B.C. distillery first in Canada to join prestigious Scotch Malt Whisky Society
A distillery on Vancouver Island is the first ever in Canada to be welcomed into the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.
Making a good whisky is a long game, taking years to see the benefits of ones work.
"You make it, you put it in a barrel and you wait," said James Marinus, head distiller at Shelter Point Distillery in Campbell River, B.C.
You let it age for five years, then give it a taste and hope your efforts have paid off. That’s exactly what Shelter Point Distillery began doing in 2011.
"Then five years later, we bottled it and released it," said Marinus.
It was good, just not Scotch whisky good.
"Well, the whisky that we’ve put together in the last few years have been great," said the head distiller.
Marinus is downplaying it, it’s the only Canadian Whisky to ever meet the high standards of the prestigious Scotch Malt Whisky Society.
The club is now exclusively selling a run of Shelter Point’s Single Malt to its members.
"Interestingly enough, Shelter Point didn’t – until a couple of days ago – realize how much of an honour this is," said Adam Bradshaw, whiskey curator at the Strath in downtown Victoria.
Bradshaw says it’s a huge deal that will give the island-based distillery worldwide exposure.
"This is not necessarily about selling more whisky but getting the global recognition of the quality of your whisky," said Bradshaw. "I think that is what is going to start people talking."
Shelter Point Distillery single malt Canadian Whisky is pictured at the Strath in downtown Victoria. (CTV News)The whisky comes from a single cask, retailing for around $250. Getting your hands on one of only 230 bottles isn’t easy.
Only five retail outlets carry the single malt in Canada – the Strath in Victoria being one of them.
"This is going to almost definitely go to a draw," said Bradshaw, pointing to the bottle of single malt. "You won’t be able to just buy this one, you’ll have to enter a draw for the rights to be able to buy it."
Not all hope is lost. In June, the distillery will be releasing a run of 10-year-old whisky, sold by retailers up and down Vancouver Island.
"Which will be some of the oldest whisky we’ve made," said Marinus.
That line of 10-year-old whisky will sell for around $90 a bottle. It’s expected that after the latest recognition from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society those bottles won’t last long on shelves.
"The whole goal is to make a good quality product," said Marinus.
"As time goes on you taste it for yourself and you go, 'well it tastes good to me,' and hopefully the rest of the world likes it," he said. "It turns out, they do."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.