Featured at World Whisky Day 2023: Alberta Distillers is the oldest distillery in Western Canada, having produced alcohol for over 70 years. It is part of the Beam Suntory portfolio and is the source of rye whisky for a number of brands across the world, including WhistlePig. While the distillery does not produce a wide range of offerings under their own name, the ones they do have garnered a number of awards and mentions. A consistent entry in their lineup is the Alberta Premium Cask Strength. Released in yearly batches, it is bottled at slightly various proofages and is distilled from 100% Canadian prairie rye, something relatively unusual even in the rye whisky category, and aged for at least 5 years. A blend of pot still and column still distillation, it is aged in heavily charred (#4) first fill ex-bourbon barrels from the Jim Beam distillery, along with virgin oak barrels and second fill bourbon barrels. The bottle featured in this review is the 2020 release.
Distillery: Alberta Distillers
Region: Foreign
Age: NAS
Strength: 63.7%
Price: $75.99
Maturation: ex-bourbon
Location: Calgary, Canada
Nose: Rye, spice, cherry, almond, treacle, molasses, mincemeat, wintergreen, vanilla, cinnamon
Palate: Rye, peanut, tannin
Finish: Rye
Comments: As with any cask strength, watering helps rebalance flavors and starting at such strength gives you a lot of room to experiment with. Letting it sit in your glass longer allows more flavors to open up.
Adam – The nose is subtle on the Alberta Premium Cask Strength, much more than I’d expect for a cask strength whisky. It tickles what I think of as the sweeter, undertow of elements. The nuttiness and baking spices and understated sweetness of things like molasses, with only the faintest breath of rye. The palate opens up and you feel the heat of the alcohol finally but it is not overwhelming, especially if you let it sit in your glass for a while. The rye elements come to the fore, along with some of the nuttiness from the nose. Yet, for all that, it is a simpler drink than I expected. The mouthfeel is velvety and induces savoring. The entire experience in fact is savory. While I was hoping for something more complex, another way to look at this is that if you consider cask strength being a premium for a regular strength base, then this whisky would probably be $15-$20 cheaper, and the underlying character aligns with that.
Kate – The Alberta Premium Cask Strength tastes very syrupy even though it does not appear viscous.
Bill – I’m almost losing some of the rye flavor because my tongue is tingling so much.
Tastes very syrupy even though it does not appear viscous.
Henry – BIG fruity nose, vanilla and cinnamon candy peeking through as it opens up. Spice and some pretty hefty tannins on the palate as the rye announces itself. Finish is quick and mild in comparison to the strength of the nose and palate.
Ben – I like this guy. This guy’s fun. This is like being a sports team and having a hitter that you know hits every time.
Michael – I like the taste of rye in general and the Alberta Premium Cask Strength has this in spades.
Bekah – This might be my first rye. It’s a little spicy for me.
