about shelter point black tail rye
Shelter Point’s Black Tail brings a rye-led blend to a distillery best known for single malt. Made with British Columbia-grown rye and barley, it combines the distillery’s harvest rye with other house whiskies and is bottled at 46% ABV without added color or chill filtration. The name nods to the Columbian black-tailed deer, native to the coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest and a fitting namesake for a whisky made in the heart of Vancouver Island.
behind the bottle
Established in 2011, Shelter Point sits on a seaside farm in Oyster River, on Vancouver Island’s eastern coast. Its fields, forests, wetlands and shoreline are shared with wildlife, including black-tailed deer. Farming remains central to the distillery’s identity, with barley grown on the property used for its estate whisky and head distiller James Marinus bringing decades of local farming experience to the operation.
flavor camp taste profile
key flavor notes
production details
Canadian rye whisky
Shelter Point Distillery
Campbell River, BC, Canada
46% ABV
No age statement
BC-grown rye & malted barley (mash bill not disclosed)
Forsyth copper pot stills, 2 distillations
Ex-bourbon & new American oak
Not disclosed
$69.60 cad (2024), available direct from the distillery
what shapes the flavor
Two grains share the stage. Malted barley brings heather, honey, toasted hay and a pastry-like sweetness (think strawberry Danish), while rye contributes cherry, menthol, ginger and baking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Double distillation in traditional Forsyth copper pot stills from Scotland keeps the spirit rich and fruity, adding red apple and a playful bubblegum note. Ex-bourbon barrels and new American oak layer on vanilla and that Cinnamon Toast Crunch effect, with the new oak nudging the spice and white pepper forward. At 46% ABV, the finish is moderate, with menthol and a gentle sweetness.
house style
Shelter Point is a farm distillery on Vancouver Island’s east coast, using Scottish-made Forsyth copper pot stills. Its house style is rooted in single malt: fruity, honeyed and coastal, with a clean, elegant spirit that takes well to ex-bourbon and specialty casks. Black Tail Rye shows how that malt-driven DNA translates when rye joins the mash.
