Shelter Point Evans Family Reserve
Oloroso Finish Canadian Malt Whisky | 46% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Meaty. Herbal. Dessert.
Reconnection.
Do you ever just keep reaching past a certain bottle, distillery, or category?
For me, that’s Canadian single malt. Sure, there are exceptions, such as my growing affinity for Anohka which I’ve written about many times and have many more unreviewed bottles sitting here, but in general, it’s been quite lackluster for a long time.
So I’m sitting here, on vacation at the lake with the kids and beautiful 30ºC weather in August, and I’m thinking about reconnecting with some Canadian single malt. For comparison, I brought along a SMOS 13 yo Mannochmore - a great refill hogshead creamy summer stunner, scoring a 7 on my scale, and a Millstone peated PX single cask for Canada.
Why the Millstone? Seems heavy for the summer right? With its heavy peat and uber sticky PX - well yes, it probably is, but it was along the same theme here: I reach past Millstone. But why Broddy, especially when you are a self-professed fanboy? Well it’s because I don’t want to drink the special releases and then won’t be able to replace it. In a writing and review slump a couple of months ago, I asked our Colonial group what I should review and our astute Murdo said why not Millstone? And I guess one of my reasons was that I didn’t want to hammer home a plethora of single distillery reviews to you. More on that later and expect some more Millstone in your future dear readers.
The Canadian whisky scene is an interesting beast and certainly at a cross-roads. Still dominated by the mega producers; sub-standard releases are claiming to be “rye” based, and branding is all over the place. There are some interesting small-scale people starting to do new and exciting things, turning out quality rye and single malts. Sons of Vancouver have been turning out some very fun rye whiskies, albeit at a dear price point. I’ve spoken about Anohka before, with their 2-year-old spirits shining bright with resounding 7/10 scores. Of the “older” original single malt producers in Canada, significant fervour was generated by both Shelter Point and Macaloney’s.
Shelter Point rode the wave and have now fizzled to a background murmur. They released two single malt single casks under SMWS, but haven’t released anything else. And I have it on good authority from a source that I trust, that those two SMWS bottlings were terrible whisky. I’ve reviewed a few of their whiskies here on Dramface and they have been good - but not exceptional.
Review
Shelter Point Evans Family Reserve, Oloroso Cask Finish, 2024 release, 46% ABV
CAD$80 paid (£32)
Since the fizzle and clamour has died down, they’ve quietly passed their 15 years in operation mark, a significant landmark in proving a business success and stability. Their core range is set, and small-batch special releases often fall under the Evans Family Reserve moniker, such as the one under the Broddyscope today.
Let’s dig in!
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Meaty. Herbal. Dessert.
Nose
Richly sweet. Unctuous maple syrup, melted brown sugar and butter; candied walnuts. Fried chorizo and fennel.
Palate
Sage brown butter. Chorizo sausage. High proof maple syrup anyone? Butter tarts. Candied walnuts. The finish is long and a gentle decline, mainly because the flavours are stuck in all the nooks and crannies in your mouth with its buttery profile.
The Dregs
Speaking of another Canadian whiskymaker, and one that is going through another rebrand, is Macaloney’s Island Distillery - a neighbor to Shelter Point all things considered. Why talk about another distillery when it’s not linked to the Shelter Point we are discussing today? Well, it is an interesting counterpoint to Shelter Point, who have stuck with their overall branding and market position since their inception. Macaloney’s has gone through some rocky roads, a perfect depiction of the volatility and shifting tectonic plates of Canada’s whisky scene. I have never really jived with their spirit but with new investors brought on board and a new CEO placed in charge - one who never has dabbled in whisky before! Strange circumstances indeed but the result is all that matters, although I am left wondering about the direction. For example, here is the renamed core-range:
Bang Sauce (single malt)
Truth Serum (single malt)
Harvest Coast (single malt)
Triple Take (tripled distilled pot still-style)
Bang Sauce? Really?
I’ll admit, my mind went to a far different place (more adult themed) than the new CEO’s description that it represents a new fresh start for the brand/distillery; just like when she was younger and cut her hair into bangs after a break-up with a partner. I kid you not. So, is new-and-hip going to win against timeless? I know where I’d hang my hat.
In all fairness, the above was my external view on their recent changes, primarily through social media; however, if you want a really deep dive on the peculiarities and goings-on around Macaloney, I highly recommend you read Claire Vokins’s incredibly thorough and well researched article.
So there you have it, a brief synopsis of the excrement show that is Canadian whisky, from a Canadian. I’ll wager that the timeless, classic, and far more simple whiskies like those created by Anohka and Shelter Point will weather the storm well enough to survive through to the other end.
Even when they release a slightly out-there small-batch release like this Oloroso cask finish with its unique combinations of herbal, meaty, and very sweet aspects.
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. BB
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