Scotch Malt Whisky Society 152.1

Tasting Notes

SMWS Tasting Panel's tasting note:  "The nose was attractively sweet – caramel log, vanilla toffee and syrup-glazed pear tart but also with a vibrant side of lemon squeezed over straw, sea air and various spices (ginger, cinnamon, star anise). The neat palate seemed feisty and punchy – still sweet, with dark chocolate, marzipan, chocolate limes and Lebkuchen, but with penetrating citrus, pepper and wasabi on the finish.

The reduced nose had boiled sweets in a paper bag, white pepper on raspberries and some burlap. The palate now  became zingy and lip-tingling – lemon drops, herbal liqueur, coffee grounds, amaretto, ginger cake and pine – full of character and vigour!"

Distillery

Originally written by Evan for blog posts relating to our 2019 KWM Whisky Calendar.

Located on a farm halfway between Comox and Campbell River on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Shelter point has been laying down spirit in casks to eventually become whisky since June of 2011. They grow and harvest much of the barley used from their own farm.

Patrick Evans is a third-generation farmer whose family has been farming in the Comox Valley of British Columbia since the turn of the 20th Century. He is now joined in the business by at least one of his three daughters and his son-in-law Jacob. Patrick purchased the land that is now Shelter Point Farm and Distillery in 2005. Situated along the coast of Vancouver Island where the Oyster River meets the sea, it was formerly a University of British Columbia research farm with a large dairy barn. That dairy barn now serves as cask warehousing and barley storage.

Construction on the distillery began in 2009, with the first spirit running in 2011. As with many other new and small-scale distilleries, white spirits provided some cash flow until the first whiskies were ready for sale. The first single malt, a 5-year-old, was released late in 2016. It was a big hit.

In a somewhat backwards move compared to other craft distilleries that have popped up in the time since Shelter Point began making whisky, the distillery just started releasing their own Shelter Point Gin in the summer of 2019.

Consistent distillation and constant experimentation are to be the name of the game for Shelter Point Distillery. They have been releasing very good single malt whisky since 2016, and the lineup has grown to include limited batches in different styles since then including both wine cask finishes and peated cask finishes among others. There always seems to be something exciting going on at Shelter Point, and we feel very fortunate to get as many of their releases as we do at Kensington Wine Market. 

Independent Bottler

As a member, you will join over 27,000 other members around the world who, like our whiskies, are altogether unique. Only members can purchase SMWS whiskies (please note we are not a Scotch-of-the-Month club); you'll join a family of whisky adventurers who appreciate that their whisky discoveries taste better when shared.

SMWS Canada offers a variety of whiskies, and sometimes other spirits, every month.  Our exclusive retail partners, including Kensington Wine Market, host tastings of our new releases every month, and members get advance notice and a discount on the ticket price.

Also available exclusively to members is Unfiltered, our award-winning online magazine that is guaranteed to provide you with fascinating insights into The Society and its events, and the world of single malt whisky.

Members also gain access to Members' Rooms in Edinburgh, Leith, London and elsewhere, and receive a discount at SMWS Partner Bars around the world.

A Club With Personality - Who Are We?

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is a club unlike any other. Since we were formed in 1983, we've believed in doing things differently. We seek out whisky in its purest form, we prize flavour above everything else, and we're united and constant in our passion - to share the world's best whiskies, to bring them to life, and to make you proud to belong to the world's most colourful whisky club.

Our Beginnings

"The people who said it couldn't be done were so dull" - Pip Hills, Society Founder

Our Society grew out of a few individuals' irrepressible spirit of discovery and adventure, which still drives us today. Inspired by the unique character of a cask of single malt whisky, purchased over 30 years ago from a Speyside distillery, this pioneering group of friends founded the Society in 1983 to buy more casks and share their discovery with like-minded adventurers.

What We Do

Each of our whiskies must pass the uncompromising noses of our expert Tasting Panel – a secretive group of independent whisky connoisseurs from all walks of life – before being deemed worthy of an iconic Society green bottle. The exploration of flavour and sharing our discoveries is what we're all about. Our members enjoy exclusive access to our hand-picked whiskies from over 140 distilleries in Scotland and beyond. We bottle them at cask strength and offer a constant variety. How you drink them is entirely up to you.