Gift The Macallan this festive season

One of the great joys of whisky is sharing it with friends and family. So whether you’re looking to enjoy a bottle with loved ones during the festive season or choosing a gift for someone special, you can find a selection of different whiskies to suit your taste, direct from The Macallan online shop.

Order by 17th December for guaranteed delivery to Europe before Christmas.

SHOP THE MACALLAN

Full details of our shipping countries and pre-Christmas delivery dates can be found here.

KWM Whisky Advent Day 14 – Writers Tears Copper Pot

Today’s is the first whisk(e)y in the 2017 edition of the Kensington Wine Market Whisky Advent Calendar not to be from a single distillery. For Day 14 of Advent, we are delving into our second Irish whiskey, but a more traditional one than the first. The Writers Tears Copper Pot is a blended Irish whiskey, composed of 60% pot still and 40% malt. There is a lot to unpack here, but before we go any further let’s quickly discuss the Irish spelling of the word whisk(e)y. The Irish, along with the Americans, are the only people in the world to employ an “e” in the spelling of whisk(e)y. The difference relates to Anglicizations of uisge beatha Scots Gaelic and usice beatha Irish Gaelic for “water of life”.

Single Pot Still, formerly, Pure Pot Still, is the most Irish of whiskey styles. The first whiskies in Ireland and Scotland were made from malted barley, essentially distilled beer. Unlike corn or wheat, barley has enzymes which can convert insoluble starches in the grain into fermentable sugars. Barley is also a hardy grain, so it is ideal for storing in cool, wet climates like Scotland and Ireland. Scottish and Irish whisk(e)y production in the 1700s did not escape the eyes of the government in London. Westminster sought to curb excessive drinking and tax its production. One way of doing this was by taxing malted barley by the ton. Although the alcohol yield per ton of barley can vary by strain and by harvest, taxmen could estimate the amount of whisky that would result from a given ton of barley. They could also estimate a distillery’s production for the purposes of taxation.

Over the course of the 18^th Century the British imposed a series of “punishing malt taxes”. No one knows when or where the practice began, but Irish distillers began using a blend of malted and unmalted barley in their mashes as a way of avoiding or reducing their exposure to the “hated malt tax”. As is common in Canadian and American whiskies made principally from corn, you only need a small quantity of malted barley in the mash bill, 10-15%, for an efficient fermentation. So Irish distillers began making whiskey from a small amount of malted barley, and a greater amount of unmalted barley, or green malt. A uniquely Irish style of whiskey, Pure Pot Still, was born. In 2010 the style which had at least two other common names was legally re-categorized as Single Pot Still Whiskey.

Due to the Irish whiskey industry’s contraction, all Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey available today comes from the New Middleton Distillery in Cork. Some Single Pot Still Whiskey is bottled pure, under labels like: Red Breast, Powers, Green Spot, Writer’s Tears and Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy. But as with the bulk of single malt whisky production in Scotland, most pot still whiskey is produced for Blended whiskey. Many other distilleries in Ireland are making Single Pot Still whiskey, but none of them have yet produced whiskies old enough to bottle. Curiously Shelter Point on Vancouver Island has produced the closest thing we know of to Irish single pot still whisk(e)y, the Shelter Point Single Grain Montfort Lot 141.

Writers Tears is produced by Walsh Whiskey, which opened their own distillery in June of 2016 at Royal Oak, County Carlow. It is the first distillery to be built in this region of Ireland in over 200 years. The distillery was founded by Bernard and Rosemary Walsh, who started the Hot Irishman in 1999 to blend and bottle the perfect Irish Coffee. In 2007 the branched into whiskey with “The Irishman”, releasing “Writers Tears” for the first time a few years later.

Writer’s Tears Copper Pot – 40% – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: doughy with loads of cooked apple, white chocolate Hershey’s kisses, a touch of juicy malt and fresh almond croissants; a touch of that distinct, dusty but oily pot still note. Palate: round, oily and coating; more cooked apple, under-cooked pie crust and dewy flowers; steely, a bright copper note and citrus; more white chocolate and light coloured Jujubes. Finish: more white chocolate, almond croissants and Jujubes; light but lasting and fresh. Comment: this is not mind-blowingly complex, but it is dangerously drinkable, especially on a hot day!” – $52 for a 700ml or $7 for a 50ml

Cotswolds Distillery appoints Richard Watling to its Board

Industry veteran to serve as Director of Sales & Marketing Strategy

The Cotswolds Distillery today announces the appointment of Wine & Spirits industry veteran Richard Watling to its Board of Directors. Watling will serve as Director of Sales & Marketing Strategy, helping the award-winning young distillery continue its growth in both national and international markets.

The Cotswolds Distillery began production on its idyllic North Cotswolds site in September 2014 and its ‘outstanding natural spirits’ are now on sale in over 30 countries. It’s self-titled Single Malt Whisky was launched in October 2017 and is the first ever whisky to be created in the region. The distillery is also home to the globally acclaimed Cotswolds Dry Gin.

Richard Watling’s career in the spirits industry spans more than 25 years. He ran International Marketing for Hiram Walker, after which he become Marketing Director of Allied Distillers. Watling later worked with International Distillers and Vitners (IDV) in both Europe and Asia, and when IDV became Diageo he returned to the UK to become Chief Executive of their Justerini & Brooks (J&B) division. His last post at Diageo was as Scotch Whisky Director, which he held for 5 years. During the past year he served as the Master of Worshipful Company of Distillers, spearheading many industry and charitable initiatives. 

Daniel Szor, founder and CEO, Cotswolds Distillery commented: “We are very honoured to have such a highly respected industry veteran as Richard join our board. I’ve come to know him through the Distillers’ Company and have always been impressed by his great knowledge and drive. Richard will help us chart our course as we grow our market share and expand trade sales in whisky and gin.”  

Richard Watling added: “I am delighted to be joining fellow Liveryman Daniel Szor in this exciting venture. The foundations of this Distillery and brand are very strong, giving great potential for the future”. 

For more details on The Cotswolds Distillery please visit www.cotswoldsdistillery.com

NOTES: 

• The Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky, made using locally grown barley, gained early attention following three consecutive years rated as ‘Liquid Gold’ (94/100 points) in noted whisky writer Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.
• Prestigious accolades for the Cotswolds Dry Gin include ‘Best London Dry’ at the World Gin Awards 2016 and a Gold-Outstanding award at IWSC 2017. Difford’s Guide recently ranked the Gin as one of the top 20 Gins available in a survey of 450 brands.
• Cotswolds Dry Gin is on sale nationally and in over 23 countries.  Key national accounts include Waitrose, Majestic, Oddbins, Laithwaites, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, and Fortnum & Mason.
• The distillery has become a premier local attraction, offering tours and tastings daily, and receives nearly 30,000 visitors a year.  It represents an investment of nearly £7 million by the founder, backed by a group of passionate local investors, as well as its highly successful ‘Angels’ Share’ crowdfunding round in 2016.

https://youtu.be/ZxPUXy4xtaM

This is an absolute gem of a single barrel! A very recent addition to the JD line-up and it’s an absolute stunner of a bottle,  with such a high rye content, you’ expect this whisky to be as varied as something such as Bulliet Rye or Sazerac, but no, this Rye fills it’s own unique place in the American whisky market. Delicate and balanced with winter spices with subtle notes of caramel and vanilla, this is a real stand out, especially at £50 a bottle! JD have done a cracking job with this product and I’m beyond impressed with every element of this bottling. Cheers!

KWM Whisky Advent Day 13 – Gordon Macphail Balblair 10 Year

Balblair is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries. The official founding of the distillery was in 1790, by a local man named John Ross. There are records though that indicate the distillery may have been operating on its original location, as far back as 1749. Built near Edderton, the original distillery was moved a half a mile north in 1895, to make better use of the Inverness to Ardgay rail line. The distillery operated until 1911 when tough economic times forced its closure. It would not reopen until 1949.

The distillery was expanded twice in the 20th century, to take advantage of the boom in demand for Scotch whisky in the 1960s and 1970s. A major expansion took place in 1964, followed by extensive improvements in the 1980s. The distillery was owned by Hiram Walker from 1970 until 1996. In 1996 the distillery was sold to Inverhouse Distillers, who already owned Old Pulteney and Knockdhu (anCnoc) Distilleries. They would later add Balmenach before that firm was itself sold to a beverage industry giant now known as Thai Beverage Inc.

Like Glenrothes, Balblair distillery bottlings don’t have an age statement range, instead releasing its whiskies in vintages. Independent bottlings of Balblair are increasingly rare, exception today’s Gordon Macphail Balblair, the only other whiskies available from this distillery in Alberta the distillery bottled vintages of 2005, 1999, 1990 and 1983. All of the whiskies are bottled at 46%, without artificial colouring. The Gordon Macphail bottling we are sampling today is from the Macphail’s Collection range, bottled at 43% after maturing in Refill Ex-Bourbon.

About the Gordon Macphail “Macphail’s Collection” (Courtesy Gordon Macphail): At the very heart of our business lies the sample room; its contents, the sum of over a century of experience maturing and bottling the finest Scotch whisky. We regularly sample the contents of our casks to make sure they are maturing well, only bottling them for sale when we believe they are truly ready. This approach to cask curation means we know exactly how spirit with a specific distillery character matures in different styles of oak. Using this knowledge, which has been handed down through four generations of the Urquhart family, we created ‘The MacPhail’s Collection’: a selection of seven unique distilleries from across Scotland; providing the perfect starting point for a spirited journey to discovering the outstanding diverse flavours of single malt Scotch whisky.”

Gordon Macphail Balblair 10 Year – 43% – Refill Ex-Bourbon Barrels – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: honey and orange strike out first with a slight maritime hue and almost, curiously, some clean smoke; malty, dried apricots and peach eau de vie. Palate: thick, honeyed and malty; oily and then bang… a wave of fruit: orange, apricot and peach; more salt and a whiff of smoke with some creamy-vanilla-oak-tones; very savoury with salted caramel. Finish: light and fresh the oils, salt, honey hang on even after the fruit has vanished. Comment: seems light but it catches you a bit by surprise; very fresh!” – $90 for 700ml

KWM Whisky Advent Day 12 – Tullibardine Sovereign

Tullibardine was founded in the old town of Blackford in 1949, a few miles down the road from the storied Gleneagles golf course. Though the distillery is relatively new by Scottish standards, the town of Blackford has been in the drinks business for 6^th centuries. Situated just a few miles from the Ochil Hills, the town has long been blessed with pure, clean water, perfect for making beer. James IV famously made a visit to the town as a teenager in 1488, to acquire a cask of ale for his coronation. Legend holds the town, situated at a ford on the River Allan earned its named when Hellen, Queen to King Magnus, drowned in a storm.

The current Tullibardine distillery is the second to bear the name. The first operated for a year beginning in 1798 and again between 1814 and 1837. Though the distillery didn’t take hold the town remained a prominent brewing center with a maltings and three breweries. The Gleneagles Brewery was the last of these to close in 1927. William Delme-Evans, the mid-20^th Century’s most famous distillery designer bought the old Gleneagles site in 1949 and set about opening Scotland’s first new distillery in half a century.

The distillery was built to supply young malt whisky for blending, and it was brought into service at the very beginning of the 20^th Century’s first whisky boom. Over the course of the next 44 years it served as a workhorse of the rapidly expanding blended whisky market, changing hands a number of times until it was acquired by Whyte & Mackay in 1993. The following year they mothballed it, a decade into the crises which had closed nearly half of Scotland’s distilleries. It would lay silent for just under a decade. In 2004 the distillery and its buildings were purchased by a consortium of investors.

A lot of work was needed to get the distillery and buildings up to speed. Some of the site was sold off for a commercial development to raise cash. Much of the whisky was found to be matured in sub-standard casks, so it was re-racked into an assortment of fresh new barrels. The years between 2004 and 2011 may well be looked upon as the golden age of Tullibardine. Many stunning old whiskies were bottled, all of them at cask strength or at the very least 46%. There was a core range of vintages and young wine finishes. The distillery was seemingly on a roll, and then it was sold!

In 2011 the French wine and spirit group Picard took over. They have done much good for the distillery, including recently opening its own cooperage. The portion of the site originally sold off as a retail park, which had failed by the middle of this decade, was bought back by Picard, and is now being repurposed for the distillery. But they made one crucial decision that has not sat well with me over the last five years. Tullibardine had been a proud proponent of bottling their whiskies at either cask strength or failing that, 46%. The distillery bottled loads of single casks and one off bottlings. They also experimented with different casks types and finishes. Picard dropped all of the single casks and one off in favour of a core range, and cut the strength of all of the whiskies to 43%. The whiskies are still good (especially the 20 and 25 year olds), but it has been quite a while since they were great.

Tullibardine Sovereign – 43% – Matured in First Fill Ex-Bourbon – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: creamy, floral and nutty; lots of almond, lush tropical vegetation just after the rain and chunky malt; becomes more honeyed as it opens with marzipan and candied lemon. Palate: fresh, floral and crisp; this is the tart sauvignon blanc of single malt whiskies; more dewy tropical vegetation; white pepper, Marcona almonds and French croissants filled with almond paste. Finish: light, clean and on the medium-short side of things. Comment: young but fresh and crisp; I really wish they would go back to bottling at 46%!!! – $65 for 700ml

Inver House Distillers Drives Sustainability with £3 million Biogas Investment at Balmenach

Balmenach, one of Speyside’s oldest whisky distilleries and the home of Caorunn Scottish Gin, is set to become one of Scotland’s greenest distilleries with the announcement today (Thursday 7^th December) that work has started on a £3 million biogas project to significantly reduce the site’s carbon footprint.

Inver House Distillers has commissioned a new anaerobic digestion system, which breaks down the co-products of whisky production using micro-organisms to produce clean, methane-rich biogas to power the site.

The new technology will integrate with Balmenach’s existing wood-pellet biomass boiler, and once complete, the combined system will generate enough renewable steam and electricity to meet 100 per cent of the Distillery’s energy requirements with a surplus of electrical energy supplied to the grid.

When operational in summer 2018, approximately 130m³ of whisky co-products (pot ale and spent lees) will be processed to produce 2,000m³ of biogas each day, feeding a combined heat and power engine which will supply 200kW of power and 230kW of heat.

Located near Grantown on Spey and one of Inver House Distillers’ five malt whisky plants, Balmenach is on track to produce 2 million litres of whisky for the blended Scotch market in 2018. The site is also the home of Caorunn, one of the fastest growing Scottish gin brands.

As well as the benefits of reduced emissions, improved energy efficiency and reduced operational costs, Balmenach’s use of these technologies will significantly reduce heavy goods vehicle movements from its remote location in the Spey Valley. The new system will also return clean water to the nearby burn, and nutrient rich bio-solids to the land for barley farming in the Speyside region.

Commenting on the investment, Inver House Distillers’ Managing Director Martin Leonard said: ‘Inver House Distillers was an early champion of green distilling in Scotland, and sustainability and consideration for the environmental impact at each of our sites is at the heart of our business strategy. With this new investment at Balmenach we are using the very latest technology to further that commitment, working with the best partners in the business to help us achieve our environmental goals. It’s an exciting step in our journey and one that we know is recognised and appreciated, not just by the communities surrounding our distilleries, but by the drinkers around the world who enjoy our premium spirits. We also hope this investment will demonstrate how low carbon manufacture and clean growth are achievable, regardless of the size, location or output of the production site.’

A team of specialist suppliers has been recruited by Inver House Distillers to deliver the new system:

Synergie Environ, the Glasgow-based low carbon energy engineering company, is project managing the installation at Balmenach through all feasibility, planning, permitting, procurement and construction phases. Managing Director Uisdean Fraser commented: ‘We have a long-established working relationship with Inver House Distillers and have worked hard with the management team over a number of years to help this exciting AD project come to fruition. I commend the Inver House management team for their forward thinking and vision and we are delighted that they chose us to lead the project from outline concept through all development stages to the current construction delivery phase. We believe the project will deliver a malt whisky distillery which is powered entirely from renewable energy sources with the on-site combination of biomass for the primary heat source and electricity from the CHP powered by biogas from the anaerobic digestion plant.’

Clearfleau, the specialist provider of on-site biogas plants for the food and drink industry, is working with Inver House to design and build the new system. Craig Chapman, CEO, of Clearfleau, said: ‘Clearfleau is delighted to be working with Inver House Distillers to further reduce carbon emissions at Balmenach Distillery. Once complete, the on-site biogas plant will provide a more sustainable solution for its co-products, supplying renewable energy that will help reduce the distillery’s power and other costs. Based on recent projects, Clearfleau is now developing a more modular plant design, for more remote sites and export projects.’

Balcas operates the existing biomass steam system at Balmenach, which uses brites wood pellets produced from home grown Highland timber local to the Distillery to produce zero carbon steam for the Balcas system. In the past 2 years since installation, it has enabled Balmenach to reduce its carbon footprint by 10,000 tonnes. Ian McCracken, Balcas Business Development Director added: ‘As a company committed to renewables, Balcas is proud to be associated with Inver House’s aspiration to stay at the forefront of the drive to deliver long term economic, environmental and social sustainability. Our 4MW biomass steam system is capable of meeting the demand previously met by a much larger traditional heavy fuel oil boiler. Over the same period this has displaced 3.1 million litres of imported oil while still making the same great tasting whisky’ 

About International Beverage Holdings

International Beverage Holdings Limited is one of the industry’s most dynamic global drinks businesses. Established in 2006 as the international arm of ThaiBev, the company specialises in developing distinctive, premium local brands for global growth. The company’s portfolio includes the Inver House Distillers range of high quality Scotch whiskies and includes some of the fastest growing and most prestigious beers, spirits and whiskies on the market today. These high quality brands are enjoyed by consumers in over 85 global markets and include:

• Chang, Thailand’s iconic global beer brand
• Single Malt Scotch Whiskies: Old Pulteney, Balblair, anCnoc, Speyburn
• Blended Scotch Whiskies: Hankey Bannister, Catto’s, MacArthur’s
• Caorunn, a super-premium small batch distilled Scottish Gin infused with 5 Celtic botanicals
• Thai spirits: Phraya, Mekhong

International Beverage’s international operation is headquartered in Hong Kong, with two major bases in China and Scotland and a growing number of regional hubs around the world. The business is focused on the delivery of highly effective investment, sales and marketing strategies to produce brands of character, representing the care and craftsmanship of the people that make them – from the brewers of Chang Beer in Thailand, to the distillers of the fine single malt Scotch whisky Old Pulteney in the far north of Scotland. Crucially, the global development of every brand continues to be rooted in its home territory, supporting the company’s mission to build authentic brands of outstanding quality.

International Beverage is investing in ambitious growth across its global operation, employing over 850 highly skilled people across production, sales, marketing and finance, together forming an effective and expert international team.

The Whisky Exchange Whisky of the Year 2018

Whisky of the Year has gone global! For 2017 we opened up the awards to any bottle from across the world, provided it was not cask strength, below £60 and an ongoing release. Despite my repeated suggestions that we should hold the final somewhere warm and exotic to celebrate this momentous development, the event was once again held in The Rooms at Brown’s, just a hop and a skip from our Covent Garden shop.

On arrival we warmed up with a Claymore – not the Scottish two-handled sword, but rather the winning cocktail from the 2017 Speciality Drinks Next Whisky Cocktail Classic Competition. Made from Chivas Regal 18 Year Old and Champagne cordial, it’s delicious and relatively easy to make at home – providing you ever have leftover Champagne with which to make the syrup…

So what were we looking for in the eight unidentified whiskies sat temptingly in front of us? Our Master of Wine Dawn Davies, who was presiding over the evening, gave us a few tips:

• don’t be swayed by big flavours
• look at the whisky’s balance
• consider how long you think about it afterwards
• look carefully at the finish
• taste a couple of whiskies to calibrate your palate before starting to give scores

Everyone in the room tasted each dram at the same time, giving us an opportunity to compare tasting notes and guess at the composition and origins of each whisky.

The drams

First up was Arran 14 Year Old, which won praise from the room for its grassy, coconut, vanilla and fruit notes, with some observing that it had a slightly tannic finish.

Nikka Coffey Malt followed, which one person said smelled like Kraken rum, while another said was a ‘grain whisky made with barley sugar’. People found it easy to drink, noting flavours of toffee, vanilla, and gooseberry, but overall this dram proved to be much less of a talking point than the Arran.

Third was Cragganmore Distillers Edition 2004, which many said had similar elements to number one. It also, however, had smoky, woody and red-fruit notes, alongside a rich velvety texture. ‘I always think of fabric in terms of texture’ said Dawn.

The next one… well. The next one was Green Spot Leoville Barton, a wine-finished single pot still whiskey which, from a tasting point of view, deservedly won a place in the final. Unfortunately, we belatedly discovered that it doesn’t meet our criterion of being an ongoing release, so we had to knock Green Spot off the top spot. Oops.

Number five was Benromach 15, in which the audience found notes of paprika, farmyards, smoke and Burgundy. As Billy observed, it was like the ‘inside of a flaming Crunchie bar’, which led us to wonder exactly what he gets up to in his spare time.

After a brief digression about chickens and Rudolf Steiner (it made sense on the night), Dawn led us on to sample whisky number six: Inchmoan 12 Year Old. By this point there was a lot of debate about which whiskies were Scotch and which weren’t. ‘It’s like Scotland being in the World Cup final,’ said one chap at my table, looking nervous. The Inchmoan, Loch Lomond’s peated spirit, was observed to have notes that ranged from nit shampoo to pot pourri, with a tannic and dry finish.

Next we were off to Islay for Bowmore 15 Year Old, which elicited quite a few ‘oooh’s when people lifted the glass to their nose. Notes identified included Bonfire Night, Marmite, red fruits and bacon, with one attendee commenting ‘it’s almost too delicate to be an Islay.’

Our last dram was Ailsa Bay, a peated Lowland whisky that wrong-footed people with its salty, leafy bonfire characteristics alongside sweet citrus, white pepper and smoked-salmon notes.

The winner

Jonathan Dimbleby was unavailable to present the pre-results coverage, so while we waited for Billy to count the votes we turned our attention to the bonus ninth dram. This one, however, wasn’t sampled blind: as our CEO Sukhinder told us, this was a Caol Ila 32 Year Old that had been selected as a show bottling for Whisky Show Old and Rare. (‘Holy sh*t’, commented someone at my table when the age and distillery were announced.)

While our focus for the eight finalist drams had been on balance, Sukhinder explained that this wasn’t always the most essential factor for independent bottlers. ‘Distillers look for something quite balanced, something that shows their character’ he said, ‘but what we’re looking for is something that tastes nice. Sometimes we’re looking for something that is perfectly balanced but sometimes you want something wild and flavourful. Overall we just look for a good whisky.’ The Caol Ila, in case you haven’t guessed, was very good indeed.

And the winner? The Whisky Exchange Whisky of the Year 2018 is Bowmore 15 Year Old, one of the two drams that were clear favourites with the audience. Runner-up is the striking Ailsa Bay, and thanks to our special offer, both are just £50 if you fancy seeing what all the – entirely justified – fuss is about.

The Macallan 18 Year Old Sherry Oak 2017

This 18 year old annual release from The Macallan has been matured in the finest sherry casks of both American and Spanish oak, and is extremely sought-after. Rich with dried fruits, spices, orange and woodsmoke.

£250 Buy Now

KWM Whisky Advent Day 11 – Shelter Point Single Malt

When Shelter Point whisky burst on to the scene with their Inaugural Run Single Malt last year, they took Canada by storm. At least Western Canada. We all knew it was coming, the first of the wave of BC Craft Distilleries to get a mature whisky to market. The Inaugural Run Single Malt, and the follow up, the Shelter Point Distiller’s Select Cask Strength (a single malt/rye hybrid) were both very well received. Shelter Point actually out sold Crown Royal Norther Harvest Rye, at least in our shop. This fall they have released two very interesting new releases: Shelter Point French Oak Finish and the Shelter Point Single Grain Montfort Lot DL 141.

Shelter Point Distillery was founded by Patrick Evans in 2011 in Oyster River BC. The distillery and the farm it sits on are located half way up the eastern coast of Vancouver Island. Patrick is a third generation farmer in the Comox valley, his family having been early pioneers in the area around the turn of the 20^th Century. In 2005 Patrick and his family bought a University of British Columbia research farm that was once owned by his father. The farm sits on fertile land, ideal for the growing of barley, and atop a large natural aquifer.

The farm covers 380 acres with 2 kilometers of oceanfront. The farm is run in as sustainable a manner as possible. In the Distillery’s Words: “We do not plow or cultivate the soils. Instead, we use a heavy-duty grain seeder that cuts through the previous year’s stubble, opening up the ground with a round disc and allowing new seed to be dropped in the soil and then covered for germination. We over-seed harvested fields with winter wheat, rye or winter peas to increase the organic matter in the soil and rebuild the soil naturally. This action also benefits the many visiting waterfowl who overwinter on the farm, and minimizes the potential of soil erosion during winter rains. On some fields, we also apply a heavy spring application of compost or manure.”

In 2009 when the decision was made to open a distillery, Patrick wanted to make sure they did things right. With the help of some Scottish investors and the Diageo veteran Mike Nicholson, a Vancouver Island transplant the distillery construction was completed in 2010, with the first distillation taking place in the spring of 2011 with barley grown on the farm. The distillery produced a range of vodkas and liqueurs while the early casks of whisky lay sleeping.

Shelter Point’s first single malt, the aforementioned Inaugural Run Single Malt, was released in May of 2016. We had early exclusivity on the product and were very impressed by its quality. Subsequent releases have not disappointed.

Shelter Point Single Malt – 46% – Matured in American Oak – Andrew’s Tasting Note: Nose: fresh, toasty and honeyed; a touch of sour orange opens into oatmeal-raisin cookies right out of the over and corn syrup; a touch vegetal and quite malty with aloe-like oils. Palate: still fresh, malty and honeyed; the corn syrup is still there with some simple syrup and melons; the orange note is drying with some Demerara sugar and Russian coffee dregs; still vegetal and floral with loads of toasty oak; the oatmeal-raisin cookies are still there, right out of the oven… not enough raisins though! Finish: clean, crisp and toasty; more malty tones, sugars and honey with a floral finale. Comment: more mature by a hair than the first release; further proof that they are on the right track! – $87 per 750ml or $12 per 50ml