:
Rank | Brand | Best for: |
1 | Forty Creek Confederation Oak | Best Overall |
2 | Crown Royal | Best High-End Option |
3 | Alberta Rye Dark Batch | Best Value |
4 | Pendleton Whiskey | Best for Brand Prestige |
5 | Caribou Crossing Canadian Whiskey | Most easy to drink |
Now, let us introduce the most-awaited list of the best Canadian whiskey brands in the world.
Crown Royal Fine Deluxe
Crown Royal Fine Deluxe, aka the Seagram’s Crown Royal, is a premium Canadian whiskey brand that was first introduced in the year of 1939 in Canada and later in 1964 in other countries, including the US. The brand was established by Samuel Bronfman; however, in recent years, Diageo has owned the company. The distillation takes place only in the brand’s original distillery situated in Gimli, Manitoba, while the blending and the bottling take place in Amherstburg, Ontario.
Crown Royal Fine Deluxe offers 80 Proof Canadian Whiskey that comes in various variants. Even so, some of the popular bottles like the Crown Royal (original), Crown Royal Black, Crown Royal ER, Crown Royal Reserve, Crown Royal XO, etc., have become some of the top-selling bottles in the international market, including Canada itself. They have also been awarded with 5 gold medals and have received excellent ratings from experts as well. It truly is one of the best tasting Canadian whiskey one must definitely give a try to!
Canadian Mist Whiskey
Canadian Mist Whiskey is yet another popular Canadian whiskey that is manufactured by Sazerac. The brand was originally established in the year 1967 and used water from Georgian Bay. The distillery of this popular whiskey takes place in Collingwood, Ontario. Additionally, this distillery is under the guidance of an expert and a master distiller, named Harold Ferguson.
Canadian Mist Whiskey offers 80 proof, 40% ABV, white oak barrel aged pure Canadian whiskey bottles that are available up to 1.75 liters. The brand uses the continuous distillation process to distill their infamous whiskey at least three times. However, even though the brand does not offer a long list of whiskey variants, their only product is a tough competitor of many. It comes in a beautiful rich honey color and tastes sweet, light, and soft with the aftertaste of oak. As of its aroma, you can expect vanilla, slightly touched brown sugar, and fruit cup. It surely is a delicious Canadian whiskey that is extremely easy to drink and enjoy.
Pendleton Whiskey
Pendleton Whiskey is a popular Canadian whiskey that was first introduced back in the year of 2003 in honor of the vice presidential candidate named George H. Pendleton from 1864. This whiskey celebrates the annual rodeo tradition, aka the Pendleton Round-Up that was founded in the year 1910.
Pendleton Whiskey is distilled, bottled, as well as imported by Hood River Distillers Inc in Oregon. However, the brand is widely distributed by Proximo Spirits around the world. Pendleton Whiskey comes in 40% ABV and is 80 Proof. Apart from Pendleton Whiskey original, you can also enjoy other eternally special whiskies like “We’ve Got Your 6” 2021, Champions 2021, 1910, Midnight, and Pendleton Directors’ Reserve Whiskey.
The list of whiskey offered by this brand is typically bold and lets you enjoy the moment of the authentic American cowgirl and cowboy!
Alberta Rye Dark Batch
Alberta Rye Dark Batch was first introduced in the year of 1946 by Alberta Distillers Limited, which is also known to be one of the largest distilleries in Canada. However, in current days, Jim Beam owns the company. This popular Canadian whiskey is made up of 91% Rye whiskey, 8% Bourbon, and 1% sherry.
The brand surely offers one of the dark and powerful Canadian rye whiskey in the whole world. In fact, without any doubt, this brand is the largest rye producer in North American that ages at least, or rather more than 450,000 barrels. Not only Alberta Rye Dark Batch is a famous whiskey brand, but it has also won the SIP Awards, LA International Spirits Competition 2015, New York International Spirits Competition, 2014 International Spirits Challenge, International Whiskey Competition, and many more. So it is safe to say, that the passion for creating the best ever whiskey is what drew the makers to produce one of the perfect whiskies since last 70 years, constantly.
Revel Stoke Peanut Butter Whiskey
Revel Stoke Peanut Butter Whiskey is the ultimate Canadian whiskey, as well as the world’s first ever spiced whiskey. This brand was introduced to the world by the Phillips Distilling Company in the year of 2000 and is named after a well-known Canadian mountain globally famous for skiing. The distillery takes place in the Revel Stoke Distillery, situated in High River, Alberta.
What makes this brand one of a kind is its wide range of spiced whiskies that have largely gained popularity around the world. So you can expect sweet scents of vanilla and cinnamon from Revel Stoke Peanut Butter Whiskey. In fact, a sweet taste of caramel with peanut butter is something that will lure you towards a fine sip everytime!
Collingwood Canadian Whiskey
Collingwood Canadian Whiskey is an authentic Canadian whiskey brand of Canadian whiskey that offers two classic whiskey bottles, Collingwood Blended Canadian Whisky (40% ABV), Collingwood Double Barreled (45% ABV).
The brand is owned by Brown-Forman Corporation, and is distilled in the Canadian Mist Distillery, Collingwood. Apparently, it is a resort town situated two hours away from Toronto, Ontario. These grand whiskies are aged for three years and are matured separately. As of their tasting notes, you can experience a baked cinnamon apple aroma, along with smooth yet tangy flavors. Plus, it also gives you a bitter taste, more like unsweetened chocolate.
So if your mood is to taste a hard, classic Canadian whiskey, Collingwood Canadian Whiskey is a great choice for you to celebrate precious moments of your life.
Forty Creek Barrel Select Whiskey
Forty Creek Barrel Select Whisky is a popular Canadian whiskey brand that was first introduced back in the year of 1992 and was privately established by John Hall and master blender Bill Ashburn. However, in recent years Campari Group has owned the brand as well as takes owned care of the manufacturing process. The brand offers a variety of world-famous Canadian whiskey with 80 proof. The distillery of Forty Creek Barrel Select Whiskey is situated in Grimsby, Ontario.
The brand offers popular choices like Copper Pot, Barrel Select, Confederation Oak, Double Barrel Reserve, and Forty Creek Cream. In fact, it has also won several awards, including the International Review of Spirits, Chicago 2010-2012, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2013, Proof66 Liquor Ratings Aggregator, World Selection, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2006, etc.
Caribou Crossing Canadian Whiskey
Caribou Crossing Whiskey is a Canadian whiskey brand owned by none other than Sazerac. The brand was renowned by master blender Drew Mayville.
Caribou Crossing Whiskey is the first single barrel Canadian whiskey of the world and is made from the master collection. Caribou is aged for at least, or more than just 3 years and is 80 Proof. Additionally, it is bottled only twice every year, during spring and fall, and is distilled in the Buffalo Trace Distillery. As for the smell, you can expect the aromas of apple, peach, whipped cream, and vanilla bean. And, as of its tasting notes, you will experience milk chocolate, vanilla, and some marshmallows with an aftertaste of cinnamon.
Many believe Caribou Crossing Canadian Whiskey to be the perfect easy to drink, dessert whiskey. So, if you are looking for a smooth textured Canadian whiskey, Caribou Crossing Canadian Whiskey is the best option for you!
Lot 40 Rye Canadian Whiskey
Lot 40 Rye Canadian Whiskey is a 100% pure rye grain whiskey that is produced in the old way in order to make sure the taste remains the same from the beginning, till the end.
Lot 40 Rye Canadian Whiskey was launched by Pernod-Richard in 2012, but, the whiskey actually comes from the whiskey that was produced back in the 90s. The brand stopped the production but was relaunched based on the popularity of the rye whiskies.
However, this Canadian whiskey is distilled in Hiram Walker distiller and is aged for at least seven or eight years. It comes in 80 proof bottles that give off bright copper vintage color. As of its tasting notes, you will experience a spicy flavor along with the sweetness of brown sugar, black pepper, brine, and a little bit of sourness. The finish comes off with a savory, clove, and roasted cinnamon, rye grain aftertaste. As for their aroma, heavy rye aroma is a must, along with the tint of menthol, clove, black cardamom, and cinnamon.
Lot 40 Rye Canadian Whiskey is a rich-tasting, perfect-textured, complex canadian whiskey that is worth your time and dedication towards the perfect sip.
The Beginners Buyer’s Guide to Canadian Whiskey
Canadian whiskey indeed has a craze all around the world; perhaps that is why the sales and the demand have grown more prominent over the years. However, if you are all new to Canadian whiskey, then do not worry at all! We have got your back with everything you must know about Canadian whiskey.
Before that, there are our top 5 facts you didn’t know about Canadian whiskey:
- Canadian whiskey needs to be aged for at least three years in its native wooden barrels in order to achieve the ultimate perfection.
- It does not matter if you call it a ‘’Canadian whiskey’’, or just ‘’whiskey’’. For Canadians, it is, and always be ‘’rye’’.
- Canadian whiskies are produced in Canada only, no matter where the headquarters of the company is.
- The Canadian whiskies need to be strictly aged in barrels that can contain 700 liters, not any more or less.
- Canadian whiskies are mostly made with rye, but few producers also add wheat, barley, or corn, and it is still completely okay to call it an original Canadian whiskey.
How is it made
Just like any other whiskey, canadian whiskey is manufactured in the same exact way. However, there are certain directives that are very important to follow in order to produce pure Canadian whiskey, and that is, it must be 100% fermented, distilled, and aged for minimum of 3 years in Canada only. Apart from that, the following are the simple steps to produce whiskey:
- Gather the ingredients, i.e., mash bill, rye, corn, wheat.
- Begin cooking and add all the ingredients.
- Once the ingredients are cooked, the process of fermentation takes place.
- Then happens the distillation that pulls the alcohol and leaves the unwanted solids behind.
- The raw whiskey is set for aging.
- Once the whiskey is matured correctly, it is bottled, sold, and enjoyed!
The Most Expensive bottle of Canadian Whiskey in the world
The Club Chronicles 43-Year-Old Whiskey is one of the oldest, as well as the expensive bottles of Canadian whiskey that costs $340 for 750 ml. It is a limited release that flourishes the tastes with authenticity and with some dried fruits, vanilla, spice, and toasted oak. It truly is a blended Canadian whiskey that was distilled by Hiram Walker in 1854 in Detroit.
Glossary of terms. What you need to know for Canadian Whiskey
Here is a list of canadian whiskey terms you must definitely know about:
- Canadian whiskey: it is one of the most easy to drink whiskies around the world and is mainly made with rye.
- Rye whiskey: also known as Canadian whiskey
- ABV: Alcohol by volume
- Aging: the time given to a barrel of whiskey in order to mature
- Color: it typically comes from the cask
- Distillery: the factory that produces whiskey or other spirits.
Methodology, how we select the best
We choose the best Canadian whiskies based on the following-
The whiskies do not have an ABV below 40%.
The entire production and aging take place in Canada.
The whiskies are aged for a minimum of three basic years or more.
They are available worldwide, especially in the USA.