Tag Archives: Shelter Point

Shelter Point’s Ripple Rock 46%

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Since our first experience with Shelter Point in 2017, we’ve enjoyed keeping up with their different expressions. Thankfully, I’m not the only fan, so sometimes I benefit from purchases made by a fellow Canadian! Which is how this particular bottle made its way from Vancouver, Canada to Mumbai, India, then a sample to Nürnberg, Germany!

Shelter Point Ripple Rock 46%

  • Nose – There was a distinctly mineral quality, a bit chalky, some saline or sea salt. Quite straightforward, oak, herbs. As it opened, it revealed a subtle roasted caramel buttered popcorn. As more time passed, it became sweeter with raisins and richer with a hint of chocolate
  • Palate – A nice spice, a touch bitter with nuts, wood forward, toast, some cloves… like the nose, the more time this dram spent in the glass, the more it sweetened
  • Finish –  A light finish

As we continued to sniff and sip, we declared this a nice “accompaniment” whisky. Something to enjoy in autumn as dusk falls. Nice.

What more do we know? Well, check out what the folks at Shelter Point have to say about their Ripple Rock expression:

Campbell River’s 1958 Ripple Rock explosion is the inspiration for our latest single malt whisky. It has spent 6 years in American oak before finishing for 18 months in an alligator charred Virgin Oak cask.

And their official Tasting Notes:

On the nose, The Ripple Rock has distinct notes of vanilla with a slight chocolate note. The palate is spicy with an intense chocolate flavour all leading to a wonderfully satisfying finish that is long with an assortment of spiciness, chocolate and vanilla

Retailing in Canada for CND 78, it was opened for the Whisky Ladies of Mumbai in June 2024 with the sample tasted in May 2025.

Curious about other experiences? Here are a few more Shelter Points sampled by the Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorers:

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Canada’s Shelter Point Whisky Club Release #1 “Tequila” 6 year (2024) 63.2% 

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Earlier this year I decided after our last round of Shelter Point tastings to splurge on the $200 invest into joining the Shelter Point Whisky Club. Call it a burst of patriotism and nostalgia combined. I was also hoping somewhere in one of their expressions would be a dram that recaptures their earlier period where we discovered a style of “sunshine in a glass!”

Their 1st release was a bit of a surprise – Tequila?

First off, I have to admit I’m not a tequila person. Apart from an exceptional extra anejo that I snuck into a blind tasting, it isn’t something I would typically choose. However, the thirst for more diverse and unique whisky expressions means more than one distillery has opted to experiment with tequila finishes.

My first experience with a tequila finish was a peaty Kilchoman. In that case, the subtle agave influence was successful – a balance of sweet and salt, peat and sweet, spice and herb – all working together.

Would this be the case with Canada’s Shelter Point?

Shelter Point “Tequila” 6 year (2017 / Jun 2024) 63.2%

  • Nose – Very clear stamp of agave! Joined by hay, fruit, vanilla, granola bar, malty goodness
  • Palate – Hot – loads of character. Dry. Can really taste the agave, joined by a hot ginger counterpoint
  • Finish – Saline and sweet
  • Water – Mellows it out – with fruits joining the agave and ginger – particularly on the palate

It is distinctly different, and curious… I look forward to revisiting in a different context. I have a feeling it may grow on me, particularly with water, however the first experience was “on the fence”.

The bottle was neatly packed for the journey from Canada to Germany to be sampled again in some future tasting session.

And what do the folks at Shelter Point have to say?

This whisky is classic Shelter Point single malt. The mash is 100% BC malted barley and water from their aquifer. The frmentation is a long seven days, giving plenty of time for both a primary and secondary fermentation to allow the signature unique house flavours to develop. Distillation is done in the traditional fasion using wash and spirits stills supplied by Forsyths.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, there is an immediate hit of that agave bringing back memories of the day the barrel arrived with us. What follows is a riot of soft fruits and berries underpinned by a soft creamy malt base note. The palate is full of graham cracker sweetness with notes of ginger and delicate hints of agave. The finish is long and rich with creme brulee and plenty of caramel.

What more do we know?

The cask spent its first six years in the coastal maturation warehouse. Then the liquid was transferred to the tequila casks mid-2023 and matured for a further year in the warmer distillery barrel display area.

I opened this bottle in Winnipeg in November 2024 and brought it to Nurnberg for further tastings in 2025.

Shelter Point Quintet sampled by the Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorers:

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Canada’s Shelter Point – “Smoke + Oak” 5 year (2021) Batch #1 46% 

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Shelter Point has experimented with a few different approaches to peat and smoke – often attracting awards and attention for the innovative and pleasing results. To be honest, I had skipped the initial peaty releases, but when I spotted this smoke one, decided it was definitely the one to try!

Why? Well you can read further details here or below however in short – they finish the whisky in smoked barrels rather than use peated barley. Intriguing…

Shelter Point “Smoke & Oak” (2021) 46%

  • Colour  – Bright amber
  • Nose – What a lovely very subtle smoke, a dry sweet smoke with no peat, even more coastal than the others, there was a slight sharpness, crisp apple, then apricot and a citrus twist – delightful fruity freshness, creamy too
  • Palate – Very sweet! Apricot marmalade, then it doubles down on that distinctive earthy element we found in all the Shelter Points, much more tobacco, coffee, leather, toasty, and frankly just really really good! There was also a fruity sweet BBQ sauce with a bit of a spicy, tangy yet salty approach.
  • Finish – Long, strong and rewarding

Even for our non-peat people, this one really hit the mark! For most of us, it was the clear favourite of the evening. All the different elements came together just right – delicious.

And what do the folks at Shelter Point have to say?

Shelter Point’s first edition in a new series of Smoke & Oak driven small batch experimental whiskies has landed. For this expression, we smoked our own finishing barrels using a smouldering combination of applewood and locally-harvested Vancouver Island peat. Using 100% unmalted barley from on-site at Shelter Point Farm as a base, this is a whisky that breaks all the rules. This triple distilled whisky was aged in American oak ex-bourbon barrels for 5 years before a final rest in our hand-smoked finishing barrels for 6 months.

Tasting Notes:

Smoke and Oak Batch 1 arrives with notes of demerara sugar, sweet hay, caramel, BBQ, chocolate, fruitcake, vanilla, pepper, and wisps of distant smoke.

Whisky Facts

  • Still: Custom-designed copper still
  • Base: 100% malted and unmalted barley (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 2x distilled & 3x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 46% Alc.Vol
  • Bottle Size: 750ml and 375ml
  • Packaging: Classic Tennessee-style bottle features Vinolok glass closure and original engraving of Shelter Point Farm created by renowned illustrator Steve Noble

I purchased it in 2021 for CND 45 and brought it from Canada to Germany in 2023, opening it in June 2024 in Nurnberg.

Shelter Point Quintet sampled by the Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorers:

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Canada’s Shelter Point – “The Forbidden” 6 year (2021) Batch #2 47% 

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When we embarked on our Shelter Point flight, we thought the best approach would be to start with the standard as a calibration dram, then progress from grain to triple grain (blend), followed by this single malt before closing with the smoke expression.

In retrospect, we should have followed the grain with “The Forbidden”. Why? Two reasons – we didn’t initially catch this was also a grain – more precisely wheat whisky. Plus, whilst the Triple Grain was only 43%, it was bursting with character. Hence, we needed a bit of a palate cleanser before this subtle more nuanced expression – even though it had a higher ABV at 47%. Spoiler alert, for several this was the “runner up” of the evening – well worth trying!

Shelter Point “The Forbidden” 6 year Wheat Whisky (2021) Batch #2 47%

  • Colour  – Bright gold
  • Nose – Very pleasant and inviting, grassy with lots of cereals, some sea breeze with sea salt, a bit musty it then opened up to some lovely sweet warm caramel or honeyed elements
  • Palate – Very interesting and really rather nice! There was a lovely honeyed sweetness, well-rounded with a minty herbal quality too. Beneath all the sweetness and light was a touch of black pepper and that earthy element – just this time tempered to be just a hint. It also had some ground coffee beans, some cocoa beans too, and sea salt. Yum.
  • Finish – Dry, long and lingers… sliding from sweet into bitter and even a bit tart

Whilst we found it a bit hard to pinpoint exactly what part we likely best and why, we concluded this was by far the most approachable Shelter Point from our quintet flight. If you had just one Shelter Point to sip whilst unwinding, this would be a good choice.

One of our tasters remarked how much it differed from Bourbon – whilst it had the sweet caramel, somehow it differed from the typical oak, caramel, and vanilla – in a good way.

What do the folks at Shelter Point have to say?

The Forbidden Batch 2 “The whisky no one knew they needed”

Shelter Point’s second Single Malt Wheat Whisky release has finally arrived. This whisky is the third different grain whisky that we have bottled. Named after our local landmark “Forbidden Plateau”, this small mountain and our whisky are similar as both shrouded in mystery. By using Wheat as the base this whisky is truly unique and unlike anything we have ever produced. This whisky was double distilled and aged in exclusively in American oak ex bourbon barrels for 6 and a half years.

Tasting Notes:

The Forbidden whisky is sweet and medicinal on the nose. The palate is full of caramel and vanilla and slightly spicy note. The satisfying finish is a delicious combination of a slight peppery note and vanilla.

Shelter Point The Forbidden Whisky Facts:

  • Still: Custom-designed copper still
  • Base: Malted Wheat (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 2x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 47% Alc.Vol
  • Bottle Size: 750ml and 375 ml

I missed “The Forbidden” 1st Batch, so when the 2nd batch became available in 2021 – even though the price had jumped to CND 45 plus taxes, I immediately grabbed one! Back then, there were several releases with the wonderfully convenient 375 ml size and the kind folks at Shelter Point let me buy online and keep with them until I had enough for them to send from BC to my folks in Manitoba. I later brought it to Germany, to open in Nurnberg in June 2024.

Shelter Point Quintet sampled by the Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorers:

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Canada’s Shelter Point – Shelter Point 7 year (2020) Single Cask #5 43%

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It was an evening devoted entirely to Shelter Point – exploring the contrasting yet converging characters of different expressions. After our calibration dram and Montfort 151 Single Grain, we progressed to a triple grain – with both unmalted and malted barley plus rye. We had no idea what to expect, however the dark copper, almost amber should have been a clue we were in for a potent dram!

Shelter Point 7 year Single Cask Triple Grain (malted & unmalted barley, rye) Edition #5 ex-bourbon with French Oak cask finish (2020) 43% 288 bottles

  • Colour  – Dark copper, edging into coffee
  • Nose – Heavy and potent, lots of molasses, prunes, rum raisins, very sweet, robust
  • Palate – Flat coca-cola and grape jelly! Chocolate and initially a bit unbalanced until it settled down with all elements in harmony. There was coffee, full-flavoured, burnt caramel, rich, spicy and creamy
  • Finish – From coffee, shifted to English breakfast tea, lingering long and surprisingly intense

Wow! This one really packs a lot of flavour! At only 43% there was a lot going on. One remarked how it reminded of a dark “bock” lager beer. Some folks are fans, others are not. Other comparisons were made to coffee liqueur. The bottom line is that this blend has a lot to say and worth paying attention to!

What do the fab five folks at Shelter Point have to say?

Single cask edition 5. Whisky is poetry, but it’s also alchemy. Here at Shelter Point we’re always in search of the perfect elixir. This whisky journey began when we married together a blend of malted barley, unmalted barley and rye whisky. Aged in an ex-bourbon cask, then finished in French oak, this seven-year-old whisky is a bottle of gold at the end of the grainbow.

Tasting Notes

On the nose you get a slight spice and vanilla note. The palate is filled with caramel and honey. The satisfying finish is a delicious combination of a slight spiciness, chocolate and salted caramel.

Whisky Facts

  • Still: Custom-designed copper pot still
  • Base: A blend of Rye, Wheat & Malted Barley (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 3x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 43% Alc.Vol

I purchased it directly from the distillery in 2020 for $78.25 + taxes. I later brought it from Canada to Germany, to open it in Nurnberg in June 2024.

Shelter Point Quintet sampled by the Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorers:

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Canada’s Shelter Point – Montfort District Lot 151 (2020) Single Grain Whisky 46%

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Grain whisky often gets a bad rap for being the “extra” that goes into a whisky blend. And yet the range of possibilities with grains are immense! So when we had not one but two grain whisky options to sample with our Shelter Point quintet, we were open to the experience. We began with the single grain from a single lot on Vancouver Island – specifically the Montfort District Lot 151 to be found :

  • Latitude: “49.876166”
  • Longitude: “-125.126368”

Whilst the folks at Shelter Point refer to site-specific soil classification differences and the influence of proxmity to the ocean and forested land, unlike Ireland’s Waterford distillery who share extensive micro-provenance details, here we have just the location of the family farm on which the barley is grown.

The previous release tasting notes for the Montfort DL 151 are remarkably similar to the 2018 Montfort DL 141 – which we earlier sampled a few years ago. And now? If you head to the Shelter Point website, they no longer distinguish between the lots, bottling only as Montfort. Still field to flask, still from a family run farm, however I suppose over time this is more manageable to sustain, with more flexibility with cask management.

Setting all of these factors aside, what did we think?

Montfort District Lot 151 (2020) Unmalted Barley Single Grain Whisky 46%

  • Colour  – A bright sunny gold
  • Nose – Are those ripe dark cherries? Now some toasted notes chased by a light sea salt. Take a big breath and you are transported to a wheat field, full of cereal aromas. Then marzipan, some nutty notes, some maple, and tobacco leaves.
  • Palate – Mmmm…. starts a bit sweet and smooth, lightly fruity – perhaps white peach?, creamy then shifts into a darker earthy element joined by chocolate. It is incredibly soft yet not delicate as it has far too much “substance”
  • Finish – Dry yet satisfying

For a young grain, this was actually quite impressive. We also appreciated the true terroir focus – including the exact location on Montfort Lot 151! I don’t know what exactly I expected, however, this was really very enjoyable.

What do the folks at Shelter Point have to say?

Montfort 151 is a truly unique field-to flask whisky. The name itself is the very lot in which the single-grain barley was grown, as well the coordinates to the exact field are included on every bottle. The Montfort series has literal grass root beginnings, each field that we farm has a distinctive district lot number, as well as site specific soil classification, and a proximity to the ocean and forested land. These collective characteristics grow barley in distinctive and unique ways resulting in unique flavor profiles from these micro regions on our farm. Montfort 151 is distinctively different than the Montfort DL 141, and Montfort 151 is a proud product of our distillery home.

Tasting Notes

On the nose, Montfort DL 151 has distinct notes of vanilla fudge, dried fruits and hazelnut. The palate is honed and herbaceous with a luxurious assortment of dark chocolate cherries, leading to a warming spicy finish, with lingering oak and almond nougat.

Whisky Facts

  • Still: Custom-designed copper pot still
  • Base: 100% unmalted barley (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 3x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 46% Alc.Vol

I purchased this when it was released back in 2020 for CND$30.43 + taxes for a 375 ml bottle – which to me is the PERFECT size!

Unfortunately, Shelter Point seems to have largely discontinued this option, which now seems to be only available for their Whisky Club at CND 225 (including tax) / year for 3 bottles – that’s over double what they were charging just a few years ago. Which, frankly is a lot per bottle – in the range of $130 each if it was full size. Clearly, something is going on with the distillery making this a necessary change, however, as both a consumer and fan, this is truly a pity.

Shelter Point Quintet sampled by the Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorers:

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Canada’s Shelter Point – Calibration Dram

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When we kicked off our Nurnberg Whisky Explorer‘s tasting group, we were introduced to the concept of a “calibration dram”. This is something to help you better gauge what you are about to explore by having a “control” whisky.

It seemed fitting with our special Shelter Point whisky flight to use their core expression as our calibration dram.

Once upon a time, this whisky prompted our Whisky Ladies of Mumbai to fall in love with Shelter Point. Initially known as “Artisinal Single Malt”, we tried their 1st edition in 2016, followed by the next in (2017) and 2018. What we discovered was above all an entrancing aroma – just pure sunshine and happiness in the glass! Then more substance on the palate to make this a well-rounded and exceedingly enjoyable experience.

Fast forward a few years and during the early days of international travel as the global began to wake up from COVID lockdowns, a friend in Nurnberg snagged a bottle for me during her trip to British Columbia. I was sooo excited, looking forward to the joyful expression that we had come to expect from Shelter Point. Such was my exuberance that I blithely assumed it would be exactly as anticipated!

It was not. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a decent dram, it simply wasn’t what I remembered. I suppose nearly 10 years into their venture, such a development was bound to happen.

Keeping an open mind, I managed to snag the last bottle available in Manitoba of their core Single Malt expression in October 2023. Then I brought it back to Germany to anchor a session in Jun 2024. Enough pre-amble, let’s get on to the whisky!

Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky (~2022/23) 46%

  • Colour – Gold
  • Nose – Honey, pleasant yet also with sharpness and spice spike
  • Palate – Some spice, fruits, dark chocolate, earthy and a bit edgy, strong oak influence, caramel, and raisins, a hint of lime
  • Finish – Herbal, dry and spicy
  • Revisit – We set it aside and returned to it several times during our tasting of the balance four expressions, continuing to rely on it as our “control” whisky

Whilst clearly an “entry” expression, we remarked how this is not a whisky for beginners. It also was unmistakably NOT Scottish.

Interestingly, when preparing this point I realized that Shelter Point’s tagline “Sunshine and sea air: unofficial ingredients in every bottle” has been replaced by phrases like “Pure water, Canadian grain and sea air” and “Distinctly Vancouver Island. Uniquely Shelter Point.”

In short, the sunshine quality that made us smile is no longer included in their own description.

One of the reasons I like to capture what a distillery has to say about its whisky is that things change over time. What was once available on a website is replaced as approaches and expressions evolve. Whereas what I have in front of me in the bottle is a specific moment in time – a malt that is particular to that time too.

This is why I was so happy to have included in my Shelter Point Artisinal Single Malt 2018 notes, what they had to say then….

“Sheer joy!” – Shelter Point Artisanal Single Malt 46%

And be able to contrast it with what they have to say now about their core expression, which has dropped the “Artisinal” moniker, lost the candied sweets, coconut, malted chocolate, tropical fruits, and instead added wine, smoke, leathery elements… All of which were more in keeping with the dram we experienced in 2024. Fascinating.

Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky is a classic expression made in small batches using traditional methods, pot distillation and glacier fed aquifer water. Sitting on the coast of Vancouver Island the spirit benefits from the unique influence of our geography, ocean and terroir as it ages in different select casks. The whisky shows a balanced marriage of fruits, caramel, barley, baking spices, honey, seaside whiff, hints of wine, smoke and the sweet leathery mouthfeel of a high-quality single malt.

Curious to learn more about the other whiskies we tried in our Shelter Point Quintet? Check out:

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Shelter Point – Single Malt, Montford 151, Forbidden, Triple Grain, Smoke + Oak

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After a wee hiatus, our Nurnberg Whisky Explorers evenings are back! This time, I was thrilled to host with a Shelter Point quintet – carefully acquired from 2020 onwards. I shared in advance it would be an evening devoted purely to this Vancouver Island “farm to flask” distillery. Sadly, with their small batch artisinal approach, one can only acquire these whiskies in Canada – with the different expressions in batches, selling out quickly.

What did I share?

Curious to know more? Just check out the links above for tasting notes!

The evening was a lovely reminder of why I’ve been a Shelter Point fan over the years. And prompted my joining their new Whisky Club – in part because I really prefer 375 ml bottles! If only this size was available for nearly all drams!

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Shelter Point – 10 Year 1st Edition 57.8%

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We are no strangers to Shelter Point from British Colombia, Canada. In fact, back in 2016, we had the pleasure of sampling their inaugural batch of single malt. We loved it then and we love this “Artisinal Single Malt” expression now too!

As soon as it was launched, I was keen to try their 1st edition cask strength 10-year single malt. I purchased it online in August 2021, and then shipped it together with other bottles from British Columbia to Manitoba. This was followed by bringing it from Winnipeg to Nurnberg to Mumbai. Quite the traveling bottle!

After beginning our evening with “The Collective“, followed by the experiment with “Double Barrel“, I was keen to see if the elements I enjoy most about their core single malt would shine through in the 10 year?

Shelter Point Artisanal Single Malt 10 Year (2011 / 2021) Cask Strength 57.8%

  • Colour  – Dark gold
  • Nose – Fancy! Sunshine yet surprisingly more restrained than anticipated. Malty, mineral, oily, chardonnay, Dry wood. Opens up into warm and sweet, honey and fruit – specifically muskmelon or warm cantaloupe.
  • Palate – Effervescent, sparkling wine, ginger spice, salty licorice, herbal liqueur, dry bitter cloves, lots going on! Over time it settled down a bit, though remained quite active.
  • Finish – Another warm hug, the salty lakris carries through, some cinnamon, more ginger and then bay leaf
  • Water – We began with just a few drops – it became more umami, one even described it as wet dog! Then even spicier! Whereas with more water, the salty licorice became fennel without the salt – going from “spunky” to “nice”

What can I say? This was not just sunshine in a glass – that element was there at first but fleeting. However, the salty licorice took much greater prominence – even over the Jaegermeister herbal liqueur.

I thought about the age element. In the grand scheme of things, 10 years isn’t much. Once upon a time for a Scottish dram, that would be your “entry-level” maturity. Unlike India where the angel’s share is mighty greedy, I would anticipate the west coast of BC, nestled between farmland and the coast would be more in keeping with Scotland.

So what did this mean for the 10 year Shelter Point? From memory, the younger Artisinal Single Malt expression had more cereals than wood notes. Favoured orchard fruits over melons. Didn’t have as much mineral and whilst had a touch of salt, it wasn’t the very distinctive salmiakki salted licorice found in the Nordics clearly present in the 10 year.

As I have a precious bottle of the standard expression back in Germany, decided the best thing to do would be to take a generous sample from the 10 year and follow-up with a comparison in June when I plan to open the balance Shelter Point bottles for our Nurnberg Whisky Explorer group!

What do they say?

10 Years is a long time. A lot has changed in the world since Shelter Point started production in 2011, but what hasn’t changed is our commitment to craft, quality, and doing things the best way we know how. For the inaugural 10-Year-Old edition of Cask Strength Single Malt, we decided to let the casks and the spirit do the talking, and present this limited-edition small batch for your enjoyment.

Tasting Notes:

  • With a nose led by notes of creamy vanilla, milk chocolate, apricots and green apples
  • A palate featuring baking spices, chocolate chip cookie dough and a kiss of sea salt
  • This 10-Year-Old Batch Strength Single Malt finishes with lingering woody spice, candied ginger and an assortment of baked goods.
  • A delight for the senses to be shared and savored.

Whisky Facts:

  • Still: Custom-designed copper still
  • Base: Malted Barley (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 2x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill-filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 57.8% Alc.Vol
  • Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased in August 2021 from Shelter Point Distillery for CND 130.43  (Eur 102) + taxes + shipping for 750 ml.

Here are the other expressions tasted in the Shelter Point trio in April 2023:

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Shelter Point – Double Barrel 46%

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One of our Whisky Ladies has already tried Shelter Point‘s ex-blackberry wine matured whisky. This was years ago with their 1st batch – however, it seemed a quintessentially Canadian alternative to the plethora of wine finishes to be found today.

So back in June 2021, when the 6th Edition of the Double Barrel was released, I couldn’t resist picking this up! Thankfully it was available in a 375 ml bottle – which is perfect when bringing whiskies to other parts of the world!

Fast forward to April 2024 in Mumbai, India and I was happy to open it to explore what this 6th edition had to offer!

Double Barrel 6th Edition 46%

  • Colour  – Dark amber with a beautiful rose tint
  • Nose – Lots going on yet much more restrained than The Collective. Sunshine then a bit dusty, then something akin to grape peel. It shifted to a coastal quality with sea breeze and minerals. Then dark candies, red licorice, or pastis liqueur. Then blackberry, prune juice. Another found celery, gooseberry, pinot. All in all quite interesting!
  • Palate – Pepper and spice, woody then salty. Quite colourful. A few sips in – is that a floral element? It kept changing – sharp then smooth, sweet then salty, wood then mineral. Sweet citrus then chocolate. Fascinating. A bit of a roller coaster ride…
  • Finish – A lovely warm embrace! Herbal, then wood smoke, settled on blackberry jam, long and strong. Yum!
  • Revisit – A sweet jammy delight. The empty glass revealed lavender.

What a whisky! The Wine finish certainly made its mark. Quite a delicious one at that. It was just lovely swirling it around in the glass. Most enjoyable. Including going rather well with our chocolate cake dessert!

What do the folks at Shelter Point have to say?

Our sixth Double Barreled whisky is a special collaboration with Vancouver Island’s renowned Coastal Black Winery. We hand selected 6 of our finest Single Malt whisky casks and finished them in French oak wine barrels, previously home to Coastal Black’s Blackberry Wine. Aged in our American oak for 6 years, and then finished for 99 days in flavourful French oak, Shelter Point Double Barreled Whisky is a sensational marriage of spirits.

Tasting Notes:

  • Nose: Blackberry pie, stewed plums, redcurrant jelly, vanilla & oak
  • Palate: Dark fruits (blackberries, black currant) & even darker chocolate, orange segments & gentle baking spice
  • Finish: A slightly spicy and drying finish with mixed fruit and nuts.

Whisky Facts

  • Still: Custom-designed copper pot still
  • Base: 100% Malted Barley (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 2x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 46% Alc.Vol
  • Bottle Size: 375ml & 750ml

I purchased this in June 2021 for CND 45 for a 375 ml bottle – a perfect size!

Here are the other whiskies sampled in the Shelter Point trio :

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