Today’s drink is Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky. From their website, “Caribou Crossing holds the distinction of being the world’s first single barrel Canadian whisky. Made from the finest sampling of our master collection of 200,000 barrels of whisky and designed to reinvent the Canadian whisky category.” It doesn’t say when it was introduced because we know Crown Royal also has a single-barrel whisky. And yes, Canadians leave out the e in whiskey. This is another bottle neither of us has heard of, and we have only seen it at the place where we made the purchase.
Caribou is 80 proof, sells for $60, and seems like it is not widely available. It comes in a corked bottle that is vaguely reminiscent of Blanton’s. It has an animal on top of the cork, with a moose instead of a horse. Comes in a bag, that is in a box, and even the shape of the bottle is somewhat close to Blanton’s. There is no age statement nor any mash bill info on the bottle or the web site.
As a general rule, we are not big fans of Canadian Whisky. It seems that their one claim to fame is the smoothness, and we will give them that; most are really smooth. But the ones we have tried lack depth and complexity, which is something we look for, especially in a bottle that sells for $60 or more. Let’s see if Caribou Crossing Single Barrel changes our minds regarding Canadian juice.
NOSE
Frank: Reminds me of some type of orange candy, kind of like a sweet artificial orange. Also getting some rye, butter and oak. Ice moves the butter to caramel.
Matt: Strong scent of rye bread along with some vanilla, orange zest, and white cake. Ice cuts the rye and brings out a spring fresh aroma and some wood.
Todd: Smells hotter than 80 proof with rye, cereal grain, sweetness, and orange in that order. Picking up a bit of oak and spice. Ice added a little caramel.
TASTE
Frank: No real primary taste, a little caramel, a little butterscotch, and a clove like spice, all with a slight oiliness. Ice thins things out too much to pick out distinct flavors.
Matt: A unique mouthfeel, full-bodied but light at the same time. Getting the same hickory, rye, and orange zest from the nose along with brown sugar and maple syrup. Ice brings out a noticeable caramel flavor that I didn’t get before.
Todd: Wood, rye, grains, vanilla and spice come through at first. Secondary flavors include milk chocolate and orange. I also get the oiliness that Frank mentioned. Ice just mutes everything.
FINISH
Frank: Medium long, smooth, clean, and ready for the next sip.
Matt: Medium-long with some peppery spice.
Todd: Medium with some added sweetness.
OVERALL
Frank: If it weren’t for the price, I would consider this a nice daily drink pick.
Matt: Probably the best Canadian Whiskey I have tried, but that is a short list.
Todd: Not real complex, but an easy drinker.
Nose 3.25 out of 5
Taste 6.75 out of 10
Finish 3 out of 5
Total score 13 out of 20 barrels.
Seems like Caribou Crossing stays true to its Canadian roots, smooth and drinkable, but not much complexity. Which in itself is not a bad thing, but a little high price for a juice without much depth. We are also disappointed with the lack of an age statement and the fact that it is only 80 proof. Again, not necessarily a bad thing if you were not charging $60.
In the end, if you like Crown Royal, you will like Caribou Crossing Single Barrel. and while Crossing is a little better, you could probably make do with a bottle of Crown.