The lighter and smoother whiskey (In the eyes of American consumers) is constantly flying under the radar. Although approximately 70% of all Canadian whiskeys is exported into the United States, the good stuff tends to stay in the homeland.
Canada’s Food and Drugs Act require that whisky labeled as “Canadian Whisky”, “Canadian Rye Whisky” or “Rye Whisky” be mashed, distilled and aged three years in Canada in wooden barrels of not greater than 700 L capacity (a requirement similar to that for Scotch and Irish whisky)