All images courtesy of John Go

To celebrate the holidays of 2022, a bunch of my relatives and I decided to visit Vancouver. This would be what I’d consider my first real trip to Canada as I’ve previously been to Victoria for only a few hours about a decade ago.

I was excited about this trip because I knew the food there was good. Largely because it’s a part of North America where the population is mostly Asian. Just look at Tony Bourdain’s obsession with Asia after he got a taste of it. So I knew we wouldn’t have a hard time looking for good meals there. Eating at Richmond almost felt like being in Hong Kong due to the numerous dim sum restaurants and being surrounded by folks speaking Cantonese.

There’s also that curious side of me which wanted to see what the bar scene was like there. I won’t make a definitive comment about the cocktail scene there as I only had one free night to explore the bars. The rest of the nights were spent with my relatives.

Also, living in a tropical country, I almost always look forward to going to cold places. Because you can always add on more layers to insulate yourself. While you can only take off so much to beat the heat.

One other thing I knew is that it’s the birthplace of one of my favorite cocktails. This drink is called Meat Hook. It’s a peaty twist on a Manhattan created by Shaun Layton when he was still in L'abattoir. (I’m told he now works at Como Taperia in Vancouver.) You can check the link above for the exact recipe, but the drink calls for rye whiskey (preferably Sazerac), Sweet Vermouth (preferably Punt E Mes), Islay Scotch (preferably Ardbeg 10), Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, and brandied cherry as garnish.

Sadly, when I went to drink and dine there, the cocktail menu only had their new version of Meat Hook called Meat Hook #2. (See the recipe in the bar section of the menu). I found it to be less punchy and more delicate than the Meat Hooks I’ve had in other bars I’ve been to. It also just occurred to me now that I should have asked if they could make the original recipe. But having had to deal with jetlag and having spent a huge portion of the day at the Capilano Bridge, I didn’t think to ask.

Despite that slight disappointment, if you happen to be in Vancouver, I still suggest you dine in L'abattoir. The drinks, food and service are great. I really loved one of their winter cocktail drinks called Chai Hard. Which seemed like an Eggnog-inspired-drink. But had mezcal, oat milk, dark chocolate, chai and Green Chartreuse instead of the usual recipe. Them having an old school French dessert called (chocolate) marjolaine blew my mind. It was delicious.

Because I’m already in the territory of Canada and am on topic of rye whiskey, I thought it would be a good chance to sneak in a review of a Canadian rye called Lot 40. It also just hit me that this will be my 1st review of Canadian whisky.

Lot 40 is a pot distilled rye whisky made at the Hiram Walker Distillery. The brand was bought by Pernod Ricard back in 2012. I initially thought that this was a new brand until I found out it was being produced until the 1990s. Also, unlike most Canadian whiskeys aka Canadian “ryes”, Lot 40 is aged in new charred oak casks. While Canadian “rye” are aged in used oak casks.

Going on a tangent, I love the subtle details on the label. It mentions a part of the process via sharing the equipment used. Pot still, worm tubs, doublers and wooden pipes. Yum.

Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whisky – Review

43% abv. $34.99 in K&L Wines.

Color: Amber

On the nose: I get medium aromas of rye spice, cinnamon, adzuki beans, sweet vermouth and oak. Sometimes, these come out as mellow. Other times, it’s hot.

Underneath is a tingle of sharpness, which makes me assume it’s from the worm tubs. Along with it and at the tail end are lighter aromas of anise, leather, vanilla and honey.

In the mouth: Not as expressive as on the nose; But also not as hot. I get light and tamed tastes of rye spice, honey, cinnamon, adzuki beans, sakura liqueur, red rice tea and leather.

Conclusions:

Sadly not as expressive and flavorful as I had hoped for with it being pot distilled and worm tub-condensed. I guess the big boys really know how to take the fun (flavor) out of their products; Even if they’re marketed as a small batch.

On the bright side, it’s different from the typical American rye whiskey that’s usually on the sweeter side and/or heavy on rye flavor. This is just more mellow and balanced.

Score: 5/10