Which is the Best Cheap Canadian Whisky? (Buying Guide)

Discover which is the Best Cheap Canadian Whisky in this buying guide that ranks them from worst to best!

Black Velvet

• Nose: Vanilla, corn, ethanol.
• Palate: Oak, ethanol, cotton candy, oak spice.
• Finish: Nail polish.

The nose offers vanilla at first, followed by a hint of corn and ethanol.

On the palate, Black Velvet feels thin lacking in body. Flavor is mostly oak and ethanol on the first sip but mellows out into an overly sweet cotton candy flavor. As you keep drinking it becomes bitter as oak spice starts to take over.

The finish is short and warm, with a strong nail polish note.

You could disinfect wounds with it but definitely this is something I recommend not buying.

Black Velvet is one of the only whiskies I have tried that doesn’t get better with Coke as the nail polish note gets through.

I always try to find something positive about a dram but this is something for which I have nothing good to say.

This whisky is made in Canada by U.S.-based Heaven Hill, who crafts good budget bourbons such as Evan Williams which is a champ in terms of value and immensely better than the Black Velvet.

Canadian Mist

• Nose: Maple syrup, apple juice, ethanol.
• Palate: Corn, rye spice, maple syrup, vanilla.
• Finish: Short, bitter, warm.

The nose brings sweet maple syrup at first, followed by apple juice and a whiff of alcohol that smells of cheap cologne.

On the palate, Canadian Mist feel thin and watered-down with a poor texture. Flavor offers corn up-front along a fair amount of rye spice. Maple syrup and vanilla come behind besides a paint thinner note.

The finish is short-lived, with a bitter hint to it, somewhat warm, leaving an unpleasant nail polish aftertaste.

Canadian Mist is bad and adding water or ice does nothing for it. The best use is in cocktails where you can drown its flaws making it drinkable but this is definitely something I can’t recommend.

This is one of the worst whiskies I have ever tasted so I recommend to run away from it.

Even though the Mist is quite affordable you should consider other options before.

Rich & Rare

• Nose: Caramel, peppermint.
• Palate: Sweet corn, caramel, oak, peppermint mouthwash.
• Finish: Short, cinnamon, mint.

The nose is quite light with not much aroma coming off the bottle. Just a tiny hint of caramel along caramel are detectable.

On the palate, Rich & Rare provides a bad mouthfeel as it lacks texture feeling too watery. Flavor hits with a peppermint mouthwash note, followed by sweet corn, caramel and a bit of oak spice.

The finish is short-lived with a hint of cinnamon and mint to it.

Definitely not a good sipper unless you are fond of mouthwash flavor although it becomes bearable when mixed in cocktails or poured in Coke.

This whiskey is crafted in Canada and later shipped to the United States to be bottled.

Rich & Rare is owned by U.S. based Sazerac Company (Buffalo Trace) who crafts some of the best bourbon brands but you won’t find any of that top-notch quality in this whiskey as it’s quite bad.

Sazerac has other budget options such as the Benchmark Bourbon which is a watered-down Buffalo Trace and still makes a much better pour than the Rich & Rare.

Canadian LTD

• Nose: Vanilla, maple, caramel.
• Palate: Corn, maple, pear.
• Finish: Short, oak spice.

The nose is faint, with subtle notes of vanilla, maple and caramel, and a bit of acetone but nothing too bad.

On the palate, Canadian LTD feels thin lacking in texture, flavor is mostly sweet corn, maple and pear, along a tad of nail polish.

The finish is next non-existent with a bitter note from oak spice astringency, with no burn or bad bite.

Considering the price, Canadian LTD is not bad. Definitely not a sipping whiskey but something you can mix with Coke and call it a day.

Canadian LTD is cheap, in fact, this is one of the cheapest whiskeys on the planet. So if you are looking for something affordable to make cocktails this thing will get the job done.

The LTD is crafted by the Fleischmann Distilling Co. based in Owensboro, KY, which in turn is owned by the Sazerac Company who produces some of the best bourbons.

You won’t find any notes of those fine bourbons on the Canadian LTD, yet makes something drinkable when on a tight budget!

Seagram’s VO Canadian Whisky

• Nose: Nail polish, apricot, lemon, rye.
• Palate: Rye spice, vanilla, sour apple, cinnamon.
• Finish: Medium length and bitter.

The nose if faint, almost non-existent. There is a nail polish note at first followed by apricot, lemon and rye spice.

On the palate, Seagram’s VO feels thin and watered-down lacking in texture.

Taste is as mild as the nose with very little flavor which is pretty much alcohol with whiskey flavor. Rye spice hits first, followed by artificial vanilla, sour apple and a touch of cinnamon.

The finish has a medium length, leaving a lingering bitter aftertaste.

Overall easy to drink and inoffensive although nothing really stands out. Somewhat sweet, mostly bitter finish making a bad sipper.

At the low price it has some value as a bottom shelf whiskey to make cheap cocktails.

Seagram’s was a Canadian Whisky company headquartered in Montreal. The company later collapsed and its assets were sold to companies like Coca-Cola, Pernod-Ricard, Diageo and Sazerac.

Fireball Cinnamon Whisky

• Nose: Cotton candy, cinnamon.
• Palate: Honey, cinnamon.
• Finish: Cinnamon.

The nose is sweet, with a strong cotton candy hit, followed by dusty cinnamon.

On the palate, you get honey and spicy cinnamon up-front that never develops into any flavor. Sip after sip it pretty much tastes the same becoming absolutely monotonous.

The finish is non-existent, with very little heat to it and more of the same honey/cinnamon note with not one additional note to add any depth. This is a completely unidimensional dram.

The Fireball Cinnamon is an easy drinker that you can sip either neat or rocks but its best use is in cocktails.

There are certain cocktails such as the Pink Lemonade, the Orange Sweet Tea and the Cherry Apple Bomb that are quite nice and worth trying.

Fireball is not a whisky, but a flavored whiskey, a mixture of Canadian whisky, cinnamon flavoring and artificial sweeteners and produced by the Sazerac Company (Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, among several others).

Its foundation is Canadian whisky, while the taste resembles the candy with a similar name, Ferrara Candy Company’s “Atomic Fireball” candy.

Windsor Canadian Whisky

• Nose: Caramel, citrus, ethanol.
• Palate: Vanilla, caramel, rye spice, oak spice.
• FInish: Warm and sweet.

The nose hits with ethanol at first, but fades into a sweet caramel scent with a hint of orange.

On the palate, Windsor lacks body as it feels thin. Flavor is smooth and artificially sweet, with a high vanilla and caramel note, light rye spice, along a subtle oak spice note providing some bitterness.

The finish lingers a bit, is mostly sweet and burny on the way down, but nothing too severe.

This is not something I recommend for sipping as the artificial sweetness becomes cloying after a few sips and the warm finish might be off-putting for some.

But the Windsor Canadian is something you can mix with to enjoy a punchy Whiskey & Coke or with Red Bull; just be aware that the hangover will be painful.

The Windsor is crafted at the Alberta Distillery in Calgary, Canada. This distillery provides whiskies that are later blended to craft some top-notch brands such as Jefferson’s or the Whistlepig.

Don’t expect the Windsor to taste as the aforementioned, but this something that you can use a mixer when drinking on a paper-thin budget.

Canadian Hunter

• Nose: Ethanol, caramel, vanilla.
• Palate: Pecan, caramel.
• Finish: Medium, sweet corn.

The first note off the gate is a mix of alcohol and nail polish, that mellows out into caramel and vanilla as you let it breathe.

On the palate, the Canadian Hunter feels watery lacking in texture. The first sip is surprisingly sweet and smooth with a high pecan note, along a touch of caramel. It becomes a bit bitter on the back of the mouth but nothing extreme.

The finish has a moderate length, with no burn leaving an aftertaste of sweet corn.

Canadian Hunter tastes better than it smells like as it’s mostly sweet and smooth, with just a faint bitter note that is not a deal breaker.

This is not a whiskey that will be collecting awards and accolades but it’s better than expected and completely serviceable as a mixer as it mixes well with Coke or any homemade cocktail of your liking.

Pendleton Canadian

• Nose: Rye, oak, vanilla, Elmer’s Glue.
• Palate: Vanilla, oak, maple, spice.
• Finish: Short, maple, spice.

On the nose there is a note that reminds of Elmer’s Glue, followed by rye spice, oak and vanilla.

On the palate, the Pendleton Canadian feels quite thin as it has very little texture. Flavors offers mild hints of vanilla, oak, rye spice and a chemical maple sweetness that doesn’t taste right.

Finish is short, with no warmth, leaving an aftertaste of maple and spice.

It has some weird tasting notes, yet is an easy drinker that you can drink either neat or rocks. It mixes well with Coke and other cocktails so it becomes versatile.

Thin and bland are the words that best describe the Pendleton. Nothing terrible about it, but it completely lacks any character making a dull whisky and a bit overpriced for what it has to offer.

Pendleton Whisky was launched in 2003 to honor the American cowboy and celebrates the tradition of the Pendleton Round-Up, an annual rodeo in Pendleton, Oregon, founded in 1910.

The brand is owned by Mexico’s Jose Cuervo, the largest producer of Tequila!

Forty Creek Barrel Select

• Nose: Vanilla, citrus zest, plum, toasted oak, alcohol.
• Palate: Vanilla, ripe fruit, rye spice, almond.
• Finish: Honey, black pepper, orange.

The nose has a brandy-like aroma that brings notes of vanilla, citrus zest, a bit of plum and light toasted oak with just a whiff of alcohol.

On the palate, the Forty Creek offers a decent body providing a decent mouthfeel. Flavor is sweet and smooth up-front, with hints of vanilla, ripe fruit, a bit of rye spice and a touch of almond.

The finish lingers more than you would expect from a basic release, a bit dry, with some honey to it, orange and a dash of black pepper.

Forty Creek displays very little heat, with nothing offensive or off-putting. An easy drinking and smooth Canadian Whisky, with an acceptable texture, sweet notes, with some rye spice providing balance to the dram.

Mixes well with Coke and might be of use when in the mood for more complex cocktails.

Nothing spectacular about it, but nothing wrong about it providing good value for the money and a smooth and sweet night cap.

Canadian Club

• Nose: Licorice, caramel, apple, fennel.
• Palate: Caramel, baking spice, brown sugar.
• Finish: Short, rye spice, caramel.

The nose brings a licorice note at first, followed by caramel, apple and a touch of fennel.

On the palate, Canadian Club feels thin lacking in body. Flavor brings a caramel taste up-front, followed by moderate spicy notes of rye and baking spice and a tad of brown sugar.

The finish is short, with very little warmth to it, leaving an aftertaste of light rye spice, caramel and a subtle sour note.

Canadian Club is an easy and enjoyable pour. Mostly sweet, rich in caramel, with some rye spice to it and just a sour note on the tail but nothing too severe.

Nothing remarkable about it yet nothing off-putting making a decent budget Canadian whisky and a price hard to beat providing great value for the money.

Easy enough to be drunk neat or rocks, or when in the mood for a smooth and inoffensive cocktail.

Canadian Club gained notoriety in recent years due to the TV series Mad Men as this was the preferred whisky of Don Draper, played by Jon Hamm.

Drinking Canadian Club won’t make you look like Don Draper yet provides a good experience!

Alberta Premium Rye Whisky

• Nose: Peppermint, baking spice, vanilla.
• Palate: Rye spice, caramel, baking spice, peppermint.
• Finish: Medium, rye spice, peppermint.

The nose is high in a peppermint bubble gum note at first followed, by cinnamon, nutmeg, along some vanilla note.

On the palate, Alberta Premium has a decent body as it does not feel as watery as the typical Canadian Whisky providing a good mouthfeel.

Flavor hits with moderate rye spice and caramel, giving way to cinnamon, nutmeg and peppermint, along the grassy note present in rye whiskeys.

The finish has a medium length, with smooth rye spice, along more peppermint and a dash of oak spice.

Alberta Premium is one of the few 100% Rye Whiskeys in the market along the Whistlepig Whiskey. Yet it does not hit with a high spicy note as one might expect making it an easy drinker.

This whiskey is surprisingly good for its price, not earth-shattering or memorable, yet provides some complexity and some good flavors and an easy drinker providing a satisfying experience.

A good whiskey when in the mood for a not overly spicy Old Fashioned or Manhattan.

Inexpensive Canadian Whiskies Cheat Sheet

WhiskyPriceBottle SizeABVBlack Velvet$141L40%Canadian Mist$151L40%Rich & Rare$10750ml40%Canadian LTD$9750ml40%Seagram’s VO$19750ml40%Fireball Cinnamon$221L33%Windsor$11750ml40%Canadian Hunter$11750ml40%Pendleton Canadian$26750ml40%Forty Creek Barrel Select$22750ml40%Canadian Club$201L40%Alberta Premium Rye Whisky$27750ml40%

What’s the best cheap Canadian Whiskey?

Alberta Premium, Canadian Club and Canadian Hunter

• Alberta Premium is a good tasting whiskey and one of the few entirely made from rye making a good mixer to make spicy homemade cocktails.

• If you are not into rye and looking for something more conventional the Canadian Club offers great value for the money. This is a sweet and easy tasting whisky with nothing offensive.

• Canadian Hunter is the best ultra-budget whiskey at a price hard to beat and a bottle that is pretty cool.

Is Canadian Whisky good?

Canadian Whisky tends to be thin and watered-down

Canadian Whisky is mostly bottled at 80 proof (40% ABV) providing little body and a poor texture. Prices are attractive due to tax and exchange rate but there are several better bourbons at similar prices and with more to offer.

Even the much beloved Crown Royal has the same problem delivering a poor mouthfeel.

Read my review of the most popular Bourbons so you consider further options.

Canadians call it “Whisky”

Canadians followed the Scottish tradition of calling it “Whisky”, while Americans and the Irish added an E (Whiskey).

I am a bar and liquor shop owner in Oaxaca, Mexico where I have tasted hundreds of different spirits; perhaps more than I should!