Alberta Distillers - BourbonSphere

Alberta Distillers Announces 2021 Edition of Alberta Cask Strength Rye

Beam Suntory owned and Canadian based Alberta Distillers has announced a limited re-release of their Alberta Cask Strength Rye. This release is made in Calgary, Alberta and crafted with 100% Canadian prairie rye grains grown by local farmers …

George Teichroeb, General Manager of Alberta Distillers says of the release:

Following the success of Alberta® Premium Cask Strength Rye's debut in the U.S. last year, we are thrilled to offer stateside whisky drinkers the limited 2021 release of our award-winning whisky. When Alberta Premium debuted in 1958, we were one of the first distilleries to create a true 100% rye whisky, and this cask strength rye is the culmination of our hard work and dedication to crafting exceptional rye whisky.

The proof in the product release is listed as 63-67%, which I assume is meant to be the alcohol content, which would put the proof around 126-134. That makes much more sense for a cask strength release (cask strength means the alcohol isn't cut with water to reach a specific proof). It will be available starting in October in select markets.

The release comes with an MSRP of $74.99 and has the following tasting notes:

Taste: Exceptionally smooth with notes of caramel, vanilla and a hint of chocolate balanced with the spiciness of rye and black currant

Finish: Smooth and lingering with the complexity of spice, warm vanilla, and dark fruit

My Take

This product is showing on the State website so I expect it to be available in Ohio. In terms of the product, I'm not overly familiar with Canadian whiskey except for a lot of Crown Royal. For this release, I would have liked to have an age statement to show how long the whiskey was in the barrel before bottling. Having said that, $75 is within range for a cask strength release and the bottle looks cool enough. If you're a big Canadian Whiskey fan, this could be a great option.

What do you think? Drop a note in the comments below.

Source & Photo Credit - Alberta Premium

Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye Batch 2 (2020) Review

Wow. I’m impressed. Batch 2 arrives with all the character and bombast of Batch 1, but much less misogynistic endorsement and rabid demand. Color this kid happy. The fever pitch that arose following Jim Murray’s award left legions of folks hunting for bottles that seemed to disappear almost overnight. If rumors are to be believed, […]

Wow. I’m impressed. Batch 2 arrives with all the character and bombast of Batch 1, but much less misogynistic endorsement and rabid demand. Color this kid happy.

The fever pitch that arose following Jim Murray’s award left legions of folks hunting for bottles that seemed to disappear almost overnight. If rumors are to be believed, a parcel of what remained was bundled up and sent to the eastern reaches of this far-flung land, while an additional boatload was shipped overseas to sate one of the Asian markets. It makes sense to spread the wealth a bit. And as a Canuck, it makes me happy to see good Canadian whisky finding some well-deserved appreciation abroad.

And I think we’ve gotta hand it to Alberta Distillers: their ability to maintain consistency is second to none. While I’m certain this batch will again be much too small to meet demand, I’m optimistic that ADL has finally seen the light and realized they have the golden goose here in their Calgary distillery. I’m confident we’ll see this expression becomes a permanent addition to the Alberta Premium range. Goes to show it’s never too late to make a push for the front of the pack.

By the way…this one was all Black Current Halls Cough Drops to me, and sure enough, the packaging references black currents. One of the few times I’ve enthusiastically agreed with a brand’s published notes.

66.0% abv. Number of bottles? No clue. But certainly too few.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Blueberry n’ brambleberry. Black Current Halls Cough Drops. Raisin cookies, and all the requisite spices you’d expect (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc). Clean, sinus-clearing notes of fresh-cut pine or spruce; kinda like a stroll through the lumberyard. Chocolate covered cherries. A bit of caramel. A squeeze of lemon. French vanilla ice cream.

Palate: More dark berries here again. Reminds me of the berries I always pick while walking the footpaths on Islay (yes, I know, we’re getting a bit esoteric here). Tight, tight spicy rye. Eucalyptus. Clove and cinnamon. Pine sap. Chocolate. More currents. Grass (a mate of mine says maybe a black tea).

Finish: Long and oaky. Herbal and grassy. Quite oily.

Thoughts: Finish may drag it down a tick, but still a stellar sip. This is what rye should be. Makes me question even further the misstep that was the 20 year old from last year.

89/100