Campbell River distillery casks single malt whisky for science - Port Alberni Valley News
Scotland has earned its whisky preeminence, but Campbell River’s Shelter Point Distillery is also on the world stage for its premium single malts, harnessing the craft’s tradition in a coastal Canadian. . .
Scotland has earned its whisky preeminence, but Campbell River’s Shelter Point Distillery is also on the world stage for its premium single malts, harnessing the craft’s tradition in a coastal Canadian way. “Whisky” originates from Scottish Gaelic, translated from Latin’s aqua vitae or “water of life. ” In the 1960s, Scotland casked the first bottle of single malt: “single” meaning one distillery, and “malt” referring to the way barley is processed prior to fermentation. This process is what gives single malt its uniquely complex taste and feel. Most Canadian whiskies are made with rye, but Shelter Point has been tapping into the art and science of single malt barley, distilling a tradition that hitherto dwelt mainly in the realm of Scotland. Shelter Point has been selected to participate in an international research project called the 8 Continent Series, where global distilleries cask special editions of single malts for the purpose of scientific advancement. This endeavour is a collaboration between Cask World company founder Daniel Monk and Brazilian food scientist Dr. Aline Bortoletto’s research team at INOBEV. Their mission is to study “world whiskies” (those made outside Scotland and Ireland) to better understand how different climates influence both the beverage’s profile and its production. For Monk, the inspiration came from a love of whisky, working with distilleries around the world, and a growing curiosity. “The same question kept coming back to me: how does place shape flavour? We know maturation conditions matter, but when you start looking at whisky aging environments as different as Antartica, Brazil, India, South Africa and Vancouver Island, the question became even more interesting,” said Monk. Shelter Point is a unique from a research standpoint in that it will be supplying the series with a “farm to flask” whisky made exclusively with barley grown on its own land and water from its own underground aquifer. “There are relatively few true farm-to-bottle whisky distilleries, and the fact they grow their own barley on Vancouver Island, distil on site and mature whisky beside the coast, makes them particularly interesting,” said Monk. General manager Stephen Goodridge says the distillery is proud to represent North America in the 8 Continent Series, as this will be Shelter Point’s first time making whisky purely from their own barely. “There will be something unique about our barley,” said Goodridge. “We’ve never really tested it in depth, but there will be something slightly different because of where it’s grown, the soil, the conditions, the close proximity to the ocean, and our own water. ”Elevation, temperature, and latitude all influence the distilling process. Campbell River more is southern than Scotland but is similar in climate, which means whisky can age longer than hotter regions. This allows Shelter Point to mature whisky in stages — first in Kentucky bourbon barrels before transferring to casks of white oak, or ones that once held wine or sherry — which all influence the final taste. While the climate impacts distillation, people also play a role in how a single malt is perceived. “The joy of whisky is what I like to call ‘flavour without context,’” said Shelter Point’s brand experience manager Chris Read. “In these glasses of amber liquid, there is a huge range of flavours, and your brain is going to have to work hard to work out, ‘what is it I’m tasting?’ The eyes are giving no clue. ”The whisky sipper then adds the final ingredient. “Tasting notes are autobiographical. The flavours will bring you back to a time when you tried something similar. It could be a really evocative memory, like apple pie. Obviously there’s no apple pie, but it’s reminding you of a time when you sat at your grandma’s table and she baked apple pie. You’ve got the slightly spicy, the sweetness, the vanilla, and that’s the memory. That particular flavour, that’s unique to you,” Read said. The regional diversity of the 8 Continent Series—Canada, Wales, Brazil, Argentina/Antartica, South Africa, India, Tasmania and Zealandia—will make each contribution distinct. “Whisky can tell you something about where it comes from and the people who made it. That’s a large part of makes world whisky so fascinating to me,” said Monk. “There is ‘sheep dung’ smoked whisky in Iceland due to a limited supply of trees. In New Zealand, malt is placed over wood from the Manuka tree and smoked. Pomegranate is a popular fruit in Israel used to make wine; there, we find maturing whisky in barrels previously filled with pomegranate wine. ”Shelter Point has been bottled by the Scottish Malt Whisky Society and has won gold medals at the World Whisky Awards as well as several Canadian Whisky Awards. To learn more about Shelter Point Distillery, visitshelterpoint. ca. To keep up with the 8 Continent Series and to learn more about world whisky, follow Daniel Monk on Instagram @caskworld.