J P Wiser's 18 Year Old

J. P. Wiser's have been making whisky in Ontario since before Canada was even a country, and as is traditional for any distillery with a history, claims to be "one of the oldest producers" in the country.

That original company never really recovered from the death of the founder - John Philip Wiser - and after changing hands a few times ended up owned by Hiram Walker (of Canadian Club fame); indeed, their whisky is now produced in Walker's distillery.

Of course, in today's modern world both outfits are owned by Pernod Ricard.

J. P. Wiser's 18 Year Old is a very reasonably priced blended Canadian whisky - when it's in stock you can find it listed under £50, despite its age.

The distillery is pretty vague about it's precise makeup; it probably contains alcohol from corn, rye, barley and wheat and those familiar with the brand suggest that the major contributor is corn; Canadian whisky has a pretty relaxed attitude to the ingredients used, as long as it's been matured at least three years.

The nose is sweet; dark honey and vanilla fudge with some warm, old oak lurking behind. With time, some lighter green pear notes come through. Watered, the sweetness is knocked back and exposes some light coffee aromas.

In the mouth that honey is still there, but the fruitiness becomes darker and sweeter - blackberries perhaps. Behind that is a nice peppery tone, and over time some tannic bitterness appears.

Water robs it of some depth; it's still soft black fruit with a spiced background, and little touches of honey but it's definitely lessened - one to enjoy neat.

Overall, this is a wonderfully drinkable and keenly priced dram from Canada - 4 stars.

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This review was originally published 19th December, 2023. It was last updated 19th December, 2023.