Lot No. 40 Canadian Rye Whisky 70cl, 43% ABV

Product Information

Lot No. 40 is a Canadian rye whisky made entirely from unmalted rye grain. It is first distilled in a column still before a secondary distillation in a pot still. The standard expression is matured in new American oak, and there have been a few versions, including the famous 12yo and 11yo cask strength releases. This one was finished in port-seasoned French oak. Colour: Medium tan. Definitely a darker hue than regular Lot 40, more on par with the aged cask-strength releases (or even darker).

Immediately upon getting this bottle home I was hit by another uncontrollable urge: I needed to make a Manhattan with it. I did Aengus' classic recipe - 2 oz rye, 0.5 oz sweet vermouth, dash of angostura, stirred not shaken with lots of ice, and served neat in a martini glass with Luxardo cherry. It was great - the best Manhattan I’ve had in recent memory. So Don, how wet were those casks anyways? If you know Canadian whisky you know this question is irrelevant since this whisky could contain up to 9% actual port by volume without disclosure * Aengus gives a sideways glance at the suspiciously low cask strength ABV*. It doesn’t say 100% rye on the bottle the way the core releases of Lot 40 do either. The planning approval to develop Project Utama had been given by the State Exco over the first seven (7) phases consisting of 706.922 acres. Except SP Baiduri own project, SP Baduri is one of the appointed contractor and sales agent with Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB). More than 1000 unit house has been built and sales to buyer.

Lot 40 Rye Whisky Details

The finish is relatively long for a Canadian rye whisky, with a soft rye glow that fades into more typical vanilla sweetness (there’s that new oak again). A definite improvement over the very short-lived finish of CC 100% Rye. Again, it’s not going to compete with an expressive single malt, but it is a nice (if fairly simple) finish for this class of whisky.

I want to connect with it the way I connect with single malt scotch. I want my taste buds and olfactory senses to be transported to another dimension and marvel as the liquid evolves indescribably in my mouth, in the glass, and in the open bottle over the months or years that it is in my cabinet. And most importantly I want to know what I’m drinking. I don’t think this is the best whisky in the world, but I enjoyed it. I keep a bottle around more often than not because of how accessible it is to those new to whisky, Canadian or otherwise. It also gets a high five for its affordability. Score: 5/10 Among those who know a bit about Canadian whisky, the woefully misunderstood 9.09% (or 1/11ths) rule prevents many from trying what Canada has to offer. Add to that the fact that “Canadian rye” does not have to contain any rye grain at all, and you have more confusion in the mix. In addition, many of my homeland’s best-known whisky experts are perceived as cheerleaders who are not sardonic enough to earn “whisky critic street cred.”

Rest of the World

It’s a great favourite of Master of Malt contributor Ian Buxton. And we don’t argue with Mr B about whisky. Lot 40 Rye is produced at Canada’s powerhouse the giant Hiram Walker distillery in Ontario which also produces the excellent J.P Wiser whiskies. That master blender Don Livermore really knows what he’s doing. Everything at the Hiram Walker distillery goes through a column still for the first distillation. In the case of Lot 40 they do a second distillation in the pot still, so although it’s all pot distilled, it’s not only pot distilled. Also I’m fairly certain the apparatus details on the label have nothing to do with the equipment used to make the current Lot 40. No worm tubs or wooden pipes here sadly. Corby (distributor) lists this, and only this, under its Lot 40 “brown spirit” brands so I’m thinking this is nothing more than just a new label. The bottle is the same and the proof is the same, but as you’ll see in the Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whisky review below the quality of whisky is definitely not the same. Whiskey Review: Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whisky If the Internet is correct, the original Lot 40 (released in the late 1990s) was the brainchild of then Master Distiller Mike Booth. It was an attempt by Hiram Walker to create three different premium whiskies known as the Canadian Whisky Guild. The success of these whiskies was limited, probably owing to the reticence of consumers to embrace premium Canadian whiskies. Lot 40 was discontinued, much to the chagrin of Canadian whisky enthusiasts. The palate is very pleasing as well, with much the same layered flavours as found on the nose. Not quite as fruit-forward as I was expecting, although still plenty of apple, pear and some prunes. A touch of anise. In addition to baking spices, it also reminds me a bit of the hot/sweet cinnamon candies I grew up on. However, I must admit that I find it doesn’t quite live up to the promise of that wonderful nose. As mentioned in my CC 100% Rye review, I actually like the more fruit-forward profile of the CC offering (as least as far as initial palate goes). Again, there is nothing offensive in the palate here – it is just a touch more subdued than I would have hoped for. Simply put, if the nose is a home-run, I’d rate the palate as a triple.

To celebrate the holidays of 2022, a bunch of my relatives and I decided to visit Vancouver. This would be what I’d consider my first real trip to Canada, as I’ve previously been to Victoria for only a few hours about a decade ago. Palate: Very aromatic, big spices with chocolate, and toffee. Actually tastes a bit like Dr Pepper. Greg B mentions the original iteration used to be better. I have not had the opportunity to try it so I can’t comment on the taste, but the original did contain malted rye to supply the enzymes for starch conversion, whereas the present version uses 100% unmalted rye and use commercial enzymes for conversion. In the mouth: Not as expressive as on the nose, but also not as hot. I get light and tamed tastes of rye spice, honey, cinnamon, adzuki beans, sakura liqueur, red rice tea, and leather. Conclusions: A truly stellar aspect of Lot 40 for me is its nose – a rich bouquet of baking spices (cinnamon and nutmeg in particular) and fragrant floral notes (including heather), with some dark fruits evident underneath. You can also smell the candied sweetness that is the characteristic of new charred oak barrels. Rich and complex, there are absolutely no false notes here­. Honestly I could smell it all night long (which, as my lovely wife has opined, would certainly make it last longer!). 😉

Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. Sadly not as expressive and flavorful as I had hoped for, what with it being pot distilled and worm tub-condensed. I guess the big boys really know how to take the fun (flavor) out of their products, even if they’re marketed as a small batch.

Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whisky comes from the same distillery and the same mashbill as the Lot 40 Canadian Whisky and to be honest I’m having trouble finding what the difference between the two are online. This one is likely younger, I’m getting a rougher delivery and it’s missing the elegance of it the 2012 release, outside of my senses I’m having a hell of a time finding concrete info on this guy. Finish: Medium length. Hot chilies and sweet caramel initially, followed by the dill. A lot of woody notes. Bubblegum and cloves return at the end, and it is again drying on the final finish. The 1/11 rule is, and should be preserved as, part of our blending history. However it would go a long way for credibility in Canadian whisky if the rules required blenders to state if any non-whisky components were added to their products. Some other blenders have taken the opportunity to celebrate the rule and successfully incorporated it into their marketing, but I’ll say it again: mandated disclosure please. At the end of the day it’s all about the smell and taste experience and this one is undoubtedly good stuff. As enthusiasts we all like to know exactly what’s in our glass, but when it comes to Canadian whisky, don’t strain your brain - it often doesn’t help.Wow, this is weirdly good. I don’t know what I was expecting with the Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whisky, but this wasn’t it. The aroma is a solid spicy rye aroma with a bit of sweetness. The palate is spicier than the aroma with a slightly lower bit of spice and the finish is surprisingly short and muted. Have you got your tree up yet? We always leave ours to the last minute but the trouble with this kind of sylvian brinkmanship is that you might get to your friendly local tree dealer and there will only be unhappy stunted little bushes available. Or no trees at all! Then you’ll have to get one of those silver plastic ones from the supermarket. But then again, they don’t drop needles and you can use them over and over again. So in some ways you win. Maybe stop worrying and have a look at what’s behind the next door of your advent calendar. This hardly tastes like a rye at all, much less one from Canada. The floral bouquet notes and springtime essences are all gone replaced by what amounts to a rich and creamy cappuccino. This is nothing like the previous year’s 11 year old version and would make more sense if it was a rye bottled by Woodford Reserve and finished in a second barrel (which does exist by the way!). This is not to say that this is a bad whiskey. On the contrary, it is actually very unique. I’ve never had cappuccino flavors paired with a rich creaminess to this degree before, not even in bourbons that were finished in a second new barrel.