Tie your shoes tight: we're trotting the globe for this tasting brief, though starting close to home with a dive into the latest bottlings from Canada.

The popularity of bourbon often overshadows whiskies from the Great White North, but it shouldn't. Most of the ten Canadian whiskies we recently tasted rank alongside the best bottles from the USA, proving that this category more than holds its own. Of particular note: there seem to be a great many Canadian whiskies boasting multi-decade age statements at prices you'd never find in bourbon. 

In this brief, we also look at 21 world whiskies hailing from Europe, Australia, India, and beyond, including:

• Seven spectacular single malts of truly top quality
• Four European ryes that offer a different take on a familiar grain
• Two trans-national blends that combine multiple whisky styles (plus a highly unique corn whisky)
• A deep dive into M&H Distillery, Israel's leading single malt producer

Got your passport? Let's go!

Ten Canadians

Alberta Cask Strength (2022 Release)

A playful, muscular whisky that needs water to step fully, and safely, out of its cage. Root beer spices, cooked cherry, blackberry jam, stewed orange peel, black tea, pine forest, aniseed, instant coffee granules, oiled leather, and deep oak on the generous, complex nose; vanilla-butterscotch milkshake emerges with water. Massive in every way on the palate: huge texture and lavish flavors of piney, herbal rye grain, eucalyptus, licorice, dark fruits, coffee, black pepper, bitter chocolate, and deep oak. The finish continues the herbal, oak, and spice flavors with a fullness that belies an empty mouth; and it goes on forever.

Rare Perfection 15-Year-Old Cask Strength

An elegant nose of vanilla bean, raspberry swirl ice cream, old leather, and polished antique furniture; water brings out gardenia, candied violets, and toasted dried coconut. The palate is rich and deeply sweet with caramelized sugar, vanilla simple syrup, Chinese coconut-custard burns, and peppery spice, especially when water is added. Warm and velvety on the lengthy finish, like hugging a giant carnival teddy bear, with vanilla frosting sweetness. Preservation Distillery sourced this four-grain whiskey from an undisclosed Canadian distillery.

Rare Hare 30-Year-Old Lucky Bastard

Finished in Pineau des Charentes casks for four months. The nose immediately shows the whisky's age with polished antique oak, earth floor, and solvent, but it also has vibrant berry aromas that surely derive from the finish. Light-bodied and soft, the palate is mature but not overly complex, with oak, dark chocolate, dark berries, molasses, and gingerbread spice. It finishes surprisingly short, all velvety oak with fading spice. Takes water well.

Proof and Wood Good Day & Sunshine 21-Year-Old

A finish in Jamaican rum casks boosts the sweetness and rancio of this well-aged whisky, with deep vanilla, old oak, dark brown sugar, and hints of spice and toasted almonds on the nose; water adds concentrated cooked dark berries and cherry cola syrup. The palate is rich with dark chocolate and oozing vanilla, with pops of root beer, all enveloped in mature, sweet oak. Although the finish wraps up rather quickly, a generous addition of water transforms the whole whisky's texture from tannic to syrupy, turning each sip into a decadent dessert.

Lot 40 Dark Oak

Matured first in medium-charred new oak and then finished in heavily charred barrels, this pot-distilled rye is indeed dark in profile: darkly herbal, with a tinge of raisin and a lot of licorice on the nose, then full of dark chocolate, coffee bean, black licorice, Mission fig, and spices galore on the complex, compelling palate. More licorice, coffee bean, black pepper, and charred oak on the lengthy, weighty finish.

Proof and Wood Good Day 21-Year-Old

Initially simple-seeming, this majority-corn whisky, finished in American rye barrels, turns out to showcase beautiful maturity and a perfect proof that works with or without water. On the nose, there's vanilla, coconut, honeysuckle, sweet orange, and just-baked sugar cookies; water adds to the floral aromas with peony and rose. Initially sweet with vanilla and coconut, the palate is tempered by mature oak, toasted nuts, milk chocolate, and well-integrated spices. The medium-length finish is dry with oak and spice, and a vein of rancio.

Pendleton 20-Year-Old

A fragile nose of old oak barrels, softened by the vanilla tones of gently evaporating column still whisky, toasted coconut, dry almonds, wafting orange blossom perfume, and baby powder. Oaky and warm on the palate, with sweet dessert flavors: fudge-swirled vanilla ice cream in a cinnamon waffle cone, topped with toasted nuts. Sweet-bitter oak, cacao nibs, and tingling spice on the medium-length finish.

Bearface 7-Year-Old Triple Oak

The nose is a marvel of contradictions: deluxe vanilla ice cream topped with rich caramel sauce and shredded dried coconut to begin with, then leathery rancio, the rubber of new sneakers, and a dried pine and cedar edge. It comes together more on the palate, which is creamy and led by sweetness; deep vanilla, coconut cake, and candied pecans meet with toasted oak and a vibrant tingle of spice, especially black pepper. The oak takes a bitter turn into the finish but it’s mostly welcome, balancing what would otherwise be a sugar bomb.

WhistlePig The Béhôlden 21-Year-Old Single Malt (Barrel #006)

Sourced from an undisclosed Canadian distillery, this starts off strong—literally, with pungent aromas of campfire smoke, woodsy spices, flamed orange peel, smoked salt, maple syrup candy, and berry pie filling. The powerful smoke carries over onto the palate, where it takes on a sweet-spiced barbecue sauce character, alongside dark chocolate, dried figs, raisins, and brown sugar. Dark chocolate topped with smoked salt and lingering barrel char on the medium-long finish. It's a curious profile, one that intrigues at first but veers into cloying territory the longer it sits.

Crown Royal Noble Collection Barley Edition

A breakfast nose of granola and fruit salad: cut apples, pears, and honeydew, tossed in lemon and orange juice, set on the table next to a fresh bouquet of flowers. The palate is grainy and sweet: coarse oatmeal with cooked apples and chopped nuts, sprinkled with hot spices. There's also semi-sweet chocolate and sweet wood sugars. It finishes hot, dominated by simple, sweet oak.

High-Quality Single Malt

Indri Trini (Batch #2)

Indian single malt usually packs in flavor with density other styles can only dream of, and this newcomer from the northern state of Haryana is no exception. Complex and layered from nose to tail, starting with enticing, aromatic papaya, guava, and kiwi, sprinkled with incense spices, and including lightly charred oak and earthy baked clay. A plush, generous palate encompasses chocolate-covered cherries, blackberry jam, leather, mocha, and cinnamon pecans, followed by baking spices and very dark chocolate on the finish, with lingering oak and leather.

Rampur Select

Like many Indian single malts, this has a deeply tropical character: mango, papaya, jackfruit, and guava on the nose, with a sprinkling of cinnamon and soft sandalwood spice. Cinnamon-swirl buns studded with raisins and prunes, candied cherries drizzled with semi-sweet chocolate, pineapple upside-down cake, and well-balanced oak on the palate; water draws out more prominent spice and oak, and roasted nuts. Oak and fruit share the reins on the finish, which is well-paced and satisfying but not over-long.

Morris Rutherglen Muscat Barrels

Morris Distillery grew out of the Rutherglen, Australia winery of the same name, and uses its fortified Muscat casks to finish this single malt. Lush aromas of Concord grape jelly, dark berries, spiced hazelnuts, candied orange peel, leather, and dark chocolate on the nose, followed by a mouth-filling palate of gingerbread, leathery dark fruits, roasted nuts, and dark chocolate. Long and lingering finish with more leather, coffee bean, and unsweetened chocolate flecked with black pepper. A little water shows this at its best.

Paul John Christmas Edition 2022

There are layers of flavor and texture to discover here, but the nose starts off coy, as if it’s hiding some of itself, revealing almond, cinnamon and brown sugar toast, grain silo, and pops of blackcurrant, butterscotch, and candied orange peel. The palate, however, shows off: chewy and tannic with rich oak, it swirls with dark berry jam, roasted nuts, dark chocolate, and incense-rich spices that bloom with added water. Spiced and leathery on the finish, with lingering dark chocolate and oak.

Morris Rutherglen Australian Single Malt

Finished in fortified wine barrels from its sister winery, this single malt is brightly tropical on the nose, with guava, mango, and kiwi aromas, buttressed by molasses and leather. Grain-forward and spiced on the palate, balanced by the mature notes from the wine casks: leather, dark chocolate, roasted nuts, dark caramel, and molasses. The savory-sweet finish lingers with Italian hot chocolate, spiced nuts, and dark fruit compote.

Pokeno Origin

A rare New Zealand single malt available in the U.S. It has a pleasant, delicate nose of vanilla-scented green apple, fresh pear, light sweet malt, sea salt, lemon zest, and apricot; water brings out jasmine and white flowers. Fresh and energetic on the well-structured palate, with lemon, sea salt, fresh ginger, and vanilla. Sweet malt up front gives way to nuttier grain character, carried by fine-boned oak, and a few drops of water create more savoriness: roasted lemon, biscuity malt, dry-roasted spice. The finish is short and delicate, with vanilla, sea salt, and lemon-lime.

Spirit of Hven Tycho's Star Organic Single Malt

Named for astronomer Tycho Brahe, who lived on the Swedish island where the distillery is located. It has a generous, savory nose: spiced, roasted nuts, leather tobacco pouch, campfire-roasted apples, and wisps of sweet barbecue smoke. Though not overly complex on the palate, it's well-made and generous, with spiced and smoky flavors: nuts, black pepper, hot cinnamon, dried chili powder, savory oak, and heavy char that takes on tobacco character at the turn. Peppery-hot with persistent tobacco and fading smoky char on the medium-length finish.

Rye on Rye

Proof and Wood The Globe 8-Year-Old Polish Rye

Distilled in Poland, where it initially aged in French oak, this rye then made its way to Kentucky for additional maturation in bourbon barrels, plus a year-long finish in Jamaican rum casks. The journey was worth it, yielding a poised, composed whiskey that doesn't seem to be trying too hard: it just tastes great, starting with an outdoorsy nose of campfire and roasted apples, dried leaves, woody herbs, and a bit of forest floor. The palate retains the cooked-and-charred apples and oak, alongside sturdy flavors of black tea, dried mint, tarragon, eucalyptus, and pine bough. Peppery and a touch hot leading into the finish, but these notes are counteracted by charred oak, roasted walnuts, and a very long sigh of black tea.

Stork House Full Proof Rye

Made in Germany with locally grown rye and matured in American and German oak, as well as white wine and sherry casks. The nose is honeyed and sweet with grain, toasted coconut, vanilla, sweet oak, and a touch of mineral earthiness. The proof creates a welcome full mouthfeel, which buoys simple but enjoyable flavors of vanilla, coconut cream, sweet oak, and cornbread sprinkled lightly with chopped herbs. Medium-long on the finish, with sweet toasted oak, toasted nuts, and vanilla cake.

Stork House Straight Rye

Made from 100% German rye, and a totally unique take on the style—one that's appetizing and mouthwatering, with savory aromas of cooked meat and grains, sautéed mushrooms, soy sauce, and a curious orange flower note. The palate is earthy, with spiced sauce on roasted meat, unsweetened chocolate, roasted nuts, and dark oak. It finishes with beef jerky, savory roasted nuts, and dark and somewhat bitter oak. Recommend having a snack on hand because you're going to get hungry as you sip.

Spirit of Hven Hvenus Rye

A combination of whiskies made from rye, wheat, corn, and barley and matured in American oak. The nose is sweet and light, almost buttery with vanilla and cream, alongside subtle coconut, lemon, and green grape aromas. Sweet to start on the palate, nipped with sharp herbal character—tarragon and mint—but the sugars of simple oak end up dominating. It finishes medium-short, with tannic and sweet oak that's a little too toasty.

Border-Crossing Blends (And A Grain Whiskey)

Keeper's Heart Cask Strength (Batch CS-23-001)

Mixing Irish single pot still and grain whiskey with bourbon has created a blend with round, sweet, high-summer aromas: ripe apricots and nectarines, dripping melon, crushed almonds in honey-vanilla syrup, with a balancing strain of oak. The palate is velvety-soft and full, flavored by lemon-honey tea, banana cream pie with graham cracker crust, hot ginger, and vanilla, cinnamon, and sweet oak, a trio that continues into the medium-long finish. Takes lots of water well.

Proof and Wood Crossborder Jackpot

A blend of three 7-year-old whiskies: American rye, Canadian rye, and Canadian blended whisky. It presents rye-like but unconventional, with a shy nose of apples, oranges, berries, sweet chamomile, garden herbs, and oak. The palate remains reticent, walking the line between sweet and dry, with a full body and flavors of mandarin orange, vanilla, toasted almonds, spice, and sweet oak, which persists into the medium-long finish.

Spirit of Hven MerCurious Corn Whisky

Curious, indeed: a Swedish take on American corn whiskey that's far more delicate than one might expect. Jasmine, orange blossom, gentle baking spice, butter-cooked apple slices, and light toffee-topped shortbread on the nose. The palate is simple and enjoyable, spiced with cloves, cinnamon, and allspice, sweet with gently cooked apples and shortbread malt, nutty with oak. Spiced milk chocolate, light roasted nuts, and oak play well on the medium finish.

Focus On M&H

The ImpEx Collection 3-Year-Old M&H Muscat Wine Cask (# 2018-1069)

Thick and luscious from start to finish. On the nose, raspberries and blackberries, spiced plums, dark chocolate, dried orange peel, dark polished oak, leather, roasted hazelnuts, brown sugar, and, with time, kiwi and other tropical fruits. The palate is chewy with dark chocolate fudge, spiced plums, raisins, dates, molasses, cola syrup, raspberry jam, and a bakeshop's worth of gingerbread. Fudgy dark chocolate, polished dark oak, gently fading gingerbread and cola spices, and a whiff of tobacco at the very end of the lengthy finish. Water barely touches this but it's okay, because even at full proof it's shockingly easy to drink.

M&H Art&Craft Doppelbock Beer Cask

A nose of lush pineapple, green papaya, cinnamon-dusted mango, cardamom, and sandalwood sets up more tropical fruit on the palate: here it's cooked, roasted to a richness that brings in tobacco, spiced nuts, cacao nibs, and espresso. The flavors are deepened and made richer by the cask-strength proof, which takes water so well that it lengthens and expands the whisky's velvety texture, giving its supple power room to stretch out.

M&H Elements Peated

Though finished in a cask that formerly held peated whisky, there's little evidence of it on the nose, which is bright with clementine, mango, and guava, and warmed by marzipan and cardamom shortbread. Instead, the peat creeps in restrainedly on the palate, which remains malty and fruity with fizzing spices and a sturdy oak base. Tobacco, nutty oak, and unsweetened chocolate purl through the savory finish.

M&H Elements Sherry

M&H specially commissioned kosher oloroso and PX sherry to season the casks used for maturing this whisky, and it was worth the effort. While the nose is notably simple, with raisin, brown sugar, lemon wedge, fresh linen, and a maritime breeze, the palate is dense and chewy with rich sherry flavors: dried fruit, dark chocolate, hazelnut, cinnamon, and leather. A touch of heat on the finish is tempered by dark chocolate, leather, and polished oak. Water not recommended.

M&H Elements Israeli Red Wine

The nose is fresh and hop-like, bright with lemon, fresh apples, honey, almonds, and vanilla. A sparkling palate, fizzing with lemon zest and sharp pine, alongside toasted nuts, tropical fruit, sturdy oak, and fresh-juiced ginger. More fizzy lemon, herbal oak, and savory-sweet nuts on the medium-length finish.

M&H Apex STR Cask (#2018-0838)

The nose starts off with a pastry case of confectionary treats: maple-glazed bear claw, cinnamon powdered donut, and tiramisu; water brings out blueberry pie and strawberry jam. A pronounced citrus-soapiness overhangs darker palate notes of Nutella, long-cooked berries, unsweetened chocolate, leather, and well-integrated baking spice. More leather, dark chocolate, and skin-on hazelnuts on the lengthy finish.

M&H Classic

Sturdy malt forms the base of the nose, topped with a fruit salad of cantaloupe, pineapple rings, mandarin orange, and wild Maine blueberries, and a dollop of almond cream. The palate is dry and hot, showing a youthful edge, with spiced oak, roasted nuts, tobacco shavings, and unsweetened chocolate. It finishes short, hot, grainy, and nutty, an angular and at times gawky whisky that's still finding its feet.