From the day he began work as a Blender at the Reider Distillery (where the Forty Creek Distillery stands today), to his retirement as Master Blender at the conclusion of 2025, Bill Ashburn has grown to become a monumental figure in not only the story of Forty Creek, but also the Canadian whisky industry at large.
Forty Creek’s Chronology release is to be Bill’s swan song.
It features a rare four-decade blend that includes a whisky component dating back to the distillery’s establishment, way back in 1992. Altogether, whiskies from the years 1992, 2000, 2014 and 2020 comprise Chronology, which was initially released via distillery-only pre-sale in early October 2025 at the retail price of $300 CAD.
SHELF APPEAL RATING (Note: does not count toward final score, out of 5):
APPEARANCE: Clear. Amber.
NOSE: A quick whiff presents an immediate interplay between the nuttiness of freshly shaved California almonds and bright character of Granny Smith apple juice. An approachable “trademark” Forty Creek maple syrup sweetness is balanced by a sophisticated and prominent element of oak that hints to the the age of the thirty-plus year old whisky within the blend.
PALATE: Notes of oak manifest at the forefront, and are soon supported by a surge of baking spices, then, English sponge toffee, raisin bran cereal and a subtle note of coffee with milk.
FINISH: Medium-long. Heightened baking spices continue to bathe the palate alongside persisting sponge toffee and slightly mouth-drying oak.
ABV: 45%
AGE: NAS (a blend of whiskies from 1992, 2000, 2014, 2020)
CASK(S): Undisclosed
ENJOY: Neat or with ice
RATING:
Conclusions
In early 2025, I was treated to a generous pour of Canadian Club’s 45-year-old Chronicles release. The 6th release in the Chronicles series, it generated a buzz before it came out, because unlike the 5 releases that preceded it, it was a very old whisky that did not feature a small portion (9.09% or less) of another spirit added to it. Chronicles 45 was simply a four-and-a-half-decade-old whisky, and as a result, it was perceived by yours truly as painfully dry while tasting almost exclusively like the wood that it had rested in for five years shy of a staggering half-century.
Bill Ashburn has always placed greater emphasis on the balanced taste of his finished product over displaying impressive age statements on the label. Within Chronology you can truly detect that 33-year old whisky that’s swimming around in there. However, unlike the 45-year-old Chronicles, Chronology appears to he effectively smoothed and sweetened by the more youthful whiskies in the blend. Though the label on the bottle and its box do not display a definitive age statement (legally, it would be a 5 year old as that is the youngest whisky in the blend), they do prominently display the four years of the blend (1992, 2000, 2014 & 2020), so essentially, it’s a “read-between-the-lines” kind of age statement for Forty Creek.
Chronology strikes a pleasant balance between the trademark Forty Creek profile (that all too often often features familiar notes vanilla, maple, raisin bran and candied orange peel) with the dry, aged sophistication of a heavily-oaked old whisky. This results in a nice complexity and a spice-forward finish that lingers on for a solid amount of time, and a release that is among Forty Creek’s most sophisticated.
…And For Those So Inclined: A Recommended Cigar Pairing
Pair the Forty Creek Chronology with a Quesada Oktoberfest Munich cigar.
Perfecto-shaped with a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, this cigar from Quesada was crafted specifically for the Canadian marketplace to celebrate Oktoberfest. Other vitolas exist outside of Canada. It needn’t only be enjoyed in September or October; this cigar can be enjoyed anytime and was found to pair exceptionally well with the Chronology.
On its own, the Oktoberfest Minich delivers robust notes of milk chocolate, earth, baking spices and cereal grain. When paired with the whisky, the Chronology takes on heightened notes of oak char, an effervescent cinnamon quality, and dark chocolate while becoming a touch more dry in character, while the Oktoberfest cigar evolves into a malted caramel, more prominent earth and spices.
– Kurt Bradley
Reviewed October 26, 2025
Kurt Bradley is the founder of The Gentleman’s Flavor, to which he is also a contributing editor, host and curator.
Born in Toronto, Canada, Kurt has lived in Glasgow, Scotland where he developed a passion for understanding whisky. Kurt is a certified Whisky Ambassador accredited by The Scotch Whisky Association and has achieved Level 2 Award in Wine & Spirits Education Trust with distinction. He is a regular contributor to Cigar Journal Magazine, and has provided commentary to Cigar Aficionado, the world’s leading cigar publication.
He enjoys a fine, hand made cigar with a well-crafted Old Fashioned cocktail.
