Canadian Rye Whisky | 64.2% ABV

Score: 6/10

**Good stuff.**
***TL;DR***
*Simply good Canadian rye, à force de fût*

Breaking Up With Cask Strength

When we first met, I didn’t like you. To be honest, you were unpleasant. Harsh and abrasive. I wondered how you had any friends at all.

After our initial few encounters I learned that you could be fun, but were best in small doses. Intensity was the name of the game, with everything dialled to eleven - all the time. I learned to keep it short and sweet, get in and out quickly, and leave on a high. With these controls in place we were able to have a good time together. The hook was set.

Leather tongue is a thing and from there we were seemingly inseparable. We made lots of memories together. I still think about all those nights by the lake.

Lately, I find it harder and harder to enjoy your company. I’m older and slower now. I need to be in the mood. I need to warm up. Not one for subtle nuance, you come in kicking and screaming. The mornings after are sometimes tinged with regret.

Now you’ve taken over, you’re everywhere. In my closet, on my shelves. My cabinets are full of cask strength. 64.2 just won’t do. I know how this ends, thank you very much.

Some nights when I just want a casual sipper to watch TV with, I look into the cabinet and wonder, what happened to all those nice drams I used to know?

With more experience, I have the confidence to do without you, and I’m afraid this is the end of the line for now. I’m not saying I won’t come back, but when I do dip into cask strength, it’ll likely be an older version where time has rounded the edges, preferably to below 55. You know, something I can spend some time with without my tongue going numb and my throat feeling raw.

I’m sorry, but we both knew this couldn’t be forever. Let’s drink again one last time.

Your friend always,

Aengus

Review

Alberta Premium Cask Strength, 2023 Release, Canadian Rye Whisky, 64.2% ABV
CAD$65 (£35) paid, limited but still available at discount in Canada

This is the 2023 release and fifth instalment of the popular yearly cask strength series from Alberta Distillers. After five consecutive years of releases there is no sign of a sixth. Could it be discontinued? I couldn’t find any information, as internet presence for the brand is practically nonexistent; a trait that is common amongst Canada’s old guard big distillers.

For posterity purposes and hopes that APCS will continue on as one of our very few cherished Canadian enthusiast staples, I’ll summarize the releases to date:

1st Release - 2019 - 65.1%ABV
2nd Release - 2020 - 66.0% ABV
3rd Release - 2021 - 63.7% ABV
4th Release - 2022 - 63.5% ABV
5th Release - 2023 - 64.2% ABV

See my Whistle Pig review for more information on the distillery. I can’t believe it’s been almost three years!

Nose

Vanilla liquor, ethanol, wine gums. Caramel, sweet milk. Wintergreen, tree bark. Cool rye with an Armagnac or grape brandy type essence. Pleasant and forceful without overpowering the nostrils.

Palate

Not as thick on the palate as you’d think; we’re beyond the viscosity peak for an ethanol/water solution here. Neon cherry, rye loaf, warmth. Oak, cherry cola, vanilla, liquorice. A sweet long finish with a touch of dry cacao.

The Dregs

We’ve had a real Canadian winter this year in my part of the country and it felt great, especially after the snowless grey depression that was winter ‘23/’24 in Upper Canada. My wife and I have enjoyed many happy days on the ski trails; cross country classic style with grippy wax underfoot and slippy wax on tips and tails. On paper, this is the perfect whisky to add some warmth to your chest after working up a sweat on the snow.

Undiluted, this is simply good whisky at 64.2% straight down the hatch. It is sweetly reminiscent of better American ryes, which makes me wonder if a generous proportion of new charred oak was used as opposed to the usual knackered old “Canadian whisky” barrels. It still has that brandy liquor kind of edge to it that betrays its nationality - at least in my books. The downside is that the experience absolutely falls apart when diluted to more manageable alcohol levels. In the case of this cask strength expression, the charm is then lost and the clear lineage to ADL’s weaker, consumer mass market bottles is seen.

Nevertheless, for Alberta Distillers, the cask strength expression sets the bar. If all of their releases were of similar quality, or better, the distillery overall would have much more representation amongst rye whisky enthusiasts. This represents great value in my market and frequently goes on sale at $20 below RRP. That being said, as always, my score is unmodified by price, or any other (conscious) factors.

On a more personal note.

I always like to be inspired when I write a review for Dramface. I’m inspired by my fellow Dramface writers and our readers, the kind folks who comment on our articles. I’m inspired by the true friends I have made in the Colonials. I’m inspired by our clear-visioned and supportive leader, Wally. I’m inspired by beer and sherry and rum and all types of whisky. But lately, I’m increasingly inspired by avoiding alcohol.

The call for abstinence has been growing stronger for me over the last couple of years. It started as a thought in the back of my head and slowly the hum grew louder; the reasons seemed to pile up. Therein lies a bit of a conflict I have been wrestling with - between this and my love of whisky.

I have never been one of the more prolific Dramface contributors. In 2024 I only managed six reviews. Personal enjoyment is one thing, but I do struggle with rationalizing the validity of my whisky opinions in the context of low consumption. Going forward, I plan for long stretches without alcohol, and therefore I expect my already paltry review output to be even weaker in the time ahead.

This isn’t a breakup. I’ll still be reading as usual, in the morning with a nice cup of coffee. I’ll still be enjoying the occasional (although probably not cask strength) dram. And I do plan to pop in from time to time when inspiration strikes.

Thanks, and cheers to all you fantastic Dramfacers.

Score: 6/10

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. AMc

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