Alberta Premium Golden Rye 9 Year
$34.19
A new Rye from Alberta Distillers! With no press release or information or web page on the bottle to be found. What we can tell you is that it carries a stated age of 9 Years Old, and is made from 100% Rye Grain. Oh, and it is bottled at 45% ABV.
The back label does mention three barrel types used, but does not specify which types. It is from ADL, so the liquid should be good. Plus, the price is very reasonable if the quality is there.
If only this small, plucky Calgary Distillery was owned by a large spirits conglomerate that could afford to throw some money into marketing and entice us on what makes this bottle special... Sure, the same company owns a distillery on Islay that pointlessly co-brands some of their high-end single malts with a luxury car brand because they don't see the whisky as premium enough to sell on its own. That is just fine, but throwing a bit of a spotlight on one of the best rye distilleries in the world would be a bridge too far!
Pivot Spirits Feedlot Alley Bourbn Style
$79.89
This Bourbon-style whisky is made in Rolling Hills, Alberta by Pivot Spirits. It is produced from a mash of locally grown Corn, Rye, Barley, and Wheat. Bottled at 46%.
Producer Description
"Corn, rye, barley, and soft white wheat are grains extensively utilized in the expansive value-added cattle industry in Southern Alberta, culminating in the production of our renowned Alberta Beef. Lars combined these four grains in a mash-bill, yielding his favourite whisky—a sweet, buttery sipping experience with subtle hints of oak and brown sugar."
About Pivot Spirits
Pivot Spirits was founded in 2018 and resides in Rolling Hills, Alberta — about a 30-minute drive south of Brooks. If you zoom in on Rolling Hills from a satellite image on Google Maps you will see where the name Pivot Spirits comes from: all the fields in the area have the tell-tail rounded and circular shape of pivot irrigation. The distillery is co-owned by Lars Hirsch and Rachelle Fiset. Lars is an irrigation farmer with fields just across the roads from the distillery and the distiller as well. Just about all the grain used at Pivot Spirits uses for making Whisky, Gin, and other spirits comes from his fields. The only exception to this is when Lars uses corn, which he gets from his neighbours. Pivot Spirits does not malt or roast any of the grains it uses — it comes directly from the field, is ground down, and made into a mash.
True Wild Roper's Hold 8 Yr Straight Rye
$109.79
Roper's Hold is a Blended Whisky produced by our friends at True Wild, a new Distillery and Restaurant in Calgary. It will be 2030 before they have a whisky of their own, but in the interim they have sourced whiskies to bottle, giving an indication of where they are going as a producer.
Bottled at 47%
Producer Description
"Roper’s Hold is a celebration of artistry in spirits. Similar to painting, the aging and blending of these collected whiskies is what makes each of them desirable as a unique expression of the spirit and cask. Each blend’s ephemeral existence further amplifies its appeal. No matter who you are, you must get it while you can. For every label in this brand, nothing will ever be like it again. Compelling. Distinct. Creative. Complex."
Alberta Premium Cask Strength 10 Yr 2025
$68.39
This 10 year old Alberta Distillers Rye has been bottled at a whopping cask strength of 67%... we have high expectations!
Producer Description
"Alberta Premium is the #1 selling 100% rye whisky in the world, a testament to Alberta Distillers Ltd’s mastery of rye whisky craftmanship. This edition of cask strength offers our rye whisky drinkers a new sipping experience – aged for 10 years in charred oak casks to mellow and to deliver a result that is truly unique and full of character."
Forty Creek Niagara Triple Reserve 2025
$89.99
This Limited Edition Whisky from Niagara's Forty Creek Distillery was finished in ex-Cabernet wine casks before being bottled at 51%.
Producer Description
"Forty Creek Niagara Triple Reserve is the 19th release in the Annual Limited Edition series. This bold Canadian whisky is crafted through a unique triple-barrel process, finished in Niagara Cabernet casks. Expect aromas of fresh berries and tobacco, a palate of raisin, prune, and white pepper, and a warm, spiced finish. Bottled at cask strength (51% ABV) for a full-bodied, uncompromised experience.
Our renowned Master Blender, Bill Ashburn has once again created a complex blended whisky to be enjoyed by whisky enthusiasts and prized by Forty Creek loyal collectors."
The Maligne Range Tekarra Whisky
$107.99
This whisky first appeared in our 2023 KWM Whisky Calendar, on Day 16. Here is Evan's write-up on the whisky.
You can view a video of Andrew and Bryce talking about the Maligne Range here.
The first core release from the Maligne Range, Tekarra is an unapologetically Canadian whisky, made partially from an Imperial Porter mashbill with Demerara sugar, matured in First Fill ex-Bourbon and Virgin American Oak casks before bottling at 48%.
The whisky was distilled at Last Best Brewing & Distilling in Calgary, though in time the brand's spiritual home will be the Maligne Distillery under construction in Jasper.
Producer Description
"Named after Mount Tekarra in Jasper National Park, this is a whisky of unique depth, with a bold 48% abv. It features a unique grain bill inspired by Imperial Porter (a beer style) that uses a masterful selection of malts - superior pale, crystal, dark crystal, chocolate, and midnight wheat. Rooted in the Canadian one-eleventh rule, Tekarra artfully combines malted barley and the unique addition of Demerara, creating a cascade of flavours."
About The Maligne Range
"The Maligne Range is an independent Canadian malt whisky-maker and blender. We distill small batch whiskies that are the vital essence of our expressions. These highly-flavoured whiskies from unique grain bills are the character actors on our whisky stage. We allow them to age in oak casks for a minimum of 5 years, affected by the capricious Alberta climate. We then blend with an ensemble cast of blending whiskies – some we distill, others are collaborations with renowned Canadian distilleries. The result is a range of Canadian whiskies that blaze new trails into the remote Western Canadian wilderness of possibility.
"The Maligne Range is the result of decades of experience brewing some of Western Canada’s best craft beers. The people who created Jasper Brewing, Banff Ave Brewing, Last Best Brewing & Distilling, and Campio Brewing have built on their experience and passion for craft spirits with this uniquely Canadian whisky brand. Like those breweries, The Maligne Range aspires to become a community cornerstone through the celebration of the craft of making Canadian whisky.
"In late-spring 2024 we will be inviting visitors to our new home in Jasper. The Maligne Range experience centre will be a celebration of Canadian whisky and elevated dining with a unique Jasper twist. Set against the spectacular backdrop of the Athabasca Valley, our guests will discover the full Maligne Range of products including house exclusives, curated cocktails and gastronomy that complete the experience."
Bridgeland Old Fashioned Whisky
$43.19
This ready-made Old Fashioned comes from Bridgeland Distillery. Just pour over ice and you are ready to go! Or, chill the bottle down and add a straw, I suppose. Bottled at 36%.
Producer Description
"Our young 3 grain whisky provides a nice vanilla aroma mixed with the cloves and cardamom of the bitters. The palate provides a nice orange flavour with a hint of vanilla. The warm finish brings the bitter touch forward."
Anohka TINW Unpeated Barrel Aged Spirit
$43.19
This triple distilled single malt spirit was matured 34 months in first fill ex-Bourbon before bottling at 48%.
Two Brewers Yukon Single Malt Batch 51
$97.19
Release 51 is a peated single malt, bottled at 46%.