Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye

This is going off the neck pour, I’ll adjust my rating after. I’m also not much a rye person. It is complex and fun. It’s an interesting drink that I really enjoy.

Rating: 15/23 N: It's a dry, clean rye smell with a bit of some underlying fullness. I get green apples, spice, and a bit of herbal notes. It's smells good (and high in rye), but I don't get a lot of character here. P: This is big on the rye. It is full of spices, minerals, dry floral flavors, delicate herbal flavors, and fruit. There's sweet green apple, but also substantial banana in here, surprisingly. There's also some anise and a dash of caramel in with the banana, particularly up front, and I might get a little maple too. I might get a dash of cereal in here as well. The alcohol does come through a fair amount. It isn't problematic per se, but it is certainly noticeable. The flavor is nonetheless decently full and bold. It's a rye that's making a statement that it shouldn't be confused with anything else. In comparison, Whistlepig PiggyBack is more richly bitter, which gives a good idea of just how light and dependent on its proof this is (not overwhlemingly so, but substantially). Kings County Empire Rye is also substantially richer with more of a chocolate flavor than this has. F: This finishes dry and numbing. The spices, a bit of the anise, and a hint of caramel and green apple persist, but the flavor is duller and more muddled. - Conclusion - I really enjoy this. It's a very well executed rye with a spicy, dry graininess. I don't get a ton of complexity here, but the flavors are on point. The fullness does largely come from the alcohol flavor though, which is a little off-putting. The banana flavor in here is also not really my jam. Having tried them side by side, I prefer both the Whistlepig PiggyBack and the Kings County Empire Rye to this because of their richness while maintaining the spicy rye profile. I did consider a 16 for this, but I think I need to land on 15. Thanks to @pkingmartin for the sample!

That shit is good!! At first it lacking but then comes in to play. And when I say play I mean kick your ass in the best way. I mean the rye spice and dill is phenomenal. Long ass finish. Proofy and so good.

This can be pretty overwhelming, especially if you don't like spice or cinnamon. Canadian rye is definitely something else.

Nice after taste. Sweet. Not too Smokey