Forty Creek Whisky Weekend Review

So what happens when a whisky maker decides he should throw a party and invite 3500 of his closest friends?   Forty Creek Whisky Weekend happens.

As most of you who read my blog know I made a decision in 2012 to review 5 whisky events across Canada for 2013.  Forty Creek Whisky Weekend is event #4 for me.  I've been to Victoria, Toronto, Halifax, and now Grimsby!  

Let me take a moment to remind you what parameters and scoring mechanism I am using:

Cost (accommodations, events, classes, etc)

Venue (locale, food, geographic location)

Classes (Quality, type, time, etc)

Main event (Availability of whiskies, venue, services, knowledge of the exhibitors, etc)

Overall personal experience (People, Place, Whisky).

Scoring sheet:
A (90 - 100) Exceptional value
B (80 - 90)  Great value
C (70 - 80) Good value
D (60 - 70) Some value (FAIL) - No value

Ready?  Here we go...

Forty Creek Whisky Weekend has been in existence since 2008. It takes place in the small town of Grimsby, on Lake Ontario. It's a 2 day celebration that runs the last weekend in September.    

COST: Accommodations:  There are two hotels within a mile of the distillery. Now for me, that's walking distance for others, a 5 min car ride. Neither hotel was affiliated with the weekend event so no discounts available, but like the savvy traveler I am, I called around and found they had specials going on if you were a member of the CAA, etc.. Super 8 was charging $105, but I was able to find an $89 rate online. Small savings of $16.  

Events: Tour of the Distillery including the sleeping whisky warehouse (only does this for this specific weekend). Musical performances all weekend outside on the deck. Whisky Bottle Signings by John Hall himself. ALL FREE!  

John also brings in Southern Food Smoke Trucks.   

www.southernsmoketruck.com

Classes: Forty Creek offered for the first time the opportunity to assist in an event they dubbed the Whisky Cast tasting featuring Mark Gillespie, Davin de Kergommeaux, myself and John Hall. Tickets were $40.00.

Consumer Tastings:  In the FC store there is a tasting bar at the back where you can try all the Forty Creek Distillery offerings.  FREE

So total cost for an actual "ticket" = $40.00

Total cost for Lodgings & Whisky events = $238.00 (That did not include meals).

TOTAL COST SCORE:  A+

VENUE: Forty Creek Distillery is situated in the town of Grimsby Ontario. It's nestled between Burlington and the lovely Niagara Valley.  Although you can't land there, it's accessible from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) & with a car rental it's quite easy to get to.  

Pro #1: For a "small" distillery it's quite modern & spacious and you get to see most of the process John uses to make his products (no tour of the quality assurance lab).

Pro #2:  My hotel is in walking distance (again, by my definition).  

Pro #3:  Niagara Falls & Wine Country is less than 15 minutes away!

Con #1:  Store area is way too small for this particular weekend's turnout!  

Something I'd like to point out was the food at Southern Smoke Truck. The ribs were heavenly. I usually find them tough, grizzly and don't enjoy eating them.  I'd post a picture of Graham and I eating ours, but it's way too embarrassing.  Sort of looked like this:

TOTAL VENUE SCORE:  B-

I will have to cheat a little here and combine Main event with Classes as this is not a traditional Whisky show.

CLASSES/MAIN EVENT:  No other distilleries in Canada open their doors to the public or offer events. Forty Creek Whisky Weekend does both. They also offered a class held offsite for anyone who wanted the opportunity to try the following:  100% corn whisky, 100% rye whisky, 100% barley whisky, Barrel Select, Copper Pot Reserve, Double Barrel Reserve, Confederation Oak and of course this year's special release:  Heart of Gold. The class was led by John Hall with each panelist discussing and presenting one whisky. A class was offered each of the two days, cost $40. This was the first year John did this and it sold out both days weeks in advance. Considering this is a completely different venue then a traditional whisky show, I'll be a bit generous on the score as I feel this was quite an innovative and different thing to try. From an educational perspective this was a great class/event as many people would never have the opportunity to try such a range of whiskies, especially the 100%.

TOTAL CLASSES/MAIN EVENT SCORE:  B

OVERALL PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: As I travel from coast to coast experiencing what Canada has to offer, it's easy to say that the best part of every event is getting to meet people from the whiskyfabric that I so often talk about. This was no different. Our entire weekend was spent surrounded by the people we have come to call our friends. I can't begin to describe the conversations, the late night shinanigans or the quiet moments spent sharing a dram with a few select people. The whiskies are great no matter where we go but the end result is the memory of who we shared them with. That's what stays with me. 

Bantering with Ross and winding him up tighter than a drum was so much fun and I'll never be able to eat Steven's "whisky balls" again without breaking into fits of laughter. Meeting Val all the way from Alberta or the fact that Amy brought a very special and rare whisky for us to try, just because. Being reduced to tears while listening to Mark and Davin utter hilarity is not something you will "find" in the middle of a whisky show. The opportunity to have supper with John & his extended family was priceless. Sharing a quiet moment among friends as John pulled a rare spirit out of his "vault", surreal. I think you get my point. This little event was by far the best for time with friends and meeting even more people than I could have possibly imagined. Having twitter followers come forward, introduce themselves and spend a few minutes talking about whisky with me - WOW! 

The Heart of Gold whisky might be gone soon, but the memories of the weekend and all its lovely people will last me a lifetime. By far the best "overall" experience yet for 2013...

OVERALL PERSONAL EXPERIENCE SCORE:  A+

Final score for this whisky event:

Now I know some of you are going to think that I may have scored this a bit unfairly if you compare it to a whisky show, but I'm not.  It was a whisky event and for the cost, it's definitely worth a B+.  This is a well organized, well run weekend event that has a little bit of everything:  Music, whisky, food, tours, shopping, you name it.  It's all right there on site for an extremely reasonable price, and the best part:  IT'S A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. 

Nowhere else will you feel like you are family like this and I'm not "tooting" any horns.  I spoke to people who travel all the way from Texas, BC and NS to come to this event, EVERY YEAR...  

So what happens when a distillery decides to throw a whisky weekend? Like I said 3500 of your closest friends come and enjoy themselves immensely. Thanks to John, Beth, Dave, Tim and all the others who made Whisky Weekend such a special event.  

Whisky Weekend will take place on September 27 & 28th 2014.  I for one, plan on being there.  Hope you will consider it too.

Thanks for tagging along...

Johanne

Forty Creek's 2013 Limited Release - Heart of Gold...

Still at Forty Creek

Earlier this year I attended the Spirit of Toronto Whisky Gala. We were there for a few extra days so we managed to squeeze in a visit to the Forty Creek Distillery.  I am more than happy we did. Not because I was able to see John again or meet some of the fantastic people on his team but because I was able to see with my own eyes how John works and creates the way he does.

I spent the better part of an entire day there and not only got the grand tour with John but we finished it with a special tasting. Yes, many distilleries do this as well BUT...  this tasting was very special because a) Ralfy was there and b) we were very privileged to try Heart of Gold. We didn't know that beforehand so I was vibrating on this inside when I found out.

There is something magical about trying whisky right out of the barrel. That feeling was heightened by the fact that I was getting a glimpse of John's next release. We were asked not to broadcast what we thought, which I respected. I did however, enjoy discussing what I thought with John, Ralfy and the others as well as made many notes in my whisky book, which I share below.

Heart of Gold is truly another labour of love for John. This whisky's inception started 10 years ago. In the event you didn't know, John was a wine maker for the majority of his career. Ok, so what? you think... That makes him a first generation whisky maker which means he isn't trapped by tradition, old recipes, or by the "norms" of Canadian Whisky making.  John doesn't do on purpose to be different, he is just being himself. Having met John several times and spending time with him, it comes as no surprise to me that he consistently creates whiskies that are only non-conformist but innovative (alot like his personality I think...) Dave Broom recently wrote an editorial in Whisky Magazine (issue 113) that described the fact that most Scottish Distilleries were so entrenched in their beliefs that they are not exploring the possibilities of flavors by using different yeasts. Here's the innovative part:  That whisky, that John started working on 10 years ago, is made with a wine yeast strain. Now... is John the only whisky maker doing this -> No. There are a few. But he's currently the only Canadian Whisky Maker that has. So why use a wine yeast for the fermentation? Sounds a bit odd for whisky if you think about it. Well, from my perspective (chemistry background), it only makes sense that if you use a different yeast strain, you will end up with a different mash. Wine yeasts are traditionally used for grapes which have a high sugar content. They are more tolerant to acidic PH as well as temperature fluctuations. John states that he wanted to bring out more flavors in the rye component of his whisky.

Rye is a denser grain with less maltose (a type of glucose) but higher nitrogen content. It can withstand higher mash temperatures (2-5 degrees). Rye wort is more acidic then barley or corn. John postulated that using a wine yeast would bring out the more floral aromas and flavors that rye has. This may surprise some people. Rye whisky is traditionally recognized for its spicy, rye bread with caraway seeds sort of profile. He also came to the conclusion that the subtle floral part of the grain often gets masked by the spicy components. So, by using a yeast that would bring out the delicate part of the grain AND by ensuring that the distillate "heart" cut was much narrower he achieved exactly what he wanted:  Heart of Gold.

Forty Creek Heart of Gold Reserve, 2013 release, 43% ABV.

Color:  May & September 2013 - Dark yellow with hints of amber. Reminds me of tarnished gold painting frames.

Nose:  May 2013 - Fresh sawn wood, a bit of ginger spice and something else I recognized but wasn't sure at first. Then it hit me:  Geraniums.  I find the smell of geraniums very "spicy" compared to other flowers like hyacinths or roses. It's a pungent but very distinct and pleasant smell. September 2013 - Geraniums are still there! Picking up a bit more on the spices this time however they are not overwhelming. I went and got a bottle of Lot 40 to do a nose comparison. The rye spice is there, but much more subtle and delicate then on the Lot 40. I quite like it.  It's not "in your face". After my glass sat for a little while, I noticed the more recognized aromas of butterscotch and fresh sawdust.

Palate:  May 2013 (from my notes...) - Wow! Not at all what I expected from the descriptors John is using. I don't get "rye forward". I taste creamy marmalade with a hint of zest in the corners.  It is spicier on the palate then the nose. Surprising! September 2013 - Lovely flavors of dried fruit: Like figs or apricots maybe, followed by a bit sour (like rye bread) and peppery! Once it sat, the sweetness seems to be disappearing and spices are at the forefront:  Ginger, earl gray tea (tannic, cardamom, mouthwatering).

Finish:  May 2013 - I wrote LONG! That's it... hehe September 2013 - Sweet & spicy! White pepper meets crystallized ginger! What a delicious combination. Lingers, beautifully...  


Heart of Gold... Now, this is my personal opinion:

Although John and some of my Canadian counterparts state and describe this as a rye forward or rye spicy whisky, I'm going to disagree somewhat. Don't expect to pour this in your glass and be enveloped in the heavy spicy aromas of a dark rye bread coming out of the oven.  NOPE! This whisky is delicate on the nose and leads you in an area of the unknown if you are not used to finding the more tender & light aromas in a whisky. Gibson's 18 is the same way for me = Very delicate but so beautiful.

So do me and the whisky a favor when you nose it. TAKE YOUR TIME. Appreciate and try to localize the aromas that are there. They are truly magical and missing more often than not in 95% of the whiskies I've nosed. The flavor combination that this whisky offers is quite unique. Well balanced, slightly spicy and sweet enough to tease the palate and make your mouth water. Can you taste the "house profile" of Forty Creek, barely...  but it's there.

Heart of Gold being released September 28 at Forty Creek Whisky Weekend (which I'm attending... ). Only 9000 bottles available. If you don't believe I put my money where my whisky is, I've purchased 3 bottles for myself and 2 more as gifts.  First wave of release:  Ontario and then will spread across Canada (if it lasts that long...).

John...  I have no idea how and what you are working on now, but it's hard to believe you will be able to top this one.  My hat off to you, once more for creating something that is different, beautiful from start to finish and special.

Kissing the sleeping "Gold"

As I leave on the plane for Toronto, I bid you all farewell and very much look forward to being back at the Forty Creek Distillery Saturday & Sunday September 28 & 29th for Whisky Weekend.  Many Heart of Gold bottles will fly off the shelf and I'll raise a toast to all my whisky fabric friends in Canada as well as the rest of the world....

Searching for a Heart of Gold (I had to include the Neil Young title, come on....)


Johanne