Canadian Club Chronicles 42 Year Old
Issue No. 2: The Dock Man
45% ABV
$300
Website
We would like to thank Canadian Club and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.
What the Distillery Says
Canadian Club®, an iconic whisky that has propelled the Canadian whisky category to fame for more than 150 years, is proud to announce the second release within the CC Chronicles™/MC premium release series: Canadian Club® 42 Year Old. The limited-edition expression, also known as Issue No. 2: The Dock Man, celebrates the dock worker of years past who consistently delivered quality whisky to bar owners and drinkers when counterfeit whisky ran rampant during the Prohibition era.
Batched and barreled more than four decades ago, Canadian Club 42 Year Old is masterfully blended to showcase robust rye spice, delicate notes of brown sugar and baking spices to create an exceptionally rich, smooth taste. As a result, this exquisite marque leaves fans with the complex, yet rich flavor profile Canadian Club is best known for.
“At Canadian Club, we pride ourselves on our commitment to consistently crafting superior Canadian whisky,” Global Whisky Ambassador Tish Harcus said. “For more than 150 years, we’ve consistently delivered quality expressions to whisky drinkers, and the release of Canadian Club 42 Year Old continues this tradition. Following the success of our first CC Chronicles release last year, we’re excited to unveil another premium, distinctive whisky that endures the test of time.”
Launched in 2018, CC Chronicles is a series of premium, limited-edition expressions created to celebrate the brand’s rich history and commitment to producing authentic whisky. Each issue within the Chronicles will represent an iconic moment in Canadian Club’s rich history. The series launched with the release of Canadian Club® 41 Year Old, celebrating the Water of Windsor, which was named Canadian Whisky of the Year in the 2019 Jim Murray Whisky Bible. Canadian Club 42 Year Old marks the second release within the series.
Canadian Club 42 Year Old delivers a perfect balance of smooth and intense flavor characteristics to deliver optimal taste:
Aroma: Robust rye spice, caramel, and oak with a hint of char
Palette: Pleasantly warm and slightly sweet with delicate notes of brown sugar and baking spices balanced with oak and rye spiciness
Finish: Lingering taste of toffee and a subtle tartness of the palate
Canadian Club 42 Year Old will be available across the U.S. in very limited quantities with a suggested retail price of $299.95 for a 750ml bottle.
What Gary Says
Nose: Caramel cream candies, soft baking spices, nutmeg with a gentle citrus note (maybe lemon cream pie>), a wisp of oak over a slightly floral note.
Palate: Sweet with caramel, brown sugar, a touch of maple candies with a hint of lemon, gentle cinnamon and pepper spice.
Finish: Moderately long with notes of caramel and pepper spice.
Comments: This is a soft and gentle dram, squarely in the Canadian Club family style. While soft, it packs a lot of flavor for 45% ABV, and is very well balanced with complexity but not as much oak as you might expect with 42 years. I can’t imagine fans of Canadian Club looking for a super-premium dram being disappointed in this. Is it worth $300? That’s for you to decide. There aren’t many (any?) 40+ year old Canadian whiskies on the market to compare against, and there are folks who would pay $300 for a 6 yr barrel proof rye in the US. I’m not one of them, but my point is value is in the eye of the buyer. I do think this stands out as markedly more complex than any other Canadian Club offering I’ve tried.