If you have been paying any attention, the original Lot 40 Cask Strength 12yr was the darling of Canadian whisky releases last year. A well priced, cask strength 100% rye that was widely available. Also helps it was bloody delicious.
I would like to thank Corby/Wiser’s who provided the sample of Lot 40 cask strength 11 year, the bottle of the 12 year I purchased last year. I try my best to not allow the nature or source of the pour influence my review.
This year it is followed up by a slightly younger version with a slightly higher ABV. Let us see how they compare.
Lot 40 Cask Strength 11yr (2018)
- 11 years
- Virgin oak casks
- 100% rye
- 58.4% ABV
Nose: Cinnamon, oak, caramel, pepper, clove, apple, earthy. Spicier than the 12 yr
Palate: Big punch of rye spices, clove, cinnamon, pepper, caramel, cinnamon heart candies. Oak, barrel char. Vanilla
Finish: Long. Vanilla, cinnamon, mint, oak, caramel. Drying on the tail end.
Score: 87.5
Spice heavy, more oak. Less herbal/orange. If you like traditional, big, bold ryes you will like this more.
Lot 40 Cask Strength 12yr (2017)
- 12 years
- 100% rye
- 55% ABV
- Virgin oak casks
Nose: Herbal, vanilla, sweet, oak, dill, orange peel, clove and apple. Sweeter, lighter, more herbal.
Palate: Herbal, apple, clove, oak, black tea, orange peel, pepper.
Finish: Oak, black tea, cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla, orange peel, herbal.
Much lighter in terms of spice and oak. Less vanilla/barrel char, more herbal in profile.
Score: 89
Overall, these are two amazing ryes from Wiser’s. Which you will prefer will come down to personal preference and what type of spice profile you look for in a rye.
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[…] of Elegance, Mark of Whisky Buzz and most of the Reddit reviewers prefer the 2017 release (i.e., Devoz, TOModera and xile_, and others). But the average score for the 2018 release is running higher in […]
Not a comment on this H2H, but on a Reddit review from August 2018, #92 Rendezvous Rye Barrel Select from Supermarket Liquor in Niagara NY. The sample supplier said the bottle was not finished, but actually this was a 2017 pick that was finished in Hungarian Oak for 3 months. I had a bottle previously. They still have bottles in stock but the sticker noting the cask finish is not on them. I picked up 2 bottles recently at $72 ea. Cad all in (did not have to pay duty and they are on sale), I asked if they had any stickers with the cask finish notes but they could not find any.
Thought I would pass this on and maybe if you had a connection down there you get get them to mule it to you. Cheers and your review was solid.