Canadian Whisky - Characteristics and Historical Background

Characteristics and Historical Background

While the lighter and smoother Canadian whiskies are the most widely familiar, the range of products is actually broad and includes some robust whiskies as well.

According to the laws of Canada, a Canadian whisky must be mashed, distilled and aged in Canada. To improve marketability, it may contain caramel (as may Scotch whisky) and flavouring, in addition to the distilled mash spirits. As with Scotch and Irish whiskey, the alcohol content of the spirits used may exceed 90%. Thus, much of the spirits used in making a Canadian whisky, prior to aging, may have less grain-derived flavour than typical single malts or U.S. "straight" whiskeys. While this aspect is similar to Scotch and Irish whisky regulations, it contrasts with the maximum alcoholic proof limits on distillation (80% abv) and aging (62.5% abv) purity allowed in the production of straight whiskey in the U.S. All spirits used in making a Canadian whisky must be aged for at least three years in wooden barrels of not greater than 700 L capacity (a requirement similar to that for Scotch and Irish whisky and longer than for American straight whisky). The final whisky must contain at least 40 percent alcohol by volume. As with Scotch and most other whiskies, the barrel used for aging may be new or re-used and may be toasted, charred or left raw.

Historically, in Canada, whisky that had some rye grain added to the mash bill to give it more flavour came to be called “rye”. Although some Canadian whiskies are still labelled as “rye”, Canadian “rye” whisky usually contains high-proof corn-, rye-, or wheat-based whisky blended with lower-proof rye-grain whisky and/or Canadian made "bourbon-style" corn whisky as flavouring. Occasionally barley whisky is also used for flavouring. Flavour may also derived in other ways, such as flavour development from the aging process and blending with other lower-proof. stronger-tasting Canadian whiskies.