“We have dry mountain air, we do not have humidity to deal with. “What makes us different is we’re 3,200 feet above sea level,” he said. But distillery manager George Teichroeb attributes this to the unique Alberta climate. This seems like a calculated move to initially introduce American whiskey drinkers to a product that’s a bit more complex and spicy, and then hope the sweeter, softer, lower-proof version will catch on-something that remains to be seen.Ībout that jet fuel-strength rye whisky I tasted-at 23 years old, you might expect the ABV to have mellowed out instead of skyrocketing to such great heights. T he cask strength version (aged solely in new wood) launched here first in 2020, and has proven to be a favorite among critics and consumers. This whisky is hugely popular in Canada and around the world, but only recently arrived in the US. Three different types of casks are used for maturation-multi-use barrels that have previously held Canadian whisky, ex-bourbon and new charred oak.Īlberta Premium, the distillery’s core expression, is aged in a combination of all three barrels. Rye whisky is produced in this and a large pot still at the distillery, each giving the whisky its own unique character and flavor. ADL claims to have the largest column still in Canada, and indeed it is a beast that stretches a couple of stories from top to bottom. There are 21 warehouses onsite that hold nearly half a million barrels, so there’s more than enough whisky for other brands to purchase (even though reps for ADL won’t really talk about it because of NDAs). Some brands that bottle rye from ADL include WhistlePig, Masterson’s, Lock Stock & Barrel and Pendleton. Caramel coloring is often, although not always, added to the whisky for consistency, similar to scotch.Įven if the name Alberta Distillers is unfamiliar, you’ve likely tried the whisky before. American rye must be aged in new charred oak containers and cannot have any additives if it’s labeled as “straight.” Canadian rye, however, can be aged in different types of barrels (for a minimum of three years), and there’s an old rule that allows 9.09 percent of another barrel-aged flavoring spirit to be added to the blend. Canadian and American rye whisky and whiskey are very different, so here’s a quick primer: American rye whiskey must be made from a mash bill of at least 51 percent rye, with the rest usually made up of corn and malted barley (although producers like MGP in Indiana make 95 percent or 100 percent rye as well).
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