Era:  1920s
ABV:  43%
Volume:  75cl

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When we think about the Prohibition era we think of it as an American thing. But some of the same Prohibition anti-liquor sentiments existed across the northern border in Canada. National Prohibition in Canada started in 1918, but only lasted until 1919, and only covered the consumption of alcohol, not the production of it. The Canadian government may have wanted their own citizens to abstain from drinking alcohol, but they had no problem shipping it illegally to their thirsty neighbors in the United States. During Prohibition upwards of 80% of Canada's export revenue came from sales of liquor to the United States.

Enter United Distillers Corporation and Duncan Harwood Distilleries in Vancouver B.C. Canada. In the east and mid-west, we had Sam Bronfman’s Canadian whisky flooding the market, and in the west, we had brands like Harwood’s taking us by land and sea. Harwood’s was set up in the early 1920s by Canada’s United Distillers to take advantage of ready markets in the American northwest.  It operated into the mid-1950s. The company was eventually wound up in the wake of a tax evasion scandal that implicated its directors, one of the largest cases in history at the time.

This bottle of Harwood’s is in pristine condition, coming in at 84.6 proof. Like most of the finer Canadian whiskies of the time, it was featured a mashbill of corn, rye, wheat and barley grains. Each grain was produced and matured as a single grain whisky. Then the individual fully aged whiskies were blended and then re-barelled to marry. It was then bottled, usually at 6 years old. Most of the whiskies in this blend would have been laid down by United Distillers at other plants just as American Prohibition was starting in 1920. Back in the day making Canadian whisky wasn’t a slap-dash affair, Canadian whiskies well-conceived and very high-quality.

This whisky is burnished copper in color, the nose is rye forward but mild, as Canadian grown rye is milder than its American cousin. There’s a nice amount of wood, some vanilla and caramel, and a wheated sweetness. The palate opens sweetly, with savory barley and mildly spicy rye present, balanced and light oak notes and hints of orchard fruits. Finish is medium in length and mild.

Canadians have always been polite and compared to some of the over-aged whiskies put up during Prohibition, this whisky follows suit.