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Alberta Premium 30 Year Old

Woody and complex

2 393

@JasonHambreyReview by @JasonHambrey

30th Sep 2015

0

Alberta Premium 30 Year Old
  • Nose
    ~
  • Taste
    ~
  • Finish
    ~
  • Balance
    ~
  • Overall
    93

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

This whisky passed me by as it did so many others...but thankfully with the help of @paddockjudge traded my way around to get a bottle, and a sample was procided to me as wel by @paddockjudge , for which I was very grateful. As far as I know, this is the only 30 year old rye bottling - if anyone knows of others do let me know.

Nose: Surprisingly more wood driven than the 25 year old. Maple, old mossy oak, leather, sharp rye, molasses, candied orange peel, toffee, caramel - dark, sweet, and rich. Dry, also. Vanilla, and an array of spices. 92%

Taste: Once again, great feel - and the weight of the oak is present here with a kick of arugula which carries the palate into the finish. The overall whisky is tinted with orange peel, and it plays interesting contrast with the caramel, oak, pine, and herbal notes of the rye. Spicy, rich, oaky - and this works very well with the rye grain behind it. 92%

Finish: Arugula, caramel, oak, spices - clove and cinnamon - with a bit of a spicy feel to it. The tannins are quite a bit higher than the 25 year old, but they are by no means too much. There is also some rye layered beneath the rest. 90%

Intrigue: Not as dry or complex as the 25 year old, and the wood has taken over a bit too much in this in that the complexity of the spirit is not as well presented as in the 25 year old. The caramel notes, though good, are pulling a bit more weight than they should. Regardless, a fascinating, complex, and wonderful offering from Alberta - and the wood is certainly shining through very well in this one. The whisky is quite full of both weight and subtlety. 95%

Weighting the nose 25%, the palate 35%, the finish 20%, and intrigue 20%, the overall score is 93

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3 comments

@Nozinan
Nozinan commented

This is the one I preferred initially when I tried them (the 25 and 30). Sad that there are no more coming... and I don't have a 25...

and thanks to @paddockjudge for setting me up!

9 years ago 0

@Victor
Victor commented

I have owned more than one bottle of Alberta Premium 30 yo since it first came out and I am a fan of it, but I have to say that this is a whisky aficionado's whisky. Average drinkers to whom I have offered AP30 yo usually give it a "meh" response. It is usually too subtle and mild for them.

9 years ago 0

@paddockjudge
paddockjudge commented

This is my favourite whisky. Twenty-five years of aging in a harsh prairie climate yielded a delicate, complex, and delicious Canadian masterpiece. Only Fifty-two hundred bottles were made available, but for a very good reason. The 'younger' version was merely the first of two rare releases from this iconic prairie distillery. What followed was the topic of intense discussion.

The barrels were re-gauged and allowed to further mature into a heartier version, the sturdy 30 year-old. This version, with eighty-four hundred bottles, separated the kids from the cowboys. The younger twenty-five year-old iteration was crafted in the candy shop while this thirty year-old masterwork was built in the wood shop.

A product of cowboy country and priced accordingly. Affordable at $50 and incredible at 30 years.

Angels had their share while this whisky slept for thirty years, but not a drop more afterwards. Cowboys kept the rest for themselves.

There are many who claim they prefer AP25 to AP30, and that's fine with me. I just sit back and smile while sipping both, one in each hand while thinking about angels and cowboys.

9 years ago 0