Canadian Club 100% Rye Whisky is the rye component of what would normally go into Canadian Club whisky. A typical Canadian whisky is made of corn, rye and barley that are each distilled and aged separately and then blended together before bottling. This blend is sometimes then put into other barrels for finishing or additional maturation, but often it’s blended in steel tanks and bottled straight away.
With how hot rye is right now It’s not hard to understand why CC put out the Canadian Club 100% Rye Whisky. If anyone has a ton of it just sitting around in barrels it would be the Canadians; this is why brands like Whistle Pig have been importing their rye from Alberta for so long. It’s really interesting to try this single component of CC and I think they should continue the tradition and release a 100% corn and 100% malt one as well.
Seriously, how cool would that be if CC released a bottles of all of their components so people could taste them on their own and create their own blends at home. They’d need to up the proof to at least 92 (46%) so we had some wiggle room with water, but if they did that I’d buy the whole set. Market it as CC deconstructed, offer it at a decent price and give consumers a whole new level of interaction with the spirit. Ah the things I would do if I had my own distillery. Anyways, on to the Canadian Club 100% Rye Whisky review!
Canadian Club 100% Rye Whisky Info
Region: Alberta, Canada
Distiller: Canadian Club
Mashbill: 100% Rye
Cask: ex-Bourbon
Age: NAS
ABV: 40%
Price: $18
Canadian Club 100% Rye Whisky Review
EYE
Caramel
NOSE
Big dollop of butterscotch followed by notes of dried fruit, vanilla, almond, toffee and lighter notes of honey and hazelnuts. There is an interesting sour beer meets a melon-like fruity underpinning happening. Odd.
PALATE
Butterscotch and grains shove through first, carving a path for weaker notes of caramel syrup, vanilla taffy, cinnamon and nuts to come through trailing something vaguely oily and char-like. It reminds me Jack Daniels in a way.
FINISH
Medium fizzle of butterscotch, spice, toasted nuts, toasted grains and that vague oily char character.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
The sweet butterscotch character is so heavy it throws it off balance. It carries a medium body and a slightly syrupy feel.
OVERALL
Canadian Club 100% Rye Whisky is better than I thought it was going to be, but not as good as I was hoping it would be. Regardless, it’s fun to taste this because you really see how much of the traditional Canadian Club character is derived from the rye component; hint, it’s a lot. Which is interesting to discover, I now know the culprit behind that cloying butterscotch and grain character that permeates good ol’ CC.
Though I will give the Canadian Club 100% Rye Whisky credit because it does have some added complexities and spice that I’ve never found in traditional CC and I like it more than I do the malt and corn blended variety. This is something that’s worth a taste, though at $18 it might be worth a bottle to have as a quick mixer.
SCORE: 80/100 (B-)
Canadian Club 100% Rye Review - Score Breakdown
Summary
Canadian Club 100% Rye Whisky isn’t a bad deal for the price if you’re looking for a new take on rye.
Overall
- Nose - 81
- Palate - 81
- Finish - 80
- Balance, Body & Feel - 78
I drink a lot of the Canadian Club 100% Rye. Low proof, very mild, soft taste, not complex at all. At $20-25 a bottle it’s a good deal. Not a world beater but not a bad whiskey. If you want an entry level, High Rye, this is a good one to try. It doesn’t have the character or taste of the Indiana Ryes from MGP in Indiana. It is much much milder. Not spicey and no real bite. Easy drinking. Somewhat sweet almost caramel like. I found it really very sweet. So sweet that sipping it, two is usually enough. Not high proof either so you can really session with it. Not a bad product at this price point. It’s not high end but that isn’t where it is marketed either. A great starter Rye and a good everyday go to. I have a bottle around all the time.
I enjoyed reading your thoughts there, thanks for sharing M.D. Houser. Cheers!
Rye Whiskey sold in the USA can’t be aged in used barrels like this was. This is imported and COLA approved as Canadian whiskey. The label clearly says Canadian whiskey. The 100% Rye line is just a fanciful name description on the COLA. But they are hoping reviewers like you and retail liquor stores will all place this in the the Rye category instead of the Canadian whisky category.
Thanks for the added detail Wade :)
I picked this up for just over $20 in Manhattan where it got a rave review from Astor Wines & Spirits. I’m a rye lover, and I’ll try just about anything. Unfortunately, I wasn’t impressed with it plain with ice or in a Manhattan. It simply doesn’t have that spicy rye character that I’ve grown used to. And sure, I suppose with coke or ginger beer it would be quite tasty, and those are great suggestions. But frankly, I’d rather pay a bit more and buy a small bottle of High West Double Rye or go to the $40 tier where you have a wealth of options. I’m not able to sip a bit here and there, so when I get to drink a rye (or a bourbon) it’s got to count. And where whiskies are concerned, this certainly seems like a golden age to me.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Nate. Cheers!
I am a new craft whisky drinker. I’ve been enjoying budget priced American bourbon for years, but this year a friend has introduced me to
some better quality products. He bought me a bottle of Bulleit Bourbon and then I started exploring and tried some Redemption Rye. I liked the Rye taste. My (Northern California liquor supermarket) advertised this
same Canadian Club 100% Rye Whisky and are selling it for $10/ .75 liter bottle. Perhaps it didn’t sell well in the craft market and they picked it up cheap??
I bought 4 bottles to try it. Am sipping it neat. I like it. Especially at the price. Straight, it definitely has a spicy peppery character. It is a smooth enough finish for me to be happy sipping it. I know I’ll enjoy it with ice and ginger ale, too. Think I’ll have to get a couple cases of this while they still have it.
Wow, $10 is an insane deal. Thanks for sharing Kelvin, cheers!
I enjoy this rye but I think it’s hard to really get the feel for a Canadian whiskey without mixing with coke and gin. Our palates are tuned to more sweet food and drink than our southern cousins and you can see that if you taste many of the same brands in Canada vs USA, e.g. Coca-Cola. It seems to me most Canadian whiskeys are meant to be cheaper and be put into a highball. I tend to find they taste better than scotch and American whiskeys this way. I rarely drink whiskeys neat so I’m happy with a good mixer.
Cheers!
Wow, thanks for the insight and sharing. Cheers David!
I’ve had my share of a variety of whisky from all over the planet. I refuse to believe that some of the descriptions given by some of the reviewers are on the level. Anyone can make that stuff up. My evaluation of CC 100% rye whisky goes something like this ….. “Pretty good stuff for a mixed drink or straight up with or without ice. I like it and with it’s price point, I like it even more.”
If I want apricots and coffee, I’ll open up a can and brew a cup of java.
There have been over 300 sensory compounds identified in whiskey. Some people are more sensitive to it and they come across as the flavors and aromas they mention because that’s what it reminds them of. We all have varieties of sensitivities and as many as 1/5 of humans can’t pick up more than 1 or 2 as they’re not sensitive at all. This is all VERY well documented in numerous studies (one linked below). Could be you’re in the % that isn’t sensitive to the compounds.
Nothing wrong with your take on it at all because at the end of the day that’s what it all boils down to.
Cheers.
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/jf800382m
Hey gang, grew up in Windsor, proud to taste something this balanced and well made. Try it, it’s good to see this hit the market.
Straightforward, easy companion
I bought my first bottle in Newfoundland last summer. I was tired of drinking gimicky, overpriced ryes in the US. The label said 100% Rye which appealed to me. I’m also just not a fan of high proof ryes so 80 proof seemed about right. I’ve been drinking it ever since. Mostly as an Old Fashions sans the simple syrup. The muddled Luxardo cherry is enough sweet for me. I do need to explore some more but for now I’m a happy camper.
Sam
Thanks for sharing, cheers Sam!
I’m sorry to say, but there’s far better and more interesting whisky coming out of practically any country you could drop a pin in – Japan, Taiwan, India, Switzerland, Sweden and England, hell, probably even Kazakstan – than anything I’ve tried out of Canada in ten years, and that includes CR Northern Harvest Rye (JM World Whisky of the year – seriously?… this is where I lost my last shred of respect for the bloke). Come on chaps, get with the programme.. tell a good story (you have it), NCF, 46% +, no dodgy additives, sh*t, if the Welsh can do it with Penderyn, why can’t you?
Preach it Martin! :)
Lol the number of Americans talking about how boring our whiskey is in mediocre whiskey land is hilarious. Maybe it’s because we drink all the good stuff and sling you the cc and crown. Canadian whiskey is boring xD bourbon is cloying and stiff no character whatsoever. Stuff like lot no 40 and glen Breton blow the tits off any bourbon going. And I’ve even had a 25 year old pappy
I agree Lot 40 is excellent stuff, but I’ll definitely disagree that Bourbon is too cloying and well Pappy is completely overrated. Some of the single malt stuff coming from Cananda is pretty good, but all the blended stuff is either mediocre or terrible. But to each their own. Cheers!
This is actually on sale at a store near me for $13. Definitely debating picking it up…I’m curious how that price might have affected your review. Cheers!
Thanks for sharing Scott. I never let price influence my score. I try, to the best of my ability, to only think about what’s in the glass. If it’s a sample / sent to me it’s literally the last thing I look up so it doesn’t influence anything I think about a whiskey.
I have to disagree on your scoring with my personal taste. I think it rates a little higher in each category. It is by no means super complex and necessarily a very hearty rye but i think overall it is well rounded. The 40% probably the reason it is a bit light hearted but nonetheless it is a quality rye. It has some very nice vanilla and spice but is a little lack luster on the finnish.
I like all types of rye. From Willet Family Estates which are some of the biggest baddest and boldest ryes available to a Rittenhouse which is only 51% rye and a different animal all together. This one has it’s place, an easy drinking for early evening or afternoon neat sipper.
I also have a bottle of the Crown Royal Rye and that is a much sharper and spicier rye IMO. Its 45% and 90% rye and I enjoy it very much. Thanks for the review and the work you do here!
To each their own. Thanks for sharing, cheers Matthew!
I used to drink the Canadian stuff when I was young. now in my late fifties I know better !!! buy American. cheers all
My go to Rye is Knob Creek. This was on sale so why not try it. I’m a fan of Canadian whisky anyway. Well, I like it. Sometimes I’m not up to a full bore rye and this to me is a nice softer interpretation. YMMV. Give it a try !
Glad that you reviewed this new CC offering. Same here-better than regular CC but not as good as I hoped. The rye notes I expected are muted. Why are most Canadian whiskies only 80 proof? Maybe ramping it up to 90 would improve the flavor. Great idea of CC releasing 100% versions of each grain! Has any other distillery ever tried this?
None that I know of and I wish they’d do at least 92 proof (46%) so they’d be non-shill filtered and give the full experience. I bet they’d be much better.
Cheers Kraig!
I wonder if that has to do with our taxation structure and minimum pricing. You just don’t see a lot over 40%/80 proof up here, which is a shame, but Canada tends to have an aggressive approach with alcohol and tobacco for health reasons. Our vice taxation is rather heavy as anyone who has compared prices between Canada and the US can attest.
It totally could be. Taxation is a big reason for a lot of things like ABV/proof and what gets exported and what doesn’t. Cheers David!
Well I tried it and liked it. Only thing is its real hard to find in my area. My county stores seem to have a hard time getting it. If I want
to drive 25 miles i stand a chance of finding it in an out of county store, at a considerable increase in cost naturally. I’m not big on the burn thing. Call me a sissy. Three of the Ryes I’ve tried that I like so far are from Canada. The American Ryes still like that burn, like Bourbon. I don’t care for it. I like it over a few cubes with a splash of club soda. I like the taste of distilled spirits, and this is very pleasant.
Sounds like you found something that you like and that’s the most important thing about whisky. Find what you like and then drink it.
Cheers!
I ordered a bottle this at my local liquor store and will be receiving it Tuesday and I’m looking forward to trying it.
I used to drink a lot of Canadian Club and other Canadian whiskeys before I got into American whiskey. I used to love the Canadian Club Classic 12 year. In other words, I’ll always have a soft spot for CC.
Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Josh, glad to see you branching out into more Canadian whisky.
FYI, CC 100% Rye is not actually the rye component of regular CC. Beam-Suntory owns both Alberta Distillers and the Canadian Club brand. Although they have chosen to use the CC label on this straight rye, it is actually a new product made from Alberta Distillers rye (as opposed to regular CC, which is made by Hiram-Walker). This is why you are finding new flavours in it – it really has nothing to do with CC, except for the name.
Thats’ quite different than the story I heard, but makes sense. Cheers!
Is this straight, which means no additives(colors, flavors)???
Hey Tyler,
The straight designation only applied to American whiskey, this is Canadian. I’d assume they don’t add anything, but I have no idea. Cheers!
You know, for $18 you can get some pretty decent bourbon. The CC bottle is nice looking though. Seems like the Canadian whiskey is okay for someone just starting out, but I quickly got bored with it. Guess it’s just a matter of taste. Keep up the good work. Enjoying the variety.
I enjoyed Canadian whisky quite a it about 8-9 years ago, but like you I seemed to have “out-grow” it, for lack of a better term, and don’t care too much for it these days. It’s missing that oomph.