I’m struggling to find any redeeming qualities in Canadian Mist. I’m also struggling to figure out why, besides being dirt cheap, this is America’s best selling Canadian Whisky and how in the hell it’s won so many gold medals. I’m flabbergasted at the stark difference between what I’m experiencing and the general consensus of America on this one. Maybe I really am a whisky snob…
Made from a blend of grain whisky (corn, rye and malted barley), rye whiskey, a “touch” of sherry that doesn’t seem to do anything at all for this whisky and “matured to taste” in ex-bourbon barrels this whisky is a slow-motion train wreck of cloying notes. The site, and related marketing, leans heavily on lightness in flavor and the whisky’s complete lack of bite as selling points and maybe that’s where the general American public and I diverge. I want bold flavors and aromas with depth, richness and complexity that’s bolstered by complimentary subtle notes that is a pleasure to drink neat despite any bite it might have. I don’t want to lay down hard earned dollars for spineless whisky.
Canadian Mist Info
Region: Ontario, Canada
Distiller: Canadian Mist
Age: NAS
ABV: 40%
Price: $9 (got mine on close-out for $4)
Canadian Mist Review
EYE
Yellow caramel
NOSE
Sickly medicinal and caramel heavy followed by watery butterscotch, waxy candy corn and artificial sweetener run rampant. An astringent, cleaner like, overripe citrus mixes with root beer taffy in the background and a turpentine underpinning holds everything up.
PALATE
Same medicinal caramel and overripe, cleaner like, citrus blend with some burnt toffee and raw grain. A thick note of raw alcohol and butterscotch limp their way over the palate dragging something oily, dirty and mechanical behind them.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
The sickly medicinal quality knocks this one on it’s side and the sticky syrupy feel and light body make it boring and uneventful, but at least their marketing is 100% accurate. There is absolutely no bite in this dram, it’s like drinking water.
FINISH
Again that medicinal caramel rears is cloying head and is accompanied by artificial sweetener and a watery maple syrup that lasts for far too long.
OVERALL
Canadian Mist is among the worst whiskies I have ever tasted. It’s like a borderline rancid bourbon was mixed with a bunch of artificial flavors, put in BPA riddled plastic jugs and left out in the Nevada desert to be eroded by the sun for a year before bottling. Everything smells and tastes young, raw, bleached out and artificial. It’s just not very good. Hell, even the MIST enthusiasts seem to prefer it mixed with something, anything, else and that friends, isn’t exactly what I’d call a good sign.
SCORE: 65/100
Canadian Mist Review - Score Breakdown
Value
Let’s put to this way… I wouldn’t even pay $1 for another bottle of Canadian Mist.
Overall
- Nose - 65
- Palate - 65
- Finish - 65
- Balance, Body & Feel - 65
I gazed into the void and it stared back into me. I’m positive that this unholy abomination of toxic sludge didn’t come from our polite northern neighbors, but was instead skimmed off of the Cuyahoga River following the time when it caught fire due to heavy pollution. This is what would happen if rather than Jesus turning water into wine, the anti-christ turned anti-freeze into whiskey.
Hahahahha, lovely :D
I’m Canadian, and unusual in that “Canadian Rye Whisky” is my favorite spirit. I used to visit the USA a lot, especially before my California-born wife passed away all too young.
I often saw Canadian Mist on American shelves and billboards. But I never tried it. Why? Because the very idea of a “Canadian” whisky not available in Canada seemed … suspicious. Thanks for validating my suspicion.
Despite diligent effort, I never managed to develop a taste for bourbon, so was pleased to see good quality rye becoming more commonly available in the USA in the new millennium.
Doug, I’m so sorry to hear about your wife, but thank you for sharing all of that. I’m glad good rye is more commonly available as well!
If it was $50.00 a bottle you would love it.
You obviously haven’t read more than just this post :D If this was $50 I’d say it’s a $50 bottle of garbage, which is 5x worse than a $10 bottle of garbage.
I give $50+ whiskeys bad reviews regularly and love finding killer deals. For just $10-$15 more ($20-$25) you can get Wild Turkey 101, Evan Williams Bonded or Four Roses Yellow and they’re not just good deals because they’re cheap, they’re good deals because they actually taste like whiskey… good whiskey. If YOU like Canadian Mist, good for you, glad you like it. But I think it’s terrible. Cheers Jackie.
I have a bottle of canadan mist i have had it for 43 years never been open as of today if i open it today how would it taste today has it aged for the past 43 years it sould be damn good please let me know ok
Hey George, happy to answer your question!
Once whiskey is removed from the oak casks it stops aging, so the whiskey hasn’t aged or matured more while in the bottle. It isn’t a 43-year-old whiskey, it’s a 43-year-old bottle of whiskey.
However, it will have changed from what it tasted like when it was first bottled. As it sits in the glass it will slowly leech minerals from the glass and it will give the whiskey a slightly musty/dusty profile called Old Bottle Effect (OBE). It’s perfectly harmless but is a noticeable note in old whiskeys.
I would imagine it’s pretty tasty and much better than the current version. Though, you could always go get a cheap flask of the current Mist and compare it to see if you like the old style more or the current one.
It should be fun to open and I hope you enjoy it. Cheers!
I agree 100% that Canadian Mist is by far the WORST Canadian whiskey ( hell, the worst of any sort of whiskey) that I have ever had. It has a terrible medicinal, artificial, rancid flavor and it ruins any drink made with it- and it is impossible to enjoy straight. I was tempted to stop after i opened and and smelled it, but since it was pen, I didn’t feel it was right to return it. Now that I have choked down 1/2 of the bottle hoping I would “get used to it”, I am even more wanting to return it just to make the liquor store know how BAD this stuff is- I don’t even expect any refund- I just can’t drink this crap anymore.
I very much like good Canadian Whiskeys- Crown Royal is a good one that is not too terribly expensive. Better yet is the Costco Kirkland Canadian Whiskey that is only $19 for a 1.75 liter bottle and tastes almost the same as Crown Royal. Also at Cost co is a very good Irish Whiskey for $28 for a 1.75 liter bottle that tastes almost the same as Jameson.
Thanks for the review of Canadian Mist that I agree with 100%. I was happy to find someone who also hated this crap. I can’t understand how people who drink this buy it again!
Ha, this was a great read. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and Costco reccos, Karl, cheers!
One of the finest !!! Love this stuff ! Screw those clowns that have no clue what good whiskey tastes like !! Their mother drives a Russian beer truck !!
Is it strange that I did NOT hate this? In fact, I preferred it to many bourbons! Could have something to do with my vodka background, but am totally open to something similar yet “better”. I really should explore Canadian whisky more, considering it was the likes of Crown that got me into drinking brown spirits in the first place
If you like it you like it. Cheers!
Yeah, I hadn’t had this in years.
it’s pretty fucking terrible, it’s not even a good mixer, I’m sure the hang over will be monumental though.
great writing on the review, I damn near died reading it.
Thanks Will, cheers!
I tried it for the first time this week. I may not know all the terms to describe the whole experience of drinking Canadian Mist but I would describe it as suck, if Crown Royal had a crushed up Tylenol flavor this would be Canadian Mist.
Sounds like a great description to me :D cheers Win Win
I don’t care if it’s 5 years too late, your review was the funniest I’ve read since starting on my whiskey journey. I did crown royal for a year before covid set in and the alcohol budget went down.,..lol. But I have been drinking another cheap Canadian “whisky” for the better part of six months, Black Velvet. Any thoughts? I’m on my way to see if you’ve review it but if not….?
Ha, thanks R and I see the comment that you found it :D Cheers!
Cheers!
Stumbled onto an old dusty handle of CM at a Florida estate sale. Hands down the best 5 dollars I have spent in years. The CM jug is from 1980 and quite tasty. The lower the juice gets in the bottle the better it gets. Fantastic stuff.
Nice, sounds like a hell of a deal!
I started my whiskey journey earlier this year. I’ve had some good ones that I’ve slipped into the mix but I’ve been trying to start out with the cheaper, and more simple whiskeys. I figure it will help me build my palate while also teaching myself to appreciate the better, and more complex whiskeys as I get to them. So far I’ve had Jim Beam White, Johnny Walker Red, Jameson, Old Crow, Ten High, and now I’m working on a bottle of Canadian Mist.
It’s not good by any means and I get why your review was what it was. I was able to identify the butterscotch, citrus, a bit of honey, & an herbal, black licorice-like flavor. But for an untrained palate such as mine, it’s….okay. I would guess the popularity is a combination of low price and people who just don’t know any better.
Cheap price is defintely a draw, also like 7 Crown it usually gets mixed with soda so it’s not about drinking it neat like many other whiskies are meant to be. It’s definitely more of a mixer, but I judge everything the same way. Neat at room temp and only concerned about what’s in the glass not how much it costs. Anyways, thanks for sharing your thoughts and I love your approach. I started the same way! Cheers Jeff!
I just tried it…it was so awful I have to throw the whole bottle away. Searched the internet to validate my opinion. Thank you for this review.
That’s what I’m here for :) Cheers Tom!
I just tried this in a comparison with Seagrams 7 and Canadian Club Reserve. I really quite like it! Of course it doesn’t taste like the other two, but so what?
I truly enjoyed this whisk(e)y back in the 80s. I remember how it smelled, tasted and “snuck up” on me. It was smooth and never required a mixer. I drank it on the rocks or with a little water. AND IT WAS EASY ON THE WALLET! Today it’s just EASY on the wallet. Either my palate has drastically changed or Mist is made and distilled differently. (I think the latter) It’s now barely drinkable. Once I choke down this fifth, it’s back to the drinkable cheap Canadian that’s never disappointed: Windsor.
I’ve never had any old CM to compare it to, but I wager you’re correct. Thanks for sharing Eric!
I was on the way home last week when I pulled into a small, out of the way liquor store to buy a bottle of VO. All this had was big 1.75L bottles of Canadian Club and this stuff. Never tried it before and I didn’t have the change for the CC so I figured I’d take a bottle. What a mistake! This is the worst tasting road kill I’ve ever had. They have a nerve bottling this toxic effluence and calling it whisky. Wish I had read this blog earlier.
Well we’re happy to have you now George :) Thanks for sharing, sorry you drank this!
I wish I would have seen this before buying. I was looking for an alternative to Four Roses, and thought I’d give it a go. Bleh. First and last bottle for me.
Ha, oh man, so sorry you experienced that. Cheers Dave!
worst whiskey ever had? i have had whiskey from an old plastic bottle before.
i can say this whiskey is at least most terrible for having a bottle that seems to have broken down. there is a severe smokey burnt taste to a disintegrating bottle.
makes be wonder if am getting fed some large amount of carcinogens (ie: cancer).
– thanks, pass on this whiskey
Thanks for you Candian Mist review. You nailed it. I thought maybe I had just bought a one off bad bottle. You used the term medicinal that is right on the nose. I will be giving this bottle away or pouring it out which is a sad thing for me to do. Great review I will consult you in the future before I venture away from Crown.
Cheers JBuck!
Best review I’ve read
Thank you. Cheers :)
It’s not my favorite by a long shot but I’d rather drink it on the rocks than mixed. Whatever “bite” is lacking in it’s purest form certainly comes out when mixed and NOT in a good way.
Drinking a glass right now. Not bad. C+
Cheers!
Looking at what I have on hand right now I see a a bottle of Black Bush, one of Wild Turkey Rare Breed, and one of Crown Royal Rye. These I sip neat or with an ice cube and I rotate different brands for this purpose depending on what’s on sale. Then I see a bottle of Wild Turkey 101, Old Overholt and George Dickell Rye. I use those for Old Fashioneds and sours not using sour mix. Then I see a handle of Evan Williams and a handle of Canadian Mist. I mainly drink those mixed with ginger ale or Coke. Mixed with ginger ale I think Mist is great and the price is right. I always have it on hand for that purpose only. Probably sells so well because, like me, people buy it for a mixer and the price is right. Soldier on.
Cheers Scotty!
Thanks Josh. I am getting over bronchitis and your review made me laugh so hard it threw me into a 20 minute coughing fit.
Ha, sorry about that ;) Cheers Tony!
Commonly the only whisky available at either my mom’s or my in-laws’ places. I always instantly regret not bringing a bottle of whiskey of my choosing when I visit.
I’d start packing a flask ;) Cheers!
I totally agree with your comment ,but is there any choice in this price range ?with better quality
There are some low-end Bourbons in the $10-$12 range that I’d definitely rather drink over this.
Ya,nothing else to be said. Josh went through the pain of drinking it, and the worse pain of articulating his wretched experience. After a spat with the wife, and staying out of the house for a few day (short on coin) I daringly gave this swill a try. GAWD-AWEFULL is an understatement!
Sorry to hear about your troubles Cliff and even more sorry to hear you had to resort to this :/
Oh , heck … maybe it’s me but I kinda like this stuff [ Running for cover .. ha !! ] . There were certain brands around my neck of the woods back in the day .. Jim Beam was the Bourbon , Genesee was the brew [ their 12 horse ale was something ] and for Canadian whiskey … Mist was the one . I’m talking N.W. Jersey mountains around the Delaware Water Gap and this stuff was quite popular at the time back then . The quality I like about it is the mouthfeel , which inst thin .. kinda has a creaminess to it . What I think helps , is that I pour it into a decanter that it will fill up about half way , thus getting plenty of air . This is the one I catch flack over from my bourbon pals . Whats funny is that I didnt enjoy it back in the day so much , it was ok , but these days I enjoy it more . We also enjoyed Apple Jack back then and thats something I always have on hand . Gotta have a Jack Rose Cocktail , especially during Autumn
Cheers John and no need to run for cover around here if you like something I don’t, it’s all fair game :) The important thing is you like it. It’s obviously not my speed, but if you like it, then good on ya!
Oh look at all the self proclaimed whiskey connoisseurs. I bet if it came out of a bottle that cost 30 bucks, they would be geeking out on it.
Not if it tasted like this swill I wouldn’t.
I’m kind of a ‘noob’ when it comes to bourbon, but I’m exploring. I’m cheap by nature, so most of what I’ve tried has been less than $40. I have to agree with your post, though, maybe not as passionately. Probably because I don’t know any better? I was also very disappointed with Maker’s Mark. I thought that was supposed to be fairly good, but…you can keep it. I’m currently drinking ONLY this pesky bottle of Canadian Mist in order to get rid of it without throwing it in the trash. Eagerly looking forward to cracking a bottle of Top of the Hill 8 Oak that I picked up on a distillery tour a few weeks ago. Keep up the blog. We love it!
Cheers Maurie and thanks for sharing! Never tried the Top of the Hill stuff, but I’ll keep it in mind. Thanks!
I hate being negative, but this is the worst whiskey I’ve ever had.
in the past ranked up there with vo bought a jug other day cant get it down don’t know what happened
josh peters has a lot to say
I always do :)
I bought a bottle of this swill years ago when I travelled from Canada to visit a friend in San Diego. I had seen ads saying it had won awards so I was looking forward to trying it. Let’s just say I was embarrassed that it had anything to do with Canada. I don’t think the bottle was ever finished. ugh
That’s a sad story right there.
Ever tried LA-1?
I haven’t. Never heard of it till now.
This is one of my favorite pieces of whiskey-related writing I’ve ever read- I would love to see you do some more reviews of terrible whiskey (maybe even an awful whiskey of the week?). The previously mentioned BPA line is classic. I also love “I don’t want to lay down hard earned dollars for spineless whiskey”; you should sell shirts with that line on it. It might even become the credo of the whiskey geek revolution! I know it sums up my own personal tastes better than I could have myself.
Haha thank you Joe and that’s a great idea on the shirt. I’ve been pondering some shirt ideas recently and I was playing around with the whiskey o’ clock image I made a while back, but you’re right… that is a great line :)
Cheers!
1. Why would you buy this in the first place.
2. I would have rated it in the 10 – 20 range.
Do you ever buy/try the flavored bourbon or whiskey like the honey or cinnamon etc. I don’t care for them for the most part but just curious on your opinion.
Love your reviews and please keep them coming.
Tried it because I’d never had it and I could pick it up for $4, so a cheap thing to write about :)
I have tried a lot of them, but haven’t reviewed them because I’ve decided to just keep the blog as unflavored whiskey. I know lots of folks who love them, but I’m not one of those folks.
You ever try the collingwood 21?
Hey Mike,
I haven’t yet. I want to, but haven’t had the opportunity to yet and hasn’t been on my list of bottles to hunt down. Though I’ve heard a lot about it recently so I might have to watch for it at the bar and give it a taste.
“… put in BPA riddled plastic jugs and left out in the Nevada desert to be eroded by the sun for a year before bottling.”
That is classic, right there! Thanks for the warning, Josh. :)
Haha thanks Abe :)