J.P. Wiser’s Rare Cask Seven Rebels Review - On the Rye Side, Without the Rye

J.P. Wiser’s Rare Cask Seven Rebels is a terrific rye, with no (or very little) rye grain in it. Instead, burnt staves were used to impart a very spicy oaky note that’ll trick the senses that this is a high rye whisky. It’s a fascinating product, with an interesting history. 

Wiser’s Seven Rebels is a continuation of the success that J.P. Wiser’s Union 52 (my review) had in the BC Liquor store. Made specifically for the market, the request came in for something similar. Sadly, Union 52 used the last of the old (very old) Speyside scotch barrels. The challenge was to give the BC Liquor store something unique in that image of the whisky. While Seven Rebels doesn’t fit the same taste profile, it does mirror the excellence found in Union 52. 

Master Blender, Dr. Don Livermore, continues to experiment around with flavouring staves during the maturation finishing cycle. This has been an ongoing experiment. In 2019, more and more products have benefited from this treatment. These staves are inserted into the barrel via the lid. The staves themselves are a mixture of different oak and oak treatments. In the instance of Seven Rebels, burnt staves were used to give this whisky additional flavour notes.

Available as an exclusive release at BC Liquor. 

JP Wiser’s Rare Cask Seven Rebels 
Distillery: Hiram-Walker 
Category: Canadian whisky, staves
Score: Become a Patron

Nose: Terrific orange spice, some anise, sweet but light noting caramel, some ground pepper. The intensity of the notes works well. They perks up the sense. 

Palate: Spicy start, zesty middle, and paprika buttery finish. The caramels are present and complimentary. Blood orange zest. Lots of spice predominantly from the staves, but there’s little of that heavy char note. It’s an interesting combination. 

Conclusion: Seven Rebels breaks a lot of conventions as far as flavour, and though it’s not a rye-grain whisky, the spicy rye-like notes are unmistakable. The flavours are amped up, and I think while the first-sip will be strange, this whisky will start making sense upon the second and third sip. Nicely done! 

Disclaimer: I received a sample of the product from Corby’s, but it had no baring on my scoring, and I scored it completely blindly in a whisky competition.