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2015 Canadian Whisky of the Year Goes To…Not Who You Think

Canadian Whisky Awards 2015And the Canadian Whisky of the Year award goes to…not the Canadian whisky you are thinking of. That’s right, the Canadian whisky that was picked as Whisky of the Year by a certain controversial whisky writer was snubbed by its own countrymen at the sixth annual Canadian Whisky Awards. Instead it was Lot No. 40 that got named top dog as the most popular whisky in the nation.

Lot No. 40 is a Canadian rye handled by Corby Spirit and Wine/Pernod Ricard. It is said to be distilled in small batches off a single copper pot still and then aged in virgin oak casks. This whisky is seen by many, as wine and spirits retailer K&L Wine Merchants put it, as the “quintessential Canadian rye whisky.” (We reviewed Lot No. 40 late last year and loved it, too.

“A rye whisky sensation,” said noted Canadian whisky writer and Canadian Whisky Awards judge Davin de Kergommeaux in a statement. “Interest in rye is surging globally and here is proof that Canada makes the best all-rye whiskies in the world.”

“Having Lot No. 40 recognized as Canadian Whisky of the Year is like winning the Stanley Cup of whisky,” added Dr. Don Livermore, Master Blender for Corby. “The fact that Lot No. 40 was the top pick among a panel of judges from all over Canada is particularly rewarding.”

Now that other whisky, Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye, did not walk away from the Canadian Whisky Awards empty handed. It collected a couple of awards at the event, but given that it lost out on the top spot, you have to imagine the folks at Crown Royal are smarting a bit over this one.

The Canadian Whisky Awards, for those not familiar with them, are said to “recognize the very best Canadian whiskies and encourage distillers to maintain the highest standards for making whisky. To qualify, the whisky must be distilled and matured in Canada. An independent panel of whisky writers, bloggers, and journalists 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.”

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