Gibson’s Finest Rare 12

Now for Part 2 of my Xmas tradition, stealing booze from my Uncle and doing a review.

So, time to review Gibson’s Finest Rare 12, known for a recent commercial series where they point out that they could have pulled it at 3 years, but left it in for 12. Which I appreciate.

This one I haven’t had a chance just yet, which is odd because I can always find it and could have reviewed it before. Guess it just never comes up.

So this one is aged 12 years. And recently changed the packaging too. I don’t really have much more on this one. I assume it’s a mashbill of some sort, and aged in ex-bourbon casks, but the website doesn’t really say anything, so… it’s rare and it’s alcohol.

And the commercials are catchy. So it’s fine, rare, and aged for smoothness.

Let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Price: $29.95 (CAD) at the LCBO

Region: The Former Bastion of Winter, Canada

Abv: 40%

Colour: 2.5Y 7/10

Nose: Lemon, sugar, corn, stewed Veggies, spruce

Smells like a Canadian whisky. It’s smooth. Nothing overly painful. The spruce is nice here.

That said, not too crazy. Nothing blowing my mind. It’s Canuck Whisky.

Taste: Maple, ginger, chili peppers, wood

Maple nice. Maple there. Maple in Canadian whisky is a jingoistic stereotype that happens to be 100% true as shit.

Kinda hot too. Maple there. Maple maple.

Finish: Pepper, spruce, ginger, hot, maple

More maple! Like in my veins when I go out in the super cold winter with my toque and uppercut moose.

It’s hot at the end. Nothing too special. Combines the nose and taste though.

Conclusion: So… I’m happy for the Marketing campaign, I guess? It said it was smooth, however the ending was actually hot.

Look, there’s nothing here that’s crazy. It tastes like a simple, smooth whisky. It deserves no extra points. I’m glad they spend the extra time, however I think it needs… something more. Without knowing any of the effort into this, I can really say it’s either better casks, a better mashbill, or more Abv.

Good marketing though.

51/100

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