Canadian Club 100% RYE

Really enjoyed this review. You have a way with words my friend and I encourage you to do more of these. Nice to hear such praise for a bargain priced Canadian offering

@Jonesz, thanks for new info on CC Chairman's Select 100% Rye. I had hoped Walkerton was the source for this magical elixir; why am I not surprised that Alberta Distillers is responsible for another great rye expression?..as for the review, glad you liked it.

courtesy of Jonesz:

whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2014/…

Winner Winner at the Whisky Dinner!

With this available only in Canada it won’t claim all the awards, but I think it will do very well in January.

Picked one up today and cannot add anything to this review other than to say it has a rich creamy velvet mouthfeel. Would like to be one of the "fortunate ones" so that I could do a H2H with AP 25. Do ypu know such a person? Wondering if perhaps the aging in "virgin casks" has imparted some of that older whisky feel to this one. Seems to me that the AP 25 (which you have allowed me to sample) which I know is one of your favourites is very close to the CC 100% Rye but when doing a H2H with the standard version I can now pick out a few flaws in the AP, still one of the favourites in our house. I am thinking that the CC 100% Rye is a sign of how really good a Canadian whisky can be and my only wish is that they would have pushed the ABV to 45% rather than the standard 40 even if they had to up the price. I note that the blender behind this offering was also responsible for Dark Horse @ 45%

@Jonesz - I attended a blind tasting tonight of three whiskies. I guessed Alberta Premium 30 years 100% rye (the room was softly lit - colour was not a telltale sign) and was blown away to find out it was Canadian Club Chairman's Select 100% Rye. You are absolutely correct, the new oak has a huge impact...not surprising. Dr. Don once told me that 6 months in new oak = 10 years in a once used bourbon barrel.

Burnt almond - 10 days after opening this bottle the heavy char is now very evident. This whisky is becoming more delicious. The complexity is impressive - the layers of spice, fruit, and oak are so very pleasing.

Hmmm must try this at some point, especially if it resembles AP 30

@Nozinan, it is Alberta Premium all dressed up for Saturday Night.

@paddockjudge, how much new oak aging are we talking about here? The whole 7 years of aging? You have mentioned nothing in the main text of your review about new oak aging.

If the new oak aging were for the full 7 years of maturation, then I suppose that Beam Brands Global, now Beam Suntory, has been planning for this day for some years now.

@paddockjudge, if this really is a 'game changer' leap in quality, then it sounds like you could call Canadian Club Chairman's Select 100% Rye...Alberta Premium With Much Better Wood. It is a shame that Alberta Distillers doesn't get the name recognition. My guess is that if this is commercially successful in Canada that there is positioning here for export, especially to the US, where Canadian Club is well known, but nobody but whisky specialists have ever heard of Alberta Distillers Limited.

Used wood cooperage works fairly well for barley whisky and corn whisky, but rye grain greatly benefits from a stronger balancing force than used wood.

Well, this is good news, and I am looking forward to trying some. I am also enthusiastically looking forward to a wooded-up version of Alberta Premium becoming available for purchase in the USA. Now all you need in Canada are at least a few products which are at cask strength and 50% abv.

@Victor, true enough, I made no mention of wood influence in the main body (because I was in a state of shock and disbelief, pleasantly surprised ). I had zero notion this was an AP product and the quickly penned review was an impulsive reaction on my part.

I am amazed by the unique properties of this new CC product. Some references at Whisky Advocate have indicated a heavy char and new oak; however, the length of time spent in new oak is an uncertainty. Regardless of how long this delicious rye has spent in new oak, the result is stellar.

This is one horse that was designed by a committee and turned out as a thoroughbred.

OK, It's good. I like it. But it's no AP 30.

However, now that I've added rye to my list of spirits I like, it will have a place in my cabinet for as long as it lasts.

@Paddockjudge I am getting some flowers notes on the finish. Maybe some roses and violets. But not all the time. This is on a two months opened bottled. Can you tell me if these notes will get stronger with time. Right now the nose and palate are full with banana custard and the finish is almost all maple and mint with hint of orange. I would really like the rose and vilolet notes to devellop!

Oh! Btw Great rewiew! Right on, as usual!

Thanks for the review. This Canadian Club 100% Rye is an outstanding value, and definitely deserves to be better known. The comparison to Lot 40 is apt. While I (and others I've had try both blind) prefer the nose on Lot 40, the fruity body on this one is amazing. Very well balanced, as you say.

...and batch variation strikes again. The (early) batch used for this review was stunning. I cannot claim the same for more recent bottles.