Forty Creek Barrel Select Canadian Whisky
Forty Creek Barrel Select Canadian Whisky is the bottle that started it all for the Grimsby, Ontario distillery — 80 proof (40% ABV), 750mL, first released in 2000 by founder John K. Hall. Instead of a single mash bill, Hall's "meritage" approach distills corn, rye, and barley separately in copper pot stills, ages each on its own for 6 to 10 years, then blends and finishes the whisky for six months in used sherry casks. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Method: corn, rye, and barley distilled and aged separately, then blended
- Casks: ex-bourbon and new American oak; finished 6 months in sherry casks
- Distillery: Forty Creek Distillery, Grimsby, Ontario (Campari Group)
The Meritage Method
John Hall came to whisky from winemaking, and it shows. Each grain gets its own treatment: rye in lightly toasted barrels to keep its fruit and spice, barley in medium-toast for nuttiness and smoothness, corn in heavy char for richness. Only after years apart are the whiskies married — and only then does the blend rest in sherry casks, picking up layers of fruit and sweetness that single-pass Canadian whisky rarely shows. It is the flagship that put quality Canadian whisky back on the map.
Tasting Notes
Warm gold in the glass, with honey, vanilla, orange peel, and apricot on the nose over toasted oak and black walnut. The palate is rich and rugged — vanilla, honey, rye spice, cocoa — finishing smooth and lingering with spice and dried fruit from the sherry wood.
How to Enjoy
Neat to taste the sherry finish, or on a large cube. The vanilla-spice backbone makes it a standout in whisky cocktails — an Old Fashioned or Manhattan built on Forty Creek Barrel Select carries real weight.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ABV of Forty Creek Barrel Select? 40% ABV (80 proof), 750mL.
What does "meritage" mean for Forty Creek? Each grain — corn, rye, barley — is distilled, aged, and blended separately before a final sherry-cask finish, a winemaking-inspired approach.
Is Forty Creek Barrel Select a bourbon? No — it is a Canadian whisky, finished in ex-bourbon and sherry casks.
The Canadian that converted the skeptics — order Forty Creek Barrel Select online from Del Mesa Liquor today.