Alberta Premium Cask Strength 10 Year Old: The Award-Winning Rye Worth Trying Now

A $75 Canadian rye recently won Best Canadian Rye at the World Whiskies Awards 2026. Worth paying attention to.

Alberta Premium Cask Strength 10 Year Old comes from Calgary-based Alberta Distillers Ltd., one of the few distilleries still making 100% Canadian prairie rye. They aged this one for a full decade in charred oak casks, then bottled it at 67% ABV. No dilution.

What does that mean in the glass? Think caramel and toffee up front, then darker layers of chocolate, rye spice, and sweet espresso. The finish is long, warm, and spicy. At that proof, you’d expect it to bite. It doesn’t. It drinks like bottles that cost two or three times as much.

A few things to know before you buy

67% ABV is strong. Add a few drops of water and let it sit for a minute. You’ll open up more of those toffee and espresso notes without numbing your palate.

$74.95 is the suggested retail. For an award-winning, age-stated, cask strength whisky, that’s genuinely hard to beat.

It’s available now across Western Canada and hitting Ontario shelves early this spring. These are limited-edition bottles, so don’t wait too long if you’re interested.

This is Alberta Distillers Ltd.’s 80th year making whisky. If you’ve been curious about Canadian rye but never found the right bottle to try, this is a strong place to start.