> Alberta Premium 30 Year Old Limited Edition®
Crisp clean oak and fresh red cedar, ripe fruit, butterscotch, vanilla, grapefruit pith, simmering spices, and dusty rye. A quick explosion of flavour followed by a slow, complex reveal. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★★
> Alberta Premium aged 25 years (40% alc./vol.)
Sweet vanilla pods and fresh-cut lumber. A complex mosaic of flavours from cedar to tropical fruit set on a creamy base with hot pepper and a delicate underlying citric zest. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★★
> Alberta Springs aged 10 years (40% alc./vol.)
Luscious and weighty with beautifully integrated aromatic spices and waves of white pepper. Sweet, like Mackintosh’s® toffee, vanilla and dried fruit. Citric zest, linen, some dustiness, and hints of oak. Spicy Rye. ★★★★☆
> Bison Ridge Special Reserve 8 Year Old (40% alc/vol)
Buttery caramels with refreshing bitters in an oaky, peppery, and weighty dram. Mouth warming, spicy and smooth as the proverbial silk. Simple, straight forward, and richly flavourful. ★★★★
> Black Velvet aged 3 years (40% alc./vol. (80 proof))
Candy, sweet, dark fruit, cream sherry, pepper and hot spices, dusty, floral rye, spirit, slight zestiness, and hints of fresh wood. Fruity and Spicy. ★★★
> Black Velvet Deluxe (40% alc./vol.)
Creamy caramel and hot pepper. Ripe dark fruit, citric zest, fresh-cut wood and hints of spirit. Mild rye spices – cloves, cinnamon, ginger. A bit under-stated. Spicy Rye. ★★★☆
> Black Velvet Reserve 8 years old (40% abv (80 proof))
Caramel and pepper dominate well-defined fruits, fresh oak, vanilla, rye spices and zesty undertones. Both dusty and oily. Rich and Round. ★★★★
> Black Velvet Toasted Caramel 35% alc/vol
Succulent buttery caramel cream, canned cream-style corn and Mackintosh’s toffee waft gently into softly glowing peppery rye spices.
> Bush Pilot’s Private Reserve (43% alc./vol.)
Crisp, clean, Canadian oak. Musty corn, cardboard, gentle caramels and vanilla. Herbal, slightly spicy and quite peppery with a cleansing citric pith. Malty & Dry. ★★★★☆
> Canadian Club 30 year old (40% alc./vol.)
Fragrant and flavourful with sweet dark fruit, loads of fresh-cut wood, hot pepper, and recurring rich tobacco notes. Deceptively complex and surprisingly lively. Rich & Round. ★★★★★
> Canadian Club aged 15 years (40% alc./vol.)
Creamy smooth and full-bodied. Peppery with subtle, understated fresh cedar, black fruits, caramel, musty corn, citric zest, and pith. Soft Corn. ★★★★☆
> Canadian Club aged 20 years (40% alc./vol.)
A weighty, highly integrated, and fruity synthesis of wood, toffee, vanilla, dusty rye, and baking spices, with developing hot pepper, dark fruits, prune juice, and citric zest. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★★
> Canadian Club Classic 12 year old (40% alc./vol.)
Sweet oak caramels and burnt sugar, raisins, prunes, and Christmas cake. Peppery with a slippery creaminess and underlying notes of clean oak. Fruity & Spicy. ★★★☆
> Canadian Club Dock No. 57 (40% alc/vol)
A typical fruity, rye-forward Canadian Club nose becomes sweet, hot, and spicy on the tongue. The most whisky like of the spiced whiskies with added notes of black licorice, Mom’s baking vanilla and a touch of clean oak.
> Canadian Club Reserve 10 years old (40% alc./vol.)
Sweet, peppery, and fruity, with a pleasing bitter zest. Hard, flinty, earthy rye tinged with cinnamon and ginger. Nice weight and creamy mouthfeel. Spicy Rye. ★★★★
> Canadian Club Sherry Cask (41.3% alc./vol.) Batch SC-018
Rich and very fruity– from raisins to peaches to berries. Sweet hot tobacco, black tea, pencil shavings, pepper and baking spices. Fruity & Spicy. ★★★★☆
> Canadian Hunter 40% alc./vol. (80 proof)
Faint spirit evolves into robust rye spices with rich butterscotch, hints of dry grain, and ripe dark fruits. Very flavourful and mouth-filling with sizzling pepper, fleshy dark fruits and lime peel. Spicy Rye. ★★★☆
> Canadian Mist (40% alc./vol. (80 proof))
Toffee sweet, vanilla, grassy with citric fruits, and a cleansing bitter lemon zest. Some earthiness, sour mash, rye grain and rye spices, with a youthful spirit. Malty & Dry. ★★★☆
> Canadian Mist Black Diamond (43% alc./vol. (86 proof))
Brio, cola, white pepper, ginger, sultanas, prunes, coconut, grapefruit zest and juice, dry grain, mash, and hints of fresh-cut lumber. Fruity & Spicy. ★★★☆
> Canadian Rockies 10 Year Old 40% alc/vol
An excellent example of a well-aged Canadian whisky with a bold display of gingery spice, pepper, exotic fruit – kumquats, passion fruit – and oak. Finishes with a slight pleasing pithiness. ★★★★☆
> Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old 40% alc/vol
Robust, yet elegant and fine. Continues to develop in the mouth and in the glass. Sip slowly for maximum pleasure. Red cedar, lilacs, kumquats, and spicy-hot pepper in a rich butterscotch. ★★★★★
> Caribou Crossing Single Barrel (40% alc./vol. (80 proof))
Creamy vanilla, a dusting of rye spices, bursts of citrus and a veritable tsunami of fresh-cut wood. Soft Corn. ★★★★★
> Century Reserve 21 year old (40% alc./vol.)
Rich in nuance and suggestion, though muted, this is about as complex as pure corn whisky gets, with bittersweet citric notes, lilacs, spices, fresh-cut wood, and hot pepper. Soft Corn/Rich & Oaky. ★★★★☆
> Century Reserve Lot 15/25 40% alc/vol
Charred oak, pencil shavings and silky tannins melt into sweet citrus fruit, marzipan, hints of flowers and a certain meatiness. Peppery baking spices. Finishes long and hot with woody undertones. A carpenter’s nirvana. ★★★★★
> Chinook 5 year old Canadian Whisky (40% alc./vol.)
Ripe fruit and stewed prunes with vanilla coconut custard, blistering hot spices and a nutty cereal side accented with rose water, dusty roads and hints of oak. Fruity & Spicy. ★★★☆
> Collingwood (40% alc/vol.) Canadian Whisky Review
Dark fruits, Concord grapes, roses and spring flowers with a rich and creamy mouthfeel. Split cherry firewood with earthy rye and tingling hot pepper. Floral & Fragrant. ★★★★
> Collingwood 21-Year-Old Canadian Rye
Mellow, smooth and oh so robust with dark and sour rye bread, floral tones, something like licorice, and loads of herbal notes. The smoothest of the smooth. ★★★★☆
> Coyote Ugly Canadian Whisky (40% alc/vol)
Scotch snobs who rely on age statements to tell them if they like what they are drinking take note: Coyote Ugly is one three-year-old shooting whisky that is simply loaded with flavour. Loaded! Recommended. ★★★☆
> Crown Royal Black 45% alc./vol. (90 proof)
Rum-soaked Christmas cake. Creamy, with vanilla, hot pepper, ginger, dark fruit, orange bitters, Bourbon, charcoal, oak, and floral notes. Rich and Round. ★★★★
> Crown Royal Cask No. 16 (40% alc./vol.)
Peaches, apricots, Concord grapes and Port wine with rye spices, hot white pepper, peach pits and bitter lemon. Fresh-cut lumber. Fruity & Spicy. Last Call – 2013. ★★★★☆
> Crown Royal Fine De Luxe from 1963 (40% alc./vol.)
A complex synthesis of ginger, clove oil, hot white pepper, cedar lumber, and prunes, with fresh spring lilacs and pansies and wilted tobacco. Caramel, vanilla and cooling citric pith. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★★
> Crown Royal Limited Edition (40% abv)
Controlled, elegant, creamy, and balanced with nutmeg, cloves and ginger, hot pepper and peppermint, green and ripe apples, floral bourbon-like vanilla and oak, cereal, and orange bitters. Spicy Rye. ★★★★☆
> Crown Royal XR – Extra Rare (40% alc./vol.)
A rich, weighty, hugely complex and skillfully structured whisky displaying ripe red fruit, fresh-cut oak, hot spices, dry grain, and violets. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★☆
> Crown Royal XR LaSalle Canadian Whisky
★★★★☆ Prune juice, sweet sherry and black fruit with spicy heat, clean oak and a delectable mix of clean farm smells and coniferous forest. Rich and creamy with a dash of black licorice.
> Danfield’s Limited Edition 21 years old (40% alc./vol.)
Classic rye spices—cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and pepper—all brought together in a lumber yard. Sweet, fragrant wood with a tangy citric zest and lots of weight. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★☆
> Dillon’s – The White Rye 40%
Dillon’s unaged Canadian rye grain spirit is handcrafted in a copper pot still, from 100% Ontario-grown rye, without being aged in wood, thus showcasing the pristine flavours of the rye grain itself.
> Dock 57 Blackberry 40% alc/vol
Blueberries, grape popsicle, sweet simple syrup and maybe just a hint of clean oak in a whisky liqueur-cum-ice-cream-topping designed for summer patio or winter hot spot bliss.
> Forty Creek Barrel Select (40% alc./vol.)
Creamy, sweet corn whisky with dusty, earthy rye, ripe red fruits, sherry, sweet-and-sour sauce, floral perfume, ginger, cinnamon, hot pepper, and hints of citric peels. Fruity & Spicy. ★★★★
> Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve (40% alc./vol.)
Butterscotch, fresh-cut wood, toasted oak and wood smoke. Sweet vanilla, berries, barbeque sauce, mash, granola. Restrained, but full-flavoured. Rich & Round. ★★★★☆
> Forty Creek Copper Pot Reserve 43% alc/vol
Rich toffee and searing chili peppers with bursting rye spices, rye grain and bitter orange. A delicate floral touch with oaky maple syrup. Rich and hearty. ★★★★
> Forty Creek Cream Liquor 17% alc/vol
John K. Hall looked to Ireland for inspiration when crafting one of his latest creations, a cream liquor, made with fresh Ontario dairy cream in a base of Forty Creek whisky.
> Forty Creek Double Barrel Reserve (40% alc./vol.)
Toasted oak sugars, vanilla, hot pepper, mustard, and ginger. Lemon cream, sweet- and-sour rye, dry grain, new sawdust, fresh fruit, and a citric zestiness. Almost chewy. Soft Corn. ★★★★☆
> Forty Creek Heart of Gold 43% – Preview
Oh my, what wonderful whisky! On-line reservations from Monday, May 27th to Friday, June 21st, 2013. After that you take your chances.
> Forty Creek John’s Private Cask No. 1 Review
Bursting gingery spice bombs, dark fruits, clean sweet wood, and crème caramel. A spice
“Monster.” Sultry fruits and dusky rye spices like fireworks in an ancient muggy rainforest. Spicy Rye. ★★★★★
> Forty Creek Port Wood Reserve 2012 45% alc/vol
Full-bodied with floral rye, black fruit, herbs, butterscotch, licorice root, celery, gunpowder, & old Madeira. Spiced fruit berries, apple cider, sweet pipe tobacco, clean oak, peppery cloves and cinnamon hearts. ★★★★★
> Gibson’s Finest aged 12 years (40% alc./vol.)
Crème brûlée, oak, cedar, spicy pepper, cloves, citric zest, black fruits, strawberries and cream. Masterfully balanced and seamlessly integrated. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★
> Gibson’s Finest Rare Bourbon Cask (40% alc./vol.)
Creamy, soft, round and smooth. Fresh-cut wood, caramel, and vanilla. Hot peppery spices, a slight saltiness, and gentle citric zest. Mildly floral and fruity. Soft Corn. ★★★★
> Gibson’s Finest Sterling (40% alc/vol)
Rich and creamy mouthfeel with a plethora of sweet fruits and berries, citric zest and pith, a nuttiness, black pepper, and hints of spirit. Soft Corn. ★★★★
> Gibson’s Finest 100th Grey Cup Limited Edition
Spicy rye, butterscotch, and vanilla fudge, with glowing with heat. Hot pepper is softened by vanilla ice cream and fresh dairy butter. Real maple sugar and real maple syrup accentuate clean wood.
> Gibson’s Finest Rare 18 years old (40% alc./vol.)
Sweet, spicy oak and pine sawdust, rich in toffee, vanilla, and hot spicy pepper. Biscuits, with typical rye dustiness, spice, fruit, and just a drop of pickle juice. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★★
> Glen Breton Battle of the Glen (43% alc./vol.)
A complex interplay of fresh fruit, spring flowers, nutty grain, and hot white pepper all kept in place by the pith of white grapefruit. Floral & Fragrant. ★★★★☆
> Grand Grizzly (40% Alc/Vol)
Black pepper and an earthiness reminiscent of agave spirit give way to hard and gingery rye while citrus zest, with dark fruits, real black pepper, and dashes of pickle juice meld into cold wet slate. ★★★★
> Highwood 25 Year Old Calgary Stampede Whisky
Vanilla ice cream with butterscotch pudding and real maple syrup. Fresh, sweet red cedar and weathered wood, dried cloves, sweet grapefruit juice. ★★★★★
> Highwood Canadian Maple Whisky 22% alc/vol
What’s a visitor to bring home from a visit to Canada? The easy answer is maple syrup. The whisky lover’s answer is Highwood’s maple whisky.
> Highwood Ninety 20 Year Old (45% alc/vol)
Rich, luxurious and creamy sweet with dark fruit, maple cream, cooked corncobs, hot peppermint candy and both sweet and savoury spices. Huge, complex and simply gorgeous. ★★★★★
> Lord Calvert Canadian (Seagram’s 1970-80s) 40% alc./vol.
Maple butter, vanilla, and butterscotch. Dry wood, shellac, cedar, apricots and lilacs. Fresh-churned butter. Balanced, simple, and very flavourful. Soft Corn. ★★★☆
> Lot 40 (43% alc./vol.)
Rye, rye bread, sour rye, floral rye, hard rye, earthy rye, dusty rye grain, and then sweet citric notes, oranges, hot peppery spices, and tannic wood. Spicy Rye. ★★★★★
> Lot No. 40 – 2012 Release 43% alc/vol
Hard Christmas candy, sour rye and sweet fruitiness with hot pepper, hotter spices and heavy rye bread. A pleasing farminess accents sweet floral esters. ★★★★★
> Masterson’s Straight Rye Whiskey (45% alc./vol.)
A carefully crafted panorama of grassy dry grain, moist earth and burlap sacks, along with zingy pepper, blossoming floral vanilla, fragrant leather and tobacco leaves. Spicy Rye. ★★★★★
> Masterson’s Straight Barley Whiskey (46% alc/vol)
Unusual 100% unmalted barley whisky with a huge herbal nose and dusty herbal palate. Earth, corn cobs, fennel, green apples, sweet spices and crème brulée. ★★★★★
> Pendleton 1910 Canadian Rye Whisky 40% alc./vol
Butterscotch and maple fudge with cleansing zesty limes. Gingery hot pepper and fresh cooling mint. Crisp charred oak. Rich, weighty, balanced, and ever so complex. Fruity & Spicy. ★★★★☆
> Pike Creek – Export Edition (40% alc/vol)
Red wine and ripe red fruit with candied ginger, caramel and blistering pepper. Minty and herbal notes complement the softest oak tannins. A big, slippery, smooth, voluptuous whisky. ★★★★☆
> Pike Creek 10 year old 40% alc/vol
Spicy dark fruit, poached pears, gingery spice, and clean oak. Like a nutty fruit bar with cleansing bitter grapefruit pith on the finish. Treads softly into single malt territory. ★★★★★
> Proof Whisky (42% alc./vol) – Canadian Whisky Preview
Introducing Proof Whisky, a new Canadian whisky from Toronto’s Proof Brands, that has been showing up quietly on LCBO shelves for the past couple of weeks.
> Revel Stoke Spiced Whisky (45% alc/vol (90 proof))
Rich and creamy; smooth as the proverbial baby’s bottom. Vanilla, camphor, cherry cough drops, spicy pepper, and pleasing citric pith. Tasty Spice.
> Rich & Rare 40% alc./vol. (80 proof)
A vibrant young whisky with a lush and creamy richness. Caramel and sweet fruits swim in peppery rye spices, musty rye and sweet fruit. A tightly balanced mixer. ★★★☆
> Rich & Rare Reserve (40% alc./vol. (80 proof))
Full-flavoured and peppery with creamy maple syrup, clean oak, hints of rose petals, dark fruit, and tangy oranges. Fruity and Spicy. ★★★★
> Royal Canadian Small Batch (40% alc/vol (80 proof))
A very sweet fruit smoothie with earthy rye, hints of fresh oak, hot pepper, baking spices, pickle juice, spirit, and refreshing bitter notes. Fruity & Spicy. ★★★☆
> Royal Reserve Canadian Rye Whisky (40% alc./vol.)
Prototypical light and smooth 1970s cocktail whisky. Starts small, gradually becoming complex but subtle, with brittle rye, hot pepper, creamy toffee and lemon zing. Spicy Rye. ★★★☆
> Royal Velvet (40% alc./vol.)
Pine pitch, Canada balsam, butterscotch, clove oil, dusty rye, pickle juice, hot pepper, flowers, and assorted fruits all neatly stitched into one. ★★★★☆
> Seagram’s VO (40% alc./vol.)
Much nuance, many hints. Pepper, ginger and other rye spices, ripe dark fruit, earth, dry grain, floral notes, vanilla, cedar, Fruity & Spicy. ★★★
> Shelter Point 5 Year Old Single Grain Rye 46% alc/vol
A complex synthesis of maple sugar, licorice cough drops, ripe black fruits, sweet flowers, and sizzling pepper painted in oils on an artist’s canvas. ★★★★
> Snake River Stampede 8 year old 40% abv (80 proof)
Butterscotch, dusty rye, hot white pepper, dark fruits and ginger. Refreshing citric pith and zest. Creamy smooth, then slightly grippy. Spicy Rye. ★★★★
> Stalk & Barrel Cask 1 (62.3% alc/vol)
Sweet, poached pears, marzipan, and apple pie with juicy fruit gum, cinnamon, nutmeg, wet hay, and earthy rye. Grain dust and cream of wheat mellow hot white pepper. Youthful but mature beyond its years. ★★★☆
> Still Waters 1+11 Canadian Whisky (40% alc/vol)
A tingling effervescence turns initially buttery, mouth-filling, toffee indulgences into clear, clean refreshment. Ever-present hot pepper is restrained by a richness of body and crisp cleansing pith. ★★★★☆
> WhistlePig 10 year old Straight 100% Rye Whiskey
Dave Pickerell is a true icon of the American whisky industry so when he declares Canada as the source of the world’s very best rye whisky, that’s news to be shouted from the rooftops.
> White Owl Spiced Whisky (40% alc/vol)
Subtle vanilla, crisp oak, rich butterscotch and subtle rye spices, then hot pepper, lots of citrus pith in the finish with tingling ginger and cloves – a most whisky-like spiced whisky.
> White Owl Whisky 40% alc./vol.
Sprite™, citrus fruit cooler, anise, soft baking spices, butterscotch, hot cayenne, hints of oak tannins. Probably the tastiest white whisky anywhere in the world.
> Wiser’s Legacy: Canadian Whisky Review
Sweet, rich and very spicy with overt rye notes. Cinnamon and cloves, dark fruits, hot peppermint and citric zest. Spectacular. Very highly recommended. ★★★★★
> Wiser’s Red Letter 2013 Release 45% alc/vol
Dusty rye, baking spices, crisp oak and fresh-cut firewood, with vanilla-caramel sweetness dissolve in a long, hot, gingery finish that fades to citrus pith. ★★★★★
> Wiser’s Small Batch (43.4% alc./vol.)
Big whisky. Cinnamon, cloves, and other rye spices. Dark fruits, vanilla, butterscotch, cedar oil, some earthy tones, and a slight flintiness. Weighty. Spicy Rye. ★★★★☆
> Wiser’s 18 years old, aka Wiser’s Very Old (40% alc./vol.)
Wood, wood, wood, but ever so complex with hot pepper, baking spices, butterscotch, vanilla, rye grain, tobacco, cigar box, sour-dough, and dried baking fruits ending in a citric zestiness. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★★
> Wiser’s Red Letter, 150th Anniversary (45% alc./vol.)
Complex, ever-changing flavours of dry grain, tobacco, Christmas spices, wood smoke, new tires, sour German rye bread, black fruits, cedar and fresh-sawn oak, toffee, vanilla, hot pepper, and bitter grapefruit. Rich & Oaky. ★★★★★
Where did this bottle come from!?!
I’ll never stop praising Alberta Distillers for making things both amazing and affordable. Love these guys.
Hi Brian,
It’s brand new and just working its way through the system at LCBO and across the country. It has been added to the core range of Alberta Premium so will be widely available.
This bold looking package resonates perfectly with the robust spirit inside!!
On the recommendation of a LCBO manager, several years ago now, I purchased Alberta Premium rye, and now only purchase AP – I picked up the Dark Horse to try, but will likely not purchase another bottle of it – prefer the 100% Canadian rye. According to internet info – AP rye is only sold in Canada – so I am surprised that they have made the decision to make a blended version. Do they have sights on an American market?
I think Dark Horse is aimed more for the connoisseur market while the standard AP remains a solid mixing whisky.
If I understand right, I believe AP is heavily exported around the world and rebottled as premium products – ie. Masterson’s Rye is just rebranded AP. I could be wrong, but that’s what I’ve heard…
You are right, but not completely right. Masterson’s and Alberta Premium are very different whiskies although both made by Alberta Distillers from all rye grain. They use slightly different distilling processes and stills, and Masterson’s is aged much longer and mostly in first-fill bourbon barrels.
Davin this is great. Very interested to try this after reading your review. How does this compare with the older Alberta Premiums we’ve seen, like the 30 year old?
Thanks for all the great reviews.
Hi Dave,
This is a brand new whisky with a new flavour profile. It is much bigger and more flavourful than the original AP, and nothing like the AP30. It is huge on rye grain flavours with loads of vanilla on top. I really like it. Sip or mix at this price, but I’ll sip it.
Davin
Thanks Davin! Was excited to try this last weekend and it didn’t disappoint.
Davin,
Twitter reports from the tasting you attended (led?) last night claim the Dark Horse contains 8.5% corn whisky and 0.5% sherry. With due respect, 8.5% is not “a smidgen” as you describe it – I would call it a dollop!!!
As I understand it, adding up to 1/11 parts wine (sherry) is legal within the defenition of “Canadian Whisky”. You go to great lengths in your recent book to point out that (most?) premium whiskies stay away from additives. I know there is a trend for producers to introduce flavoured whiskes. There is demand for this type of product – I get it. However, I find this a step backwards for putting quality Canadian whisky back on the world map! This does nothing to dispell the deeply held notion that all Canadian whisky contains the dreaded 9.09% additives.
I realize Scotch producers “add” sherry/bourbon/other to their whiskies. They do it at the beginning of the maturation process by filling newmake into “wet casks” and/or by ACEing. Call me stupid/naive/or what you like, but I find that adding to the product at the end is akin to cheating. Not disclosing it on the label is almost fraudulent – especially for a producer widely known for using 100% rye grain. They’re so widely known for using 100% rye grain that all the amateurs like me are commenting on blogs/forums have ASSumed that Dark Horse must also be 100% rye.
Please tell me I’m wrong about the additives in the Dark Horse.
p.s. I’ve tried contacting Beam Global (owner of AP) to get clarification on the ingredients. To date, they have not responded. So far I have not been able to find an official website for Alberta Distillers.
I forgot to add that the product is well priced (like all other AP’s). I’ve actually purchased a bottle and admit to be enjoying the taste.
At the end of the day it’s about the TASTE! I just wish there was more transparency in Canadian Whisky.
Howdy Portwood,
You are correct.
My review was written over a month ago using the best information I had at the time. Last night, in discussions with the brand team I learned that Dark Horse is 91% rye-grain whisky, between 8 and 8.5% bourbon and between 0.5 and 1.0% sherry. Thanks for the word “dollop.” I was up past 2:00 am last night and am just surfacing now, but I will adjust the review sometime today.
The bottom line for me, is that in the nose and on the palate this is a very, very tasty whisky. I sampled it 5 times in structured tastings before writing the first draft of my review and each time my score was a little bit higher. It is so singular in flavour that I had to give up on the idea of blind tastings. I could identify it in an instant just from the nose.
Last night at the launch party I had people taste the Dark Horse then go back to the standard Alberta Premium and tell me their reaction. Dark Horse was very clearly the favourite.
Davin
Thanks for the reply, you’re a gentleman.
As I mentioned above I LIKE the taste of the Dark Horse and that’s what’s important after all.
What I’m not happy about is calling this product “Canadian Whisky”. It should be more accurately called “flavoured whisky”. Someone should stand up and tell the industry to stop using the term “Canadian Whisky” for just about anything alcoholic produced in Canada! Traditions are important but in the information age transparency is important.
I hate government regulation but it may be time for some tighter restrictions on Canadian Whisky to tell the world the stuff is as good as, or better, than Scotch, Straight Bourbon, and Straight Rye!!! That can’t happen as long as the terms Canadian Whisky, and Canadian Rye Whisky are used so loosely.
Thanks for listening to my rants.
Paul
One month later, still no response from Beam or Ap.
They don’t care to respond to customer inquiries. I no longer care for their products. I’ve bought my last bottle of AP.
Hi Davin
It is nice to see the information about this whisky a little more fleshed out thanks to Portwood’s twitter report.
I am surprised that the ration of Corn whisky added to Sherry added is about 16 to 1. (I had previously been told by Beam that the whisky was flavoured with bourbon and sherry, but I had no concrete information until now.) The reason I was surprised was because when I tasted the whisky, I found the corn or bourbon flavour was somewhat lost in the shuffle between the rye and the sherry (and I said so in my review). I think it goes to show just how powerful of a flavouring agent sherry actually is. A little goes a long way.
I agree with Portwood however that it might have been better if the corn whisky and especially the sherry had been in the barrels with the whisky instead of (as it appears) blended in at the end. I found the flavours of the Sherry and the rye seemed to be apart from one another rather than in harmony and I think a longer time in a barrel together might have created the balance I was looking for. (I think we disagree on that point which is perfectly okay as if we agreed all the time then life would not be so interesting)
I appreciate the great review as always and look forward to your visit in two weeks.
Hi Chip,
Yes, I am looking forward to our get-together in a couple of weeks.
In fairness, launching a new whisky is a massive undertaking and not all the questions get answered at once. The folks from Beam were entirely up-front about the composition of the whisky. No guarded statements at all. They are hugely proud of its flavour. The actual composition came to light in our pre-launch discussions yesterday around 6:00 pm. Since my review was already written and set to post before I got back to my hotel I made the tweaks this morning.
The first time I tried Dark Horse it was a 4.5 star whisky. I agree, it needed a bit more marrying, but it came together very nicely in the bottle over a week or so and my last three tastings were all 5-stars. I think this is one of those whiskies that improves with each tasting.
Hey Davin, why is it called Dark Horse? Was it aged/finished in boubon casks? and do you know how old the whisky is? PS. I hope Portwood is wrong because that would be disappointing that some Canadian Whiskies have added flavors.
Hi John,
The name comes from a famous race horse – Majestic Prince – that was owned and raced to great success by one of the distillery’s founders, Frank McMahon.
Yes, the whisky was aged in an assortment of barrels, primarily freshly-dumped Maker’s Mark or Jim Beam barrels.
I am told that 51% of the whisky is at least 12 years old and 40% is at least 6 years old. I do not know the age of the corn whisky (bourbon from heavily charred virgin barrels.) I just didn’t ask.
Yes, there is a small amount of sherry added – between 0.5 and 1%, I am told.
Really interesting info on all this and at the end of the day the “proof” is in the glass but I for one would like to see stronger truth in bottling if for no other reason than to keep a level playing field for whisky content and to eliminate the questioning of the integrity of our product from outside Canada.
There’s also the slippery slope theory, especially as our industry has taken a much more serious approach to producing and marketing higher end bottlings. It’s nice to know that what I’ve paid top dollar for is not trickery from the lab troweled over a solid base.
And just to keep it in perspective…as for the addition of sherry to the mix. If my calculations are correct .5 – 1% equals about 1/3 teaspoon (give or take) per 750m. bottle .
E150a is also much less than 1/3 of a teaspoon per 750ml but I would prefer if producers didn’t use it to doctor the colour of the final product!
There are plenty of liqueurs available that add all kinds of things to an alcohol base, the majority are not considered premium and are priced accordingly. Single Malts, Straight Bourbon, and Straight Rye carry higher prices partly due to the pure nature of the known ingredients and long aging. Drambuie and Southern Comfort are whisky liqueurs but the former is not a Scotch and the latter is not a bourbon. Likewise, the Dark Horse is a liqueur or a flavoured whisky. The current rules allow AP to call it Canadian Whisky. I think the rules should be changed to prevent drinks like the DH from carrying the Canadian Whisky label!
Under Canadian Whisky Laws – 91% must be canadian whisky the remaining 9% can be additives. Most companies will use coloring, synthetic flavoring to target consumer flavour profiles. I believe it is very authentic that Dark Horse uses aged proper natural liquid to add to a flavour profile that is first in its category! To claim that DH should be a “liqueur” or “flavoured Whisky” is to claim a high % of the entire category should be as such unless they are 100% base material. To single out DH as being a product that should not be carrying the ‘Canadian Whisky’ label is unfounded. Unfortunately then consumers who have been drinking Crown, CC, Seagram’s for hundreds of years must really enjoy the liqueur & flavoured whisky category and should be renamed “Great White North Whisky”.
Hi Michael,
This is a difficult issue for whisky lovers to wrap their heads around, especially if they have gained their knowledge of whisky from single-malts marketers and brand ambassadors whose goal is to convince us that Scotch is the only real whisky. The reality is that Canadian regulations allow some non-Canadian-whisky elements in the final blend. Most often this is used for bulk whisky that is exported to the U.S. By adding a small amount of U.S. spirit producers can get huge tax breaks. The “flavouring” added to Canadian whisky usually refers to real Canadian “flavouring whisky” that is very high rye-grain whisky or bourbon that is made in Canada. Synthetic flavours are not used. Any spirits added must be at least two years old. Some distillers also use this regulation to add 2-year-old Canadian rye-grain whisky as top dressing since very young rye is so vibrant. There are so many combinations and permutations that it is hard to describe all. However this really is Canadian whisky and it must meet Canadian regulations, not U.S. regulations or Scottish.
Over the past few weeks I have poured a large range of Canadian whiskies at a number of tastings in Ontario and in Alberta and I can tell you, based on the tasting and nosing experience it is a strong favourite, even with the single malt clubs. To me, the joy of whisky is the pleasure it gives on the tongue and in the nose. Dark Horse is real Canadian whisky, it is very delicious, and although it would never qualify as Scotch or bourbon I really like what it does to my tongue.
I also like the fact that Beam is 100% up front about how they made this whisky.
This one seems interesting to me. The nose is really great, but on the palate and the finish each time I have some I taste purple blackcurrant Halls Coughcandies. I enjoy it, but not as much as some of the other Canadian Whiskies at the same pricepoint (wiser’s sb, forty creek copper pot). Might be interesting what the profile would be with no sherry.
[...] Today’s post though is about the newly released Alberta Premium Dark Horse. I had the opportunity to attend an event at Turf Lounge with a tutored tasting headed by Canadian whiskey expert Davin de Kergommeaux, contributor to The World Atlas of Whisky and author of Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert. Not having much experience tasting whisky in general, it was invaluable to have Davin lead the tasting and hear his thoughts on the Dark Horse. [...]
Simply stated, Fine Very Fine, just like Alberta Springs my regular purchase.
No Need for alot of words, just keep up the good work your company is simply the best craftman in the Canadian Rye Industry.
Keeping it all Rye makes others like C.R. running…lol
Thanks
Robb
Does anyone else find this tastes more like rum than whisky?
Great comment. A friend of mine does a masterclass in which he pours well aged Scotch, rye, cognac and rum and asks people to guess which is which. Very few can tell one from the other in long-aged spirit.
It reminds me very much of Cruzan single barrel rum with all the dark fruits and oak. In fact, I can’t taste any rye at all. Especially when compared to Wisers Legacy. I enjoy it, but this is an odd spirit. I agree with those who say it should be classified as a flavored whisky.
Davin, you said you like this for sipping. Would you describe it as smooth?
Hi Jason,
I don’t use that word a lot. This whisky if rich, complex with no rough edges and no bite yet it is very flavourful. Is that helpful?
That is very helpful. Thanks Davin.
[...] reasonably priced while the Dark Horse just continues the trend. It’s a solid rye base with a “dollop” of bourbon and a smidgen of sherry. Another fantastic recommendation. /* [...]
Davin,
Do you know if this is a limited edition? Just want to know if I should be hoarding some bottles away.
My understanding is that this in NOT a limited edition and will be a permanent part of the Alberta Premium line-up.
Rum was my first love, before I discovered bourbon. However I think I’ve found a new love… “Dark Horse”.
Hello Davin
This is my first reply to your website although I have been reading it for quite some time and made many purchases based on your findings. I check it frequently.
Just finished a dram of Wisers Legacy and AP Dark Horse one after the other and both bottles were left for sometime when one third was left. Its my favourite part of the bottle( rye or scotch)
I drank the Legacy first with a splash of water and was happily rewarded with rich creamy ‘no rough edges’,spice and friut notes etc. Very very nice and put the bottle away. Next, drank the Dark Horse , with water,and got the usual rich rye spice that Alberta Premium is famous for (have long finished a bottle of 30yr old) and a wonderful hint of bourbon, couldn’t tell of the sherry though.The difference between the two was obvious, I was compelled to have more Dark Horse and did. It was like a party in the mouth , not so much like a conference as with the Wisers. The bottle is still open. Glad I have another on hand. $29.95 eh!, very Canadian.
Just have to get my hands on Some 40 Creek Portwood.
Hi Gary,
Thanks for your comments.
There is a lot of fruitiness in rye, especially when it has been aged for a long time. Some of this is obvious and some so subtle that you can’t really taste it. I think they added just enough sherry to bring these notes into the fore, without contributing much in the way of actual sherry flavours. I think they have done a masterful job blending this one. I also think the corn adds another dimension, especially in the creamy mouth feel. Glad you like it too.
Just returned from a trip in the States after binging on an abundance of strait rye’s.
Returned to Canada and bought Dark Horse. DH makes other strait rye’s taste boring. Don’t care much for the controversy. It gets my money.
Good for you. a confident whisky drinker thinks with his palate!
30$ for Dark Horse bottle
25$ (a few years ago) for a 25yo Alberta Premium bottle
50$ for a 30yo Alberta Premium Bottle
wonder how they manage to make profits ?
Nice comments everyone, can’t wait to open my bottle.
I love this whisky, and certainly find it smooth. Extremely drinkable and well-balanced.
Me too!
Agreed. This is extremely drinkable. As someone who is obsessed with bourbon and American rye, and still learning the ropes of Canadian whisky (made all the more difficult because of the SAQ), this is a delicious dram, and so far, one of my favourite Canadian whiskies.
Too much sherry, I cut it with Alberta Springs and then I find it very drinkable. As with all their products very reasonably priced rye whisky. Makes me happy to be Canadian. I find most Canadian whisky made with NO rye too similar to bourbon which I find rather sour like the “white lightening” we got in our youth. I am sure that was corn mash as well (and not aged at all and not in oak) like German Doornkaat. To be served freezing and with good Jever Pils!
Doornkaat not our whisky!
Yannis, if you like American rye you should try to find Lot 40 Canadian rye.
Noted. Picked up two bottles at the LCBO. Tasted. The nose reminded me of a young Sazerac. I thought I was imagining things, but I had a half-empty Saz on hand for comparison. Thanks for the tip, Mike.
I’m new to the world of Canadian Whisky but so far this one takes the cake. It’s spicy – bang on with that horseshoe metaphore – and just sweet enough to be pleasant but not overpowering. My local NB liquor had a bottle of Dark Horse open and they gave me a sample after which I really couldn’t resist buying it.
This is my third bottle after 40 Creek and Lot 40, both of which are good (the Lot 40 being really interesting, almost dry). Love your website and I’ll keep using it as resource #1 for discovering which bottles to buy. I think I’ll be going for Pike Creek next month…can’t wait!
Hi Davin,
After hearing your interview on CBS Radio, I went straight to the LCBO and got a bottle of Dark Horse.
I’m a complete Rye newbie and generally have been a scotch and rum drinker so I cannot comment on the ‘ryeness’ of this whisky.
However, I must admit that Darkhorse is an excellent whisky and somehow reminded me of good aged rums (like El Dorado). The nose seems to change with breathing and gets to be much more fragrant after 10 minutes or so. So too with the taste, it seems to get a bit sweeter/spicier after sitting in the glass for a while.
All in all a great whiskey and I’m glad CBC Radio got you to shine the light on this excellent product.
Regards
Interesting, because I could not get over how much bourbon flavour existed within.
Just picked up a bottle tonight and although I am enjoying it, I find the bourbon overpowers the rye. I”ve grown to love AP over the last 6 months in my recent foray into the rye world, but Dark Horse seems a little less refined and almost too sweet. I’ll need to spend more time, but my intitial impressions have left me somewhat disappointed. If I want a bourbon, I’ll buy a bourbon, not a bourbon flavored rye. That being said, this is still one of the better Canadian Whiskies I’ve tasted in my recent travels, just not what I expected.
I’ve been craving Alberta rye whiskys since I discovered them on a visit to Toronto many years ago. What a pity we can’t get them here in the UK! It’s all Canadian Club here, and pretty much nothing else.
I tried the Dark Horse and about 3 months ago and I fell in love with it. Its boldness, combined with the ingenious mixture of flavours, make it hard to resist. Too bad it’s not available at all liquor stores in Toronto, but is definitely worth the extra drive!
I did not know the Dark Horse is not available in the US; I now have a present for my American friends that will make them emigrate to Canada
Yes, I am glad we agree. Dark Horse is one of my favourite whiskies. I’m not sure how much longer they will be able to resist the pressure to release it in the US.
[...] offering from Alberta Premium called Dark Horse and was thoroughly intrigued by the review on CanadianWhisky.org, especially after reading one of the comments below the review: Dark Horse is 91% rye-grain whisky, [...]
I just recently bought this on a whim.
I tend to try different ryes, rather than stick to one brand. I blame growing up and only hearing about Crown Royal. But when I find a good one, I’ll buy a few bottles in a row.
I don’t mix my whiskey and I do not consider myself a connoisseur, but I really love it. I don’t even recall buying the standard AP.
I love it too. Very good whisky.
Loving the Dark Horse.
I’ve got 4 Canadians in rotation at the moment. Dark Horse, Wiser’s Small Batch, CC 10, and Forty Creek Copper Pot.
I do believe I like the Horse the best of the lot.
Well done, AP.
I started out thinking Wiser’s Small batch was going to be my go to sipper. Then we did a tasting of SB, Forty Creek Copper Pot Still, DH and CC Sherry Cask. I ranked DH first with the Sherry Cask a close second. Surprisingly (to me) my former favourite came in dead last (as it did with the others involved in the tasting). Overall I was out-voted on the number one ranking as the others gave Sherry Cask first and DH second place. As a side note DH is quite excellent when paired with plain roasted cashews or good quality (home-made) chocolate cake!
I guess the lesson here is to mix it up. Tastes change depending on your mood, the weather, and a dozen other things. I can’t honestly say I have a “go-to” whisky. Rather, I have about a dozen of them depending on my mood and the occasion. Like you, I love Dark Horse.
[...] 2oz. Rye (I use either Dark Horse <you can’t get this in the U.S.> or Alberta Springs) .75oz. Amaro Montenegro 7 drops [...]
This whiskey is far too good. Plus every bottle I buy seems to have a small hole in it. Sigh. Trust Alberta Distillers to come up with a whiskey even better than my all-time favourite, Alberta Springs. Thank you.
I had a taste of this a few months back and was pleasantly surprised, since I had been discovering single malt and found Dark Horse’s nose to be quite harsh at first.
I was leafing through the copy of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2013 I picked up a couple of days ago and he rated Dark Horse a full 10 points lower than Alberta Premium’s flagship product. (84 for Dark Horse, 94 for Alberta Premium). I’ve never tried the original AP, having written it off as an inexpensive blend made for mixing. Now I’m wondering, should I invest in a bottle of the original for sipping purposes? Jim Murray’s review is positively glowing but contrary to everything else I’ve read.
I can not explain someone else’s taste. To me Alberta Premium is good mixing whisky while Dark Horse is great for sipping (fine for mixing too, especially in high-end cocktails). I would rate Dark Horse at least 10 points higher than the standard AP.
Thanks for the quick reply! I suspect my next Canadian purchase will be Forty Creek Copper Pot. Maybe I’ll get lucky in the meantime and find a chance to try AP without buying the whole 750ml.
I do believe the use of the term “100% rye” refers to the type(s)/amounts of grain used in production as opposed to a combination of grains, e.g. wheat and etc. In these modern times, I’ve read, Alberta Whiskey is the only remaining Canadian whiskey that’s still made in the Canadian tradition all rye GRAIN, (no wheat). Whether other ingredients are added at the beginning, or the end of production; whether added to enhance, level out or round out is inconsequential to the term 100% rye. It’s the only whiskey for me. Great to be Canadian, eh!
Hi Angela. Here is another perspective, one based on careful research: http://www.canadianwhisky.org/news-views/why-is-canadian-whisky-called-rye.html
Send me some to the uk I really want to try some.