Eau Claire Rupert's Exceptional Canadian Whisky 40%

For two centuries before 1870, the Hudson’s Bay Company owned an exceptionally rich tract of land which covered fully 1/3 of Canada. Called Rupert’s Land, the area included Turner Valley, in southern Alberta where Eau Claire Distillery is located. Southern Alberta barley, so highly prized by brewers and distillers, grows nearby and Eau Claire pays homage to Rupert's Land and Alberta terroir by turning that local bounty into liquid gold. 

For the past four years, batches of Eau Claire single malt whisky would sell out before distiller Caitlin Quinn could have another batch ready. With the launch of Rupert’s Exceptional Canadian Whisky, Eau Claire can finally meet year-round demand. Rupert's Whisky is a blend of Eau Claire single malts with Alberta base whisky from another distillery.

Rupert Who?

Rupert himself, incidentally, is the dapper moose pictured on the label. Eau Claire makes it a practice to link each of its spirits to a “social animal.” For example, the label of Eau Claire’s Prickly Pear Equinox includes an illustration of a Victorian-era horse and ox taking a break from their agrarian duties. Rupert’s bottle extends this tradition with its ever-so-Canadian moose.

“We love our moose and have had him as our main social animal since we started more than six years ago,” says distillery owner, David Farran. Indeed, a large portrait of Rupert is one of the first things you see when you step into the distillery. And now Rupert has his own whisky.

Rupert’s Exceptional Flavour

This flavourful blended whisky, rich in malty cereal notes, takes the palate on a journey from one end of the flavour spectrum to the other. Prune juice, fruity pipe tobacco, vanilla, maple sugar, ripe red apples, raspberries and scorched applewood saturate the nose, which soon turns to dried fruits, grapefruit juice, sweet sherry and wine gums. 

Fruit, spice and soft caramels introduce a creamy palate as salted chocolate, roasted nuts and fruitcake balance the peppery spice and tannic walnut skins that add strength to Rupert’s character. Pitchy half-burnt firewood rounds things out. 

The whisky finishes in a longish fade on hot spices, barrel tones and citrus pith, with some fleeting chocolate notes and a slight cleansing citrus bitterness on the way out.

Rupert’s Exceptional Canadian Whisky clearly draws its character from Eau Claire’s single malts, particularly Single Malt Batch 4.

Like most connoisseurs’ favourites, Rupert’s Whisky is non-chill filtered and has no artificial caramel colour added. Highly recommended. ★★★★½