Review: Forthwest Whisky, Giant Peach, Shiny Apple, and Spice of Life
Review: Forthwest Whisky, Giant Peach, Shiny Apple, and Spice of Life
Move over Crown Royal. There’s a new kid on the flavored Canadian whisky block. Forthwest Whisky Co. launched earlier this year with a portfolio of three flavored offerings and one unflavored blend. The whiskies are all sourced from an unspecified Canadian producer and finished at Oregon’s Hood River Distillers with glacier-fed spring water from Mt. Hood. For the flavorings, Forthwest has reportedly forgone the “off-the-shelf” ingredients in favor of proprietary blends of natural flavors. We received samples of all four current offerings. Thoughts follow.
All are 80 proof.
Forthwest Whisky – A blend of sourced Canadian whiskies from an unspecified producer, aged five years. No surprises here, this is a straightforward Canadian whisky showcasing an aroma of cooked cereal, butterscotch pudding, vanilla wafers, and a hint of petrol. The palate is light-bodied and thin, albeit with a welcome creamy texture. Notes of malt balls and vanilla syrup give way to a bready, dry midpalate before a flourish of buttery caramel syrup and mild pepper on a medium finish. A fine substitute for Crown Royal in a mixed drink, but not really a sipper. B
Forthwest Giant Peach – Canadian whisky with natural flavors, aged three years. The nose is, unsurprisingly, peachy. Too much so. What begins as ripe and sweet quickly builds to syrupy and then jumps the shark into cloying and medicinal. The palate is even more heavy-handed with only an early glimmer of actual peach that then moves straight away to Demerara syrup and liquified Haribo peach candies. The finish moderates all of that somewhat, but you might be better off drinking the syrup out of a can of peaches. C
Forthwest Shiny Apple – Also three years old and naturally-flavored. The nose hits hard and fast with a tart green apple note, but, mercifully, it stays well-focused without any intensifying sour or sweet aromas. As it opens, it’s almost refreshing. On the palate, a nice balance of sweet and tart notes delivers an appreciable, if still clearly candied, apple experience. The sweetness is just shy of green Jolly Ranchers, but it’s not overly heavy on the tongue. On the finish, the base whisky even makes an appearance with fading notes of barley sugar and caramel to complement the brighter green apple. As apple-flavored whiskies go, it’s well-executed, although maybe a bit too tart for some. B
Forthwest Spice of Life – Once again, three years old with unspecified natural flavors. Consumers may assume, like I did, that this is Forthwest’s take on Fireball, but that’s not the case at all. The aroma isn’t exactly spiced, showcasing instead a thick note of buttery butterscotch that gives way to a softer undercurrent of baking spice with a little time in the glass. The palate is all pie filling, oozing with a caramelized sweetness and delivering big, sticky notes of brown sugar, clove chewing gum, and cinnamon syrup. That gentle spice is short-lived as more butterscotch takes over on the midpalate and never lets up, riding out the sip in waves of Werther’s Originals and butter pecan ice cream. My favorite of the bunch. B+
each $30
Forthwest Whisky
$30
