Snake River Stampede

Calgary's Alberta Distillers has long shipped bulk quantities of single grain rye to the States to be bottled by high-end American brands. Most of the time, this top-class whisky ends up being something of an open secret; few of these American labels like to reveal that their beloved whiskies are actually imports. Those in the know, however, should gravitate to Alberta's signature dusty hot distillates. 

Snake River Stampede is one of a couple whiskies from the northwestern American states that highlight rodeo culture. The Pendleton brand comes to mind as perhaps the best known. This one is bottled by Oregon-based Indio Spirits but commemorates its namesake rodeo held in Idaho. (Of course, the biggest rodeo of them all, Calgary Stampede, takes place just a short gallop up the road from where this whisky is made!)

Snake River Stampede spends eight years in ex-bourbon American oak casks before being finished in sherry casks, imparting the sweetness found in this whisky. That sweetness is balanced with a dusty rye profile that is the signature of Alberta Distillers. After its time in the barrel, it goes to Oregon for bottling. Usually priced in the mid-$30 range in Canada, though something of a rare find, it's great value for a spicy sipper that goes down easy. This is definitely a staple of my home bar and a rye I'll pour for anyone looking to explore the style. In spite of its American label, this is a very good look at Albertan whisky.

Snake River Stampede 8 year old

40% alc. / vol.

Found for US$26 in California, 

~C$35-40 in Alberta

This smells like cowboy whisky! On the nose it's the dusty Alberta rye signature along with hot ginger spice. There's some ethanol too, but the more intriguing hot note is reminiscent of hot pickled onions (Hayward's anyone?) and perhaps sushi ginger. It's a savoury, spicy, slightly earthy backdrop to the hot prairie rye. Very intriguing. 

On the palate, it's a balance between the powder-dry rye and sweet caramel. The sweetness takes over with fairly simplistic maple-caramel and brown sugar. It's just shy of cloying, helped by the smouldering rye just underneath. The straightforward interplay is perhaps a little underwhelming after the complex heat from the nose but a building bitter citrus and white pepper heat fully redeem things heading into the finish 

The finish is medium-length but brings the bitter citrus and rye spice to the fore. The whisky leaves with an echo of the flaming rye and the burning desire for another sip. 

A standard 40% bottling strength and likely chill filtration may have stripped some complexity out of this whisky, but it's simplicity doesn't diminish the achievement of this bottling. It's a dram very easily taken neat as a sipper or shooter; its rye spice compliments its smooth profile, rather than being diluted to achieve an easier profile.

In this case, what's in the bottle matches the label and those who like Alberta's powder-dry rye spice have found an easy sipper at a solid price. This is a bottle I always seek out when in Alberta and a definite recommendation for rye lovers. 

Heatseeker Score: 87

Category Score: 87

Characteristic: Spicy

We're reviewing five different ryes produced at Alberta Distillers as part of a series. We invite you to check out the other reviews and find your favourite.

Alberta Springs 10 Year

Canadian Club 100% Rye

Alberta Premium (standard bottling)
Alberta Premium Cask Strength

Canadian Club Chairman's Select (2016)

Canadian Club needs no introduction as one of Canada's best known exports and a staple of bars across the country. Alongside Crown Royal, 'CC' is a wildly popular brand based around a value blend. It's history goes back to the 1850s in Detroit, Michigan. Hiram Walker, a grocer, began distilling but was forced out when the state, along with many others, enacted Prohibition. Not wishing to see his burgeoning enterprise thwarted, Mr. Walker moved his distillery across the river - and across the border. 

He founded Windsor's Walkerville neighbourhood and opened what would eventually become one of the world's largest distilleries. It's location just across the river from the United States meant it was a perfect place for rum runners to smuggle barrels into Michigan.

His whisky eventually became known as 'Club Whisky' due to its popularity in gentlemen's clubs across North America. Distillers in the States grew angry at the lost market share and convinced the government to force Mr. Walker to label his whisky as 'Canadian,' in hopes American customers would reject it. The move backfired, however, and both Canadian Club's new name and Canada's whisky style became the symbol of smooth, enjoyable whisky for millions of fans. Interestingly, and in spite of its Royally-named rival, Canadian Club remains the only whisky from outside the UK to have been granted Royal Warrants, having enjoyed them from Queen Victoria onward to Queen Elizabeth.

 Fast forward to the mid-2010's, when the rye boom hit. Canadian Club, now owned by Beam Suntory, needed to source massive stocks of single grain rye whisky and at the time, they couldn't find enough in Ontario. Conveniently, Beam Suntory also own Alberta Distillers in Calgary, renowned as the world's foremost rye grain distillery. To meet the demand for spicy rye whiskies, CC introduced Chairman's Select as a single grain offering in line with their value approach using whisky sourced from Alberta.

A name change followed with 'Chairman's Select' dropped so that now it's known simply as Canadian Club 100% Rye; straight to the point. It competes alongside numerous rye-heavy value offerings from Alberta Distillers and remains a key extension of the Canadian Club brand, even as CC ventures into premium long-aged bottlings (approaching fifty years now!). CC 100% Rye is a very good cocktail base but is also widely enjoyed as an easily-sipped introduction to the world of single rye whisky.

Canadian Club Chairman's Select 100% Rye

40% alc./vol.

$30 at LCBO

^The current design makes a few tweaks to the original Chairman's Select label.

On the nose, lots of oak and butterscotch with the expected dusty rye spice. More vanilla-forward than similar Alberta Distillers rye, and keeping more in line with Canadian Club blends. There's a subtle sour citrusy note that keeps the rye spice restrained.

Taking a sip, the characteristic Alberta rye of dry, dusty, white pepper is there, but not as aggresively as in their other bottlings. There's quite a bit of maple but the most pronounced flavour here is mixed citrus fruit. Bitter orange carries the middles along with plenty of oak. A distinctive marzipan flavour also comes in to balance the bitterness and spice, leading to a balanced trifecta of spice, sweetness, and bitterness. There's a brief but quite nice hit of drying, warming tannins at the tail end. 

The finish is short but returns to the hot cinnamon spice of the rye. The heat is matched by some maple before yielding to pronounced bitter citrus. Short and light but beckoning another sip.

Chairman's Select, or CC 100% Rye as it's become known, is a solid entry-level single rye. It's tailor-made for those who want proper rye spice but without any face melting heat. For me, I find this whisky's similarly affordable cousin Alberta Springs offers more complexity and unabashed rye heat, but this is a lighter alternative that's still definitely single rye. It's just a bit thin for me when I compare it to some other bottles, but others will surely appreciate its balance between rye heat and CC smoothness. This is definitely the bottle for someone just getting into rye but is also perfect as a casual sipper or with some ginger ale.

It's very widely available in Canada and also found fairly easily in a growing number of international markets. I recommend tasting this alongside Crown Royal Northern Harvest to see which of these mid-decade trendsetters you prefer. 

Overall, this is a rock-solid whisky that should be an easy staple on any bar. It's ideal for mixing or sipping and was one of the first big name releases of last decade's rye renaissance. It achieves great balance between East and West as a Canadian whisky, with both fiery rye and restrained sweetness and is unlikely to find many detractors. Another winner from Alberta Distillers that carries the iconic Canadian Club label.

Heatseeker Score: 85

Category Score: 89

Characteristic: Spicy

We're reviewing five different ryes produced at Alberta Distillers as part of a series. We invite you to check out the other reviews and find your favourite.

Alberta Springs 10 year

Snake River Stampede 8 Year

Alberta Premium (standard bottling)
Alberta Premium Cask Strength

And please enjoy our reviews of Canadian Club 1858 and Classic 12 Year.

Alberta Springs

Alberta Distillers, in Calgary, produce some of the absolute most and least affordable whiskies in North America. Specialising in the difficult rye grain production process, whisky made here has gone to feature in Canadian staple value brands just as often as super premium American brands.

Though they've been frequently criticised for obscuring it, a good deal of Whistlepig's popular 'Vermont farm whiskies' are bottlings of Alberta rye. Other expensive and awarded American rye whiskey (with a conspicuous e) is actually produced here, such as Masterson's 10 year old.

The Alberta Springs bottling is another ten year bottling from this distillery, probably coming from casks that spent the decade next to those used by Masterson's, Whistlepig, and others. However, like it's cousin Alberta Premium, Alberta Springs remains one of the most affordable bottles available domestically. Like Highwood's Centennial, those who know how good this whisky is must feel almost guilty about how affordable it is. Its just another example of an extremely enjoyable Alberta whisky being sold domestically for peanuts.

To see it on the shelf, it can be easy to pass by what may seem another cheap, mixing whisky. That would be a huge mistake, however, as Alberta Springs is a complex, spicy rye that could easily be sold for three times as much with a different label. 

Originally, this bottling was single rye, like most of what comes out of this distillery, but there has since been small additions of corn, which is more efficient to distill, in order to keep costs down. Still, the profile is all Alberta rye, full of hot, fresh spice.  

This is unabashedly rye for rye lovers and a pure taste of the Alberta distillery style. It demands to be sipped, not just because of its overwhelming heat but because of its ten years of complexity. 

Alberta Springs Aged 10 Years

40% alc./vol.

$20-$27 across Western Canada

Lots of oak on the nose, dusty and hot in the Alberta Distillers style. There's a hint of butterscotch to temper this just a bit. Clove, cardamon, and some green apple round out the typical rye forward, western aromas. A really nice, complex nose that makes you immediately crave a sip.

On the palate, more of the same with dry, spicy rye leading throughout. Caramel and brown sugar sweetness is tempered by the blistering heat of the rye. That comes as cinnamon and acrolein - think mustard powder and a dollop of ginger. It's also present as super tart red currant, which makes your mouth water and contributes to the moreishness of this dram. There are some vegetal and earthy notes late, though the relative lightness of the palate means these are fleeting. 

The finish sweeps in with a flash of tannic, drying rye spice. It's like licking the inside of a well-charred barrel. There's a touch of the saccharine corn influence but it's very much about the rye here. Dusty and hot, and with a medium length, it eventually yields to just the slightest caramel sweetness, ginger, slight bitter lemon, and a vegetal note I'd describe as cucumber. Still, that dryness is leaving me desperately wanting another sip. 

Wow, all this in a bottom-shelf bottle?! Even among the greatly underpriced whiskies from this distillery, Alberta Springs is an absolute steal. All that seems to separate this whisky from the Whistlepigs and Masterson's of the world is a richer mouthfeel that allows the flavours in those bittles to shine a bit more. Well, that and a couple hundred dollars (and a healthy dose of misleading advertising, in Whistlepig's case).

For those who like a sweet or gentle whisky, stay away. Probably best avoid Alberta Distillers alltogether, but for lovers of the rye grain in its dusty, spicy form, no other distillery has yet come close. The combination of the dryness of the Calgary climate, the stills, the cask selection, and the blending skill evident lead to a house style that many have fallen for head over heals, even if they aren't aware they're drinking Alberta product. Bone-dry and flaming hot, this whisky packs ten years of complexity into an absurdly cheap bottle. 

If the price of this bottle was doubled, it would still be good value, but as it stands, no other bottle can touch this. More aggresively rye-forward than many of its peers, this is a gem of a sipper disguised as a bottom shelf mixer. Pair it with aged cheese, sip it slowly, or just throw it in with ginger ale because for the price, you might as well. A true Alberta rye and a true steal at the bottle shop, this is a whisky you can't afford to ignore. 

Heatseeker Score: 87

Category Score: 96

Characteristic: Spicy

We're reviewing five different ryes produced at Alberta Distillers as part of a series. We invite you to check out the reviews and find your favourite.

Canadian Club 100% Rye

Snake River Stampede 8 year

Alberta Premium (standard bottling)
Alberta Premium Cask Strength

Crown Royal De Luxe

What, you thought this Canadian whisky blog could ignore the one in the purple bag? Yes, as it turns out, for about a month. And, as it also turns out, revisiting Crown has been a pleasant surprise. It's time to give this ubiquitous staple it's due; the purple sack is good for quite a bit more than just holding crokinole chips. 

Created in 1939 by Seagram's, this whisky comes by its Royal bonafides honestly. It was first released to commemorate a Canadian visit that year from King George IV and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. It didn't take long for Crown Royal to attain the status it has today as a genuine Canadian icon.

Though some of it's siblings (like the intense Northern Harvest bottling) get lots of critical attention, the standard De Luxe bottling is actually a remarkable blending achievement. It consists of no less than fifty individual whiskies! For context, most blends rarely exceed four or five different grain and cask combinations. Even if the differences are exceedingly subtle between component whiskies, blending fifty of them to achieve a consistent flavour profile is truly a miraculous achievement. 

What's also miraculous is the runaway popularity of Crown since it's introduction to the United States in the Sixties. Consistently among the most popular spirits in every state, the vast majority of Crown Royal's sales are to American customers. In any case, Crown is probably the first real drink tried by millions of North Americans each year, something unlikely to change any time soon.

Over the years, Crown Royal has been distilled in Quebec and Ontario, with the (many, many) last barrels from the LaSalle and Waterloo distilleries comprising parts of Crown's XR releases.  Today, Crown Royal is distilled by Diageo at their sprawling facility in Gimli, Manitoba. 

Numerous flavoured bottlings have emerged from here in recent years as have smaller batch, more upscale releases, but the standard Crown Royal bottle remains wildly popular in Canada and abroad, and remains the flagbearer for whisky from this country. Its also a bottle worth revisiting if you've moved, like many, to deeper explorations of rye. It's versatile, balanced, and yes, smooth. It really is enjoyable, and I'm glad to have finally returned to this staple of just about every bar in North America and beyond. 

Crown Royal De Luxe

40% alc./vol.

$31 at LCBO

The Crown Royal tasting experience begins with lightly sweet caramel and apricot on the nose. There's an oaky vanilla and not a touch of ethanol burn with heat coming from just a touch of cinnamon. 

The palate is actually reminiscent of sherry finishing. Lots of sweet dried fruit like apricot and some prune. Vanilla is also present alongside brown sugar. A dry, woody rye spice grows slowly toward the finish. The body is fairly viscous and the flavours are well integrated throughout, progressing from sweet to slightly spicy in an orderly procession. 

The medium finish brings brown sugar sweetness and still no ethanol heat to speak of. Smooth is the word often used to describe Crown Royal and that's not wrong. 

Not overly complex despite the mindboggling number of whiskies in this blend, it's a recipe that's clearly been refined after so many million bottles. This is a whisky that can just as easily be sipped as mixed or shot straight. 

Some of Crown Royal's high end bottles offer more to the connoisseur but the one in the purple bag didn't attain this much success without doing something right. Crown Royal is one of very few whiskies to be found universally on any bar and it will always be at the core of world whisky. Those who've enjoyed more complex drams may not get terribly excited by this bottle, but it's worth revisiting yourself when your friends inevitably ask for a pour. It's a straightforward but easily enjoyable whisky that has stood the test of time. 

Heatseeker Score: 83

Category Score: 87

Characteristic: Sweet

A glimpse inside the massive Gimli distillery site. Dropping in unannounced, this was as close as I got before being chased off by security.

Bearface One Eleven Series: Oaxaca

The 9.09% rule; perhaps the most misunderstood and controversial element of Canadian whisky regulations. Some whisky drinkers in Scotland and the US (and far too many Canadians) slag off the whole style with mistruths surrounding what has also been called Canadian whisky's superpower. It also isn't used nearly enough, perhaps for fear of reprisal, but as Canadian whisky continues its elevation to premium status, this is perhaps the most exciting area for creativity and innovation. 

In short, the rule allows for up to 9.09% of a rye to include other spirits aged at least two years, or wine. The origins of this admittedly actually lie in American tax regulations; Canadian distillers used to be able to get a break on American duties if they blended in some American whiskey to their exported bottles. Aside from a tax break, though, it also gave distillers leverage to do unique things with other spirits as part of their blends. It doesn't mean blenders can just add anything to their whisky, though, in spite of what many uneducated commentators might sneer.

There are rules; only aged (2+ years) spirits or wine can be blended in and the whisky must still possess the flavour characteristics of Canadian whisky. So, despite what bourbon and  Scotch snobs might suggest, no one is blending in vodka or orange juice or anything like that. 

There are some great examples of the 9.09 rule being used well; Alberta Premium's beloved (but sadly discontinued) Dark Horse used Old Grand Dad bourbon and sherry while Wiser's Union 52 added 52-year old Scotch!  In practice today, if this rule is employed it tends to be done so sparingly, rarely with more than a percentage or two of added liquid. 

Finally, though, this quirk is getting it's due as the blender's superpower thanks to a truly innovative bottling from buzzy whisky house Bearface. With the smart title 'One Eleven Series,' which corresponds to 9.09% as a fraction, they are proudly and conspicuously taking advantage of this rule.

For their first One Eleven release, Bearface teamed up with mezcalero Pedro Hernandez to add two-year old Mezcal. Tequila's trendy, smoky cousin is rarely aged this long as the smoky flavours can take over the subtleties of the agave base. In this case, though, the smokiness makes for a truly unique sipper. Not everyone will enjoy this - it's definitely not your run of the mill "smooth" blend, but for the explorer, this is the next frontier.

Not a tonne is shared about the base of this whisky. The irony isn't lost coming from a brand whose motto is "hide nothing, fear nothing" but I digress. We are fairly certain it's distilled in Collingwood at Canadian Mist and that the casks are transported to B.C.'s Mission Hill winery for finishing. The bottle claims to be single grain, and we can assume, based on cost and origin, that means corn. 

The barrel aging regime is, as with Bearface's flagship 7 year old, thoughtful. With their winery background, the Bearface team gravitated toward rich, fruity, spicy French oak casks. Two different toast levels give both rich spicy notes and a sweeter profile. These are blended with the Mezcal, which spends it's two years in vanilla forward ex-bourbon barrels. The result leaves the base whisky earthy and floral, but the smoky mezcal makes this whisky truly unlike any other.

Bearface One Eleven Series: Oaxaca

45% alc./vol.

$50 in Ontario, Alberta, BC

The nose starts off fruity, as might be expected of aged corn whisky. Dark fruit becomes more floral than anything, with hints of allspice and clove. 

It's the first sip, though, where things get delightfully weird. It becomes immediately clear that this doesn't taste like any whisky you've tried before; dry oak starts but quickly gives way to strong black and chili pepper, cumin, and an oily character. The French casks impart lots of drying tannins, but vanilla from the American oak is also detected. The earthy, smokiness is what takes over, though. 

The Mezcal also brings loads of acidity and pungent earthy flavours. I'd compare it quite strongly with Mexican adobo sauce. The cask tannins and Mezcal acidity lend some bite, not unlike the white heat you find in some rye forward whisky.

On the finish, more of the same. Earthiness, smoke, and a return to dry oak. There's so much going on here, and it's so unlike any other whisky, I find myself a bit confused as to flavour descriptors. I even find it very difficult to score, it simply doesn't taste like any other whisky. There's no point of comparison in the category and I'm not even sure this blend accomplishes what it set out to do, whatever that may be. You could argue the Mezcal comes in way too hot and fast and that everything else is thrown off kilter. But you could also argue that this is the kind of devil-may-care approach needed to smash down everyone's preconceptions. One thing is absolutely certain though, this is not a subtle dram by any stretch. 

This is a crashing, acidic, smoky bonfire of a whisky that is a radical departure from everything next to it on the shelf. Many will find it unpalatable but it could also steal many a cocktail show. For the adventurous, sipping this is a must. What an ideal gift this would make for the whisky drinker, or fans of agave spirits. It's a conversation piece in and of itself. Not everyone will want a bottle but absolutely everyone should try a sip. There is truly nothing like it out there but that won't last; no other whisky style has the ability to create something like this. It's inevitable that the Canadian category will make legions of new fans as it dives headfirst into a newfound embrace of the 9.09 - or better yet the 1/11 - rule. 

This is a category defining whisky that not everyone will love, or even understand, but everyone should try. If we one day look back on the present renaissance of Canadian whisky, the moment Bearface released this bottle will undoubtedly be one of the highlights. 

Heatseeker Score: 85

Category Score: 85

Characteristic: Smoky

*Please take these scores with a grain of salt. This whisky is in a flavour category entirely on its own; it's all but impossible to score it in relation to any other bottle presently on the market. The only thing is to try it and decide for yourself!