Alberta Springs 10 Year

Sweet nose and taste, with well balanced spicy notes. Banana, lemon and tropical fruit flavours along with rye spice. Short finish is biggest shortfall.

For $18 or $19 Canadian (which it is, ever so occasionally, on sale for in Alberta, Canada), it's a steal. But in no sense would I classify it a *great* whisky. It's made by Alberta Distillers, which means there's that family link to Whistlepig or Jefferson's Rye or Lock, Stock, and Barrel. But it's worth pointing out that those companies are sourcing the really cherry barrels of flavouring whisky from Alberta Distillers (which in part explains the price of those brands), whereas something like Alberta Springs is, typically of all Canadian whiskies, a mix of flavouring whisky and "base" whisky (the latter being distilled to a higher proof so that the flavour of the grain is removed and the barrel flavours can take over). Still, for what it is, it's hard to complain. Flavours of dusty rye, rye bread, menthol, caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, herbal, cinnamon, black licorice, green apple. Pickle juice. Sweet. Terry's chocolate orange. Wood sap and baking spices.