Alberta Distillers is marking its 80th year the way any self-respecting Calgary whisky house should: by releasing bottles meant to be conversed over, long after the glasses are drained.
The company is rolling out two limited-edition expressions that lean into very different moments at the bar – a high-octane rye built for a single, contemplative pour, and a long-aged Canadian whisky designed for slow sharing among people who care what’s in their glass.
The first headliner is Alberta Premium Cask Strength 10 Year Old, a whisky that has already snagged “Best Canadian Rye” at the World Whiskies Awards 2026, and makes its intent clear with a bracing 67 per cent ABV. Drawn from charred oak casks after a decade in storage, it’s aimed squarely at drinkers who like their rye to come at them with full force but still show discipline. In the glass, the nose moves from caramel and praline into espresso and woody undertones, before opening onto a palate of layered caramel, toffee and dark chocolate, all kept in check by firm rye spice and a thread of sweet espresso. The finish is long, smooth, warm and spicy, the kind that invites small, deliberate sips rather than carefree refills.
Alberta Distillers pitches the 10 Year Old as “the one good pour” bottle – the kind you reach for when you want one serious drink rather than several forgettable ones. Senior quality assurance spirits manager Maria Palafox calls it the cask strength Canadian rye she now measures others against, citing the intensity of rye spice, vanilla and oak alongside a cleanliness and precision that keep it from tipping into chaos. Finished with a cork closure and carrying a suggested retail price of $75, it is positioned to drink well above its weight in flavour and structure, especially for fans of cask strength whiskies used to much higher price tags. It is available now in Western Canada, with Ontario distribution slated for early spring.
If the 10 Year Old is built for a solitary nightcap, Rare Batch Issue No. 2 is explicitly crafted for company. The second release in Alberta Distillers’ Rare Batch series, this 21-year Canadian whisky is assembled from stocks that have spent more than two decades in rack-style warehouses in the foothills of the Rockies, resting in Canadian whisky, bourbon and new white oak barrels. Bottled at 50 per cent ABV, it arrives as a limited allocation across the country, with bottles already on shelves in Western Canada and a late spring launch planned for Ontario following an appearance at LCBO in January 2026.
On the nose, Rare Batch Issue No. 2 leans into vanilla, dark molasses and a touch of pepper, setting up a profile that mixes dessert richness with spice. The palate follows through with a spicy core accented by hints of caramel and oak, before sliding into a finish described as sweet and smooth. Stylistically, it’s framed as a “pull this out on purpose” whisky – meant for slow, neat pours after winter dinners, small tastings and nights when you plan to revisit the same glass as the conversation stretches on. At $149.95, it clearly targets collectors and enthusiasts who want to see how long-aged Canadian whisky can perform when given a spotlight outside the usual blended mainstream.
Together, the two releases are intended to showcase Alberta Distillers’ range – from muscular, cask strength rye to carefully blended, decades-old Canadian whisky – while underlining the distillery’s faith in patience, precise production and the character that comes from their corner of the Rockies.