Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whiskey
Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whiskey is a 750mL Canadian whisky bottled at 43% ABV (86 proof), made from 100% rye grain, distilled in a traditional copper pot still in small batches at Hiram Walker & Sons in Windsor, Ontario, and matured in virgin white oak. Named for the lot where the Booth family's gristmill and distillery stood generations ago, it was named Canadian Whisky of the Year at the Canadian Whisky Awards in both 2013 and 2015. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 43% (86 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Mash: 100% rye grain
- Origin: Windsor, Ontario, Canada — Hiram Walker & Sons distillery
- Method: Single copper pot still, small batch, one batch at a time
- Maturation: Virgin white oak barrels; no age statement
- Awards: Canadian Whisky of the Year — Canadian Whisky Awards 2013 and 2015
A Booth Family Recipe, Seven Generations Deep
Lot 40 takes its name from the plot of land where Joshua Booth's gristmill and distillery stood in Ernestown, Ontario, in the late 1700s — and its recipe from Booth himself, passed down seven generations to his descendant Mike Booth, who created the modern Lot No. 40 in the late 1990s as part of Hiram Walker's premium Canadian Whisky Guild. Discontinued in the 2000s, it was relaunched in 2012 by Corby with master blender Dr. Don Livermore, and promptly took Canadian Whisky of the Year at the Canadian Whisky Awards in 2013 and again in 2015. The make is deliberately old-fashioned: 100% rye grain, a traditional copper pot still, one batch at a time, and virgin white oak. Browse the range on the Lot 40 vendor page and in our whisky collection.
Tasting Notes
Per Corby and Pernod Ricard's producer copy: it starts earthy and woody, becoming full-bodied and complex, with deep mature oak, dried apple and raisin, vanilla and coffee hints, and a velvety vanilla-oak finish.
How to Enjoy
Neat or with a splash — the pot-still rye spice and virgin-oak vanilla carry a straight pour — and it makes a definitive Toronto or Canadian Manhattan. More rye and Canadian whisky lives in our whisky collection and across our spirits collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lot 40 really 100% rye?
Yes — 100% rye grain is the brand's core claim, stated on the Pernod Ricard USA sell sheet and Corby's own listings. Claims of malted barley in the mash are retailer errors; the historical recipe used malted rye.
Where is Lot 40 distilled?
At Hiram Walker & Sons in Windsor, Ontario, in a traditional copper pot still, in small batches — the brand is owned by Corby Spirit and Wine (majority Pernod Ricard), with Dr. Don Livermore as master blender.
Has Lot 40 won Canadian Whisky of the Year?
Twice — at the Canadian Whisky Awards in 2013 and 2015, verified against the awards body's own results.
Canada's benchmark pot-still rye, back on the shelf — order Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whiskey online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.