Shelter Point Sunshine Liqueur

 “You don’t have to make whisky in paradise, but it helps.” Looking over the 380-acre farm that surrounds Shelter Point Distillery, this observation by the people who built and run the thriving distillery becomes an epiphany.

Where is Shelter Point?

While the post office puts Shelter Point in Campbell River, a town of about 35,000, half-way up the east side of Vancouver Island, in truth, the distillery sits on the outskirts of Oyster River, BC, population 1,500, and a good 20 minutes south of Campbell River. 

Since 2011, when the first drops of whisky spirit ran off its copper pot stills, Shelter Point has built quite a following in Canada while also gaining international renown for its single malts, single grain whiskies and blends. So, it is not surprising that in 2016, when they turned their hand to making liqueur, they chose to use that same two-row malted barley spirit as the base. 

With snow-capped mountains in the background and bounded on one side by the blissful Oyster River itself, and on another by 2 miles of pristine Salish Sea beach, Shelter Point Distillery is uniquely well-situated to capture sunshine in a bottle. 

Tasting Liquid Sunshine

And what does that sunshine taste like? Think Cointreau with its orangeness integrated into deep maple tones and with Cointreau’s blistering heat subdued. Perhaps its malty cereal and herbal notes remind us more of Grand Marnier, but again without Grand Marnier’s searing pepperiness and with distinct maple-soaked sweet red plums. Maybe a hint of Sambuca emerges just on the finish, but with Sambuca’s unctuous sweetness and licorice notes softened into something almost like tamari. 

Comparisons aside, Shelter Point’s Barrel of Sunshine fairly bursts with honey, maple, mandarin orange and sweet vanilla. Maple sugar candy and a restrained spiciness lead to a warm glow on the finish as the maple notes surge to the fore, along with juicy canned Mandarin oranges and a lovely hot peppery zip. A complex blend of sweet citrus fruits, exotic spices and a touch of star anise rewards the palate until zesty orange peel slowly washes everything into a lingering finish. 

This soothing delight more resembles spring beach sun unmasking the year’s first freckle than the scorch of summer noon in Alice Springs. Perhaps that’s one reason Australia has so taken to Shelter Point’s Barrel of Sunshine. 

The formula is simple. Infuse single malt whisky spirit with orange, maple syrup and spices, and maybe, as the bottle suggests, sunsets and sea air. You don’t have to live in paradise to make a great whisky liqueur, but if you want to capture sunshine in a bottle, it certainly does help.