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30th September 2020 |
Given the
recent sexist allegations against whisky
writer Jim Murray for the language he
has used in his new Whisky Bible 2021
which somewhat has taken the limelight
away from the 'World Whisky Of The Year',
Alberta Premium Cask Strength Canadian
Rye Whisky, named in the book I have asked
Canadian based Scotch Malt Whisky Forum
Member, occasional SMW guest writer and
Companion of the Quaich, Murray Cohen,
to review the whisky for us and give us
his independent unbiased opinion of the
Canadian dram.
 No
matter what size your bank balance is
'Whisky' is one of those affordable
luxuries in life which everyone can
spoil themselves with at least once and I am sure you will agree it
is always good to get an independent,
unbiased recommendation which directs
you to something extra special within
your budget.
Over the past 18 years Jim Murray's
Whisky Bible has firmly established
itself as the most comprehensive,
independent collection of whisky reviews
available to whisky enthusiasts looking
for a suggestion as to what would be a
good dram to have in their glass and
with the ever increasing price of all
styles of premium whiskies many whisky
drinkers find independent reviews
invaluable.
You may not always agree with Jim's
rating of every whisky but of course
taste is a very personal thing. Every
year Jim's 'World Whisky Of The Year'
always grabs the headlines and the
latest edition of his book is no
different, this year, and for the second
time in the books history, a Canadian
whisky has grabbed the top spot of 'World
Whisky Of The Year', this time it is the
limited edition 'Alberta Premium Cask
Strength' Canadian rye whisky.
What has caused this years winner to
grab a little more headlines than usual
is the language Jim has used to describe
his 'World Whisky Of The Year', such as:
"The delivery should be exhibited at the
Museum of Canada because even the
smallest mouthful simply ejaculates the
most rampant toasty rye notes known to
mankind”. Lines such as this in the book
has lead to allegations of 'sexism'
which I disagree with although I would
say that the descriptive language used
is uncalled for and totally unnecessary
and I am sure he will come to regret it.
Sadly these allegations may have
somewhat taken the limelight away from
the winning whisky and as it is
impossible to get a hold of the Alberta
Premium Cask Strength Canadian rye
whisky here in the UK I asked Canadian
based Scotch Malt Whisky Forum Member,
occasional SMW guest writer and Companion of
the Quaich, Murray Cohen, to review the
whisky for us.
This is what Murray had to say about the
Alberta Premium Cask Strength:
It does seem fitting that a Canadian
should have the opportunity to review
the World Whisky of the Year crowned in
Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2021 since it
is a Canadian product. Alberta
Distillers introduced this limited
release cask strength 65.1% ABV rye
whisky, non-age specified in the Fall of
2019. It is made with 100% Canadian rye
and mashed with water from the
snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rocky
Mountain range and aged in oak charred
casks. The whisky was snapped up in
Canada even before its award but I have
been told that it is likely to surface
again at least in Canada hopefully in
the not too distant future.
A few words about Alberta Distillers
based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada are
warranted. It was founded in1946 by
Frank McMahon and George Reifel. Word
has it that there are over half a
million barrels of spirit aging across
10 warehouses. The distillery has more
than 30 product and processing tanks and
ship many items worldwide. In addition
to Alberta Premium they have other
brands including Banff Ice Vodka,
Alberta Pure Vodka, Alberta Springs
Canadian Whisky and Windsor Canadian
Whisky. Alberta Distillers have won a
variety of spirit awards in the past as
well.
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Alberta Premium Cask Strength Review
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Murray Cohen's Tasting Notes:
Colour:
Amber.
Nose:
Carrot cake, banana flambé, freshly
sliced nectarines, honeydew melon
piggy-backing on ripe cantaloupe flow in
quick succession. A delectable sweetness
encompassing candied yams and parsnips
evolves soon yielding to McIntosh apple
peel. Fields of Western Canadian grain
diffuse aromatically with omnipresent
clouds of mild rye spice. As the whisky
sits for a while, pumpkin pie with
whipped cream folds into the mix with
red laces, i.e., red liquorice.
Taste:
Full-bodied, syrupy. A quick moment of
honey comb sweetness then full-on uncut
rye spice with peppery tentacles; a
flash of cherry sauce ignites a plethora
of paprika, pepper and green chili
accents. An oaky “je ne sais quoi” adds
to the quality.
Finish:
Long, a leathery infusion meets a sweet
undertow of berry cough medicine with a
mouth-watering component. A thin slice
of strawberry rhubarb pie compliments
with a wink and a smile. Subtle mocha
foam and a cup of hot cocoa are offered
late. The aftertaste goes to infinity.
Comment:
This cask strength whisky has as many
layers as an onion; complexity yet
balance navigate through a cornucopia of
aromas and flavours on a spirited magic
carpet ride.
SMW Whisky Score
96.5/100
Sadly there are so many Canadian
whiskies that are only available in
Canada but what does find its way out is
available from specialist
online whisky retailers such as
The Whisky Exchange,
The Whisky Shop and
Master of Malt
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