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1257 Kensington Road NW
1 (403) 283-8000 / atyourservice@kensingtonwinemarket.com
$42.99
An Eau Claire whisky dedicated to/inspired by 'the greatest outdoor show on earth.' I kinda thought that was Andrew mowing the lawn without a shirt on, but hey... what do I know?
Eau Claire has called this whisky their 'nod to our western heritage.' Easy-drinking on its own, versatile enough to mix, and just a bit 'rugged' (their word). Neat little whisky.
40% abv
Producer Description
"A true cowboy-forward whisky with a spicy rye kick. Stampede Rye Whisky is made from the finest ingredients – glacier-fed water, Alberta-grown rye, finished in oak barrels – and inspired by the world’s greatest celebration of the West, the Calgary Stampede. True to ranch life, Stampede Whisky is a no-nonsense easy-sipper you can always depend on."
750 mlProducer Tasting Note
On the nose: nutmeg, malt, toffee, apricot
In your glass: chocolate, caramelized sugar, vanilla, oak, spice
Originally written by Evan in a blog post for KWM's 2019 Whisky Calendar. Updated in February 2025.
Time flies. Eau Claire Distillery in the Diamond Valley is now just about a decade in on the whisky game.
Let’s go back a few years. Eau Claire Distillery was originally founded in 2013 by David Farran, making it the first modern craft distillery to launch in Alberta after provincial government regulations were changed to make smaller-scale commercial distilling possible. It resides in Diamond Valley (the town was formerly known as Turner Valley, but was amalgamated with the nearby Black Diamond in 2023) within about an hour’s drive southwest of Calgary. The Distillery was installed in what was once Diamond Valley’s movie theatre and Dance Hall, a building that was originally built in 1929.
Eau Claire always planned to make whisky – more than that – they wanted to make whisky using grain from local fields when possible, even going old school and horse harvesting when they could. In order to do this, the distillery, of course, needed income, and to enable this they have been making Vodka, Gin, and other spirits, and even their own tonic water. This is party of the template for opening a distillery, and Eau Claire was the first craft distillery to do it in Alberta, though many others have followed since.
All of Eau Claire's products have been well-received both within Alberta and outside the province, not just their whisky. Their story and operation gets people to make the trek to the distillery itself as well, or at the very least to go see their booth at the Calgary Farmer’s Market. Caitlin Quinn, Eau Claire's Master Distiller, has been with the company since 2016 and has been the leader for just about all of their spirit and whisky releases.
So far, the future seems bright for the Eau Claire Distillery, so let's pour a glass of their Single Malt Whisky and offer them a toast before jumping into the glass ourselves!
$37.99
A new Rye from Alberta Distillers! With no press release or information or web page on the bottle to be found. What we can tell you is that it carries a stated age of 9 Years Old, and is made from 100% Rye Grain. Oh, and it is bottled at 45% ABV.
The back label does mention three barrel types used, but does not specify which types. It is from ADL, so the liquid should be good. Plus, the price is very reasonable if the quality is there.
If only this small, plucky Calgary Distillery was owned by a large spirits conglomerate that could afford to throw some money into marketing and entice us on what makes this bottle special... Sure, the same company owns a distillery on Islay that pointlessly co-brands some of their high-end single malts with a luxury car brand because they don't see the whisky as premium enough to sell on its own. That is just fine, but throwing a bit of a spotlight on one of the best rye distilleries in the world would be a bridge too far!
$69.99
From Vancouver Island's Stillhead Distillery, which is making some of the best rye whisky in Canada! Bottled at 46%, the Bartender's Rye is made from 100% BC-grown Rye grain and matured in American oak casks.
$91.99
This 15-year-old Canadian Club bottling is the first in a series which amps up the sherry cask influence on the iconic Canadian Whisky brand.
42% ABV
Producer Description
"First in the series, this one-time release whisky has all the hallmark notes of CC Classic 12 YO elevated to 15 years with the secondary aging in Oloroso sherry casks. The results are rich aromas of toffee, spice and subtle sweetness with warm and creamy flavours with mellow wood on the palate. Sip neat or over ice."
$27.99
The flagship Whisky from Alberta Distillers, which itself was founded in 1946. Alberta Premium has been a ubiquitous bottle in this province and others since it was first launched back in 1958. Made right here in Calgary, Alberta, this 100% Rye is priced like a bar rail whisky but is also quite a good whisky. It is a good introduction to what Alberta Distillers is capable of. 40%.
