The classic Christmas cadieux, the boozy boxed set. Thanks Ryan!

Canadian Club gets a bit of a bad rap, one we tried to address with our review about the Premium. Unfortunately, this particular numbered-C12-057-for-some-reason Classic misses the mark fairly significantly.

Canadian Club is one of those brands that gets named drop when trying to establish authenticity for a recent past period piece. It shows up on Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men as the Prohibition-established pre-eminent brand, worthy of smuggling across the border from the broader-thinking Canadians and therefore obviously legit.

Fun fact! The brand started in Detroit, and off-shored itself to Windsor before the States dried out. Hiram Walker established Walkerton to feed the demand he’d know would remain after the laws passed, allowing him to maximize returns. You know someone who’s willing to break the law for profit is totally going to have quality at the top of their priority list. That said, the Classic 12y is reportedly aged in bourbon barrels, but as with the mash bill ingredients, there’s no indication which bourbon that would be. Here’s what we thought:

smell
Goran – nail polish remover, sweetness, vanilla
Simon – just bad, new garbage bag, vinyl
Ryan – aged in garbage bags, almond

neat
Goran – two tastes, burn, aftertaste, not well constructed, creamy finish
Simon – artificial wood, sand
Ryan – smooth, wood chip, sawdust

splash
Goran – does it improve, like a marriage, only bitterness remains
Simon – slightly better, still not recommended
Ryan – more garbage bag, less wood chips

Canadian Club Small Batch Classic 12y – 40% 375ml – $19.95 – Ontario

Try it? No. Buy it? No.