Alberta Springs whiskey a winning value

Alberta Springs 10 Yr. Whisky | Canada | LCBO Code # 461434 | $69.95 | 1750 ml 40 % alc.

This is a whisky made by Canada’s great Alberta Distillers. For many years, while running liquor shops in BC, it was a staple of my bar (for lack of a better descriptor). 

Returning to Ontario, this popular spirit appeared to be in short supply and now it’s only available in a 1.75 litre format. I can only speculate as to why. 

This is one of those products that flies under the radar for some reason and frankly it should be more widely available and in more than one format.

While Canadian whiskies are uniformly referred to as “Rye” it’s simply not true that the majority of these spirits are predominantly rye. Alberta Springs has wheat, corn and rye in the mash bill with the corn and wheat giving you a soft and sweet character and the spicy pepper quality of the rye coming through the longer the whisky rests in the glass.

You’ll notice apple and pear aromas and flavours followed by toasty almond, oak and a delicious toffee note on the mid-palate.

The whisky has been barrel-aged for ten years after which it is blended and returned to barrels for further aging before release. 

This is a very soft and appealing dram that has had a considerable amount of effort put into it for the price. Have it in cocktails or even as a Tuesday night sipper. It’s a quality spirit for those that love Canadian “Rye” and for those beginning their whisky journey.

As of this writing there are 15 bottles at the LCBO in Orleans at 4220 Innes Rd. If you’d like to see more of this spirit or more Canadian whiskies at the LCBO make sure to speak to your store managers.