Tasting

Ontario tastes of grain, not smoke or fire. The mild corn of the Base Whiskies carries a light sweetness. The rye of the Flavouring Whisky contributes pepper, clove, and a dry spiciness. In the finished blend, the two merge into a profile that feels softer than American bourbon and drier than a Scotch malt.

How strongly the spice comes through depends on the proportion of Flavouring Whisky in the blend. Often it's just a small part, just enough to give the mild base whisky some backbone. Even the light blend from Collingwood, Canadian Mist, relies primarily on this mild corn base. That's why an Ontario whisky rarely tastes overbearing, but rather balanced between sweetness and spice.

Lot No. 40 from J.P. Wiser's in Windsor shows what a pure rye whisky from the region tastes like. It's distilled entirely from rye and aged five to nine years in brand-new oak barrels. On the nose come spiced vanilla, caramel, and orange peel. On the palate follow sweet grain, butterscotch, and apple pie, with a long, spicy finish.

Pike Creek, also from Windsor, takes a different path. It's double distilled, corn-based, aged ten years, and then finished for at least a hundred days in port casks. This brings caramel, clove, and dried fruit to the nose. On the palate it's full and warm, with spicy caramel and grain notes.

The best way to try both is neat at room temperature, first without anything added, then with a few drops of water to open up the aromas. Anyone wanting to know just how different Base and Flavouring Whisky taste should place a mild blend alongside a pure rye like Lot No. 40. The difference shows up right there in the glass, the product of over 150 years of separate distilling in Windsor.