Corby Park Lane Whisky 1945
Whisky Wonderland 2025 Tasting
Corby’s Park Lane 1945, 12 years old, abv unstated (40%), made from corn, rye and malted barley.
The earliest mention of Park Lane Canadian whisky I came across while researching my book, came from a Consolidated Distilleries file dated 1924. Consolidated Distilleries was a subsidiary of Canadian Industrial Alcohol Company, and comprised the Corby distillery (referred to as Distillery No. 1) in Corbyville, and a new/rebuilt distillery (called Distillery No. 2) at Wiser’s former location in Prescott.
This Corby’s Park Lane whisky is 12 years old and includes some whisky up to 25years old. It was distilled in 1945 and earlier, and it was bottled in 1957 or later.
Corby enterprises
Corby enterprises was founded in 1855 when Henry Corby bought a flour mill Silas Reid’s had operated since1812. Corby began distilling 4 years later, in 1859.
Henry Corby sold the business to his son Harry in 1888, and Harry closed the mill that year to focus on distilling.
Harry Corby sold out to Mortimer Davis (Imperial Tobacco) in 1905 and Davis rebuilt the distillery after a fire in 1907.
Distilling switched to industrial alcohol on government orders in 1916. This was an a-ha experience for Davis. Industrial alcohol was much more economical to make (using molasses), and more profitable. When the war ended in 1918 he renamed the distillery Canadian Industrial Alcohol Company and planned to stop making potable spirits altogether. Fortunately for us, US prohibition brought him back into the spirits business in 1920.
Also in 1920, Davis purchased the derelict Wiser’s distillery from JP Wiser’s 2 surviving sons (of 4), Ike and Frank Wiser. JP Wiser had died in 1911 and his distillery was destroyed by fire in 1912. Davis rebuilt it in 1920 as an industrial alcohol plant, re-named it Distillery No. 2, and claimed his 2 distilleries together made him the world’s largest industrial alcohol producer.
In 1920 Davis hired Harry Hatch as a sales manager. Hatch had negotiated the purchase of Gooderham and Worts distillery for Davis, but then quit in 1923 and bought it himself.
Hatch also bought the Hiram Walker distillery in 1926.
Mortimer Davis died in 1928.
In 1929, Harry Hatch falsely announced he had bought Canadian Industrial Alcohol ( formerly know as Corby). However, Davis’s family refused to sell to him believing he had cheated them on the Gooderham and Worts purchase and other transactions. It was 1937 before Davis’s family relented and Hatch was finally was able to buy Canadian Industrial Alcohol.
In 1941, Hatch began distilling some high-volume Corby-brand whiskies in Peoria, Illinois.
This Park Lane whisky was distilled in 1945 and earlier, and since it is a premium whisky, was almost certainly distilled in Canada.
Hatch died in 1946, and management passed to a board under WJ Hume.
Canadian Industrial Alcohol was renamed H. Corby Distillers in 1950.
This whisky was released in 1957 or later.
Tasting notes
Mark Gillespie whiskycast.com
This vintage 12-year-old Canadian whisky dates to 1946 but still retains all of its original character. The nose is velvety-smooth with notes of honey, vanilla, pipe tobacco, muted spices, and touches of caramel and brown sugar. The taste has great spicy rye notes of clove, cinnamon, and a hint of black pepper balanced by caramel candy, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, and pipe tobacco. The finish is long with touches of clove and ginger that stick to the tip of the tongue.
André 86% Quebecwhisky.com
1940 bottling
The nose is very sweet, silky texture, caramel and vanilla, cinnamon and rye bread, red fruits, honey, brown sugar. It actually looks like the signature of a Canadian whiskey. The mouth is as sweet as the nose at the start, brown sugar and honey and is followed by a rapid rise of crushed pepper and fresh cinnamon, cloves, fish-shaped candies, small wild fruits, rye cereals take the lead. By letting the whiskey breathe in the glass for a good 20 minutes, the texture becomes even more rounded but in the mouth, the spices become even more intense. The finish is peppery and strongly influenced by the spices which remain for a very long time in the mouth. A Canadian whisky with a lot of character and at this venerable age, grumpy grandpa style.
Patrick 86% Quebecwhisky.com
A very good whisky, very pleasant to drink, and offering a minimum of complexity. Nose: Beautiful, very sweet and fruity fragrance, with honey and vanilla. Taste: Brown sugar, caramel, wild fruits, exotic fruits, honey, wood and some toasted nuts. Finish: Nice length, sweet and peppery.
Martin 88% Quebecwhisky.com
Nose: Quite impressive! Round and soft, caramel and honey, vanilla and toasted cereals. Drink and some spicy fruits. This typically Canadian nose has it all. Mouth: Soft and as suave as the nose. Brown sugar and spicy honey, oak wood and vanilla. Fruits of the fields. Stunning. Finish: Long, silky and honeyed, frank and sustained spices, dry wood. A whiskey worthy of our winters. Balance: I'm not surprised to learn that this blend even contains 25-year-old whisky. It goes down on its own, even if you want to sip it for a long time. A bottle that knows how to break our will.