85Great

Pendleton Whisky Aged 20 Years Directors’ Reserve

Item: Pendleton Whisky Aged 20 Years Directors’ Reserve
Rating: 85
Author: t8ke

Canadian Whisky Pendleton

Distilled by Pendleton in Canada, this release is hyper-aged and offers a new look into the portfolio from this under-the-radar Canadian distillery.

Flavor Profile

Suggested Cocktails

Aggregated Reviews

Raided Score: 85
Drinkhacker
By Christopher Null
Do I love it? No. But I know Pendleton die-hards — and any fan of very sweet whisky — will likely approve of the message the directors are selling. And that message is sugar.
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Raided Score: 85
The Whiskey Wash
By Talia Gragg
This expression is definitely more complex that other Pendleton expressions, for the merits of its age. There’s a flow of flavor that’s not always found in Canadian whisky, and also more depth. It still does not stack up to the range of 20 year whiskies, and doesn’t seem likely to break that barrier.
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House Review

Nose:
Gentle -- not much of a nose. Butterscotch, sweet potato, buttercream frosting.
Taste:
Moderate mouthfeel. Very buttery profile, with plenty of oak, pepper and cinnamon. The underlying flavor is sort of a buttered popcorn-flavored jelly bean vibe, joined by green melon.
Finish:
The finish is flavorful, opening with melted butter, butterscotch and maple, which lead into a dry and woodspice-heavy finish with cinnamon and pepper.
Overall:
Overall, this is quite nice. Low proof and high age is a bit of an odd combo you don't see much in America (Scotland, on the other hand...), but it isn't bad. Not worth the price for me, but it's pretty good whisky.
Score:
86
Disclosure: The producer provided this sample to review free of charge, and without expectation of review or rating.
By David Morrow
Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources