I'll be honest — when most people hear "Canadian rye," they think of the lighter, blended styles that dominate the category. Lot 40 is not that whisky. This is a proper rye-forward Canadian expression, made from 100% rye grain, and it wants you to know it. At 43% ABV and priced around £41, it sits in a sweet spot where quality meets accessibility, and I think it deserves far more attention than it gets on this side of the Atlantic.
What makes Lot 40 interesting from an educational standpoint is the mashbill. Most Canadian whiskies blend a base spirit with flavouring whisky, often using corn-heavy bases. Lot 40 throws that playbook out entirely. A 100% rye mashbill is demanding — rye grain is notoriously difficult to work with during fermentation and distillation, sticky and temperamental compared to corn. The fact that they commit fully to it tells you something about intent. This isn't a whisky designed by a marketing committee; it's one built around a grain.
The NAS designation doesn't bother me here. Age statements are useful, but they're not the whole story. What matters is whether the whisky tastes complete, and Lot 40 does. It carries enough weight and complexity to suggest it hasn't been rushed, while retaining a vibrancy that works in its favour. There's a confidence to the spirit — it knows what it is and doesn't try to be a bourbon or a Scotch.
Tasting Notes
I'm not going to fabricate specific notes I can't verify for you here. What I will say is this: expect the character that a full rye mashbill delivers. Rye grain brings spice, herbal qualities, and a drier profile than corn-based whiskies. At 43%, you're getting enough strength to carry flavour without the burn overwhelming things. It's bottled at a proof that respects the spirit rather than watering it down to nothing.
The Verdict
Lot 40 scores a 7.5 out of 10 from me, and that's a genuine recommendation. It loses half a point for the lack of transparency around age — I'd like to know what's in the bottle — and it doesn't quite reach the heights of some cask-strength rye expressions I've had at similar price points. But for what it sets out to do, it delivers. This is an honest, grain-driven rye whisky with real character, priced fairly for the quality. If you've been sleeping on Canadian rye as a category, Lot 40 is the bottle that should change your mind. It punches well above the typical Canadian shelf offerings and stands comfortably alongside American ryes in its price bracket.
Best Served
This is a natural Old Fashioned whisky. The rye spice gives you structure that holds up beautifully against a sugar cube and a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters — you don't need to fight the sweetness of a bourbon base here, so the cocktail stays balanced and dry. Use a good orange peel, expressed over the glass. It also works brilliantly in a Manhattan if you lean toward a drier style with a quality dry vermouth. Neat is fine too — give it ten minutes in the glass and let it open up before you judge it.
