Canadian Club Whisky

This was the drink, this was the flavour to savour - I have a long held liking for Canadian Club; love to taint a glass with Angostura bitters, throw in some ice before a decent measure of the spirit topped up gently with less than the same of ginger ale.

I developed a taste for whisky, coming I think from the many times my mother made me a hot toddy whenever a sniffle was present. Still to this day I kill the germs in this way, a placebo perhaps but at the very least it distracts your body from whatever ails it.

So a general liking for the taste of an ancestry, of the very land from which it is was drawn, was enough to piqué my interest in some of the many variations including bourbons and the like.

Southern Comfort was a short lived alternative; too sickly sweet along with lemonade but missing any rawness when undiluted. Moreover Canadian club, its more discerning cousin, is the right amount of sweet with the kick that every gold liquid should provide. So despite the occasional foray into a slight variations of spirit, Canadian club is the one to which I will always return.

It was always a little on the expensive side to be a regular choice, considering the quantities I imbibed and the length of time it was generally savoured over, made it an unlikely everyday purchase. That undertaking was left to Grouse or an equivalent blend, but I liked the taste of whisky generally and couldn't justify the few extra pounds needed to spoil myself. The cheaper blends would suffice. And suffice they did.

Canadian Club is my desert island tipple though and the one I turn to in my many hours of need.

17th September 2016

One of the exceptions when it comes to price-to-quality. I love my Islay whiskys and my 12-18 year old Irish whiskeys, but this is my all-time favourite if I don't want to break the bank. Slight taste of molasses, low burn, thin as an Irish whiskey with a slight caramel aftertaste. Beautiful.

31st July 2016

Great whisky. Sweet & spicy, makes a nice change from scotch once in a while.

20th May 2016

It's nice and to me tastes like Vanilla Coke with a maple alcohol after taste to it. It's nice :-)

14th May 2016

All the reviews I have just read are for the most part on cue. Some not so much. Like Scotch or Bourbon, Canadian rye has a variety of flavours. Haters will hate.. Lovers will love. Buy it, don't buy it, whatever. It's what YOU make of it. Not what the reviews make of it. Price wise, cheap. I am canadian and I live in canada. So basically all canadian rye is cheap.. This rye delivers drunk at a great price and my opinion of the taste and smell and finish are YAYY!

30th April 2016

go to at parties. The Rye blends well with Old Fashioned ingredients. This is a straight forward excellent whiskey for Manhattan's and Old Fashioned's.

8th April 2016

An easy drink. A nice change and I really like the sour/spicy taste left on the tongue after swallowing. At £20 a bottle it's good value. If you enjoy whisky then this worth a try. It's simple but enjoyable.

12th March 2016

An easy drinking whiskey enjoyed in about a 3.5 ounce pour over 3 or 4 fist sized real American ice cubes. I've been around the block with a variety single malts, all manner of bourbons, basic american whiskeys and a some wonderful Irish tipples for 27 years and my go to night cap after a long day is still CC.

9th February 2016

Its mild and smooth, underrated but its history is less glamarous than most. But it is still one of my personal favorites!

1st February 2016

Been drinking CC for years. Smooth

25th December 2015

I gave a taste of Canadian Club whisky, neat, to an Irishman once. "Strong sh*te!" he said with a wince. This whisky is harsh on the palate, nothing like most Irish or Scotch whiskies. It's sweet, spicy and oaky, but without subtlety. It's not for drinking neat. But it's great with Coca-Cola!

3rd December 2015

I take my whiskies neat. I prefer less sweetness in general. That being said, for those who like to experience full flavored whiskies of all stripes should not treat CC like the plague as some here suggest. There is a nice punch of wildflower that accompanies the sweetness at the beginning. After the flood of sweetness tapers you will catch some nice wood and smoke flavors that diminish anything but quickly.

5th August 2015

First, appreciate that Canadian Club is a Canadian Rye Whisky, and it should be compared against other Canadian Rye Whiskys, not to scotch or bourbon. If you are going to compare it to scotch or bourbon, compare it to Johhny Walker red or Jim Beam, which are more in this whiskys ballpark.

Now Canadian Club within Canada has a reputation as an everymans whisky, not at all drunk for being exotic, and more for having one of the lower price tags in the liquor store. It smells like spices, barley, and rum, has an alcohol kick, and quite a bit of sweetness, and is pretty representative of Canadian Whisky in general. Makes for a great mixer and it's OK straight. I'd recommend the more high end Varieties of Canadian club for drinking straight, it's a rather dramatic improvement in smoothness and reduction in harshness, and the 12yr variety is very similar in price.

Worth it at a competitive price, wouldn't pay a premium for it, good whisky.

26th July 2015

Yes, i know: What do i except from a bottle of Whisky for 15€. Not much.
But still, this bottle did not even reach my low expectations.

The alcohol in this one is so agressive, i just could not enjoy drinking it.
Yes, sure, there are some flavours like lemon, flowers, mowed grass, even some cinamon. But they are hidden so far behind that alcohol, that i had a real hard time figuring these out.

So, when do you want to buy this bottle?
When you are a whisky beginner, who does not want to spend 50 bucks per bottle, you probably consider buying some scotch from independent bottler. Starts at 16€.

If you are an experienced Whisky drinker, you find way better "exotic" bottles to experience with and you know good whisky's price.

If you want to booze, there are cheaper ways.

Maybe you can use this bottle in a mix. I could imagine something really fruity with lots of sirup. Really, that is the only reason i can imagine, someone wants to have this bottle at homw.

7th May 2015

do not go to McDonalds looking for Koby beef. Canadian Club for almost all who drink it is a mix drink rye(I like it with ice tea myself[and i do not care who cringes]). The sweetness in the rye is beautifully offset by the tartness of the lemon ice tea.

30th March 2015

Just FYI not all whiskeys are the same. When I'm drinking Jim Beam I don't expect The Glenlivet. I appreciate Jim Beam for what it is. Bourbon is not the same as Scotch. I am sampling CC 12 year and it's fine. Canadian Club Premium is also very good. It's not a high end Scotch, but it's a good Canadian Whisky. Quit comparing apples to oranges. Enjoy it for what it is.

14th March 2015

Enjoy it neat and on the rocks. No bite and a smooth rich flavor...and for the money...the best value around.

19th February 2015

Tried this at a recent Burns gathering (I know... not my idea, and I didn't approve of it myself). Barely recognisable as a whisky - it tastes like some sort of liqueur. I can imagine it might taste good in a cocktail, due to its sweetness, hence the generous 3/10, but compared to, dare I say, *real* whisky: truly awful.

15th February 2015

I don't know any Canadian that actually drinks Canadian Club. I'm fairly sure they shipped most of it to other countries so no one would realize we have plenty of much better kinds to offer. Seriously, try Wiser's if you want to be cheap, if you're looking for more high end grab a bottle of Gibson's Finest of course Crown Royal is great too.

But really anyone that enjoys Canadian Club has no taste in good whiskey and I don't take there opinion with any kind of weight.

4th December 2014

I understand that some people have been drinking this brand forever and like it just fine. I grew up in Canada and have drank more than my fair share of CC. I drank it with cola to get smashed, that's it. Now I am (much) older and (somewhat) wiser. I drink Scotch, bourbon, anf Irish whisky because I like the taste and don't drink for the drunk anymore. Canadian whiskey is woefully lacking in decent brands for this purpose and CC is definitely not an exception. Harsh, rubbing alcohol, bitter are the only descriptions that come to mind. Mixed it's fine. Sorry fans but this is the regrettable truth as I see it.

27th November 2014

This stuff is just nasty. I'm Canadian and no one I know drinks cc. There are many better Canadian whiskys out there.

27th November 2014

This whiskey is something many Canadian's buy and drink simply because it's a cheap liquor to mix with cola. This is not in anyway what I would consider decent whiskey. At home I would not serve this to guests(or drink it myself). Canada has many many better whiskeys, unfortunately we must not export the good stuff. I'm shocked by the positive reviews.

19th November 2014

You get what you pay for! CC is a very good whiskey for the price. Good flavor and taste. Is the 12 year old whiskey better? Yes, as it is with any brand. But the 6 year old product is very good! Have enjoyed CC for many years!

22nd October 2014

I adore Crown Royal neat or with a little ice. What i do not adore is the cost. Went looking for an alternative and came up short over and over. Decided to try CC and was blown away! Deep color. Wonderful nose. Great mouth feel and comes off as a slighty stiffer Crown Royal! Smoooooth and full of the flavors expected from a much more expensive whisky. Delicious stuff! It is my got to daily whisky now and dare I say it? I may prefer it to Crown!

13th September 2014

Canadian Club is an outstanding mixing whisky and should be a staple in your drinks cabinet for an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan due to its rye-like taste. I personally wouldn't drink it straight, but then that's what the more expensive stuff is for!

8th August 2014

I usually drink scotch, tried boubon, and consider canadian more like a bourbon with scotch notes. Due to its rye flavor it does have a bite to it.

8th August 2014

As a person who has tried quite a few Canadian club whiskeys, I have to say that it's better if you go for the CC that is one or two steps better than this.... There is a Massive improvement in flavor and finish

18th July 2014

Decent whiskey, fantastic for the price. Tried for the first time tonight, will definitely not be the last

28th April 2014

One of the most solid whiskies available, smooth, crisp, and highly drinkable.

Recommend to all!

24th April 2014

Bought this as it was on special at Morrison's Nice taste for the price but I have a £20 rule when I'm looking for specials on the supermarket shelf so I bide my time,but I needed some home comfort and this only JUST made it to be worth the money.

27th February 2014

I'm not aware of any whisk(e)y that has such a strong rum flavour. As I don't like rum all that much, I really can't stand CC neat. It gets a little more pleasant on the rocks and is a surprisingly good mixer, though.

20th December 2013

I had Canadian Club some time ago and was surprised how good it actually was. Now, when had a bottle myself, was first a bit dissapointed. It seemed much poorer than i remembered. A drop of water did good to the Whisky, though, opening more flavors and qualities to it. Still, did not quite live to the expectation.

17th October 2013

Good whiskey

14th August 2013

I tried this whisky recently, admittedly as more of a cheaper benchmark against a Nikka and an Ardbeg, and found it unpalatably harsh. I got very few aromas and to be honest wish I had just used a Glenfiddich or even a Famous Grouse as my cheaper comparison. Not a good whisky to enjoy straight, though I'm sure would be fine mixed.

18th July 2013

In 70 years I have drunk everything from (God Awfull Kesh Mesh) to fine scotch. Although I am a confirmed scotch drinker I found my first experience with CC VERY SATISFYING....

1st June 2013

This is an excellent whisky to use for a Manhattan, no too much Martini Rosso and some ice. It has warmed us many times through cold Canadian winters. Crown Royal is good too but more expensive. CC is not a pretentious drink but a good, well regarded household brand. And of course it is whisky!!!

28th March 2013

Fairly strong alcoholic burn and clear rum notes when sipped neat. Otherwise, not very complex. Not necessarily bad, but it's just not what I'd expect in a beverage calling itself "whisky".

It does, however, mix quite nicely with Ginger Ale.

26th November 2012

Canadian Club is an established brand that proudly makes a statement displaying its date of foundation proudly on its label and featuring prominently in shows such as Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men and promoted in adverts espousing it’s masculinity, this is a brand with an impressive heritage and cultural impact and as such I did have high expectations when I first opened the bottle

Hailing from Canada, I didn’t know what really to expect in terms of style, to me Canada isn’t on my mental list of esteemed whisky producing nations, I have a loose idea of what a bourbon will be like and what a peated malted is going to bring to the table, all I knew about Canada was that they love ice hockey and maple syrup and share a Queen with us.

I had my first measure poured over ice and this is how I think it’s meant to be drank, the first impressions were smoothness followed by sweetness, not a cloying honey sweetness but a crisp and clean sugary flavour, hiding in the background was a very green and fresh note that added a balance of dry flavours to the palate. It didn’t burn at all going down yet still though it had been poured over ice had a warming effect as it slipped down my gullet, and leaving a spicy note on my tongue long after I had finished the glass.

At room temperature the flavours blended a lot more and it was even smoother but had a nose of aniseed/fennel that came through a lot stronger than when enjoyed on the rocks.

I have been told it makes a mighty good Old Fashioned, however in my opinion it was perfectly fine just enjoyed neat over ice, turning syrupy with the cold.

Details about its manufacture are quite hard to find and as is it’s age etc, however don’t let that put you off, it’s definitely a everyday drinkable whisky that offers something a bit different from similarly priced Scotch or Bourbon.

All in all I think that if you claim to like Whisky then it’s a good purchase and also might be palatable to those who say they dislike Whisky having only encountered mainstream brands. So if you fancy a change and don’t want to spend a lot, try a bottle of Canadian Club.

20th December 2011

I saw it on offer for £12.24p in my local ASDA & thought - why not?
All I know is that I enjoyed the smoothness of it rather like Famous Grouse.
A beutfully sweet taste with a nice hint of spices.

Well worth paying more than I did for.

7th May 2011

I have been drinking Canadian Club for 40 years. I have a selection of 100% proof, Classic and vintage year plus the 150 Year Anniversary bottle. I enjoy the smooth taste and during the summer this is a refreshing evening drink to relax with. Not bad for a Brit as it the only whisky I drink, it's the drink I prefer but unfortunately it's not readily available in all outlets within the UK you have to hunt for it or but it on line

25th May 2010