Bourbon Whiskey in Calgary, AB

About Our Bourbon Whiskey Selection in Calgary

Bourbon has to be at least 51% corn and aged in new charred oak, which is where the vanilla, caramel and baking-spice character comes from. ABLO Liquor stocks Kentucky straight bourbon across the range: the everyday bottle that makes a serious old fashioned, small-batch and single-barrel releases for slower drinking, and the odd cask-strength bottle for people who like to add their own water.

Mash bill matters more than most labels let on. Wheated bourbons swap rye for wheat and drink softer and sweeter; high-rye bourbons bring pepper and spice that stands up in a cocktail. We stock both so you can find the style you actually enjoy rather than the one that happened to be on the shelf.

Bourbon for Sipping and for Cocktails

For an old fashioned or a manhattan, a high-rye bourbon at a moderate proof gives the drink backbone. For a whiskey sour or a highball, almost any everyday bourbon works. For sipping neat, look to small batch and single barrel bottles with a bit of age on them. If you prefer smoke over sweetness, our Scotch whisky shelf is the place to go.

Bourbon, Rye and the Difference

Rye whiskey flips the mash bill toward rye grain, giving a drier, spicier pour that some cocktail drinkers swear by. Canadian whisky often uses rye in the blend but drinks lighter still - see our premium whisky selection for Canadian, Irish and Japanese bottles.