Alberta Distillers Aristotle Blend

The Aristotle Blend

Don’t try to find that one on the shelves at your favorite store. This one is a blend done by @Paddockjudge , he gave me a generous sample that also happend to be the last of it. Knowing how he was fond of this blend, I appreciate even more its gift. I praised that blend when I tasted before, saying it has the best nose I encountered. I choose to do a full review of it as a tribute to Canadian whisky and as a big thank you to my friend. Incidently, I am drinking this one the day of @Paddockjudge birthday. When he gave it to me, he was hoping that this blend would pass the test of time. Lets see if it’s the case.

First lets established what’s in it. There is 6 Canadian whisky (from Alberta Dist.) in it. In order of volume, you have Masterson’s 10 yo straight rye whiskey, Lock and Barrel 13 yo, Alberta Premium 25 yo, WhisthlePig Boss Hog 13 yo, Jefferson’s 10 yo and Alberta Premium 30 yo. All are premium Canadian and were terrific by themselves according to @Paddockjudge since I haven’t taste all of them on their own. As you probably know, the 25 and 30 yo Alberta Premium are not available anymore and I know many Canadians are hoping for a return of these gems. For me this blend is my last chance to have a taste of older AD whiskies. Now it’s time to taste that.

Nose

Menthol, rye spices, soft cinnamon, nutmeg, light talc, a hint of dill, a bit of pepper, dried lemon rind, some orange liquor and finally, a whiff of honeydew and apricot. The balance is fantastic, the spices are round, the sweetness is like icing sugar, just enough to complement the other flavors. With air, some caramel show itself and the spices get bolder. With time, I get some milk chocolate.This sample is less floral and fruity than my first sample. I get like a hint of a wine cask that I don ‘t remember getting on before. It is a fantastic nose, still it was better before.

Taste

Wow, the taste is bolder than I remembered (my palate is probably fresher). It is sweeter on the palate. If you take a good sip, you have first the talc and spices and then an orange caramel (the two flavors forming one) and some red tea. Then the pepper covers the cinnamon and nutmeg that are only coming back on your gums at the end. To be honest, I can’t compare the taste of this sample to my previous one as I was so blown away by the nose before that I have no recollection of the palate.

Finish

The flavors are fading rapidly but then stay for ever. The wine cask and apricot are lingering in the aftertaste then are recessing while the orange liquor and spices are coming back in force.

Conclusion

The balance of this blend is stunning. This is very Canadian, very Rye. The nose is a masterpiece, the flavors are not surprising or uncommon, they are simply of the highest quality. For the Scotch drinkers, there is something that remind me of Auchentoshan Valinch but, of course, less smoky and more spicy. I think my sample is a bit less complex that what I have taste before but is still of tremendous quality. Since I know I wouldn’t be unable to be objective, I will not rate this one. As my reference to the Auchen suggest, this is a complete different profile than any Northern Border Collection whisky. I would dare any Scotch fan to taste that and not admit that it is better than most Scotch. I am Canadian but I am not a big fan of Canadian whisky... I am a fan of good Canadian whisky. You don’t judge the Scottish on JW RED or cheap blends why you do so with the Canadian whisky. And please, don’t expect barley when we are serving you rye: expect rye! If you do so, you will enjoy some great whiskies.