Located in Oyster River on the east coast of Vancouver Island, Shelter Point has been using traditional Scottish distilling methods since 2011 to make their exceptional handcrafted artisanal spirits. Patrick Evans and his team see themselves as stewards of the land. They have implemented an environmental enhancement plan designed to care for the wetlands, forests, and wildlife on their 380-acre property. They are working to bring health back to their soils by increasing organic matter, and they are reestablishing wetlands to encourage fish and waterfowl to return to their old creeks.
Their approach to distilling is to prioritize quality over quantity and to source locally whenever possible. Shelter Point is one of only a handful of distilleries who grow their own barley and distill and mature on the same site. The whisky is aged within a few hundred yards of the ocean, and the salty air imparts unique flavour that is the essence of Vancouver Island. Patrick went straight to the source of high-end equipment, enlisting the Scottish experts Forsyths to build their copper pot stills. The barrels used for maturation are hand selected American oak barrels from top Bourbon producers in Kentucky. The result is unique spirits the reflect the land and people who craft them.
At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Shelter Point halted their whisky distillation so that they could make hand sanitizer for front line workers in healthcare and retail. In the first two weeks of production, the distillery produced over 4000 litres of hand sanitizer, all of which they provided to front line workers for free. Now, they continue to produce hand sanitizer alongside their award-winning whiskies.
The Collective
A special blend of 5 casks, each chosen by one of the distillery employees. This is a fruity whisky with notes of vanilla and cinnamon.
Double Barrel #5
First aged in blackberry wine barrels from Coastal Black, then in American and French oak barrels for 6 years. This whisky tastes of black forest cake, toffee, and treacle – dessert in a bottle!
Craft Single Malt Whisky
Traditionally distilled in copper pot stills and aged in American oak that layers in aromas of vanilla and coconut with caramel and tropical fruit.
