Whisky:Lot 40 Rye Explorations Peated Quarter Cask. Release #1

Producer: Pernod Ricard

Distillery: Hiram Walker

Whisky Type: 100% Canadian Rye

Age: Non-Age Statement (NAS)

Region: Windsor (Ontario)

ABV: 55,5%

Aged in Cask:Virgin charred oak and peated quarter casks

Price Range: $$

On my last visit to Toronto, I came across LOT 40 Rye Explorations Peated Quarter Cask Limited Release whisky from Hiram Walker Distillery while exploring whisky options at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), and I decided to give this expression a chance due to the following:

• I have never had a 100% rye whisky aged or finished in peated casks. How will the spicy rye get along with the bold character of the peated casks?
• Despite not living in Canada, I know it is not traditional for Canadian distilleries to produce rye whiskies that have aged in peated casks or have used peat when malting the rye. Since the label said the words “Explorations” and “Limited Release” I could not resist the temptation and took a bottle with me to Atlanta.

Tasting notes for Lot 40 Rye Explorations Peated Quarter Cask (Bottle 1970)

This expression of Lot 40 is aged initially in Virgin charred oak for its primary maturation and finished for 17 months in casks that previously held peated single malt whisky. This whisky does not have caramel coloring and it is non-chilled filtered. This rye was bottled at 55.5% cask strength on August 2021.

By definition, Lot 40 is first distilled in a column still with a second distillation in a pot still to concentrate the flavors associated with rye.

Nose: Fruits, rye spices (i.e., clove, cinnamon, pepper), caramel with oak notes. A slight touch of smoke, and peat..

Palate: Sweet mouth coating-oily arrival that develops fast into a more intense sensation of spicy flavors and peat. Adding one teaspoon of water balances the equation between fruit, spice, and peat. The water slows down the transition and makes the whisky closer to my taste, a bit more balanced. Interestingly, there is no burn in the delivery, even at 55.5% ABV..

Finish: Medium with an intense confluence of spicy and peaty flavors. Here in the finish is where you feel the explosion of spice and peat.

Conclusion: Believe it or not, the nose is one of the best parts of the experience because it brings forward the sweet notes with only a hint of peat.

Unlike peated Single Malt Scotch, the fruit flavors do not have a malty character, but more of a spicy note from the rye. To answer my question at the time of my purchase, I think spicy and peaty flavors complement well. The trick is in the intensity they both bring to the game at the finish. An intensity suited for a niche. My preference is more toward a slight touch of peat. Therefore, adding water improved the experience for me.

According to the Whisky Advocate Magazine, “Canada’s largest whisky distillery goes through 100,000 metric tons of corn, wheat, rye, and barley annually—enough to fill around 1,000 hopper railcars”.  

A distillery of the size of Hiram Walker’s should be fine just producing core range products enough to satisfy the domestic and international markets. However, the distillery is constantly looking for ways to innovate with expressions like this one, making me look at this distillery in a different way.

For those new to Hiram Walker Distillery and the line of brands, you can check previous articles about other expressions of LOT 40 Canadian Rye and iconic brands such as J.P. Wiser’s:

LOT 40 Canadian Rye
https://thewhiskyknights.com/lot-40-canadian-whisky-review/

LOT 40 Dark Oak Canadian Rye
https://thewhiskyknights.com/lot-40-dark-oak-canadian-rye/

J.P. Wiser’s Red Letter
https://thewhiskyknights.com/jp-wiser-experience/

J.P. Wiser’s Dissertation
https://thewhiskyknights.com/jp-wisers-canadian-whisky-review/

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Score: 3.5/5 ⭐

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