Forty Creek Rye Named 2019 Whisky of the Year

VICTORIA, Jan. 18, 2019 / – The best whisky in Canada is an all-rye whisky, distilled 22 years ago at Forty Creek Distillery in Grimsby, Ontario.

After blind tastings of well over 100 whiskies, 10 independent whisky experts have declared Forty Creek 22-year-old Rye as Canadian Whisky of the Year in the ninth annual Canadian Whisky Awards.

Held each January at the Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria, BC, as part of the Victoria Whisky Festival, the Canadian Whisky Awards recognize the very best whiskies produced in Canada.

Awards founder, Davin de Kergommeaux described Forty Creek 22 year-old Rye as: “A huge, yet elegant rye whisky, just bursting with complex flavours.”

Other top accolades went to whiskies from JP Wiser’s, Canadian Club, Crown Royal, and Gooderham and Worts. Forty Creek founder, John K. Hall was announced as the first member of the Canadian Whisky Hall of Fame, while Dr. Don Livermore was named Blender of the Year.

“Every year the whiskies are just that much better than the year before,” said de Kergommeaux as he revealed the winners. “Top whiskies from five or six years ago might earn a silver medal today. The competition is that intense.”

As the Canada’s pre-eminent Canadian whisky competition, the independent judging panel, served up some surprise honours to relative newcomers such as Saskatchewan’s Last Mountain distillery which took home top spot as Microdistillery of the Year.

If this year’s record setting submissions are an indication, Canadian whisky fans have an extremely exciting 2019 to look forward to.

Note to editors:

About the Canadian Whisky Awards The Canadian Whisky Awards, held annually in conjunction with the Victoria Whisky Festival, recognize the very best Canadian whiskies and encourage distillers to maintain the highest quality standards. To qualify, the whisky must be distilled and matured in Canada. An independent panel of whisky experts selects the winners after tasting each whisky blind. Operated on a not-for-profit basis, the Canadian Whisky Awards are fully independent of the Canadian whisky industry.

Photo caption: Forty Creek distiller, Bill Ashburn (centre) accepts the award for Whisky of the Year from head judge and awards founder, Davin de Kergommeaux (l), and co-host Heather Leary (r).

Photo Credit: Jen Steele

Awards:

  • Lifetime Achievement – John K. Hall
  • Flavoured Whisky Export – Black Velvet Toasted Caramel
  • Flavoured Whisky Multi-market – Crown Royal Salted Caramel
  • Whisky Value Domestic – Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Red Cask
  • Whisky Value Export – Pendleton
  • Whisky Value Multi-market – Crown Royal Blender’s Mash
  • Sippin’ Whisky Domestic – Canadian Rockies 21yo
  • Sippin’ Whisky Export – Rich and Rare Reserve
  • Sippin’ Whisky Multi-market – Pike Creek Rum Barrel
  • Award of Excellence – Innovation – Shelter Point Montfort DL
  • Award of Excellence – Line Extension – Corby NHL Alumni Series
  • Best Whisky Spirit – Ancient Grains
  • Artisanal Distiller of the Year – Last Mountain Distillery
  • Distillery of the Year – Hiram Walker & Sons Distillery
  • Flavoured Whisky Domestic – Forty Creek Cream
  • Connoisseur Whisky Domestic – Canadian Club 41yo
  • Connoisseur Whisky Export – Crown Royal Blender’s Mash 13
  • Connoisseur Whisky – Multi-market – JP Wiser’s 35yo
  • Best New Whisky – Bearface
  • Best Single Malt Whisky – Two Brewers Release 9
  • Best All-Rye Whisky – Forty Creek 22yo Rye
  • Best Blended Whisky – Gooderham and Worts Eleven Souls
  • Blender of the Year – Don Livermore

And, the 2019 Canadian whisky of the year is

  • Forty Creek 22yo Rye

Gold Medals

Bearface

Canadian Club 41 YO

Canadian Club Classic Small Batch 12 yo

Canadian Rockies 21 yo

Caribou Crossing Single Barrel

Crown Royal 13 year old Blenders Mash

Crown Royal Black

Crown Royal Blenders Mash

Crown Royal XR

Forty Creek 22 yo Rye

Gooderham and Worts Eleven Souls

Gooderham and Worts Four Grain

JP Wiser’s Alumni Whisky Series Wendell Clark

J P Wiser’s 35 yo

JP Wiser’s Canada 2018

Last Mountain Single Cask Wheat Whisky

Lot 40 11 yo Cask Strength

Lot No. 40

Pendleton 1910-12 year old

Pike Creek 21 yo European Finish

Pike Creek Double Barreled Canadian Whisky

Rich and Rare Reserve

Shelter Point Montfort DL

Two Brewers Release 9

Wayne Gretzky No 99 Ninety Nine Proof Whisky

Silver Medals

Black Velvet Onyx

Canadian Club Chairman’s Select 100% Rye

Canadian Rockies 17 yo

Crown Royal LImited Edition

Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye

Crown Royal Reserve

Crown Royal Wine Barrel Finished

Crown Royal XO

De Vine Ancient Grains

Forty Creek Barrel Select

Forty Creek Confederation Oak

Forty Creek Cream

Forty Creek Double Barrel

Forty Creek Unity

Gibsons Finest Bold 8 YO

Gibsons Finest Rare 12 YO

Gibsons Finest Venerable 18 YO

JP Wiser’s Alumni Whisky Series Guy Lafleur

JP Wiser’s Seasoned Oak

JP Wiser’s Triple Barrel Aged 10 Years

JP Wiser’s Triple Barrel Rye 43.4%

Lohin McKinnon Chocolate Malt

Lohin McKinnon Lightly Peated Single Malt

Pendleton Midnight

Pendleton Whisky

Shelter Point Classic Single Malt the Strath Edition

Shelter Point Double Barrelled

Stalk and Barrel Canadian Red Blend

Two Brewers Rel 10

Wayne Gretzky No 99 Ice Cask Whisky

Wayne Gretzky No 99 Red Cask Whisky

Wiser’s Special Blend

Bronze Medals

100 Bushels

Alberta Premium

Black Velvet

Black Velvet Reserve

Black Velvet Toasted Caramel

Canadian Club Barley Batch

Canadian Club Premium 1858

Canadian Mist

Central City Brewing Peeled Orange Liqueur

Collingwood

Collingwood Double Barreled Whisky

Crown Royal Deluxe

Crown Royal Regal Apple

Crown Royal Salted Caramel

Crown Royal Texas Mesquite

Crown Royal Vanilla

Fils du Roy Appalachia’s Canadian Rye

Fils du Roy single malt whisky homage at Congres Mondrian Acadian 2019

Fils du Roy Single Malt, Richelieu International

Forty Creek Copper Pot

Forty Creek Spike

Gibson’s Finest Sterling

Glen Saanich

Golden Stag

High River

JP Wiser’s 18 YO

JP Wiser’s 15 YO

JP Wiser’s Apple

JP Wiser’s Deluxe

JP Wiser’s Old Fashioned Whisky Cocktail

JP Wiser’s Triple Barrel rye 45%

JP Wiser’s Vanilla

Last Mountain Single Cask Rye

Last Mountain Single Malt

Le Rye Sivo

Le Single Malt Sivo

Lohin McKinnon Tequila Barrel Finished

Masterson’s 10 YO Straight Rye Whiskey

NHL Alumni Series, Lanny McDonald

North of 7 4-Grain

North of 7 95% rye

Pemberton Valley Single Malty, 8 YO Single Barrel Organic

Royal Canadian Small Batch

Royal Reserve

Schenley Golden Wedding

Shelter Point Avant-Garde Barley

Shelter Point Cask Strength

Shelter Point Single Malt

Stalk and Barrel 100% Rye Cask Strength

Stalk and Barrel Blue Blend

Stalk and Barrel Single Malt Cask Strength

Two Brewers Rel 11

Two Brewers Release 8

Walkers Special Old Rye