Bill Ashburn

Master
Blender

For me the pleasure of making whisky is in trying to push the boundaries, trying to do things differently... and trying to find new flavours and expressions.

The most important thing is to have a passion for what you do. Myself and everyone at Forty Creek that works to create the products, the people that market them, the people that sell them, we're all passionate about what we do, and it shows.

Bill Ashburn

On 27th July, 1987 Bill Ashburn arrived for his first day on the job as a Blender at Reider Distillery, where today stands the Forty Creek Distillery. It was through the blending of eau de vie at Reider that Bill evolved his passion for flavour and product development.

Bill's craftmanship and relentless pursuit for creating ground-breaking whisky blends helped carve a new path for Canadian whisky in the 2000s. This earned him Canadian Master Blender of the Year, and helped earn Forty Creek the title of Whisky Maker of the Decade in 2020.

In September 2025, Bill announced his retirement at the end of the year, after an extraordinary 38-year career with the business. “Bill’s legacy is woven into every bottle we produce,” said Doug Costantini, General Manager, Campari Canada. “His dedication, innovation, and mentorship have left an indelible mark on our team and the Canadian whisky industry at large. We are deeply grateful for his contributions and look forward to carrying on the time-honoured traditions of craftsmanship, quality and innovation that he established within our walls.

Awards

2020 Whisky of the year

Canadian Whisky Awards

2020 Whisky Maker of the decade

Canadian Whisky Awards

2020 Canadian Master Blender of the Year

New York International Spirits Competition

2022 Canadian Distillery of the year

New York International Spirits Competition

Awards

2020 Whisky of the year

Canadian Whisky Awards

2020 Whisky Maker of the decade

Canadian Whisky Awards

2020 Canadian Master Blender of the Year

New York International Spirits Competition

2020 Canadian Distillery of the year

New York International Spirits Competition

2000-2010

2011-2014

2015-2018

2019 Victory 15000 bottles - Vanilla wood treatment, port finished

2019 22 year Rye - 102 bottles Bill Ashburn's Magnum Opus 100% rye 2020 20th Anniversay Three Grain - 9200 bottles

2020 Resolve Lot 14- 6400 bottles– High spice wood treatment, port finished- no reserved number bottles offered

2020 The Forager Botanical Whisky launched as a General Release - Hand harvested, botanical infused whisky

2020 Nanaimo Bar Cream Liquor launched as a General Release

2021 Masters Cut Lot 15 -7800 bottles– 5yo cask strength, pot distilled- no reserved number bottles offered

2021 Foxheart - Whisky infused with premium 12-year-old Caribbean rum

2021 Taproom - 15000 bottles - Secondary aging in Bench beer-washed Confederation Oak barrels

2022 Art of the Blend Lot 16-9600 bottles- finished with a hint of Winter Harvest Wine

2022 - Buttertart Cream - Layers of brown sugar, vanilla & butterscotch, perfect over ice, in coffee, or sipped straight.

2023 Cherrywood Reserve - Cherrywood-finished whisky with chocolate, spice & cherry, boldly crafted beyond traditional oak.

2024 Maplewood Select - Small batch whisky finished with Maplewood, creating complex and unique flavours.

2025 Cinnamon Bun Cream - Velvety cream liqueur with rich vanilla, warm cinnamon, and a hint of raisin, pure dessert bliss.

2025 Niagara Triple Reserve - Crafted through a unique triple-barrel process, finished in Niagara Cabernet casks.

2019-2025

Q&A with
Bill Ashburn

Q and A

how is whisky made?

The start of the process of making whisky is very similar to making beer. Various grains, typically corn, wheat, rye barley (both malted and unmalted) are ground using a mill to create a rough flour.

These grains are then cooked and with the help of enzymes and pure water the starch in the grains are converted to sugar. Yeast is then added and the fermentation process which is the conversion of sugar to alcohol and CO2 takes place.

The resultant beer is then distilled using either pot or column stills to concentrate the alcohol and flavours. After distillation the distillate is reduced with pure water and filled into wood barrels. The barrels are put away in the barrel warehouse and monitored for flavour development. Once the barrels have reached the desired level of maturity, the spirit is then dumped from the barrels.

At this point the whisky can be blended to produce the appropriate blend or diluted to bottling strength and bottled.

Bill Ashburn

what is whisky neat?

Whisky Neat is a way of drinking whisky that allows the full natural flavours and aromas of Whisky to be enjoyed. When you order a Whisky Neat it will be one to two ounces of whisky at room temperature poured into a glass. No ice or water is added. Sipping on this allows you to get the full experience of the character of the Whisky.

Bill Ashburn

What goes well with whisky?

Whisky can be a very enjoyable experience in terms of gathering with friends and family. In social situations it should be savoured and enjoyed. In terms of food, whisky is very versatile.

Whisky and dark chocolate are harmonious together. When considering food, whisky and grilled steaks are a natural fit, as well as smoked salmon.

Cheese goes well with whisky with the rule of the thumb being lighter flavoured whiskies paired with lighter flavoured cheese and as the flavour of the whisky increases, so should the flavour of the cheese that it is paired with.

Bill Ashburn

Does whisky contain sugar?

Most whisky contains only trace amounts of sugar. Distillation removes any sugar remaining in the fermented liquid. Trace amounts of sugar may occur as a result of the blending process but the perceived sweetness in whisky comes from all of the wonderful and varied flavour components within the liquid not from sugar.

Bill Ashburn

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Master
Blender

Bill Ashburn

Awards

2020 Whisky of the year

2020 Whisky Maker of the decade

2020 Canadian Master Blender of the Year

2022 Canadian Distillery of the year