Alberta Springs Canadian Whisky

Review: Alberta Springs Canadian Whisky (89.5/100)
a review by Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf)
Posted on December 12, 2012 (Revised and re-scored in December, 2019)

I tasted my first bottle of Alberta Springs in the fall of 1988 when I was gifted a bottle on my birthday. It came in a cool wooden box, and it proudly proclaimed its ‘Alberta’ heritage. It was also I believe, back in those days, a pure 100 % rye whisky. My love for rye whisky was cemented, and for years the Alberta Springs was my favourite whisky. Of course things may change over time, and in the early to mid 90s Alberta Distillers Limited (ADL) began to distill some corn as well as rye in the blend. They still blended to the same taste profile; but, when I look back at my whisky preferences, it was a remarkable coincidence that during this period of the brand’s development I fell out of love with the whisky. Whether it was my preferences which had changed, or whether it was the blending change, to me the whisky just wasn’t the same. Of course, when you are in love and then fall out of love the crash is hard to take. I began to avoid my beloved Alberta Springs and found other whiskies to take its place.

When I began to write about whisky, one of the perks I received was a private tour of the ADL Distillery where I met Rick Murphy, the Production Superintendent. He explained the heritage of Alberta Springs to me, how it started as a pure rye whisky, and how economics dictated a move to rye and corn in the 90s. He then explained how his computerized dials and gauges in the distillery, and his quality assurance tasting panel, ensure that the flavour does not change as the mash bill may change slightly over time. He even made it clear to me that the Alberta Springs is one of his most favourite whiskies.

In the Bottle 4.5/5

The bottle presentation for the Alberta Springs Whisky has not changed over the past several years. Although the cool wooden box from the 80s is gone (a victim of economics), the look and feel of the whisky bottle is still solid. The bottle is rectangular, providing an ergonomic shape which is designed to allow more bottles to be packed into a shipping case with less breakage than round bottles. The labeling looks nice and professional, and ADL smartly wraps this label around the side of the bottle to impart a little information about the aging of the whisky on the extra surface area of the sides of the bottle. A round plastic decal is placed above the label depicting a vignette of an old mill with a water wheel and the Rocky Mountains in the distance. If the bottle were corked, I would have given it a perfect score.

In the Glass 9/10

I poured out a small sample of Alberta Springs Whisky into my glass and began with a look at the whisky before I began to nose it. It is a golden amber coloured spirit with light coppery highlights in the glass. I gave my glass a tilt and a slow swirl and discovered an oily sheen on the inside of my glass which gave up long droopy legs which formed slender legs and moved back down into the whisky. The visual appearance of the spirit appears be consistent with my earlier observations.

The initial breezes from the glass represent a dusty spice filled Canadian whisky with firm almond and light butterscotch scents tagging along with the spicy grain. Fine oak spices drift upwards, and the spiciness in the air reminds me of orange peel, ginger and cardamon with perhaps a few hints of cinnamon drifting in between. There is also a light corn-like sweetness and a light touch of vanilla.

As the glass breathes the rye in the blend becomes more apparent. It is a fruity sweet and sour rye which also carries that familiar tell-tale undercurrent of citrus pith. As more time goes by the rye continues to build drowning out my earlier impression of corn. When I return to the empty glass after my sampling session the breezes bring me ripe grain and chaff with just a hint of sweetness.

In the Mouth 54/60

The whisky has a firm spicy rye presence, with just a light undercurrent of corn sweetness. Light flavours of butterscotch, vanilla and almond flavours mingle with fine oak spices as well as bits of orange peel and dry grassy cigarette tobacco. There are a few baking spices meandering about, hints of cinnamon, some spicy ginger and wisps of cardamon.

The whisky is very good, easy to sip with or without ice. Adding a splash of ginger-ale taste with the ice is extremely nice as well. In fact the whisky is so versatile that you can even mixed an Old Fashioned Cocktail and enjoy that classic recipe as well.

In the Throat 13/15

The finish is short and crisp and features dry wood spice and fruity rye flavours in the exit. Some grassy tobacco flavours compliment the rye, and a touch of sweet corn falls alongside.

The Afterburn 9/10

Alberta Springs Canadian Whisky is an incredibly versatile dram. It’s not really an ‘economy’ whisky. Rather, it’s a 10 year old sipping whisky sold at an incredibly attractive price. The price is in fact so attractive, that I am as likely to mix a nice Old Fashioned Cocktail, as I am to mix a rye and ginger-ale splash, as I am to sipping the spirit neat or over ice.

You may read some of my other Whisky Reviews (click the link) if you wish to have some comparative reviews.

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As always you may interpret the scores I provide as follows.

0-25 A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49 Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59 You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69 Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74 Now we have a fair mixing rum or whisky.  Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79 You may begin to serve this to friends, again probably still cocktail territory.
80-84 We begin to enjoy this spirit neat or on the rocks. (I will still primarily mix cocktails)
85-89 Excellent for sipping or for mixing!
90-94 Definitely a primary sipping spirit, in fact you may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+ I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be more familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and  Bronze medal  scale as follows:

70 – 79.5    Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
80 – 89.5     Silver Medal (Recommended for sipping and or a high quality mixer)
90 – 95         Gold Medal (Highly recommended for sipping and for sublime cocktails.)
95.5+            Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)