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| All right,
a quick test- when you think of Canadian whisky, what comes to mind?
Seagrams 7? The Black Velvet girl? Nabbing a bottle of Canadian Club
from your neighbor's Dad's liquor cabinet, drinking a few gulps of it then
heaving violently? O.K.- the latter was a personal flashback.
Really, though, from what I've gathered
a great number of Americans have a simple set of associations on whiskey:
Really, now, how many Americans do you know who drink Canadian whiskeys? Sure, those over 50 may, but among the younger crowd? Few, it seems. Well, all that will soon change, I believe, for Alberta Distilleries of Canada is raising a ruckus. No, it's not that they are doing anything kooky like mixing grape juice into their whiskeys or some such foolishness. No, they are making very good and unusual whiskys, whiskys that may well go toe to toe with those coming from the hills of Kentucky. Their Tangle Ridge is a wildly sweet whisky which will likely hit big with Americans, who love all things sweet. But here let me tell you of their Alberta Premium Rye Whisky (and yes, they spell it "whisky"). When I first saw the bottle with its faux crystal block-bumps and its black label, I felt like crying out, "Yeah, baby," in my best Austin Powers voice. It just has that slick, retro-sixties/seventies look to it. Inside is a very golden treat. But I should stop here and clarify. What is rye whiskey and how does it differ from other whiskeys? Simple, your typical American whiskey is made with corn, scotch with barley, and rye with at least 51% rye grain. Now, if you want to get a feel for why this makes a difference, go to you local bulk food store and take a sniff of the bins holding dry corn, barley, and rye. There's a big difference and this is born out in the whiskey. With Alberta Premium, I'm told that they use Canadian prairie rye grain. And unlike some other distillers, who won't be named, they don't use just a little rye then a heap of cheap grians. Oh no. They use 100% rye grains. Who else does that? The result is an 80 proof, super smooth, dry and almost creamy rye whisky. Where so many other whiskeys have a stiff stink, a nasty bite, and burn on the way down, Alberta Premium is strong but splendid, so smooth and free from harshness that with each sip you can flit your tongue about, stirring up a hints of meadow flowers. If you are new to rye, have bad memories of syrupy sweet Canadian whiskey, or just are a little fearful of whiskey in general, Alberta Premium is a grand choice. (Rating ***) |
