10 Great Single Grain Canadian Whiskies

1

Alberta Premium 30 Years Limited edition 100% Rye Grain. Big bold rye flavours and the perfect amount of oak for my palate. 40% abv but punches above its weight. It is a five year older iteration of the legendary AP Limited Edition aged 25 years. AP30 is my favourite single grain Canadian. Cowboy Whisky.

2

Alberta Premium Limited Edition 25 Years 40% abv. This rye whisky possesses the most perfect balance I have found in any whisky, ever. Incredible complexity and absolutely delicious. Perhaps at 50% - 60% abv this would be my favourite Canadian. An easy sipper that never disappoints. This is what the angels drink.

3

Masterson's 10-Year-Old Straight Rye 45% abv. Masterson's is the hallmark of consistency, it should be, after all it is from the same distillery as the top 5 on this list.

4

Lock Stock & Barrel Straight Rye 13 Years 50.65% abv. unfiltered. Signature Alberta Distillers nose - Juicy Fruit Gum (R). Fantastic balance. A flavour profile approaching the layered depth of AP 30. Could easily be number one on this list if only it didn't take 5 months to open up.

5

WhistlePig Rye "The Boss Hog" Single Barrel 61.6% abv. 13 Years Barrel #20. Sourced for me in Vancouver by @Nozinan. This is SUPER RYE, Super Fly Alberta Distillers Rye. Big. Bold. Beautiful. At 123 proof this is not for the faint of heart. A Rye lover's dream come true! ... change the sheets.

6

Cadenhead's Authentic Collection Potter Distilling Company 24 Year Old Indian Corn Ex Bourbon Barrel 126 bottles 56.5% abv. Unlike the rest of the bottles on this list, I do not own this one; however, I have tasted this stunner on four separate occasions. More than once at Spirit of Toronto 2015 and on three separate visits to my friend @talexander's world class sessions. This too is whisky for big boys. Clean, crisp, delicious, and potent. Equal to or greater than any Scottish single grain whisky.

7

Highwood Ninety 20 Years 45% abv. Corn Whisky. Little brother of the above listed Cadenheads. Don't let the 45% abv fool you. This is a heavyweight. Full bodied and fruity. The fruit notes come not entirely from the fermentation and distillation processes, but also from the warehouse at Potter's now defunct facility. Barrels of fruit cordials and liqueurs were stored together with this most delicious and complex iteration. Buttery, spicy, sweet, oaky. I wonder how much of this Potter's whisky remains in the Highwood warehouse?

8

Lot No. 40 Rye 43% abv. Malted Rye, copper pot distilled. Hot, sweet, spicy. Rye, rye, rye. New oak influence and long aged to near perfection for approximately 10 years. This is the flavouring rye used in Wiser's Legacy.

9

Canadian Rockies 21 Years Batch 001 46% abv. Another big, beautiful corn whisky from Highwood. Originally created for the Asian whisky market at 40% abv. This now finds a home in Canada at 92 proof. Welcome home!

10

Calgary Stampede 25 Year 100th Anniversary 40% abv. Rich, creamy, and sweet. Oak spice undertones. Excellent balance for 25 years in oak. Plenty of vanilla, toffee, pepper and some pithy bitterness to offset the abundant sweetness. This is the fourth corn whisky on this list from High River, Alberta. It is the most elegant and complex of the four. This is a brilliant example of long-aged Canadian whisky in Ex bourbon barrels.......yes, I wish this was bottled a lot closer to gun powder proof.