About Us

Canada's Awards for All Whiskies

About The Whisky Explorer

Mike Brisebois is Canada's go-to whisky expert for knowledge, education, recommendations and tasting events. Mike is able to enhance the experience for whisky enthusiasts across the country while connecting brands instantly with Canada's new and top whisky consumers virtually and in person.

Mike has worked for six years in the whisky industry as a brand ambassador and is a judge for the Canadian Whisky Awards. As a bilingual consultant to up-and-coming brands and whisky festivals, Mike is able to connect brands with consumers to elevate their products to new heights in Canada. It is Mike's vision and ultimate goal to create memorable experiences while highlighting the brand story, the whisky bottle, and the people that make the brand or distillery so special. Canada's Whisky Ambassador & The Whisky Explorer

How It Works

We welcome entries from the USA and other countries, but producers must have them shipped from within Canada. Due to our regulations, we cannot accept international shipments. It is the responsibility of the producer to get their spirits into Canada before sending them to us. We will only accept entries in the form of full bottles, sample bottles will not be accepted.

The deadline for spirits shipping is October 15, 2024, and the awards will be announced in February 2025 at The Whisky Wonderland Festival. This festival is an annual event where Canadian Whisky enthusiasts can come together to celebrate, taste and discover the best in Canadian whiskies.

Join us in our mission to showcase the best whiskies available in Canada, and enter your expressions to be recognized among the best in the industry.

The Judges

Our awards are led by Canada's Whisky Ambassador, Mike Brisebois, ensuring that the selection process is fair and accurate. A panel of judges consists of the most experienced and knowledgeable experts in the industry who evaluate whiskies from Canada, USA, Scotland, Ireland, Japan, and the rest of the World. Our selection includes all types of whisky, from single malts to blends, bourbons to ryes, and everything in between.Our judging panel is multicultural, diverse, inclusive, and reputable, ensuring that the selection process is fair and accurate. To qualify for the awards, the whisky must be available for purchase in Canada, and our panel of judges selects the winners after tasting each whisky blind. This ensures that the awards are fully independent of the whisky industry, guaranteeing unbiased and honest results.