I love how when I started this Substack, I made it clear I wanted to focus on three things: writing, whiskey and, Vexillology— I feel like the first and the third parts I’ve done pretty well on, but the whiskey part has been lacking of late, so I’m going to try and make up for it going forward- and what better way to do that than to explore what happens when you let Facebook recommend whiskey to you…
Like many sane, sensible people, I find it creepy how you can be talking about any given subject (say, kumquats or archery or the ins and outs of Bunko for instance) and then suddenly, your Facebook feed will be chock full of ads recommending where to find the most succulent kumquats, the most dangerous bows and arrows and where the next hot Bunko tournament is going to happen near you.
Such it was with Alberta Premium Rye.
My old man was taking a trip up to Calgary to put on a training or attend a conference or something and whether it was just a random remark about Alberta or whiskey or whatever it was, suddenly my Facebook feed was awash in ads for Alberta Premium Rye.
VOTED BEST WHISKEY IN THE WORLD it proclaimed at me! 100% RYE WHISKEY! CANADA’S BEST… (you get the idea) and it intrigued me and knowing my old man was in Alberta and knowing he liked whiskey I shot him a text and told him to keep an eye out for this because the Facebook thought it was delicious and worth buying.
And that was honestly the last time I really thought about it. I kept seeing on my Facebook feed, of course and never really expected to see it anywhere around here because Iowa’s liquor laws are still lamentably antiquated in many ways (though getting better every year!) So that was that and then…
I took the kiddos shopping awhile back and went to the place with the nice liquor store attached to it (well, maybe not nice, but it’s the biggest) and as I always do, after the business of shopping was completed, I swung into the liquor store to poke around, see what’s what and check out the whiskey aisle.
Guess what I found there? On sale, even! That’s right— Alberta Premium Rye.
I snagged it, took it home and I don’t know if it was that night or a couple of nights later, I cracked it open and gave it a try!
Before, we get to the tasting notes— let’s talk about the company, Alberta Distillers Limited.
It’s been around since 1946 and scanning the their website, they seem to be very committed to supporting local farmers and using Canadian rye- and as they’re one of the few places/brands to offer a 100% rye whiskey that’s produced in North America, they stand out. It’s won Canadian Whiskey of the Year 2006-2009 and in 2021 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bibles (per it’s wiki-page) and in short, seems to have some legit buzz and hype around it.
Does it live up to the hype? I’m happy to report that it does!
Alberta Premium Rye: The Tasting Notes
Color: Dark golden/dark honey. Not tinges of red, which seems kind of unusual for darker hued whiskey- though that might be my own personal biases at work. It’s a nice, dark robust shade though.
Nose: Spice and cinnamon is prominent, but there’s a sweeter undertone to this— I want to say honey?
Body: There’s a little bit of a sand/almost grit like feel in the mouth— not sure where that comes from— honestly, it might have been my glass, but it’s also not unpleasant either. Not a deal breaker at all— other than that, the viscosity otherwise is light and smooth. Sits nicely on the tongue.
Finish: The spice definitely slaps you around a bit, but nicely? It’s not harsh at all and very pleasantly warming when going down.
Overall: Smooth and spicy goodness from up north. The price point is decent and it more than lives up to the hype. Good straight or on the rocks— I haven’t played around with mixers with it, but I might. I’m betting the results will be delicious, no matter what. My Grade: 8/10 I wouldn’t call this a must buy, but if you’re in the market for a rye whiskey, it’s worth putting this one high on the list.