🥃 Canadian Club Classic 12 Year Old
Twelve-year-old line of Canadian Club blended whisky, 40% ABV; bourbon-barrel maturation, with vanilla and honey on the palate.
Canadian Club Classic 12 Year Old is the oldest line in the core Canadian Club blended whisky range. It is 12 years old, and the producer says this is four times longer than the industry standard. According to the review on canadianwhisky.org, the whisky is bottled at 40% ABV.
The mash bill is dominated by corn with rye, rye malt and barley malt; according to the same review, there is more barley malt here than in the brand's other versions. A larger share of the maturation takes place in charred ex-bourbon barrels, which, according to the reviewer, adds sweetness. The producer describes the colour as bronze to autumn gold, with a taste of gentle spices, cream vanilla, wood and honey, and a long dry finish with toffee.
Why this matters to you. Classic 12 suits anyone looking for a softer and sweeter whisky than 1858 or Reserve 9, for slow sipping. The age on the label refers to the youngest whisky in the bottle. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | brand produced since 1858, Walkerville (Ontario) |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Canadian Food Compositional Standards, vol. 2, section 2.1.3 (Canadian Whisky) |
| EU category | 2 — whisky/whiskey |
| Raw material | corn, rye, rye and barley malt; more barley malt than in other versions |
| Cask type | a larger share of charred ex-bourbon barrels |
| Minimum maturation | 12 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV (according to canadianwhisky.org) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Canadian Club Classic 12 Year Old → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Rye and corn in whisky
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Canadian Club, 🥃 Canadian whisky, 🥃 Whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Crown Royal, 🥃 Canadian Club 1858, 🥃 Canadian Club 1858, 🥃 Canadian Club Reserve 9 Year Old, 🥃 Canadian Club Reserve 9 Year Old
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Classic 12 is made from the same components as 1858?
Not entirely. According to canadianwhisky.org, Classic 12 contains more barley malt and more charred ex-bourbon barrels.
What is the strength of Classic 12?
40% ABV according to canadianwhisky.org. The producer's page does not state it separately.
How does the producer describe the taste?
Gentle spices, cream vanilla, wood and honey; the finish is long and dry, with toffee.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Crown Royal — Blended Canadian whisky created by Seagram in 1939 for the visit of King George VI; made in Gimli (Manitoba); Deluxe is 40% ABV; owned by Diageo since the 2000s.
- 🥃 Canadian Club 1858 — Flagship line of the Canadian Club brand: a Canadian blended whisky with no age statement, aged longer than the three-year legal minimum.
Similar
🥃 Canadian Club 100% Canadian Rye · 🥃 Canadian Club 1858 · 🥃 Canadian Club Reserve 9 Year Old · 🥃 Crown Royal Fine De Luxe · 🥃 Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye · 🥃 Crown Royal Black
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Canadian Club (producer): Classic 12 Year Old Canadian Whisky (12 years; creamy vanilla, honey; long dry finish)
- Canadian Whisky (canadianwhisky.org): Canadian Club Classic 12 year old (40 %; corn, rye, rye malt and barley malt; re-charred bourbon barrels)
- Difford's Guide: Canadian Club Canadian Blended Whisky (Hiram Walker & Sons; 40 %; high rye and barley malt components blended before ageing; charred white oak)
- Canadian Food Compositional Standards, Volume 2 – Alcoholic Beverages, 2.0.1 and 2.1.3 (CFIA; Canadian Whisky: min. 3 years in small wood, min. 40 % ABV)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)