Powertrip Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Hey folks, anyone tried the Alberta Springs 25 year old Centennial Limited Rye Whisky yet? I can't seem to find a lick of information on the internet about it, the Alberta Distillers website doesn't work, and I don't want to open my bottle just yet because it took me forever to find just the one!Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BourbonJoe Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 I assume this is Canadian rye.Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powertrip Posted September 1, 2006 Author Share Posted September 1, 2006 I assume this is Canadian rye.JoeYes, quite right, sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 The distillery that makes Alberta Springs, which is in Alberta, is the only Canadian distillery that uses 100 percent rye. It still isn't straight rye in the American sense, because it is still a blend of nearly-neutral whiskey (approximately 85 percent) with lower-proof flavoring whiskey, but in their case all of the whiskey is rye. Alberta Springs is owned by Beam Global (i.e., Jim Beam/Fortune Brands). Tangle Ridge is also made there.Beam probably probably is trying to figure out what to do with its "old" Canadian properties now that it owns Canadian Club.By the way, the ADL website was up a couple of weeks ago, though there wasn't much there. Its current problems probably are temporary and not deliberate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoneil Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 I picked up a bottle of this the other day and it comes in a nice tube, but when you open up the tube you get exactly the same bottle as the Alberta Premium. The only difference is that age statement on the label. No big deal, it is whats in the bottle that counts.The rye is very smooth with a good oak and rye nose and the flavours are deep with hints of chocolate with good spice balance. Absolutely no bitterness and the finish is fairly long with a tingling sensation on your tongue, which is quite enjoyable!When comparing the standard vs the 25YO there is no comparision, the 25 YO is great. Going back to the 5 YO Premium is kind of a let down. Now you have to remember that the review also takes into account the price for this product, which is $29.95CDN! Where can you get a 25 year old whisky for $30.DarcyThe Art of Drink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powertrip Posted December 23, 2006 Author Share Posted December 23, 2006 I assume you found a bottle in Ontario? Good find if you did! I've since gotten information that the run on this stuff was about 5800 bottles, and they've long since been sold out. If there are anymore, I would suggest you buy them. Through lots of hard work, a contact of mine found me a half dozen bottles which I'll gladly sit on!Also, I'm interested in what you mentioned about the label. The label on my bottle is the standard "Alberta Springs" label (only with 25 years not 10 years) not the Alberta Premium label as you mention. Curious! I'm not quite as fond of it as you seem to be however. Although I think it is an enjoyable drink, I find it lacks the deep but balanced complexity that a great 25 year old whisky should display - saving grace is that its not overwhelmed by oak. Nevertheless, its not often we see a Canadian rye of that age released, so its a memorable dram none-the-less! And for the price of $29.95, its an outstanding purchase!I picked up a bottle of this the other day and it comes in a nice tube, but when you open up the tube you get exactly the same bottle as the Alberta Premium. The only difference is that age statement on the label. No big deal, it is whats in the bottle that counts.The rye is very smooth with a good oak and rye nose and the flavours are deep with hints of chocolate with good spice balance. Absolutely no bitterness and the finish is fairly long with a tingling sensation on your tongue, which is quite enjoyable!the price for this product, which is $29.95CDN! Where can you get a 25 year old whisky for $30.DarcyThe Art of Drink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powertrip Posted December 23, 2006 Author Share Posted December 23, 2006 My appologies DSONEIL! Alberta Distillers HAS released a 25 year version of its Alberta Premium brand! I just realized this in a quick trip to my favorite Liquor Store -- I've been out of the country for 7 weeks and am a little behind obviously. Alberta Distillers also did release a 25 year of its Alberta Springs brand awhile back, and that is what I was refering to in this post and the response below!I assume you found a bottle in Ontario? Good find if you did! I've since gotten information that the run on this stuff was about 5800 bottles, and they've long since been sold out. If there are anymore, I would suggest you buy them. Through lots of hard work, a contact of mine found me a half dozen bottles which I'll gladly sit on!Also, I'm interested in what you mentioned about the label. The label on my bottle is the standard "Alberta Springs" label (only with 25 years not 10 years) not the Alberta Premium label as you mention. Curious! I'm not quite as fond of it as you seem to be however. Although I think it is an enjoyable drink, I find it lacks the deep but balanced complexity that a great 25 year old whisky should display - saving grace is that its not overwhelmed by oak. Nevertheless, its not often we see a Canadian rye of that age released, so its a memorable dram none-the-less! And for the price of $29.95, its an outstanding purchase! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoneil Posted December 24, 2006 Share Posted December 24, 2006 My appologies DSONEIL! Alberta Distillers HAS released a 25 year version of its Alberta Premium brand! I just realized this in a quick trip to my favorite Liquor Store -- I've been out of the country for 7 weeks and am a little behind obviously. Alberta Distillers also did release a 25 year of its Alberta Springs brand awhile back, and that is what I was refering to in this post and the response below!I've never tried the Alberta Springs 25YO, but if you get a chance do pick up the Alberta Premium 25YO it is pretty good, especially for the $30 price tag.DarcyThe Art of Drink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powertrip Posted December 24, 2006 Author Share Posted December 24, 2006 OMG...I just cracked a bottle of it.......RIVETING. Absolutely riveting!!! Its is simply bursting with rye flavour, without and abundance of oak. Unbelievable! No time to talk, must pour myself another. One of the best Canadian rye blends I have tasted in my short history....I've never tried the Alberta Springs 25YO, but if you get a chance do pick up the Alberta Premium 25YO it is pretty good, especially for the $30 price tag.DarcyThe Art of Drink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillman Posted December 24, 2006 Share Posted December 24, 2006 Good to see interest in the category, I haven't tried this one as yet, it is not available (not that I have seen) in Ontario. I always have an open mind, and look forward to trying it.I always hold hope that a Canadian whisky will break the mold. So far this has been done, successfully, with Lot 40, and also the Kittling Ridge whiskies.The well-aged, single cask or otherwise differentiated Canadians I have tried (e.g. Century Reserve 21 and 15 years old, Hirsch 13 years old, Gibson's Bourbon Cask, the new Crown Royal from the Waterloo distillery stocks) have been good or very good but within the bounds of the traditional Canadian taste. CC Sherry Cask was quite good although perhaps monochrome in taste.It has been some years since I tried Gooderham & Worts, a fine old name in Canadian distilling, absorbed into Hiram Walker in the 1920's. I recall it being worthy but again very much in the Canadian, mild-tasting tradition.If Kittling Ridge gets around to releasing any single cask whiskies, that may be the next breakthrough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frodo Posted December 25, 2006 Share Posted December 25, 2006 Good to see interest in the category, I haven't tried this one as yet, it is not available (not that I have seen) in Ontario. I always have an open mind, and look forward to trying it.Hi Gary:It's on the LCBO on-line inventory. Only about 70 bottles or so in Ontario. At $30/bottle I'm tempted to stock up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillman Posted December 25, 2006 Share Posted December 25, 2006 Okay thanks, I'll look for it.Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powertrip Posted December 27, 2006 Author Share Posted December 27, 2006 If Kittling Ridge gets around to releasing any single cask whiskies, that may be the next breakthrough.John Hall "promised" me it will happen, and there wasn't a soul in the room who didn't encourage the idea.We must now just sit and battle time..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frodo Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Just tried the Alberta Premium 25yr. I don't have a lot of experiance with rye whisky so I'm not sure about what to make of this. Yes, this is a blended whisky, but all the whiskies in the blend are made from rye. So not a "straight" rye but not a typical blended whisky made from multiple grains either.At the price point of $30 (for a 25yr old) at the LCBO it isn't bad. It just doesn't light up my fireworks like Blantons or ETL. It does have a strong spicy/fruity taste that I think comes from the rye, overlayed with some subtle oak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNbourbon Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Please come to Bardstown, Frodo -- let's trade. I'll bring a straight rye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frodo Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Please come to Bardstown, Frodo -- let's trade. I'll bring a straight rye.Coming to the Bardstown KBF is one of my goals in the next two years. I bought 6 bottles of the Alberta Premium 25yr and I'll hapily save one for the trip!!!I just thought of something - I'd put the bottle on the table in the Gezebo. May not have a bottle to trade. I'll see what I can do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNbourbon Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 ...I just thought of something - I'd put the bottle on the table in the Gazebo...That works fine -- and there's usually a quite decent lineup of straight rye there, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillman Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 I got this today.First, let me say, this is very much a traditional Canadian whisky. That is, it has a mild, fairly neutral palate.It contains no doubt a small percentage of low-proof aged spirit (Canadian straight-style whiskey made in house at Alberta Distillers for the flavoring element). But the taste is Canadian all the way, not American and no one for example would ever confuse this with a U.S. straight rye, well-aged or other.That said, this is a very good Canadian whisky, one of the best available today and maybe the best.Its chocolate and cocoa-like nose and taste derive from oak, I assume this is a small batch of various barrelings of aged whiskies and through the combination of whiskies from different barrels they got a complex, soft oaky taste. It is woody but not tannic and otherwise very well blended.The steely metallic elements, referred to in the lengthy encomium from Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2007 printed on the presentation tube, no doubt come from rye but in a way different than rye (in my experience) manifests in true (straight) rye whiskey. I don't mind that the company vaunts the use of all-rye on the labelling and that the whisky takes "genuine" character from that. This is true - in Canadian terms.For some $30.00 this is excellent, a good soft rich gentle dram when you feel like that. Funny, by coincidence I tasted at LCBO's tasting bar a half-ounce of Remy Extra, sold for hundreds of dollars at LCBO, and found it good (not Olympian). I think it aspires to the "pale dry", aristocratic style of brandy (like Delamain). Its woodsy, concentrated, acidic dry overtones were similar to some of the top notes in the Alberta Premium 25 year old. (Rancio, that is). Overall I found the two quite comparable in style and yet one cost $30 and the other around $400!Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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