Forty Creek - Barrel Select

Forty Creek is produced by Kittling Ridge Estate Wines and Spirits in Grimsby, Ontario, a distillery founded by John Hall, who brought a winemaker's sensibility to Canadian whisky production.

Barrel Select is the flagship expression and the product that established Forty Creek's reputation as a serious departure from the blended commodity whiskies that long dominated the Canadian category.

Rather than blending grain spirits after aging, Hall aged each grain separately: corn for body, rye for spice, and barley malt for complexity.

These were matured individually in small new American oak barrels before being married together and finished in select sherry-seasoned casks, adding a layer of dried fruit and warmth to the spirit.

The whisky shows genuine complexity, with dried fruit and warmth from the sherry finish alongside the body, spice, and malt character of the individual grains. The 375ml format offers a smaller pour of a whisky that is otherwise available in standard bottles. It suits neat pours and simple cocktails.