Canadian Club 6 Years Old 1971 ~ 43.4% (Hiram Walker & Sons)

• Blended Canadian whisky
• 43.4% ABV, £96
• Score: 76/100

What they say:

A well-preserved bottle of Canadian Club 6 year old, released in 1971, the same year as the classic James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever.

What I say:

Bottled in 1971 as stated on the excise strip keeping the screw-cap on! A rare chance to sample some old blended Canadian Whisky – perfect for our virtual world tour of whisky which has developed a time-machine of its own! Once again this was sampled on the WOLS Highland Trip and thanks this time go to Adam Irvine for generously sharing this bottle with us.

Colour:

Full refractive gold

Nose:

Vanilla, sweet honey and beeswax, sandalwood and pencil shavings, cereal maize, draff and a little linseed oil

Taste:

Vanilla,vanilla custard, crème brulee, coconut, runny (light) honey, syrupy and oily, a little butter and cereals, more pencil shaving/sawdust/green oak wood a little spicy and acrid in places

Finish:

Short, sweet and estery (pear drops and overripe bananas)

Overall:

Great to sample another piece of history. This is quite complex for a blend with a little spice in places too though if it was intended for mixers and cocktails there is nothing here that wouldn’t be masked by a little dilution. Surprisingly strong ‘new wood’ / pencil shavings aroma and flavour still revealing the feisty youthfulness of a 6 year maturation – despite its 33 year wait to be opened!