Anohka Alberta Single Malt - Costco Exclusive
Canadian Single Malt Whisky | 46% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Tantalisingly textural
When it’s more than just a label.
I’m going to level with you: I don’t trust politicians. Shocking, I know.
So when I heard rumblings of an Alberta-specific designation of whisky a while ago, I had my doubts. Doubts because when politicians get involved in specific things, many of whom are loosely educated and more akin to snake oil salesmen or a medieval court jester, those things get mangled. Garbled. Twisted.
And because life gets in the way of whisky, as it most definitely should, I missed the passing of the Alberta Whisky Act that came into effect in May 2026. And because I generally don’t actively chase many Alberta distilleries and honestly don’t care what is on the label as the juice inside is all that matters, I had paid no heed to ratifications of mere words. Speaking of those mere words, the Alberta Whisky Act was focussed around the below key points to grant it a unique geographical designation:
At least two-thirds of the cereal grain used in the mash must be grown in Alberta
Must use 100% Alberta water prior to distillation
Mashing, fermentation, distillation, aging, proofing, and bottling must be completed entirely in Alberta
Any wine or spirits blended into the whisky, using the federal Canadian-specific 1/11th rule, must be aged for a minimum of two years
And since I’m being honest, that above list is pretty nice and tidy. Sufficient flexibility to allow distillers to do what they may within the broader Canadian whisky context, while also providing sufficiently important aspects to delineate a unique whisky befitting of an official “Alberta whisky” geographical designation.
But when megaliths such as Costco come knocking with a plan to celebrate this new and unique designation with their far flung influence and mega foot traffic, would you jump at the chance? I think I would too, and that’s what Anohka did along with another five distilleries who made the ‘Kirkie cut’.
Looking at the other distilleries, such as Eau Claire, WLD Life, Bridgeland, and a few others, I can say that the only one that caught my eye was Anohka. Being an informed person and having tried many local whiskies, I was able to judge if these products were special or unique in any way. WLD Life had submitted their standard Wheat Whisky, an average and unique whisky in its own right, but was nothing special to celebrate the new designation. Bridgeland submitted their 40% abv corn-based “Berbon”, a 4/10 in my books. Eau Claire, who has bungled their handling of their whisky significantly over the past year and drove off their biggest resource, their head distiller Caitlyn Quinn - who still features a distinct Scottish lilt, and have been spiralling downwards since.
So I was left with this Anohka. Shucks darn, twist my arm, I’ll buy that.
Review
Anohka Alberta Single Malt Whisky, Costco Alberta Exclusive, 750 mL bottle, 5,376 bottle outturn, 46% ABV
CAD$70 (£37) available locally at Costco
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Tantalisingly textural
Nose
Roasty toasty sweet shop. Buttery graham cracker crust. Oodles of honey, rolled over pecans. Raisins. Just a touch of cinnamon to offset the effusive honey and graham notes. Simple, effective, delectable.
Palate
Copy paste the nose. Beautifully balanced sticky honey, perfect amount of nuttiness (ie., not bitter), some roasty toasty graham cracker crust featuring white sugar, raisin butter tarts, and now joining the party to offset these uber luxe dessert-like notes is a lovely fine spice; one that I struggle to define. It’s not distinctly in the baking spices realm nor spicy chili but more like fine prickles that dance across your tongue like Pop Rocks.
While the notes are indicative of the whisky, there’s something that needs to be highlighted: the luxurious texture. This is syrupy, oily, mouthcoating goodness. This helps anchor the very long finish. Truly something special.
The Dregs
This is entirely very quaffable. No, wait. This ain’t no Harry Potter with a snitch. This is Canada and Alberta. This whisky is guzzleable. This is slosh into any glass and enjoy type whisky. Get it in yo’ facehole whisky. Tailgate whisky. Fireside whisky. Honest whisky. Stunning whisky.
Now it can be called an Alberta whisky.
Hot dang, that’s kinda cool now that I’ve gone full-circle with this whisky and as a born and bred Albertan, it does have a nice ring to it. I can only imagine how Gurpreet and the team and community around Anohka feel about this whisky and the trajectory of this little powerhouse of a distillery.
Supposedly, the Anohka team strived to maintain the mouthfeel as they blended in various components and proofed down, using various techniques to not fracture that textural masterpiece they’ve created. One day I’ll make my way there to learn how they did it because I want to know!
And with the largest outturn to-date from Anohka, more people can enjoy it and learn what makes this distillery so special. Finally, with rules that the politicians didn’t mess up, it means that the designation might actually mean something going forward, especially once Alberta-based distilleries start making better products. It’ll be fun to see where the designation goes in five or ten years time!
PS: the gents from Single Cask Nation, the IB, are also excited about Anohka. That should tell you something right there (also foreshadowing for a future Colonials podcast!).
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. BB
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