Among Canada’s provinces, it’s widely recognized that Alberta possesses some of the nation’s best grain. In Rupert’s Exceptional Canadian Whisky by Eau Claire Distilery, a base whisky is married with their single malt to create an expression that showcases the local terroir within a bottle.
A ‘Farm Certified Distillery’, Eau Claire “hand hones” each batch of their spirits, which are stated to vary slightly from year to year, as the flavour of the grain directly correlates to the evolving terroir of the farm. Non-chill filtered and with no added coloring, Rupert’s taste profile is stated to pay homage to it’s unique natural Turner Valley, Alberta environment.
APPEARANCE: Rusted caramel.
NOSE: Aromas of pear, rainwater, cherry and butterscotch leap out first. Undertones of oak, salt, sugared violet and a whiff of forest vegetation present after. At times I detect the essence of an old wood ‘cottage’ cabin.
PALATE: Smooth, but not unbelievably so. Off-dry sweetness. Maritime salinity and cooked lemon rind pop up early. Tart cherry tea, charred applewood and a fruit-essence pipe tobacco appear late on the palate. At times this reminds me of a younger Speyside Scotch.
FINISH: Medium-long and warming. A still slightly Maritime finish with charred oak, dark fruit and bitter anise.
ABV: 40%
AGE: NAS
CASK(S): Undisclosed.
ENJOY: On ice, in a cocktail, but also neat.
RATING:
Maritime salinity and cooked lemon rind pop up early. Tart cherry tea, charred applewood and a fruit-essence pipe tobacco appear late on the palate. At times this reminds me of a younger Speyside Scotch.“
Conclusions
The vintage-styled front label of Rupert’s Exceptional Canadian Whisky prominently features Rupert – a dapper dandy of a Canadian moose. It’s a nod to Rupert’s Land, which was a term once used (1600s to 1800s) for a giant swath of Canadian landmass which included present-day Alberta. Interestingly enough, the label design and bottle of this particular whisky are implicative of one of the many old mid-20th century ‘Best Procurable’ Scotch whisky expressions once sold by The Hudson’s Bay Company. The HBC once dominated Rupert’s Land commercially.
Though there are more approachable Canadian whiskies to be found out there, the taste of Rubert’s is indeed ‘exceptional’ in it’s outlier uniqueness, as it’s a heady melange of salt, dark fruit, smoke, wood and earth; an overall essence that effectively paints a picture of the local Alberta terroir for it’s imbiber.
With the aromas of a wood cabin and the intermittent taste of pipe tobacco, this is indeed a very Canadian expression. Pair it with The Tempus Natural by Alec Bradley, a medium-to-full bodied cigar.
See more Canadian Whisky Reviews
– Kurt Bradley
Kurt Bradley is the founder of The Gentleman’s Flavor, to which he is also a contributing editor, host and curator.
Kurt is a certified Whisky Ambassador accredited by The Scotch Whisky Association and has achieved Level 2 Award in Wine & Spirits Education Trust with distinction.
He can be reached at info@thegentlemansflavor.com
