Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye

Nose - earthy mint, leather, tobacco, clove, butterscotch, dark chocolate, powdered sugar, lemon pith, dry oak, underripe banana, anise, cherry, apple, nutmeg, white pepper, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - mint, chili pepper, cherry, apple, banana, caramel, orange zest, vanilla, brown sugar, clove, anise, cinnamon, allspice, cocoa, tannic oak, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing medium length with mint, citrus zest, and rye spice flavors. This is how I like my ryes to taste. Big, bold, and spicy. Canada really shines with their ryes, if with not much else. The nose greets you immediately with strong rye spice, butterscotch, and an underripe banana note I find on some of its kin. It’s dry and tannic, but in a mouthwatering way. The palate is minty, spicy, and citrusy. Rye spice is in full bloom, and accompanied by orange zest, strong baking spice, and a chocolatey banana quality. I found it apt to pour this alongside my WhistlePig 10 Year store pick, which is slightly less alcoholic and likely more aged than this Alberta, but they’re close enough to be cousins. Before my mouth emancipated itself from the rest of my body, I determined that they’re equally enjoyable. The WhistlePig is thicker and more complex, but restrained. The Alberta is young and brash, a rollercoaster of an experience. It’s also $20 cheaper than my WhistlePig store pick, which is not a trivial difference. This is good stuff and worth buying if you like high-proof, high-rye ryes. The lack of complexity holds it back from greatness, but sometimes you just want to strap yourself in and hang on for dear life. A big thank to @pkingmartin for the pour. I’ll probably buy a bottle if I see one on the shelf.

My favorite rye

Bon rapport qualité/prix. J'en acheterais encore.

66.0 % abv / 132 proof Open 3 months Nose - Black pepper, red hot cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla wafers, mixed nut dust, strong ethanol, and light oak. Palate - Big red hot cinnamon bomb, overload of rye spice, black pepper, light dill and floral notes, and butterscotch vanilla. Finish is long and hot, hot, hot. Rye spice, and red hots combined with strong ethanol dominate the finish. Curiosity got the best of me, a cask strength cheaper alternative to WhistlePig. This is good, but not complex enough to warrant the price. It is all spice and ethanol, lacking syrupy or citrusy notes in other high-end ryes. For <$70 there are a lot of great rye options I would recommend over this. As far as a comparison to WhistlePig, I've only had a 15Y single barrel store pick that was great but was priced as the 12Y bottle around $100. I can't really say WhistlePig is a value buy with the luck I had. If you like lots of pepper or red hots, then you may love this.