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The State of Canada's Whisky

Posted on March 24, 2025

by Evan

A focus on Canadian Content seems like a good idea given the current political climate, doesn't it?

The current uncertainty we all live in sucks for a multitude of reasons. It is hard to focus just on whisky when talking about that - but hey - whisky is both my job and my passion, so here we go!

There was a time when Canada was the focal point for much of what happened with Whisky anywhere in the world. Some of the biggest brands in whisky and spirits were owned by a Canadian Multinational Conglomerate. The big whisky companies of the world today - especially powerhouses Diageo and Pernod Ricard - would not be what they are without Seagram's. The company had a massive footprint both nationally and globally for a majority of the 20th Century.

Seagram's was the largest owner of booze brands in the world in the 1990s. Crown Royal? That was Seagram's. So was Martel Cognac, Absolut Vodka, Four Roses, Makers Mark, Fireball, Chivas Regal, The Glenlivet, Glen Grant, BenRiach (back then without the capital R), and many, many more. Seagram's was absolutely massive, also having minority control of companies outside of alcohol at its peak such as DuPont. In the mid-90s, the company's interests in DuPont were sold off and then MCA/Universal Pictures was acquired.

Seagram's went under in the year 2000 - now a quarter-century ago. Its companies and assets were mostly split between contemporary alcohol behemoths Diageo and Pernod Ricard.

There is a lot to be proud of with Canadian Whisky. Its history now goes back more than 225 years. The largest distillery in Canada is also the largest in all of North America: Hiram Walker Distillery in Windsor, Ontario. It was founded back in 1858 and currently pumps out around 55 million litres of alcohol annually. That means it produces as much spirit than Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, and Macallan every year.

Canadian Whisky as a category is still a big deal internationally. Crown Royal is one of the top 20 best-selling whiskies in the world.

Much of the lustre and appeal of Canadian Whisky has been diminished over the past 25 years. Much of this is thanks to a lot of global competition becoming more available on our shelves. The whisky boom we have been lucky enough to live in for a good deal of that period has created much more competition. Other whisky styles and categories such as Single Malt Scotch, Irish Whiskey, Bourbon and other American Whiskey, etc. have seen exponentially increasing sales and consumer attention over that time.

Long gone are the days when your average liquor store whisky shelf contained Crown Royal, R&R, Alberta Premium, and maybe four or five other whiskies such as Jack Daniel's, Jim Beam, Grants, J&B Rare. Possibly, there were bottles of Glenlivet or Glenfiddich 12 available if you really wanted to splurge.

Nowadays, there is a stupid amount of choice even on small liquor store shelves. When you visit shops like Kensington Wine Market, the choice morphs into a disorienting insanity with hundreds and hundreds more options in front of you.

How does your average Canadian Whisky compete with that? For the most part, the category does not compete at all. It doesn't even attempt to. It has stagnated, languishing and remained comfortable with a diminished importance and almost no footprint in the premium whisky realm.

Canadian Whisky as a category still has a lot of work to do both within Canada and internationally to get away from the idea that it is all just bargain-basement bland whisky.

The good news is, there are plenty of Canadian Whisky options out there that run entirely counter to that concept. You just have to know where to look.

Below is a small dive into what Alberta has to offer, specifically.

Bridgeland Distillery - Calgary, Alberta

Bridgeland Distillery was founded in 2018 and resides right within — get this — Bridgeland in Calgary, Alberta. If you are looking to go there - and I suggest you do - it is on the corner located on the corner of Marsh Road and Edmonton Trail. It is situated just a few blocks north of the Bow River and Memorial Drive.

The Distillery is owned by Daniel Plenzik and Jacques Tremblay, who originally met while taking a course on distilling in the Okanagan. The duo's distillery produces a wide variety of spirits distilled from grain and also grapes. One of the things that sets Bridgeland apart is the reuse of different casks that have matured their brandies and whiskies to add character to other aging spirits. For example: reusing casks that previously matured their brandy to then mature or finish some of their whiskies.

There is plenty to recommend from Bridgeland Distillery. A good place to start would be with their Single Blend Whisky; which is an in-house blend that combines their various whisky styles. A new, custom blend is given a limited release each year.

Bridgeland's releases are updated regularly as the distillery and their casks continue to mature. Here is what we have from their current lineup:

Bridgeland Glenbow Single Malt Whisky - 45.5% - 500ml Bottle - "Coming from a single distillery via a single malt house, sourced from a single field of a single farm.This barley comes from field NE4-37-27-W4M at Hamill farm and has been malted at Red Shed Malting in Penhold, Alberta. Bow Glacier Water, premium ingredients married with our passion is where this whisky begins."

Bridgeland Innisfail Single Pot Still Whisky - 44.1% - 500ml Bottle - Bridgeland Distillery continues to experiment and expand its whisky portfolio - this time with a nod to the Irish. This Single Pot Still Whiskey is made with a combination of malted and unmalted barley that has been triple-distilled.

Bridgeland Taber Corn Berbon Whisky 101 - 50.5% - 500ml Bottle - Made from a mash bill of 60% Taber Corn, 32% Penhold Barley, and 8% Penhold Wheat. This is a great Bourbon alternative for those looking to support local. Matured in new American Oak barrels with a #4 Char. Evan's Tasting Note: "Nose: Plenty of cherry notes along with banana, apple cinnamon oatmeal, brown sugar, toasty, polished oak, husked ears of corn, and a touch of mint and black pepper. Palate: Strawberry syrup, cherries, and cinnamon spice up front along with peaches and cream, apple cider, Twizzlers, and a dash of nutmeg and clove. Finish: The clove, nutmeg, and toasty oak notes make you think this might be drying but it remains quite juicy on the fade. Comment: I enjoy the 45% version of the Taber Corn Berbon quite a bit, but the 50.5% ABV makes this bottle even better. It is a great strength that concentrates the aroma and flavour without losing complexity."

Bridgeland Single Blend Whisky 2024 Edition - 44.1% - 500ml Bottle - Bridgeland Distillery has released a custom blended whisky for the past two falls. This 2024 Edition is a marriage of their Rye Whisky, Taber Corn Whisky, and Single Malt whisky. All whisky was distilled, aged, and blended by Bridgeland at their Distillery in Calgary, Alberta.

Bridgeland Chamomile Honey Grappolo - 33% - 375ml - Not a whisky, but I am mentioning it because it is so damn good. When Sammy and I tasted this at Bridgeland Distillery, we realized we had no choice but to get it onto the shelves at Kensington Wine Market. This "Eau De Vigne" is infused with Honey and Chamomile and bottled at 33% ABV. It drinks incredibly well on its own or on the rocks for a nightcap, but would kill as a cocktail ingredient as well!

Wild Life Distillery - Canmore, Alberta

Like many craft distilleries, Wild Life had aims to make whisky from the get-go but knew they would have to make more than just that to survive. The Distillery was founded in 2017 by Matt Widmer and Keith Robinson, who ensure no spirit they produce plays second fiddle. Wild Life creates and bottles a slew of spirits and other products that are crucial for the home bartender, including a fantastic lineup of gins, tonic syrups, and bitters.

Wild Life has already undergone one big upgrade in its life: The original still house and its 500 Litre Alembic Still was replaced in 2023 by a new facility that has more than 6 times the space that also contains a new, larger still.

We are here to talk about whisky though, and even in this endeavour, Wild Life's range is diverse. The Distillery distills and matures spirit made from wheat, rye, and malt-driven whiskies. Each style typically sees at least one release per year. This is what we currently have on our shelves:

Wild Life Wheat Whisky - 45.3% - This whisky shows a style that I wish we would see more big brand Canadian Whiskies emulate. It is rich and full of flavour, yet still smooth and easy drinking in style. It is incredibly well-crafted, making a great gift for that relative who you really feel needs to move on from the bog-standard Gibson's or Crown or R&R and try something more exciting.

Wild Life Rye Whisky - 45.9% - Made with 88% Rye and 12% Malted Barley and matured for at least 3.5 years in 53 gallon American White Oak casks. Producer Tasting Note: "Nose: Nutmeg, Caramel, Fig Palate: Rye, Toasted American Oak, Spice Finish: Dancing Rye, Leather, Soft Tannin."

Wild Life Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky - 46.1% - This Sherry Cask-Finished bottling of Wild Life's Single Malt Whisky is 4 years old in total. It was first matured in ex-Bourbon barrels before being finished in ex-PX Sherry casks. Producer Tasting Note: Nose: Chocolate Covered Raisins, Chewy Dried Figs, Caramelized Brown Sugar. Palate: Baking Spice, Raisin Bran, Rounded Malty Notes. Finish: Lovely Texture and Length, Fruit Leather, Soft Blend of French and American Oak.

Eau Claire Distillery - Diamond Valley

Eau Claire Distillery was originally founded in 2013 by David Farran, making it the first modern craft distillery to launch in Alberta after provincial government regulations were changed to make smaller-scale commercial distilling possible. It resides in Diamond Valley (the town was formerly known as Turner Valley, but was amalgamated with the nearby Black Diamond in 2023) within about an hour’s drive southwest of Calgary. The Distillery was installed in what was once Diamond Valley’s movie theatre and Dance Hall, a building that was originally built in 1929.

Eau Claire always planned to make whisky – more than that – they wanted to make whisky using grain from local fields when possible, even going old school and horse harvesting when they could. In order to do this, the distillery, of course, needed income, and to enable this they have been making Vodka, Gin, and other spirits, and even their own tonic water. This is party of the template for opening a distillery, and Eau Claire was the first craft distillery to do it in Alberta, though many others have followed since.

Caitlin Quinn, Eau Claire's Master Distiller, has been with the company since 2016 and has been the leader for just about all of their spirit and whisky releases.

Eau Claire Single Malt Whisky Batch 007 - 48% - This limited release of less than 5000 bottles is 7 years old - the oldest from Eau Claire so far. It is bottled at a robust 48% ABV. Evan's Tasting Note: "Nose: Toasted shortbread and biscuits, candied orange peel, apple strudel, roasted hazelnuts, cinnamon candies, dark roast coffee and a dusting of brown sugar on top of it all. Palate: Dark chocolate, more shortbread and cinnamon candies, subtle cherry notes, berry jam; both black and blue in variety, amber rum, and cardamom. Finish: More chocolate and jammy berry notes with a touch of cloves and Frangelico. Comment: Having this at 48% vs the 43% of the Batch 6 release from the previous year makes it a much more robust and flavourful dram. I like that it shows bigger in style, and I hope release 8 will continue this trend!

Eau Claire Yours Truly Whisky 2024 Batch #3 - 46% - This is the 3rd release of Yours Truly, by Eau Claire Distillery, released for International Women's Day, celebrating women in distilling. This edition of the whisky was matured in ex-Bourbon, virgin European oak, ex-Oloroso, and ex-wine casks, married and blended by the women at Eau Claire Distillery. Evan's Tasting Note: "Nose: Plenty of toasty biscuit and shortbread notes up front, along with chamomile, light ginger, apple strudel, milk chocolate and nougat. Palate: More toast and shortbread notes along roasted almonds, with a touch of confectioners sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, vanilla cupcake frosting, and peach slices with whipped cream. Finish: Gently warming with a bit of lingering wood spice, roasted almonds, and chocolate. Comment: A malt-forward, easy drinking dram from Eau Claire with a hint of spice and heat to keep it exciting. Good call on the 46% ABV in my opinion."

Eau Claire Yours Truly Whisky 2025 Batch #4 - 46% - The brand-new fourth release of Eau Claire Distillery's special Yours Truly Whisky is bottled to celebrate International Women's Day 2025. The limited edition run was crafted by the women of Eau Claire Distillery and bottled at 46%. Producer Description: “Crafted by the women of Eau Claire, Batch 004 is a tribute to passion, precision, and the pursuit of excellence. This special release celebrates the artistry and dedication of the women who make Eau Claire Distillery exceptional, blending tradition and innovation to create a whisky as bold and distinctive as the team behind it. Aged to perfection and signed with pride, this release embodies the spirit of collaboration and craftsmanship. Each bottle tells a story — ours and yours.”

Eau Claire Anniversary Edition Single Malt Whisky - 48% - This bottle celebrates the Diamond Valley grain to glass distillery's first decade of operation. This Single Malt Whisky is bottled at 48% after being finished in special ex-Sherry casks sourced from Spain's Ximénez-Spínola. Evan's Tasting Note: "Nose: Deep and rich oak notes along with plums, dates, Amaro liqueur, walnuts and hazelnuts, citrus oils, and varnished wood furniture. Palate: Rich and almost smoky up front with a silky and warming mouthfeel. More dates, plum sauce, maple syrup, apple cider, ginger and molasses cookies, pralines, and boozy Tiramisu. Finish: Warm and lingering but not too sweet on the finish. This whisky stays on your palate for quite a while with notes of espresso, maple candy, and candied walnuts. Comment: This has a much deeper sherry influence than I had expected. Not too sweet or overstated in style. The cask choice luckily still leaves room for the spirit to shine, though. An impressively balanced and rich dram that will excite the sherry cask lovers out there. I believe this is the best Eau Claire Single Malt I have tasted to date!"

GrainHenge Whisky - Red Deer, Alberta

Like Yukon Brewing in Whitehorse, Red Deer's Troubled Monk Brewery has added a pair of stills for the purpose of making spirits and whisky. They name the whisky they make GRAINHENGE.

GrainHenge Meeting Creek No. 3 - 56.4% - Made from a mash of 2 Row, Amber, Brown Malt, Chocolate Malt, and Crystal Malt. Cask types used: #2 Char New American Oak (Aged 39 Months) / #3 Char New American Oak (Aged 73 Months) / Ex-Bourbon (Aged 55 Months). Evan's Tasting Note: "Nose: Chocolate, medium roast coffee grounds, toasted oak, banana, apricot, hazelnut, melted butter, and a flaky pie crust. Palate: Nutella spread, Ovaltine, Juicy Fruit gum, waffles with maple syrup, blackberry jam, dark chocolate torte, nitro stout beer, and a touch of lactic sourness. Finish: Dry, toasted and silky with a touch of molasses and coffee liqueur on the warming fade. Comment: If you like your whisky on the toasty and malty side, this bottle is for you. Impressively balanced, even with the high strength."

The Maligne Range - Jasper, Alberta

I have done a bit of writing on The Maligne Range and its parent company Bearhill in the past. The cliff notes version is that Bearhill owns a few microbreweries and distilleries and restaurants around Alberta. The distilleries include The Last Best Brewery and Distillery in Calgary, Banff Ave Brewing, Jasper Brewing, and Wood Buffalo Brewing and Distilling in Fort MacMurray, though that last one is sadly shuttered for good.

The Maligne Range is both a range of whiskies and now a new distillery and restaurant in Jasper. The whisky released so far under The Maligne Range line has mostly been produced at Last Best. Mostly. More details on that below.

The Malinge Range Tekarra - 48% - The first core release from the Maligne Range, Tekarra is an unapologetically Canadian whisky, made partially from an Imperial Porter mash bill with Demerara sugar, matured in First Fill ex-Bourbon and Virgin American Oak casks. Evan’s Tasting Note: "Nose: A wild combination of candied fruits and earthy components. Double Bubble bubble gum – grape flavour – right out of the wax wrapper, cotton candy, sponge toffee, Swedish Berry candies and more, plus chocolate fudge, dark roast coffee, black licorice, Rooibos tea and banana flambé. Palate: Candied and roasted with Juicy Fruit gum, milk chocolate coated raisins, Crunchie Bar, Smores around the campfire, strawberry, watermelon, and maraschino cherries. Finish: Soft and warming with candied almonds on the fade. Comment: This is a crazy ride, and not your typical bottle of Canadian Whisky with soft aromas and flavours cut down to 40% ABV. It is bold and bursting with character."

The Maligne Range Amber Mountain - 46% - Amber Mountain is the third release so far from the Maligne Range Series. Like the Tekarra and Excelsior that preceded it, Amber Mountain also takes its name from a mountain in the Maligne Range, which is in Jasper National Park. The whisky is a blend of malted barley distilled at Calgary's Last Best and mature 100% unmalted rye whisky from an undisclosed Alberta Distillery. Hmm... Batch 01 was bottled on July 21st, 2024. Evan's Tasting Note: "Nose: Grain-forward with both spicy Rye and rich malt coming together. Notes of caramel coated apples, cinnamon, dehydrated banana chips, ginger ale, and mulled cider. Palate: Rye spice sings nicely up front, backed by the soft yet rich malt once more plus a touch of drying oak. Notes of sweet, honeyed cereals, cinnamon sugar doughnut twists, apple pie, hints of dried strawberry slices and ground peppercorns. Finish: Soft, honeyed and smooth with tiny bursts of spice popping up here and there on the fade. Comment: Rich and sweet, yet light on its feet. This a nicely balanced whisky that packs sweet, spice, fruit, and grain into a very drinkable package."

Canadian Club

Canadian Club whisky has some... difficulty when it comes to being honest about how and where the whisky is made - at least if you go by the canadianclub.com website.

Case in point: check out this image from their website below, which shows an impressive set of copper pot stills.

Pretty cool picture on the left showcasing traditional copper pot stills, right?

The problem is: I am pretty damn certain that those stills have absolutely to do with Canadian Club Whisky.

From what I can tell, the still house in that photo does not even reside in Canada. My best guess from a bit of Google searching is that is a picture taken of the interior of Ardmore Distillery's still house in Kennethmont, Scotland.

Ardmore Distillery is owned by Suntory Global, who also own the Canadian Club Whisky brand.

Big companies like this often share assets. Like stock photos for their websites, for instance. Occasionally, they even share whisky, like Alberta Distillers (also owned by Suntory Global) does in some bottlings of Canadian Club.

I doubt the Scottish Ardmore Distillery is producing whisky for Canadian Club, though. So what gives?

Let's ignore all that lazy marketing and take a look at the whisky in the bottle. The good news: Canadian Club is putting out some superb whisky right now, regardless of what stills it came from.

Historically, Canadian Club has always been linked with the Hiram Walker Distillery of Windsor, Ontario. Every drop of the iconic Canadian Club 40 through 45 Year Old bottlings was distilled there, back in 1977. Canadian Club's own headquarters was there for ages well.

However, the Canadian Club brand and the Hiram Walker Distillery have been owned by separate companies for two decades now. The Hiram Walker Distillery is owned by Pernod Ricard. Pernod Ricard sold off the Canadian Club Whisky brand in 2005; choosing to focus on Wiser's as the flagship Canadian Whisky brand of the distillery.

The buyer of Canadian Club Whisky was called Fortune Brands. Fortune Brands split off its liquor division in 2011, which was dubbed Beam Inc. As in Jim Beam. Beam Inc was acquired by the Japanese company Suntory Holdings in 2014 for a cool 16 Billion dollars. The company that owns Canadian Club is now called Suntory Global Spirits.

The Canadian Club 100% Rye is and has always been distilled at Alberta Distillers in Calgary. And now it seems the Canadian Club headquarters is listed as Calgary as well...

This is what the back of the Canadian Club 18 shows:

Canadian Club Invitation Series 15 Year - 42% - This 15-year-old Canadian Club bottling is the first in a series which amps up the sherry cask influence on the iconic Canadian Whisky brand. Evan's Tasting Note: "Nose: Caramel popcorn, boozy Christmas Cake, brown sugar, raisins, and maraschino cherries in a Shirley Temple. Palate: Werther's Original candies, more caramel popcorn, Crunchie chocolate bar - especially the sponge toffee bit, dates, and ripe, fleshy plums. Finish: Light and easygoing with more toffee and fruit plus hints of cinnamon and cloves. Comment: With this and the recent releases of Reifel Rye and Alberta Premium Batch 10, there appears to be a fixation with 42% ABV for Canadian Whisky at the moment. This is a definite step up from the regular CC12.

Canadian Club Invitation Series 18 Year High Proof - 58% - Like the 15 Year Old Canadian Club, this is also part of the Invitation Series and is apparently a limited release. It is bottled at an impressive 58% ABV, which must be the highest proof ever for a bottling of Canadian Club. Evan's Tasting Note: "Nose: Surprisingly big black licorice note up front, along with date bars, butterscotch, orange oils, black forest cake, roasted beets, dusty grain and toasty oak. Palate: Surprisingly approachable for 58%. Creamy toffee with ginger, wood spice and cinnamon, plus Crème Brûlée, raisins, dried cranberries, butter and brown sugar melting together, and a Caramilk Bar. Finish: Candied ginger and Werther's Original candies along with a touch of apple cider on the fade. Comment: They are onto something with the Invitation Series. I am eagerly awaiting what Suntory Global releases next. This is such a silky and approachable whisky for 58% ABV. This and the Canadian Club 45 make me hope we will see additional higher ABV releases from Canadian Club and Alberta Distillers in the future. ."

Canadian Club 45 Year Old - 50% - This is the oldest Canadian Whisky ever bottled - at least so far. It was distilled in 1977. Evan’s Tasting Note: "Nose: Varnished wood furniture, Lemon Pledge, bookshelves full of leather-bound hardcovers, a tweed jacket brought out of the closet for the fall, apple juice, cherry pie with vanilla ice cream drizzled in butterscotch sauce, just-shucked ears of corn and fresh mint leaf. Palate: More apple, cherry, and butterscotch notes along with oak spices, light brown sugar, gingerbread cookies, cinnamon stick, and cooling min. Finish: Sweet and waxy on the fade with lingering spice notes and drying oak tannin. Comment: This is the best of the series of 40+ Year Old Canadian Club releases to me, and much of that is thanks to the 50% ABV. The higher alcohol adds to the sweet decadence and the finish in a good way."

Alberta Distillers - Calgary

Hard to believe that the world's best Rye Whisky Distillery has been located in Calgary's backyard since 1946, isn't it?

This Calgary distillery is located in an industrial area in the southeast of downtown; in the neighbourhood of Ogden. The distillery can and does take any grain and distill it — be it wheat, corn, rye, or barley.

What really makes whisky lovers seek out releases from the distillery, though, are its barrels of whisky made from 100% unmalted Canadian Prairie rye grain. ADL uses proprietary enzymes to break down and ferment the unmalted rye, which is notoriously difficult to mash and distill on its own without.

Alberta Distillers was originally founded by Max Bell and Frank McMahon. The duo brought in a gentleman named George H. Reifel, from British Columbia, to run the distillery. George's family had a background in alcohol “distribution” back in BC: his father and grandfather made a tidy sum bootlegging alcohol into the USA during prohibition.

In 1986, Alberta Distillers Ltd was purchased by a company called American Brands. That company changed its name to Fortune Brands in 1997 and then split off its liquor division to become Beam Inc. in 2011. Wait, didn't we just talk about that?

Long story short: Alberta Distillers is owned by Suntory Global Spirits, a quaint mom-and-pop operation which also owns:

Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita distilleries in Japan as well as the Hibiki Blended Whisky brand
Ardmore, Auchentoshan, Bowmore, Glen Garioch and Laphroaig distilleries in Scotland
Cooley and Kilbeggan distilleries in Ireland
Canadian Club Whisky in Canada
Some little known and unimportant American Whiskey distilleries named Jim Beam and Makers Mark.

Alberta Premium was first released in 1958, 100 years after Canadian Club had its start under the name Club Whisky. The Alberta Premium brand was only available domestically for much of the time since then. Even the well- received Alberta Premium Dark Horse was rebranded as Alberta Rye Whisky Dark Batch when it crossed the border to be marketed and sold in the USA.

For much of the past two decades or more, Alberta Distillers has been stuck selling off parcels of its mature whisky stock to other companies, which then in turn release it themselves. Whisky companies and brands such as Masterson's, Pendelton, WhistlePig, Barrell Craft, and more have put out some stellar bottlings of Rye Whisky that was quietly purchased from Alberta Distillers and then bottled under their own respective labels.

This is the main reason Alberta Distillers is not well known - even within its home town and province. There have been a handful of Alberta Premium releases over the decades that have garnered attention from whisky circles. They are no longer available but included the Alberta Premium 25 and 30-year-old and Alberta Premium Dark Horse. These releases didn't get much attention from the general public, though. It was the Cask Strength releases that finally made the world stand-up and take notice of the distillery.

The 5 release series of Alberta Premium Cask Strength 100% Rye were expertly blended, and an incredible showcase for what Alberta Distillers is capable of. The Distillery has long been used as a quiet workhorse that pumps out great whisky and then sells it off for others to release and garner accolades and attention with, like a strange form of stolen valour. It is about damned time the Calgary Distillery was allowed to show off what it does and receive the merit it deserves.

Alberta Premium Cask Strength 5th Release - 64.2% - It is surprising that this is still around to purchase on shelves, but I am not complaining. Rumour has it this may be the last batch of the Alberta Premium Cask Strength released in this style. The 5 releases in this series have garnered world-wide attention, and for good reason. I don't have a tasting note for the 5th release, but rest assured - it is good. Producer Tasting Note: "Nose: Sweet, woody and oaky with a hint of vanilla Palate: 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"

Alberta Distillers Rare Batch No.1 23 Year Old - 50% - Not quite as high proof as the Cask Strength, but it does have a stated age of 23 Years. Producer Tasting Note: "Our 1st release has aromas of spice with hints of warm pear and oak. Experience a depth of taste with the sweetness of caramel and molasses blending subtly with dark chocolate and raisin."

Alberta Premium Batch 10 Legacy Reserve - 42% - A batch of Alberta Premium Rye selected and blended from consecutive vintages between 2001 and 2010. Evan's Tasting Note: Nose: A bit earthier than the Alberta Premium Cask Strength. The 100% Rye style still shows nicely. Plenty of toffee and brown sugar notes with a hint of apple, citrus, steeped tea and soft baking spices. Palate: Much like the nose, the Rye sings soft and sweet with a spice-driven backbone. Apples and cinnamon, a touch of clove countered by butterscotch and nougat. Finish: Lighter on the finish thanks to the 42% ABV, but notes of peaches and wood spice stick around. Comment: As with everything from Alberta Distillers, this is well-made. I would love to see it at 50% or higher ABV-wise, though.

Reifel Rye - 42% - A release from Alberta Distillers! Over 90% Rye grain distilled in a pot still - bottled at 42% after maturing in new charred oak casks and ex-bourbon barrels. Producer Tasting Note: "Nose: Banana bread, notes of burnt sugar, caramel and pudding. Palate: Notes of coffee, vanilla and creme brulee, balanced with warm pear and dark chocolate. Finish: Warm and lingering."

Want to learn more aboot Canadian Whisky and Canadian Distilleries? There are two books you should check out:

The Fractured Landscape of Canadian Whisky

So much of what is released on the craft side of Canadian whisky never gets seen throughout all of Canada, which is too bad. But the reasons for this are challenging to overcome:

Most craft distilleries are very small scale and can barely release enough product to supply their area or province. Many do not see the point of exporting because of this.
Most Canadian craft distillers are less than 10 years old. Almost none of the craft whisky distilleries in Canada have enough mature product to release nationwide.
Many provincial liquor boards do not and will not list craft whisky unless it is made in their own province. Ask an Alberta Craft Distillery if they have plans to expand into British Columbia or Ontario, for instance. It is laughably impossible, and the government controlled liquor boards in other provinces don't give two shits what is made in beer or whisky outside of their own borders for the most part.

That is all for now. I will continue writing about Alberta and Canadian Whisky distilleries and bottles as often as I can, regardless of the international political situation tomorrow brings. There is plenty more to talk about with Canadian Whisky and a lot of up established and up-and-coming producers out there that deserve to be talked about!

Cheers,

Evan

This entry was posted in Whisky, Distillery

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