Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye (2020 Release)

Complex, hot, spicy, sweet, caramel, syrupy - a pleasure

Not a fan of uber high abv Whiskies. Added a dab of water. That help considerably. Grain, spices, kerosene and hot! Bit i enjoyed it a lot!

COLOUR: Dark bronze. LEGS: Very thin clothesline; micro-beads consolidated into bigger drops on the line; then gently and very slowly rolled down the glass like Empress Carlotta's necklace. NOSE: Moderate (3/5); sweet & rye; caramel, butterscotch & honey; sour green apples, lime & slight tropical fruit; herbal & oaky. More pleasant and inviting that Batch 1. Does not smell anything like 66% ABV. The longer I nose, the better it gets a really nice warming sweet rye dustiness develops. WITH WATER (10 drops into 15mL): acetone (Sharpie marker) appears, and the nose becomes less pleasant. Score 8/10 TASTE: Rich, oily, thick & round, with a strong and drying alcohol burn; powerful (5/5); sweet rye spice; vanilla, caramel, butterscotch & maple syrup; quite fruity; black pepper, cinnamon & licorice; lots of drying oak; salty tinge at the end. A really enjoyable full-flavoured experience, but a bit of an assault on the senses. WITH WATER: richer and creamier, and easier on the senses. More water makes it even more so. Score 8.5/10 FINISH: Long; powerful (5/5); drying; sweet rye spices linger; butterscotch & honey continue; pepper & cinnamon persist; herbal & oak remain. You know you have had a beast, as your tongue will be numb. WITH WATER: longer and fruitier. Score 8/10 OVERALL: A very rich and full-flavoured dram. Needs water to tame it. Excellent in a tumbler with an ice cube, but be sure to drink it all down before the ice cube fully melts and dilutes the rye too much. IMAGERY: Eating gummy bears at the back of a barn just after harvest time; the barn is full to the rafters with fresh grain and dust; there is a chill in the air, but I don't care, coz this bottle is keeping my nice and warm while I goof off and avoid my chores. Weighted Score 8.3/10