Alberta Premium 25 Year Old

This whisky, a 25 year old 100% rye whisky, is undoubtedly one of the most unique bottlings in the modern era of whisky. It was bottled in 2006, from distillate at least 25 years old at one of the foremost, if not the foremost, rye distillery in the world, Alberta Distillers. It sold in 2007 for an astounding price of less than 30 dollars - in hindsight almost a free giveaway, and there are stories of great competition for the bottles that were available in Ontario - preceding what now is all too common of a phenomena. There were between 5000 and 6000 bottles produced, and from time to time rumours circulate of another batch, but still no other batch has been released, nor is there any clear indication of another batch to come at this time.

I can't thank @paddockjudge enough for being the means for me to both have a sample of this and now to have a bottle of it.

Nose: If you know the standard Alberta Premium, this is clearly that - but yet entirely different, and so much better. Much like if you smell a 12 year old and a (good) 18 year old of the same distillate, you are able to sit in wonder at what time in wood can do. Orange peel, caramel, rich wood, leather, vanilla, musty wood, deep molasses notes as in old rums, there is some dustiness to it as well, and sugars and oak seem to come out as it sits. Yet, despite all the wood, it is surprisingly fresh. And the nose grows, too - come back to it after a taste and you sense more of the dryness, more of what those years in oak do. With time, you get sitting grain - as you might find if you were to store rye in a mason jar and as the smell fills the jar pop the lid off and breath in. Oh so rich and dry....it's one of those noses you remember. 95%

Taste: Mouthcoating, with a wonderful balance of light vanilla, light spices, oak and wood which evolves in the mouth, and the lightest hint of berry fruitiness lifting the entire experience out. Rye is there, distinctively as well, not overcome by oak but leading the way in fact with light spices - clove, cinnamon - coming out in a flurry at the end. It's long, and you can certainly make little sips go a long way. In little patches, you get little tastes of the arugula seen so clearly in the bold rye they use in the blends (seen in detail in bottlings like Masterson's, Whistlepig, of Jefferson's). 98%

Finish: Strawberries, oak, vanilla, leather. It is "smooth" in feel - I'm not talking about the undefined, over-used word to describe spirits as "smooth" but actually in the sense that it coats the mouth and seems to linger there nicely with almost a lubricating texture. The tannins are present ever so lightly to further enhance texture. The length is reasonable, but could have been enhanced had this been bottled above 40% - I can only wonder what 46% would have done to this one! 93%

Conclusion: Complex, rich, and subtle - magnificent. This is a whisky that interacts with you - in almost a teasing fashion as you think the twists and turns are over to only discover more and more... the best Canadian whisky I have ever tried. Between the rich dry notes and the balance, it is a fabulous bottling. 98%

Weighting the nose 25%, the taste 35%, the finish 20%, and intrigue 20%, the final score is 96

Alberta Premium 25 years old, distilled at Alberta Distillers Limited, in Calgary, Alberta, was released in about 2007 as a one time special edition. For years I looked for this whisky, asked about it, read about it, and wondered what it would taste like. No one I knew had been able to find a bottle, until recently

Nose: sharp, intense, pointed high and medium pitched flavours of maple, vanilla, and honey, followed by less intense flavours of spice and fruit from rye grain. Beautiful and strong, even at 40% ABV. Among standard Alberta Premium, Alberta Premium 25 yo, and Alberta Premium 30 yo, this is the best nose. A few of the best Canadian whiskies, such as Wiser's Red Letter, have this incredibly penetrating and searingly intense wood influence which just does not let up. This is one of those whiskies

Taste: silky smooth feel in the mouth is accompanied by vivid and delicious pointed flavours translating the nose to the palate. Great whisky

Finish: rather long finish, migrating toward the sweet side with also a little bitterness, but not enough bitterness to ruin the experience

Balance: this is one of the finest Canadian whiskies in existence. It's too bad there is not more of it remaining. I am grateful to have had a sample of it, at last

Compared to most batches of standard Alberta Premium this is more intense and penetrating, has much more wood influence, and is also less sweet. Compared to Alberta Premium 30 yo, the wood flavours are much better here--the 30 yo was left in the wood for 3 or 4 years too long for optimal flavour. Really all of the flavours are stronger and more robust for the 25 yo compared to the Alberta Premium 30 yo

Rated within the Canadian style against a field of Canadian whiskies only, Alberta Premium 25 YO would rate 95 for me