Alberta Premium
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Type | Rye whiskey |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Suntory Global Spirits |
| Origin | Canada |
| Website | albertadistillers |
Alberta Premium (produced by Alberta Distillers Ltd, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is one of the few remaining 100% rye grain rye whiskies produced in North America. The brand is owned by Suntory Global Spirits, a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings of Osaka, Japan.[1][2]
Alberta Premium won "Canadian Whisky of the Year" in Jim Murray's 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2021 Whisky Bibles.[3]
Introduced in 1958,[4] Alberta Premium was originally only available in Canada, until its launch of their cask strength rye whiskey.[5] Later they decided to introduce the original to the United States as well.[6]
The process uses 100% Canadian Prairie rye grain that is unmalted. The rye grain is ground to a fine flour by a hammer mill at the distillery.[7] This meal is added to water, the mash is exposed to a proprietary enzyme, cooked, and fermented. The resulting liquid is distilled using two different distillation types - continuous distillation and the pot still. The liquid is aged in three different barrel sources: ex-bourbon barrels, once-used bourbon barrels, and the new white oak charred barrels. It is then blended to create the final liquor. The blended rye whiskey is believed to be five years old; the age is not stated on the bottle label.[8][9][10]
