Disclosure: These samples were given to me by Shelter Point for review.
Shelter Point Artisanal Single Malt Whisky
Specs
ABV: 46%
Age: Minimum 5 years
Recipe: 100% malted barley
Distiller: Shelter Point
Country/Region: Canada/British Columbia
Price Paid (MSRP): N/A ($65 CAD / 750ml)
Tasting Notes
Nose: Ocean salt, orange zest, grass, vanilla, an odd plasticky artificial note, honey, tropical fruit: mango and pineapple.
Palate: Medium to thick mouth feel, quite nice with a weightiness to it, vanilla, orange creamsicle, almonds, salt, black pepper spice and apricot.
Finish: Medium length, fruity, some grains here, vanilla and more apricot.
Rating: 75/100 – Great | Well above average
This is a really nice malt. There’s a ton of fruitiness to it, especially for an ex-bourbon barrel maturation. It has a really unique profile as well with a lot of vanilla and seems to drink above its age. The only thing I don’t love is that one artificial note on the nose (it’s barely present on the palate), but it’s a minor nitpick on an otherwise great malt.
Shelter Point Double Barrel Whisky Batch #6
Specs
ABV: 46%
Age: 6 years in ex-bourbon and 99 days in ex-blackberry wine French oak casks
Recipe: 100% malted barley
Distiller: Shelter Point
Country/Region: Canada/British Columbia
Price Paid (MSRP): N/A ($74 CAD / 750ml)
Tasting Notes
Nose: Blackberry jam and vanilla, brine, oak, more of that plastic, cinnamon, and plum.
Palate: Medium to thick mouth feel, very rich and fruity but in an almost artificial way, blackberries, chocolate, the back half is a bit too cloyingly sweet for my taste.
Finish: Medium to long length, more plastic note, heavy on the dark fruits and then finishes with a nice oak spice and mild tannins.
Rating: 67/100 – Good | Better than average
This one is strange and not my favorite from Shelter Point. While it’s a well done cask finish, I just don’t love how the cask plays with their malt. The mouth feel is excellent and on paper a blackberry finish should be a home run, but unfortunately I find it overly sweet and emphasizing that one artificial off note that I do not enjoy. It does seem to get better the longer it sits, but Double Barrel #6 is a bust for me when compared to their Artisanal Single Malt
Shelter Point The Forbidden Whisky Batch #2
Specs
ABV: 47%
Age: 6.5 years
Recipe: 100% malted wheat aged in ex-bourbon barrels
Distiller: Shelter Point
Country/Region: Canada/British Columbia
Price Paid (MSRP): N/A ($74 CAD / 750ml)
Tasting Notes
Nose: A much more subtle nose compared to the first two. Honey, oak, melon, pineapple, vanilla, mint, and floral notes.
Palate: Medium mouthfeel with a lightness to it. It’s fruity, but with a different style than the other two bottles, instead bringing cantaloupe and strawberries. A ton of vanilla and floral notes come through followed by mint, caramel sweetness, and some pepper and baking spices.
Finish: Short to medium length, lingering spice, a pop of mint, vanilla, and some more oak.
Rating: 76/100 – Great | Well above average
Weird! But it’s actually really good. The malted wheat with all its vanilla, mint, and melon notes makes for a wild ride that somehow comes together as a cohesive whisky. I think I’d put The Forbidden as a close second to The Collective for my favorite Shelter Point release. I really can’t think of another whisky I’ve tasted that would be remotely comparable in profile. I’d love to see some more experimentation with malted wheat, it seems to have a lot of unique flavor potential.
