Lot No. 40 Dark Oak

The nose is what a rye whiskey is intended to be. Rye spice and mint come across immediately followed by bittersweet chocolate and a light German pumpernickel. Not much sweetness on the nose, just pure rye. Upon tasting, black pepper and rye spice hit the back of the throat with brown sugar and vanilla notes coating the roof of the mouth creating a salivation and the want for the next sip. Dark semi sweet chocolate is also apparent. This is a wonderful rye from Lot 40. Superb. Nose: 4/5 Taste: 4.5/5 Overall 4.25/5 Repurchase: Yes Type: Friday Night Pour

My favourite whiskey to date. LOT40 Dark Oak does everything a whiskey should do. It smells great and provides a full smooth tasting experience from beginning to end. I get an immediate menthol rush on the nose, it then dissipates and opens up with fruity maraschino cherry, spice, and charred oak notes. I find that the longer the whiskey sits in my Glen Carin the more the oaky notes start to come to life. I thought it smelt so good during my first experience with the bottle that I took the empty glass and placed it on my night stand, filling my room with subtle oaky notes. A little weird… I get it. I love the spicy explosion on the palette. The combination of spice, cherry and dark chocolate notes is very delightful. To top it off, I was then left with a tingling almost minty cooling effect as the whiskey slowly faded away. I think the branding looks great. It is a classy modern unique look that stands out at the store and on my shelf. The overall experience combined with the value per bottle ($65CAD) makes this a must have on my shelf for as long as it is available. I also love that it is Canadian! Overall: 9.75/10

Finally doing a proper review on the final dram in the bottle. I already know I love this stuff. Nose: Caramel, maple, oak and rye spice. Palate: Sweet, a little watery but full of dark fruits, chocolate, caramel and baking spice. Finish: Medium length. The rye spice explodes out along with oak tannins. This is the best rye I've tasted to date. Yes it's on the sweet side, but every flavour profile is in perfect harmony. My favourite cocktail of all time is an old fashioned with this, maple syrup, orange peel and Angostura bitters. Perfection.