Eau Claire Anniversary Single Malt Whisky (48%)

So how much are the U.S. President’s tariff threats affecting the behaviours of Canadian consumers? At this early stage, it’s hard to tell scientifically, but anecdotally they certainly seem to be having an impact. Just this past weekend, for example, a bourbon-loving friend of mine trotted out a high-end Canadian whisky he bought in place of his usual American spirit, saying that he thought it was time to explore Canadian whiskies in greater depth.

In this spirit, I am continuing my #TariffTimes reviews of Canadian spirits, today heading out west to sample another of our burgeoning number of splendid domestically-produced single malt whiskies.

For today’s #TariffTimes review, we travel to the Turner Valley just south of Calgary and Alberta’s Eau Claire Distillery. This is, of course, not the first time I have set my sights on Eau Claire spirits, and neither, I suspect, will it be the last. For this decade-old gem housed in three historic buildings on the main drag of town has been impressing Canada’s whisky literati for some time now, and having not just sampled several of their whiskies, but also having visited the distillery, I count myself among the impressed.

To celebrate their 10th anniversary last November, Eau Claire released this unique single malt whisky, with no age statement but the inference that it contains malts distilled over the company’s lifetime, finished – again, for an unspecified period – in sherry casks sourced from the centuries-old, family-owned Bodegas Ximénez-Spínola.

This richly copper coloured whisky offers plenty to consider on the nose, including immediate notes of Bing cherry backed by candied orange peel, milk chocolate, both raw and cooked vanilla, toasted oak, a touch of plum, and just a hint of cinnamon. Regardless of its age, or the ages of its constituent parts, this malt is possessed of an aroma that seems to be an impressive mix of youthful freshness and mature complexity.

The flavour displays similar attributes, with a vitality of a younger malt up front and the dry, complex finish of something more with more years behind it. The palate entry is bright with fruity notes, including cherry and orange, which seamlessly segues into a mid-palate of sultana raisins, hints of brown spice, a touch of dark chocolate, with a mature undercurrent of green apple showing before the rapidly drying, peppery finish.

Overall, this is a splendid sipping whisky, well suited to the shoulder seasons of late fall – when it was released – and early spring – which seems now but a distant aspiration – but certainly still sufficiently warming and satisfying for enjoyment in our present depths of winter.

92 ($150)