Shelter Point Smoke Point Whisky
The acrid reek of burning peat is impossible to miss on a cold Islay morning. It clings to the clothes prompting some visitors to begin rolling their “r’s.” When Scotch whisky aficionados visit Islay, that’s all they want: peat, peat, peat.
Although oil and gas are now available, Ileachs oblige by drying their freshly malted barley the traditional way – over peat fires. On the sketchy premise that more is better, the nerdiest “peat-head” tourists memorize exactly how many ppm (parts per million) of phenol the resulting whiskies contain. Meanwhile, the peated whisky craze has driven prices to almost insane heights.
So, why are peated whiskies uncommon in other countries? Two reasons: Few places have easy access to the millennia-decayed, undisturbed plant material that the Scots call peat. And it simply does not occur to most distillers to find another way to imbue their whiskies with the smoky cresols and phenols left behind when peat is burned. This makes Shelter Point’s Smoke Point Whisky all the more remarkable.
The Shelter Point Distillery produces single malt and other whiskies from grain they harvest on one of Vancouver Island’s few remaining seaside farms. Those fields of grain mature just steps from two kilometers of Salish Sea beach, where each sea breeze brings it salty aromatherapy. When this grain is harvested though, it doesn’t hit the beach. Instead, it works on its golden tan, tucked away in various oak barrels in the distillery’s warehouse. You quickly notice that some of the barrels are considerably smaller than others. These hold coveted batches of Smoke Point Whisky.
Smoke by The Barrel
Smoke Point and a couple of other spectacular Shelter Point peaty cask-strength whiskies came to pass by lucky happenstance. The distillery team was shopping for barrels a few years ago when their broker mentioned they had former Laphroaig quarter casks for sale. They noted how, when Balvenie released its Islay Cask whisky a few years back, it was remarkably smoky.
Blenders already know it doesn’t take much peated whisky to make a peaty blend. Turns out the residues left in ex-Islay barrels are enough to make new whisky taste of peat reek too. Score! Shelter Point brought those former Laphroaig barrels home and got right to work.
They filled them with double distilled, malted and unmalted barley whisky that had already matured for five years in ex-bourbon casks. The whisky then spent an additional eighteen months in those Laphroaig casks soaking in memories of Islay. Released in 2019, the whisky, which they dubbed “Smoke Point,” was such a success that on August 12, 2020, they released another. Like the first batch this one is so Islay-esque you can close your eyes and think you’re in Scotland.
The Reek Of Smoke Point
A fragrant, peat-smoked nose is medicinal without overpowering, as if the whisky spent that year and a half bobbing for first aid kits in a campfire. Then, as hints of baled green hay waft over its Islay-influenced smolder, the smoke begins to clear, and grain surges to the fore making this Scotch-like whisky an all-Canadian, with its gorgeous sweetness on the palate.
Smoke Point glows with peppery spice, softened by buttery caramel and wood ash. Compared to the first version, batch 2 shows more creaminess, with softer cereal notes. The whisky evolves slowly on the palate, ultimately developing herbal licorice tones. Smoke Point’s Islay peat reek finally joins sweet spices and discreet earthy tones on a finish that stretches the length of that Shelter Point beach.
Small Batch – Big Flavour
One of the benefits of real small-batch whiskies is that the distiller is under no pressure to make every release look and taste alike. Instead, they work batch by batch to make each taste the best it can. For Smoke Point’s batch 2, this meant adjusting the abv from 55% down to 50% revealing more depth and complexity. It’s subtle, and connoisseurs will love it.
At 1,500 bottles each, batches are replenished only as the next one becomes ready. In this latest, Shelter Point captures another lingering glimpse of misty Islay, caressed by soft Salish Sea breezes and time under the warm Vancouver Island sun.