In 2017, J.P. Wiser’s and the NHL Alumni Association embarked on a collaboration of a limited-run NHL Alumni Whisky Series, with partial proceeds going toward the ongoing philanthropic efforts of the NHLAA .
Each release features one of 10 select NHL Alumni members, almost all of whom are largely recognized for their tenure on a particular NHL Canadian franchise (the exception being goaltender Martin Brodeur who was exclusively a New Jersey Devil).
Each whisky was crafted to match their playing style and certain notable achievements.
The whiskies were also designed to contain subtle numerical “Easter egg” elements that are associated with each player.
For example, the Larry Robinson release is aged for 6 years in 6 different barrels in commemoration of his 6 championship wins with the Montreal Canadiens – get it?
With the assistance of friends within our whisky network, we were able to source 9 of the 10 releases to sample and thoroughly review. If you’re familiar with the series, you may know which bottle we were unable to get our hands on, but we’ll discuss that later.
All-Star lineup
We were also able to gain insight on the series from Colin MacDougall, who serves as National Brand Education Specialist for Corby (parent company of J.P. Wiser’s).
Colin McDougall with NHL legend Mark Messier
Having conducted special in-person and virtual events and tastings alongside numerous Alumni from the series, Colin has a special behind-the-scenes understanding of each release, and has worked with Master Blender Dr. Don Livermore.
We hope you enjoy our review of the Wiser’s NHL Alumni Series Whiskies.
Colin: “Each Alumni player who participated toured our facility at Hiram Walker and was educated on our processes. They then sampled whiskies based on their own personal preferences. From there, our Master Blender Dr. Don Livermore crafted a whisky blend that suited their style on the ice and complimented their preference in whisky. It was a true collaboration.“
WHISKY FACTS
ABV: 41.6%
BLEND: 100% rye
AGE: 11 year old
CASK(S): Bourbon
CLARK OVERALL RATING:
Wendel Clark | ‘Bold & Tenacious’ | 2018-2019 Edition
APPEARANCE: Clear. Copper.
NOSE: Aromas of dried fruit, strawberry marshmallow candies, dill and sandalwood were evidenced on the Clark. Despite being comprised 100% rye and spending time in an ex-bourbon barrel, it embodied a slightly musty nose that is reminiscent of a single malt Scotch.
PALATE: A medium-textured mouthfeel delivers hickory, orange pith, dill, creamy caper sauce and black pepper.
FINISH: Short-medium length finish leaves black licorice all sorts candy, oak and black pepper.
EASTER EGG ELEMENT(S): Clocking in at 41.6 percent, it’s clearly a nod to the 416 Toronto area code.
Colin: “The visits at Hiram Walker were extensive and resulted in a great amount of player input. Every player had a big say in their final product.“
ABV: 40%
BLEND: 3 Grain: Corn, Rye, Barley
AGE: 12 year old
CASK(S): Bourbon and Virgin Oak
COURNOYER OVERALL RATING:
Yvan Cournoyer | ‘Smooth & Complex’ | 2019-2020 Edition
APPEARANCE: Clear. Honey.
NOSE: The Yvan embodied the loveliest nose that we whiffed in the series. A honeyed nose meets sweet ice wine winter grape, and is also accompanied by Danish vanilla cookies, a touch of dill, and chewy red licorice.
PALATE: A thin, but easy-sipping whisky with a creamy mouthfeel delivers honey, oak, burnt caramel, dill and white pepper.
FINISH: A short-medium-length finish has a slight chewiness and leaves hints of caramel, oak and cold brew coffee.
EASTER EGG ELEMENT(S): Aged for 12 years. Wearing the number 12, Cournoyer was known as “Bottled Lightning” for his play with the Montreal Canadiens.
Colin MacDougall: “Approximately 40,000 bottles of each whisky were initially released in the market where each player played; in Alberta for Lanny MacDonald, for example. We caught some shade from this, so the following year we released them nationwide.”
ABV: 40%
BLEND: 3 Grain, wheat forward
AGE: 9 year old
CASK(S): Virgin Oak and Bourbon
MCDONALD OVERALL RATING:
Lanny McDonald | ‘Well-Rounded’ | 2018-2019 Edition
APPEARANCE: Clear. Honey.
NOSE: A slightly earthy, yet creamy nose that is agreeable. Creamy caramel red apple leaps out prior to earthy field wheat and a sharp caraway note.
PALATE: Sharp pine, red apple and hint of honey. On the palate, the Lanny was a curious melange of flavors that didn’t seem to form a cohesive whole.
FINISH: Short, thin and forgettable with a hint of burnt caramel.
EASTER EGG ELEMENT(S): Aged 9 years, the same number that the mustachioed McDonald wore throughout his career.
Colin: “Active players aren’t allowed to represent alcohol products, but once they retire, it’s game on.“
ABV: 40%
BLEND: 2 grain: corn & rye
AGE: 6 year old
CASK(S): Canadian Oak, re-charred Bourbon, Rum, Port, and French Oak
ROBINSON OVERALL RATING:
Larry Robinson | ‘Big and Smooth’ | 2018-2019 Edition
APPEARANCE: Clear. Gold.
NOSE: The Robinson delivers an elegant and fragrant dessert-esque nose – the second best nose just behind the Cournoyer. English sponge toffee and creamy cheesecake meet orchard apple, the essence of Jamaican rum hogo funk, and a nice kiss of oak.
PALATE: Even at the bare minimum 40% ABV, this is the most complex and balanced whisky that we had the pleasure of sipping. Bright red apple and Werther’s Original candies caress the palate, are soon accompanied by a hint of molasses, lemon pith, oak, and a fresh, soft Mascarpone cheese.
FINISH: Medium-long, warming and pleasant. Toffee, oak and baking spices provide finality to what is a highly enjoyable experience.
EASTER EGG ELEMENT(S): Aged for 6 years in 6 different barrels in commemoration of Robinson’s 6 Stanley Cup wins.
Colin: “I had the pleasure of hosting tasting sessions with Mark (Messier), Paul (Coffey), and I did three with Lanny (McDonald)! The gents are all class acts and are just the best guys to be doing this for the Alumni Association.“
ABV: 47%
BLEND: 3 grain: corn, rye & barley
AGE: 11 year old
CASK(S): Bourbon & Speyside Malt
MESSIER OVERALL RATING:
Mark Messier | ‘Bold & Tenacious’ | 2019-2020 Edition
APPEARANCE: Clear. Amber.
NOSE: Smooth and highly floral without a trace of ethanol burn (that was found on a few of the releases). An inviting nose greets you with warm apple blossom, oak, heather honey, and the essence of decorative seashell soaps once sold by the Avon company (the kind your mother had in a basket somewhere in the washroom).
PALATE: “The Moose” imparts a Speyside Scotch-like palate that has a medium viscosity. Heather honey, Red Delicious apple skin, oak, and a hint of lavender provide a nice 47% ABV hug.
FINISH: Medium-long and slightly bitter. Black tea, cinnamon and ample oak.
EASTER EGG ELEMENT(S): Aged 11 years for the jersey Messier wore, this release is 47% ABV which translates to 97 Proof for the year he won a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers.
ABV: 48%
BLEND: 2 grain: corn & rye
AGE: 7 year old
CASK(S): Canadian Oak, Speyside Malt, Virgin Oak and Bourbon
COFFEY OVERALL RATING:
Paul Coffey | ‘Rich & Smooth’ | 2019-2020 Edition
APPEARANCE: Clear. Dark Amber.
NOSE: A undeniably sweet nose is inviting, and is highly telling of what is to follow through on the palate. Together, vanilla cola and sponge toffee delight the senses, while oak and icing sugar round out what is possibly the sweetest and richest nose in the series.
PALATE: The Coffey imbues the palate with a syrupy, coating mouthfeel that accompanies burnt brown sugar, cinnamon spice, oak char and canned peach syrup.
FINISH: Medium-long, warming and pleasant. Cinnamon, burnt brown sugar and oak linger are the last notes to say goodbye.
EASTER EGG ELEMENT(S): Aged in 4 distinct barrels for 7 years, this whisky pays tribute to the Oiler defenseman’s historic 48-goal season, as the number 7 he wore when he entered the league.
ABV: 40%
BLEND: 4 grain (does not specify which grains)
AGE: 10 year old
CASK(S): Canadian Oak and Bourbon
SITTLER OVERALL RATING:
Daryl Sittler | ‘Well-Rounded’ | 2019-2020 Edition
APPEARANCE: Clear. Straw.
NOSE: An agreeable nose delivers maple, red apple, and a curious hint of grape bubblegum.
PALATE: Thin in mouthfeel with light hints of sweet corn, oak char and rye spice.
FINISH: Short; falls off almost immediately. A hint of a brandy-like sweetness says an all-too-brief hello and goodbye.
Colin: “A portion of the profits went back into the Alumni Association. They do really great work for players exiting the league.“
ABV: 45%
BLEND: 3 grain: corn, rye, barley
AGE: 14 year old
CASK(S): Bourbon, Speyside Malt, Canadian Oak and Virgin Oak
KEON OVERALL RATING:
Dave Keon | ‘Well-Rounded’ | 2019-2020 Edition
APPEARANCE: Clear. Amber.
NOSE: An introductory floral note of rose water is supported by apple orchard (not merely the apple, but the orchard itself), baking spices are prominent, as well – all of which assemble what is reminiscent of a bright, Speyside Scotch.
PALATE: The Keon is possibly the most “Scotch-like” release in the series. The verifiably well-rounded palate delivers upfront red apple, with pear, oak char, maritime salinity, and some black pepper following behind.
FINISH: A truly medium-length finish is warming, with cascading elements of baking spices, black pepper and a hint of smoke.
EASTER EGG ELEMENT(S): Aged for a lengthy 14 years for the number 14 jersey that Keon wore. A 45% ABV is emblematic of the 45 points he accumulated during his Calder-trophy-winning first season, and 4 barrel types for the 4 Stanley Cup wins with Toronto.
The Keon is Wiser’s Master Blender Don Livermore’s personal favorite from the Alumni series.
ABV: 47%
BLEND: 3 grain (does not specify which grains)
AGE: 11 year old
CASK(S): Canadian Oak, French Oak, Virgin Oak and Bourbon
BRODEUR OVERALL RATING:
Martin Brodeur | Released 2018-2019
APPEARANCE: Clear. Dark amber.
NOSE: An ethanol aroma is prominent, but is soon relieved by rosewater, baking spices and oak. An earthy barnyard note makes an unwelcome appearance.
PALATE: Mesquite spice and buttered popcorn precede musty oak char, maple, and a high-ester Jamaican rum.
FINISH: A medium-length finish is slightly bitter with oak and cold black coffee.
Colin: “All these whiskies were designed to sell out. Lafleur seemed to be the quickest to sell out through the SAQ stores from a huge fan base in Quebec.“
ABV: 40%
BLEND: 100% corn
AGE: 10 year old
CASK(S): Speyside Malt, Bourbon and Rum
OVERALL RATING: N/A
Guy Lafleur | ‘Naturally Smooth’ | Released 2018-2019
To many who have a knowledge of the series, it will come as little surprise to learn that the elusive bottle in which we could not secure for tasting was the Guy Lafleur.
It is rumored that in addition to strong sales in the home province of Quebec at the SAQ (Quebec’s state-run alcohol stores), the late Guy Lafleur himself (who passed away on April 22, 2022) is said to have purchased an inordinate amount of the bottles that were released, and thus created a scarcity for his own Alumni whisky.
Of the scant reviews that presently exist, they are generally positive and speak of a lighter-style whisky that is ripe with notes of butterscotch, vanilla, and oak with additional hints of dried fruit, chocolate and spice.
At the time of writing, secondary market sellers of the Guy Lafleur release strive to fetch upward of 1.2k CAD (900 USD) for their bottles. Though it seems that “the Guy” is likely to be among the best in the series, our better judgement tells us that what it wouldn’t come anywhere close to being worth this grossly inflated asking price.
EASTER EGG ELEMENT(S): Aged for 10 years for the number 10 that Guy wore throughout his illustrious career with “Les Canadiens”.
Despite the fact that each whisky makes use of different grain whiskies and has received maturation in a different selection of barrels, there is undoubtedly a certain continuity in taste that runs throughout each expression.
Yes, there is undoubtedly a certain “feel” to J.P. Wiser’s whisky, and this meant that we had to pay extra close attention when assessing each release.
Among the releases in the series, there are hits and there are misses. All are enjoyable, but to us, there were a few distinct standouts, and these included the Robinson, the Coffey, the Messier, and the Keon.
As for the elusive Lafleur, well, if you’ve been able to try it, we’d love to hear your thoughts.
A big thank you goes out to J.P. Wiser’s Colin MacDougall for the intel he provided to us, and to Brad Kozak and Martin English for supplying the samples and for assisting in the review.
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.
