Canadian whisky must be aged in wood for at least three years under Canadian federal regulations.
Canadian rules require the spirit to be mashed, fermented, and distilled in Canada, then aged in small wood for the minimum period. The law also requires Canadian whisky to possess the aroma, taste, and character generally attributed to Canadian whisky.
Canadian whisky is often informally called “rye” in Canada, even though a particular bottle may contain much more corn or another grain than rye. This historical usage differs from the United States, where rye whiskey must contain at least 51% rye in its mash bill.
Canadian producers commonly use blending to combine lighter grain whiskies with more strongly flavored whiskies. Caramel coloring and flavoring are permitted within Canadian regulations, another point that distinguishes the category from some consumers’ assumptions about how every whisky must be produced.