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1257 Kensington Road NW
1 (403) 283-8000 / atyourservice@kensingtonwinemarket.com
$34.99
The first permanent whisky release from Eau Claire Distillery. Rupert's Whisky is a Blended Canadian whisky bottled at 40%.
Eau Claire is Alberta's first modern craft distillery. It was founded in 2013 and resides in Diamond Valley, Alberta.
Producer Description
"Whisky that’s a little out there. From our signature moose to every drop in this bottle, Rupert’s Exceptional Canadian Whisky is a study in Canadian character—bold, smooth…out of the ordinary."
750ml mlEvan's Tasting Note
Nose: Pine needles, lemongrass, vanilla beans, coffee creamer, plus buttered toast and cinnamon. Also, a dash of leather along with lumber racks and oak casks aging away in a quiet warehouse.
Palate: Oily with fruit and spice notes - cinnamon, candied ginger, ripe lemon, fresh peaches (pit and all), toasted almond shavings, and a bit of rock candy sweetness.
Finish: Zesty lemons stick around along with a touch of spicy ginger and a lingering sweet note to balance it all out.
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!
$35.99
A classic Canadian whisky, and the top-selling Canadian whisky in the US. It was created to celebrate King George VI's grand tour of Canada in 1939. A bottle of Crown Royal was placed in the Royal train to symbolize hardworking Canadian people. Crown Royal has a light amber colour, with floral, buttery, vanilla and peach aromas. On the palate, it has a hint of sweet peach flavours with wood notes and a dry finish.
$45.99
Signal Hill Whisky is a bit of a mystery. There are a few things around the internet saying that it is distilled in Newfoundland, but more delving reveals that it is likely created from whisky sourced from one distillery (possibly the Hiram Walker Distillery of Windsor, Ontario) or more, then blended and bottled in Newfoundland. It may or may not be a brand owned by a company that also makes Crystal Head Vodka, which in turn is partially owned by Dan Aykroyd. Make sense?
Bottled at 40% ABV. OR SO THEY SAY.
Just kidding. We are fairly certain at least that part of the label can be trusted.
Producer Description
"Signal Hill Whisky is made from two types of grain. The corn whisky is double distilled through a two-column still to produce a light and smooth characteristic. The barley whisky is pot distilled to bring out a subtle bready, nutty or malt flavour. Multiple layers of flavour are preserved through non-chill filtration, resulting in a fuller mouthfeel and smoother finish."
$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%.
