This expression is reminiscent of American whiskey more so than other Canadian distillers, as the extra maturation gives the tasting note a wonderful, woody roasted aroma and a palate filled with vanilla, toasted baking spice, pecan and walnuts. The finish is extra-long with a full mouthfeel that is perfect over ice or for the neat sipping whisky drinker.

3. Lot No. 40 Rye Whisky

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Long before the likes of Diageo, Suntory, and Pernod Ricard S.A (who currently own it) started globalizing the worldwide liquor game, there was Hiram Walker, one of the great booze barons who moved his distillery from Detroit across the border in 1858 to set up his crown jewel, and later his own town Walkerville (true story).

Lot No. 40 is not the only drop on this list to come from the Hiram Walker Distillery – one of the largest North American liquor producers – but it’s the most rye centric expression. Where some American distillers incorporate rye into a complex mash bill, Lot 40 dominates with its focus on rye spice and baking spice notes rather than corn and barley.

Lot 40 is crafted one batch at a time under the watchful eye of master blender Dr. Don Livermore, winner of countless Canadian Whisky Awards.

It commences distillation in a single copper pot still to preserve the fruity, floral notes that result from fermentation, then put into new American oak barrels to introduce notes of vanilla and caramel to rye. The resultant Canadian rye whisky is complex, bold tasting and emblematic of the best Canadian whisky production.

4. Gooderham & Worts Four Grain

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Gooderham & Worts Four Grain aims to utilize the traditional recipe the original brand used in the 1800s when it dominated North American whisky. This 90 proof expression contains corn, barley, rye and wheat, all distilled separately in a combination of pot and column stills before being married together for maturation in virgin oak and ex-bourbon barrels.