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. Finish: warm finish with rising heat as it leaves the mouth, with spicy and fruity rye eventually leaving you with the oak and a touch of earthiness. 90% Given the continued success of Lot 40 and its limited edition Cask Strength iterations, it was only logical for Pernod Ricard/Corby spirits to introduce a permanent line extension to the Lot 40 family. Lot 40 Dark Oak takes the popular Lot 40 rye and adds a second maturation in heavy #4 char casks. It’s also bottled at 48% ABV, which is nice. The whisky seems to be a total chameleon; just about every review seems to say something completely different.

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. Palate (undiluted): medium-bodied, rye spice, toasted oak, lots of baking spices, cinnamon hearts, hints of apple and caramel The palate is in line with the nose with even more ripe banana to which you can add a nice red tea and some plum. Fantastic!We may, but are not under any obligation, to release new functionalities and tools or other features for the Service every now and then. Any new functionalities, tools and features shall be part of and governed by the Terms from the moment they are launched and/or available. Further, we reserve the right to modify, change, discontinue the Service, add or remove features, update the Service, change its appearance, temporarily and permanently, at any time, in whole or any part thereof.

It has similar flavours to a peated cask finished Shelter Point I’ve previously tried – not overtly smoky but with shape-shifting medicinal peat spice diffused through the palate. Integrated but not convincingly, the herbal rye spice does bring another dimension to the Lot No. 40, although not really in a complimentary way. It’s not a very authentic feeling, maybe someone should tell Lot No. 40 it’s ok to be yourself. On the nose: I get medium aromas of rye spice, cinnamon, adzuki beans, sweet vermouth, and oak. Sometimes, these come out as mellow. Other times, it’s hot. Underneath is a tingle of sharpness, which makes me assume it’s from the worm tubs. Along with it, and at the tail end, are lighter aromas of anise, leather, vanilla, and honey. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid, the remainder of the Terms shall continue in full force and effect. 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. Very oily; cooking oil, chilli oil, a greasy pepperoni pizza, char. Maybe the pizza crust is charred from a coal fire. Dusty, malty sweet, banana cream pie round out the palate along with some more typical rye flavours; spearmint, dill, caraway rye bread. I wonder if the oily-ness gets removed from the standard Lot No. 40 by chill-filtration, or if this is the single malt casks at work.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: Nose: Not as sharp as I’d expected. Rye grass, eucalyptus, caramel, aloe, dill, earth, cereal, and banana bread. Whenever an enthusiast-focussed bottling from one of Canada's big distillers is released and available in my area, I get uncontrollably excited. I need to have it. Immediately. Lot 40 is a Canadian whisky brand that has won acclaim for its embrace of Canada's rye whisky heritage. Its history is one of tradition and revival, bringing to the forefront the classic methods of Canadian rye whisky production.