Canadian Club Invitation Series 18 Year Old High Proof (58%)

Around this time last year, the Suntory Global Sprits-owned Canadian Club introduced what they called the Invitation Series with its first release being a 15 year old, Oloroso sherry cask finished expression. In explaining the name of the series, Canadian Club Brand Ambassador Tish Harcus wrote, “Why the Invitation Series you may ask? Invitations hold the promise of good things to come, such as camaraderie, enriching adventures, old friends, older stories, and the chance to write new ones. Canadian Club exists at the heart of all that.”

In other words, someone in marketing thought it was a good name for a series of one-of-a-kind, annual special releases. My cynicism aside, however, it was a very good release, about which I wrote the following:

“Both the three extra years and the sherry wood finish have been very kind to this whisky, affording it a most impressive complexity and a lush richness. If this is how the Invitation Series begins, then I am very much interested in seeing where it goes from here!”

And now we get our first glimpse of where it goes, with this release of a high-but-not-cask-strength-high proof whisky aged for 18 years. Unlike last year’s 15 year old, Suntory has revealed very little about how this was aged, but the flavour profile would seem to suggest that at least some sherry barrels were once again involved.    

The elevated strength has the aroma really popping out of the glass, with vanilla and caramel, orange zest, stewed black cherry and plum, and a whiff of gingerbread. The palate entry is sweet and surprisingly soft given its potency, with butterscotch and a touch of milk chocolate appearing first, followed on the mid-palate by candied citrus, molasses, dark raisins, marzipan, hints of prune and other dried fruit, and gingery spice arising near the finish. It lingers long on the palate, warming from its strength, yes, but also with prolonged notes of vanilla and a fruity sweetness that highlights berry notes.

Overall, this is a whisky one can only describe as robust, with an almost heady sweetness and a boldness that deserves to be left untamed by water. (And for the love of everything holy, definitely not to be mixed with any sort of pop!) Add a drop of water if you must, or even a splash of soda water, but spend a bit of time with it all on its own, as well. I suspect you might find you ultimately prefer it that way.

93 ($70 - $80)