Gibson’s Finest Rare 12 Year Old Whisky (40%)
Following a brief recess caused by a stubbornly persistent head cold, I’m back with more #TariffTimes reviews, today featuring a Canadian whisky which, to be honest, I haven’t thought about in years! So thanks to Alchemysts Inc. for reaching out on behalf of their client and reintroducing this Canadian classic to me!
I am also introducing with this review a new classification I’m calling ‘Value Pick,’ which will shine a spotlight on spirits and beers I consider to be exceptionally good quality for their price.
That Gibson’s Finest is a Canadian brand at all is the product of Prohibition, as John Gibson began producing his eponymous whisky in western Pennsylvania, near the Monongahela River, and Gibson’s continued to be an American spirit until the “noble experiment” shut the distillery down in 1920.
That was (obviously) not the end of things for the brand, however, as the Schenley distillery in Valleyfield, Québec, revived the brand in 1972, eventually building Gibson’s Finest into one of the most prestigious whisky brands in Canada.
Although it had more than modest success, owner Diageo sold Gibson’s to William Grant & Sons in 2002, and eventually cut off the Scottish distiller’s supply of Valleyfield whisky in 2009. In response, Grant simply took their business, and a considerable supply of aging whisky, to the Hiram Walker distillery in Windsor, Ontario, where it remains today.
Aged twelve years, this whisky is pale to medium gold in colour, boasting a balanced aroma showing fruitiness in the form of both dried and canned pear and peach, whiffs of crème brulée, soft butterscotch notes, and a hint of golden raisins. Supplementing the fruit, although remaining steadfastly in the background, is a peppery spice that mixes black pepper with vanilla and a touch of allspice.
The palate entry is sweet with vanilla, light butterscotch, and candied pear. This somewhat sugary start leads to a mid-palate that is elegant and reserved, drying as it progresses from butterscotch to slightly burnt caramel to peppery spice. A drier vanilla flavour reveals itself as the initial sweetness begins to recede, followed by lemon zest, a bit of candied citrus peel, soft and floral yellow plum, and finally the black and white pepper notes that will take it through to the finish, which dries most gracefully, leaving behind a peppery note mixed with lingering florals.
While a casual imbiber might be tempted to think of Gibson’s Finest as a bit ordinary, simply because it whispers rather than screams its character, this is without question a whisky best described as both elegantly and resolutely Canadian. Mix it and you’ll miss the point entirely; sip it neat and Gibson’s Finest rare will slowly reveal all its not inconsiderable glory.
88 ($33-$40) VALUE PICK