Alberta Premium 20 Year

I had big hopes for this bottle. Perhaps I built it up too much. The nose has sweet floral vanilla, cinnamon heart candy, brown sugar, deep baking spices and something vegetable or grassy. The palate has something a little sour or tannic, then some spice, pepper and relaxes into a bit of caramel and citrus. The finish for me is nicely drying and fairly sweet. A slight bitterness hangs around too. In the end, I think I prefer their regular expression. Nowhere near as complex but $17 instead of $85!

Let me start by saying that there are MANY Canadian whiskies that I think are terrific. This is NOT one of them. I’m not sure which whisky the author of these tasting notes is nosing. This is by far the worst whisky I’ve ever nosed. The only aromas are nail polish remover and gasoline/exhaust fumes. Horrid. The palate is weak and watery with a generic fruitiness. This is an absolute embarrassment of a whisky. I hope my bottle gets better with time and air exposure. I’ve never been so tempted to pour a bottle down the drain. I would rate this zero stars if I could. What a waste of money. Avoid at all costs. Lot no.40 Rye and Canadian Club 100% Rye (Chairman’s Select) are a fraction of the price and are better in every possible way.

On the nose, I get a lot of pine scent. Like, a lot. Some musty, dusty wood and then sweet orange and vanillas underneath. Palate is sweet vanillas at first then there is a building spiciness. Anise, clove, pepper. The finish is medium and drying. Oak tannins, little bit of that star anise and clove, then it turns to sweet orange. This is definitely a unique juice and unlike anything that I’ve ever tried.

Smooth, short on character

Rye Spice!