A Windsor made whisky has earned top honours at the 2026 Canadian Whisky Awards.
J.P. Wiser's 24-Year-Old was named Canadian Whisky of the Year at the annual event.
Master Blender at Hiram Walker & Sons Distillery in Windsor, Dr. Don Livermore, says the competition was fierce this year with almost 200 entrants.
Held every January along with the Victoria Whisky Festival, the Canadian Whisky Awards recognize the best Canadian whiskies and encourage distillers to maintain the highest quality standards.
Livermore says he had a sense when he was blending the J.P. Wiser's 24-Year-Old that it was going to be a winner when it was put away in 2000 as he was experimenting that year with a number of different flavours that he thinks the judges were looking for.
he says when he's designing a whisky it needs to develop a story when you taste it on your tongue.
"I want to be able to taste this taste, and that taste, and that taste and have a seperation between those flavours," says Livermore. "This is what I mean by story. I think that is the sign of a perfect blend when you can taste those little nuances. I don't like a whisky in your face, I like a long story. I think this is what the judges were looking for.
Livermore says it's quite an exciting time with the amount of developments coming out of the distillery and we have some of the best whisky makers here in Windsor.
"It is whisky city. I think it keeps Windsor on the map," he says. "I get questions all around the world wherever I travel. They're curious about the distillery. They're curious about how Canadian whisky is made. They're curious about the science of it. It is a great time for us here."
Livermore says it's a complicated business and this award showcases the talent we have here in Windsor.
"We've been making whisky for such a longtime. I think the feeling of jubiliation. When I was walking the hallway at work when I came back from the awards on Monday, you could see the smiles on people's faces, there were little high-fives going on. It felt great to be part of that team, to make Canada's best whisky," he says.
J.P. Wiser's Whisky, established in 1857, is one of Canada's oldest continuously produced Canadian whiskies. Hiram Walker & Sons Limited currently produces it at its Windsor distillery at 2072 Riverside Drive East near Walker Road.
The Pike Creek 22-Year-Old PX Cask also earned two major category wins, the Best Limited Expression and Best Aged Whisky Over 15 Years.
Full award results include the following medal-winning expressions and category distinctions:
Gold
J.P. Wiser's 24-Year-Old
Pike Creek 22-Year-Old PX Cask
Lot No. 40 Dark Oak
Silver
J.P. Wiser's 10-Year-Old
J.P. Wiser's 15-Year-Old
Pike Creek Double Barreled
Bronze
J.P. Wiser's Deluxe
J.P. Wiser's 18-Year-Old
Lot No. 40 Single Copper Pot Still
Lot No. 40 Oloroso Cask
Gooderham & Worts