Reviewing Lot No 40's 11 Year Old Cask Strength Canadian Rye Whisky.
A couple of things: Canadian Whisky is informally called Rye Whisky although there are no regulations that state it must contain rye. There is a demand for higher abv whisky, or natural strength whisky - straight from the barrel without it being cut down to 40% abv (alcohol by volume). Welcome to Lot No 40 - cask strength. First off, this is not an "informal" rye whisky. This missile of a whisky is 100 percent rye. Secondly, it's bottled as "cask strength", hence our honorific of "missile". And, if you'll allow our indulgence to continue, this is a rye bomb - period.
Lot 40 is named after Joshua Booth's farm: a plot of land apparently labelled as Lot 40.
Why is that important? Well, Hiram Walker's former master blender, Mike Booth is his great-great-great-great grand nephew.
Back to present day, Lot No 40's cask strength delivers an intense rush of rye, oak and spices right off the hop. The higher strength abv throughout the nosing did not dissipate once, but didn't stop the other aromas from coming to the fore. Canadians may be known world wide for being polite. This Canadian, is still polite, but resolute in delivering its notes with cask strength firmness. From start to finish, this Canadian Rye Whisky makes and leaves its presence powerfully and deliciously known... and felt. This is not a faint whisky; however, it is not an abrasive one also. It is, like the label, beautifully polished.
Our pairing suggestion:
In the final sip of our tasting, we recognize the homage Lot No 40 pays to its past. However, we also can't help to think that the emphasis should squarely be place on "Lot" because this whisky has a a whole lot of presence!
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