Field-to-flask Unmalted Barley Single Grain | 46% ABV

Score: 6/10

**Good stuff.**
***TL;DR***
*Good quality and well-priced “local barley” whisky*

“Field-To-Flask” Whisky: Hype Train Or Worthy Of The Chase?

The allure and appeal of field-to-flask whiskies has caused quite the stir for some time now.

Daftmill and Waterford are perhaps the biggest and most direct link between the farmer and the end product in your glass. Following in their footsteps is Lochlea, growing all the barley they need for production at the farm as well. Following those, there are collections of various local products, such as Bruichladdich’s Islay Barley series with their seven-or-so identified local-to-Islay farmers clearly identified on the labels, and Springbank’s unobtanium Local Barleys.

If we look at the scores, which factor in the almighty value proposition, we’ve got Daftmill with a 5, 6, & 7 score, Lochlea at a resounding 5/10 across the board, Bruichladdich’s Islay Barley arriving at a 7 a piece from Dougie and me, and the almighty Springbank flipper fodder of the Local Barley getting a 7, 8, & 9 from our Dramface writers. So as you can see, the scores can vary widely, some dropping in score due to their pricing for the experience while others provide an experience in line with their price tag and have been scored as such.

But what if you can’t get your hands on these magical elixirs that often sell out like hot cakes? Well sometimes, local distilleries are doing the very same thing, and over the same time period as well, but because of the size of the distillery or popularity, these releases don’t grab the headlines.

For Aengus and I here in Canada, there are very few farm-to-flask type of distilleries but coincidentally, one of Canada’s older and more prominent single malt distilleries was created from a farm, a la Daftmill style. And this intertwined farming and distilling heritage continues to this day, with Shelter Point releasing whiskies using barley grown directly on the family farm.

Shelter Point is still an operating farm, actively growing a portion of their whisky-making barley quota every year, but they don’t have the ability to malt barley on-site, and without sufficient tonnage to purchase an entire malting run at a malster, presumably Shelter Point went with the next logical step by making the whisky with the barley in its unmalted form.

“Named after Barrett Montfort, the founder of the Shelter Point farm, Montfort is a special ﬁeld-to-flask whisky. This whisky literally has its roots in this beautiful land. A true single grain whisky, made from 100% barley, Montfort is grown, distilled and bottled entirely in one location. Each of the fields on the farm have specific soil classifications and different proximities to the sea and the forests. These micro regions produce barley grown in different ways, each with distinctive and unique flavor profiles. The outcome is a whisky of depth, subtlety and complexity.” - Shelter Point

Of the two we have lined up here today, I believe Lot 141 was the inaugural release of the Montfort product line in 2018, and Lot 151 followed a few years later using barley grown from a different plot of land.

Review 1/4 - Broddy

Shelter Point Montfort, Lot 141, Unmalted single Grain Canadian whisky, 2018 batch, 46% ABV
CAD$70 paid (£41)

I stumbled across this in 2022 while casually perusing the shelves of a big brick and mortar wholesaler. A field-to-flask whisky made entirely of their own barley? Sign me up! Now where this deviates from the typical Scottish norm: 100% unmalted barley and triple distilled in copper pot stills. Triple distilling this gives an additional flair although I’m not sure Shelter Point’s reasoning for going the extra round of fractionation.

Score: 6/10

**Good stuff.**
***TL;DR***
*Moreishly sweet and bitter*

Nose

Very dense aromas with lots of oak barrel sweetness. Vanilla and barrel candy sweetness. Clove and a lovely whiff of sourness, not unlike sourdough starter. Roasted hazelnuts. Warm hay dust with some red berries or grapes fill out the background, as does a milk chocolatiness. Malty grist pops in my head once in a while.

Palate

Full, dense, and oily. A lightly honey sweet and gentle initial tip-in rapidly builds to a chocolate fudge and berry crumble, with a berry and cherry sweetness bringing up the latter half of the experience. The finish is a long decay of berry/cherry sweetness and slight cacao bitterness with cinnamon.

Score: 6/10 BB

Review 2/4 - Aengus

Shelter Point Montfort, Lot 141, Unmalted single Grain Canadian whisky, 2018 batch, 46% ABV
CAD$70 paid (£41)

Shelter Point used to publish datasheet PDFs for every whisky they produced, and Montfort 141 is preserved here on the internet. The more information that is provided, the better the product tends to be, in my experience. However there is some lacking, such as age and type of barrels used for ageing, although I’m interpreting “American and French oak” to mean a large portion of virgin oak.

Score: 5/10

**Average. In a good way.**
***TL;DR***
*Fruity, woody, nutty, agreeable*

Nose

Red fruits, pine, and a slight nuttiness. I want to say marzipan but it’s not quite that. The woodiness of the nose is fresh like walking through a pine forest on a hot summer’s day. Nosing again the next afternoon alongside a cup of cold coffee it’s much sweeter, caramel and red candy.

Palate

Not as juicy as the nose. Spices; Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg. There's a graininess to it but I would not have pegged this as unmalted barley. It has a wine like sensation as well on the palate, perhaps I’m getting this via French oak connection. A small amount of Play-Doh at the end which is a typical note for me from smaller craft distilleries.

The Dregs

Overall a pleasant and interesting flavour experience, and a quality dram. There’s nothing here really to dislike, but it’s not getting me excited either. Good whisky that I’ll happily drink, but having tried it I likely wouldn’t buy a bottle.

Score: 5/10 AMc

Review 3/4 - Broddy

Shelter Point Montfort, Lot 151, Unmalted single Grain Canadian whisky, 46% ABV
Sample exchange

Thanks to a generous sample from Aengus, I’ve had plenty of time to wade through this more recent version of the Montfort product line.

Score: 6/10

**Good stuff.**
***TL;DR***
*Light, bright, and fruity… is this truly unmalted?*

Nose

Much brighter and more “typical” whisky nose than the Lot 141 2018 batch. That being said, some direct similarities can be drawn. The barrel derived sweetness, berry/cherry notes and clove continue from 2018. Honey drizzled (american) biscuits is now a prominent note, supplemented with white fleshed fruits.

Palate

The palate is much lighter and less dense than the 2018, with a drop in oiliness as well. Some brighter and more lively citrus-like freshness. Honey, vanilla, and cinnamon are dominant, with some generic fruitiness. The finish is shorter, lighter, and more peppery compared to the 2018. Still good, just different.

Score: 6/10 BB

Review 4/4 - Aengus

Shelter Point Montfort, Lot 151, Unmalted single Grain Canadian whisky, 46% ABV

Partial bottle share

I took this bottle home in the form of a leftover heel - well it was more like a half bottle - from my local club’s end of the year party where everyone brings what's left of a bottle they've been enjoying. It always ends up being too many good bottles to taste and at the end we divide them up to take home. Sample to Broddy and we’re set for another Canadian collaboration.

I don’t know how long this was open before it came into my possession so we’re a little sketchy this time on the provenance. Also, please pardon the empty bottle, this one was rinsed before the photoshoot could take place.

Score: 5/10

**Average. In a good way.**
***TL;DR***
*A drinkable fresh fruit salad*

Nose

Vibrant, effervescent, fermented fruity nose. Ripe peaches and pears. Fruit salad. Measured fresh oak and red wine essence.

Palate

The palate is more coordinated with the nose on this one. Bright orchard fruits. Apple Juice and an appropriate amount of alcohol grip. Cinnamon finish. Still with the Play-Doh.

Score: 5/10 AMc

The Dregs - Aengus

There’s a marked difference between the two, while still maintaining obvious distillery character. The Montfort 151 had much more bright fruit, while the 141 has more red fruit and wood. I can’t pick a favourite, they’re both drinkable, enjoyable, with no real faults.

Looking back on Shelter Point reviews we’ve had on the site so far, I’d say it’s been well covered. After reviewing the archives I think I can summarise the distillery character as fruity and nutty, with measured sweetness. Marzipan and oranges come up, as does honey, vanilla, and baking spices. Not a bad base to start with.

If any one distillery is going to bring Canadian single malt into the mainstream, in my opinion it would be Shelter Point. Let’s go.

The Dregs - Broddy

So is it worth trying these two triple distilled single grain “local barley” whiskies from Shelter Point?

Absolutely! They are very much like an Irish whiskey, with their oily and barley forward notes shining through the casking. Plus the price point is absolutely stellar when considering the provenance of the whisky and compared to the likes of the Daftmills, Waterfords, and Springbank Local Barleys.

Well done Shelter Point for not jacking us around with exorbitant prices for a niche product. Objectively, these are 5.5/10 scores for me (Broddy) but the provenance, uniqueness, and appropriate price point have rounded both the Lot 141 and Lot 151 up to a 6/10.

Now I should point out that Shelter Point’s website for the current Montfort product line lists a double distillation. Perhaps the more recent releases were only run through the stills twice, and if so, I’m very much looking forward to finding a bottle of the newer stuff to try side-by-side with mine and Aengus’s triple distilled versions. Gotta love the many permutations of experiences that whisky can bring us!

As for other local barley products? Go ahead, dig around our local distilleries and see where they are sourcing the grains from, you just might be in for a surprise!

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. BB / AMc

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