I recently received a sample bottle of Canadian Club Classic, a blend of 12 year old whiskies by perhaps the best known distiller of Canadian whisky. I’m normally not a big drinker of Canadian whiskies but I’m also willing to try just about anything.¹

Canadian whisky can be pretty uninspiring but the CC Classic surprised me. The first things you smell are vanilla and spice and these flavors carry through to its taste, although drinking it neat also delivers a good bit of alcohol burn that threatens to overpower it. Drinking it on the rocks eliminates this problem as the addition of water smooths things out a bit. The vanilla/spice flavor is stronger here with the result that this whisky almost tastes like a rum.

So while it’s good on the rocks, I found it best in an Old Fashioned (big surprise for me, I know). It also mixes well, particularly with lemon, so it’s a good choice for whiskey sours.

Canadian Club Classic is also extremely affordable, with Hi Time Wine selling for only $16. If you’re in need of an inexpensive yet drinkable Canadian whisky, this one is a good bet.

1. I even tasted that bacon-flavored vodka one time after talking to the distiller and learning that no bacon is used in production. It’s actually vegan, if you can believe that. Regardless, I was not a fan.