Whisky Advent 2017 Day 4 – Gretzky Red Cask Whisky

Like many other experts in the liquor business, it is fair to say that at best we are suspicious of celebrity endorsed products. We don’t care whether David Beckham, George Clooney or Drake actually owns or rents their celebrity to promote a product, we are only concerned with one question, is it good? Entering into that fray is the Wayne Gretzky Red Cask Canadian whisky. Kensington Wine Market 2017 Whisky Advent’s Day 4 offering.

Full disclosure, we hadn’t originally intended to include this whisky in our Calendar, but another planned product fell through with very little notice. After carefully considering the limited other options available we settled on the Wayne Gretzky 99 Red Cask Whisky. Beginning with very low expectations were more than a little surprised by it when it launched a year. If we have but one regret, it is that 50mls of the whisky were filled into plastic bottles… why?

We will leave to the side the fact that Wayne Gretzky, “The Great One”, captained the mortal enemy of our beloved Calgary Flames. When the whisky first landed in Alberta we were curious, but also skeptical. It is fair to say our expectations, mine especially, were very low, especially considering they didn’t make the whisky themselves. There was a lot of excitement around the launch so we brought some in to the store, and opened a bottle to give it a try. In short the whisky it turned out was considerably better than expected. I was not blown away but for $42 (when it launched) it was pretty good.

The origins of this whisky and its exact nature are curious to say the least. Although the Gretzky name has been hawking wine for many years now, the release of Gretzky 99 Red Cask Whisky caught us completely by surprise. The official description is that it is made from local grains distilled individually before blending and finishing in ex-red wine casks from the Gretzky Estate Winery. Some online sites suggest that it is composed of rye, corn and malted barley.

It will be a few years until the Gretzky Estates Winery and Distillery have whisky of their own to bottle. Ground was only broken on the facility in 2015, and its grand opening was just a few months ago. They have hired a Heriot Watt trained distiller with industry experience in Europe and Canada.

Wayne Gretzky 99 Red Cask Whisky – 40% – Blended Canadian Whisky from a Mixed Mashbill – Matured in Ex-Bourbon and Finished in Red Wine Barrels – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: very fruity, spicy and earthy; big orange (think toned down Grand Marnier), mixed berry compote and salted caramel; very rum-like, some earthy leather and wine tones. Palate: soft, fruity, light, and still very rum-like; gently spicy and earthy; double caramel pop-corn, more Grand Marnier (though not as sweet one the palate), mixed berry compote and salted caramel. Finish: medium-shorty, fruity and smooth; very balanced. Comment: clearly corn driven, the whisky has no rough edges; not mind-blowing, but it is very good especially for the price.” – $45 (750ml)

Stay tuned for Kensington Wine Market 2017 Whisky Advent Day 5!