Alberta Premium Limited Edition Cask Strength Rye Batch 1 (2019)
Specs
ABV: 65.1%
Age: NAS – Minimum 3 years
Recipe: 100% rye
Distiller: Alberta Distillers
Country/Region: Canada/Alberta
Price Paid (MSRP): $50 ($65)
Tasting Notes
Nose: Rye grain, clove, oregano, mint and grass, oak, pepper, bubblegum, sweet banana and caramel.
Palate: Nice weighty mouth feel. Opens with an overwhelming assault of pepper spice and heat. After working my way past it, and with a dash of water, I find there’s quite a lot to discover here: oranges, nutmeg, allspice, blackberries, banana, honey, bubblegum sweetness and a very solid oak presence.
Finish: Medium to long length and slightly drying with some oak, wintergreen, and clove followed by tingling cinnamon and pepper spices that numb the tongue for quite a while.
Rating: 78/100 – Great | Well above average
Some whiskies take water really well and this is one of them. Adding just a few drops does wonders to quell the excess heat and makes this cask strength Alberta rye a real joy. Below the surface is a surprisingly complex pour, with more fruit and candy sweetness to it than I’ve found in Alberta sourced WhistlePig releases. I’m still more fond of the herbal profile, but this Alberta Premium Cask Strength release is a nice change of pace and shows off the full range of flavors that Alberta Distillers can pull from a 100% rye mash.