From the rush of Niagara Falls to the rolling hills that make up Canada's largest wine region, the Niagara peninsula has long attracted winemakers, brewers and distillers alike to put down roots in its fertile terroir.
Niagara is the home of innovators with a relentless spirit, who despite challenging winter conditions, work on their craft each year for a bountiful harvest. As Canada's first craft distillery, Forty Creek pays homage to its Niagara roots and hopes to give the region that offers so much, the recognition it deserves.
Canadian Whisky
A Brief History of Canadian Whisky
From the very beginning, Canadian whisky producers were mavericks who took a non-conformist approach to the creation of their whisky. This playful sensibility continues to flavour the rich history of Canadian whisky today.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Canadian farmers made good use of any leftover corn or wheat in the mills. German and Dutch farmers brought the earthy, malty flavour of rye, which they added to their whisky mash to impart the spicy, fruity notes that are distinctive of Canadian rye whisky.
Compared to whisky production in other parts of the world, Canadian whisky has benefited from less rigid regulations. This freedom to play with the ingredient profile of mash bills, the variety of barrel types used for ageing (think oak or maple wood, or even barrels previously used to age wine, bourbon, rum, or sherry), as well as the master blending of perfectly finished whiskies is what sets Canadian whisky apart from other producers.
Whiskies Around The World
Grains
Distillation
Barrels
Aging
Flavour
Canadian Whisky
Any
American Blended Whiskey
ANY
Bourbon Whiskey
Must be 51% corn
Scotch Whisky
Must contain malted barley
Japanese Whisky
Must contain
malted grain
Canadian Whisky
Max 95% alcohol
American Blended Whiskey
Max 95% alcohol
Bourbon Whiskey
Max 80% alcohol
Scotch Whisky
Max 94.8%
alcohol
Japanese Whisky
Max 95%
alcohol
Canadian Whisky
Small wood <700L
American Blended Whiskey
20% aged in new charred American White Oak
Bourbon Whiskey
New charred American White Oak
Scotch Whisky
Small wood
<700L
Japanese Whisky
Small wood
<700L
Canadian Whisky
Minimum 3 years
American Blended Whiskey
20% aged for 2 years, remainder can be unaged
Bourbon Whiskey
Minimum
2 years
Scotch Whisky
Minimum
3 years
Japanese Whisky
Minimum
3 years
Canadian Whisky
Yes, one up to 9.09%
American Blended Whiskey
Yes, in the 80% unaged portion
Bourbon Whiskey
No
Scotch Whisky
No
Japanese Whisky
No Restriction
But then Bill Ashburn mused,
what if we...
Foraged our own botanicals
Forager botanical whisky
The world's first botanical Canadian whisky, The Forager is crafted by steeping a 4-year-old Candian whisky for 48 hours with wild botanicals foraged from the Candian wilderness and aged in virgin oak casks. The result of this unique alchemy is a botanical whisky and gin substitute noted for its medley of flavours including toffee, herbal tea, and a long peppery finish.
