Newsletter
Sign up for our newsletter for information on our latest products and promotions.
Sign up for our newsletter for information on our latest products and promotions.
Please confirm that you are of legal age
to purchase alcohol in your region.
You currently have an active checkout session
open already, would you like to clear it?
1257 Kensington Road NW
1 (403) 283-8000 / atyourservice@kensingtonwinemarket.com
There was a lot of fanfare over Eau Claire’s first release of single malt last fall. The whisky was only available from the distillery and didn’t last long. When I approached them last winter about bottling some whisky for the Kensington Wine Market Whisky Advent Calendar they were very keen to participate. I assumed they would offer me some of Batch 002, but no, they did better than that. They held back stock of their inaugural single malt release to pour at events and over time. They rebottled some of Batch 001 into 50mls, just for our Calendar, and we are very grateful for that. Not everyone was able to try their first release of whisky, but everyone who gets a mini bottle can!
43% - Matured in New European, Ex-OIoroso Sherry and Refill Ex-Bourbon American Oak casks
Andrew’s Tasting Note
Nose: waxy with freshly peeled pears, white chocolate and Strawberry Twizzlers; floral and malty with a touch of wet slate and earth; lemon drops and a building fresh-floral-citrus character.
Palate: malty and fruity with vanilla, honey and caramel and more wet slate; a touch of peanut brittle and more freshly peeled pears; still a touch waxy with some green grasses and more lemon heavy citrus; the spirit is soft, sweet and fruity.
Finish: light with a medium length; the soft silky oils cling on to the palate long after the whisky is gone.
Comment: this is lovely for a 3-year-old, and shows great promise; can’t wait to see what a decade or more will do for it!
50 mlOriginally written by Evan in a blog post for KWM's 2019 Whisky Calendar. Updated in February 2025.
Time flies. Eau Claire Distillery in the Diamond Valley is now just about a decade in on the whisky game.
Let’s go back a few years. Eau Claire Distillery was originally founded in 2013 by David Farran, making it the first modern craft distillery to launch in Alberta after provincial government regulations were changed to make smaller-scale commercial distilling possible. It resides in Diamond Valley (the town was formerly known as Turner Valley, but was amalgamated with the nearby Black Diamond in 2023) within about an hour’s drive southwest of Calgary. The Distillery was installed in what was once Diamond Valley’s movie theatre and Dance Hall, a building that was originally built in 1929.
Eau Claire always planned to make whisky – more than that – they wanted to make whisky using grain from local fields when possible, even going old school and horse harvesting when they could. In order to do this, the distillery, of course, needed income, and to enable this they have been making Vodka, Gin, and other spirits, and even their own tonic water. This is party of the template for opening a distillery, and Eau Claire was the first craft distillery to do it in Alberta, though many others have followed since.
All of Eau Claire's products have been well-received both within Alberta and outside the province, not just their whisky. Their story and operation gets people to make the trek to the distillery itself as well, or at the very least to go see their booth at the Calgary Farmer’s Market. Caitlin Quinn, Eau Claire's Master Distiller, has been with the company since 2016 and has been the leader for just about all of their spirit and whisky releases.
So far, the future seems bright for the Eau Claire Distillery, so let's pour a glass of their Single Malt Whisky and offer them a toast before jumping into the glass ourselves!