Review #577 - Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye
This cask strength rye from Canada's Alberta Distillers Limited made some waves a couple of years ago as a reasonably priced, high strength whisky with good quality. The value here seemed excellent, especially as there seemed to be a surplus of bottles here in the US, and prices were being slashed as low as $15 to $20. We were able to pick up our bottle on one of those sales for $30; over the past couple years, the normal price for this rye has floated between $65 and $75.
Our batch comes in at a hefty 63.5% ABV; this rye is actually made with a 100% rye grain mashbill in the traditional Canadian style. Many whiskies from the country that contain multiple grains are created in the blending stage from single-grain components, as opposed to the mashing and fermentation stage.
Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye
Canada - Rye
Price: USD 75 (2025)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 63.5% ABV
Details: 4th release, bottled 2022
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 8 months; bottles at 100% (blind tasting), 80%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Cream soda and butterscotch, some peppery oak, and then herbal notes: dill, some heather flowers. Cinnamon and vanilla brings some baking notes, and there's a soft leathery side to the oak; it's definitely a bit spirity with that strength.
Palate: A thick mouthfeel, absolutely packed with flavor. It's relatively sweet at first: orange soda, lemon candies, caramel, and a sweet barbecue sauce; then we get more rye grain character like pepper, mint, other herbs. There's a mild savory side to this, and the oak is moderate in strength, adding again those soft leather notes.
Finish: Medium-long and warming, and the rye character grows - grains, menthol, some spice like cinnamon and nutmeg. There is still sweetness from butterscotch and lemon candy, and we get a nice fizzy texture; in the aftertaste, notes of oatmeal, mild oak, and candy cane linger. It's a medium-long finish.
Final Note: Wow, this is a pretty good rye - it doesn't show too much age, but there's tons of interesting spirit character here with all of the rye and light fruit notes. The sweet baking spice flavors were pleasant, too, and while this did show a bit of heat on the nose and finish, we would say it drinks well under its strength for the most part. Nicely cohesive and refined, a classic high proof rye.
Value on this bottle is indeed very good, as we hoped. It isn't always available on those amazing sales like when we found it, but even at the normal price around $70, we think this is a good buy.
Our Average Rating: 7.3 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.85
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
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