Must Buy

Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye 2020
Canadian Rye Whisky

63.9-66.0% ABV (sample reviewed @ 66%)
$70
Website

We would like to thank Alberta Distillers and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Alberta Distillers, one of the first distilleries to create a true 100% rye whisky, is proud to introduce a limited-edition cask-strength whisky to the U.S. market: Alberta® Premium Cask Strength Rye. Originally released in Canada earlier this year, the limited-edition rye is crafted and distilled in Calgary, Alberta using pure 100% prairie rye mash bills and Rocky Mountain water. The result is a perfectly balanced liquid that reflects the brand’s Canadian heritage and expert whisky craftsmanship.

Making a name for itself in the Canadian market, Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye comes to the U.S. after being sold out for months in Canada. Whisky fans can taste the purity in every bottle, distilled from the finest Canadian prairie grains grown by local farmers and refreshing glacier-fed Rocky Mountain spring water. This limited-edition, 100% rye is a very sippable whisky, best enjoyed neat with a drop of water or on the rocks.

“Alberta Distillers prides ourselves on being the producer of the world’s number one selling 100% rye whisky in Alberta® Premium,” George Teichroeb, General Manager of Alberta Distillery said. “We wanted to release a cask strength rye so our whisky fans can experience a 100% rye whisky in its purest form: straight from the barrel. This whisky truly is a great representative of our commitment to crafting superior rye whisky.”

The original Canadian release of this whisky left a mark on experts and consumers alike this past year, earning accolades such as Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Best Cask Strength at the Canadian Whisky Awards and Gold at the Canadian Whisky Awards. It’s also crafted at the distillery that was awarded the Distillery of the Decade by the Canadian Whisky Awards.

Packaged in an eye-catching, faceted glass bottle, Alberta Premium Cask-Strength Rye features the below characteristics:

• ABV: 63.9% – 66.0%
• Color: Amber gold
• Aroma: Sweet, woody and oaky with a hint of vanilla
• Taste: Exceptionally smooth with notes of caramel, vanilla, and just a hint of chocolate that balance the spiciness of rye and black currant
• Finish: Smooth and lingering with the complexity of spice, warm vanilla and dark fruit

What Gary Says

Nose:  Soft vanilla with subtle oak, cedar, mint, nutmeg, hints of cherries and maple.
Palate:  Caramel and vanilla, milk chocolate, black currants, figs, cinnamon, nutmeg, cracked pepper with a bit of clove.
Finish:  Moderate in length, syrupy, fruity and lingering baking spices.
Comments:  I really love how rye whisky matures north of the U.S. border, and in particular in Alberta. I often get these cedar and maple notes which just feel very Canadian to me, and with older whisky it doesn’t get overly influenced from the oak. This is non-age stated, although doesn’t strike me as what I’d consider ‘young’ (4 years or less). Sampling this over the course of a week, I really enjoyed it. On the nose it benefits from sitting a bit in the glass (66% ABV is up there!) to let the alcohol vapors dissipate, and it takes water really well – bringing out more cedar and maple on the nose, and thickening the mouthfeel while amping up the fruit notes on the palate. There isn’t a lot of cask strength, 100% rye whisky out there – and this is priced fairly given that, so if you’re a fan of that sorta thing (which I am!) I’d pick one up while you can. OH – almost forgot, a premium bottle with a screwcap (which I consider bonus points; I prefer a pragmatic, tried/true solution for my bottle closures).

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy

Hochstadter’s Family Reserve 16 Year Straight Rye Whiskey

61.9% ABV
$200
Website

What the Producer Says

Hochstadter’s Family Reserve 16 Year Straight Rye Whiskey is a cask strength limited release created for the most discerning connoisseurs and collectors. The first ultra-premium offering in the Hochstadter’s portfolio, it is unfiltered, undiluted and full-flavored at 123.8 proof, delivering an intense explosion of robust rye flavor.

Made from 100 percent farm-grown rye grain and aged 16 years in newly charred American Oak Barrels, this rare and bold offering is sourced from Alberta Distillers Limited and bottled at cask strength in Philadelphia, PA. The end result is unfiltered, undiluted and full-flavored, delivering an intense explosion of robust rye flavor.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Lovely! Oak with tobacco, baking spices – clove, soft cinnamon and a bit of anise, toffee, dried mint, cherries, nutmeg, toasted orange zest, sandalwood, notes of pine, lemongrass, and walnuts.
Palate:  Warm baking spices of clove, cinnamon, citrus zip, vanilla, oak, bit of ginger, mint; some water thickens the mouthfeel and brings out more mint, vanilla, and cherries.
Finish:  Long, drying with fruit, pepper, and herbal spices.
Comments:  This is a phenomenal, well aged rye. I’ve been blessed to have enjoyed some unicorn ryes (Black Maple Hill 18yr old, Doug’s Green Ink 22yr Willet), and I’m not saying that this is exactly like those – but it definitely reminded me that sort of experience. 16 years is a long time in new oak for a whiskey. I tend to not prefer bourbon or rye that old, as it has just too much oak in many cases. This isn’t too oaky, and has a lovely balance of the sweetness with some herbal, almost savory spice notes. The $200 price tag is the only thing that keeps this from a solid ‘Must Buy’ in my book, although after tasting this sample – I absolutely am going to buy a bottle.

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy