Great Plains Craft Spirits (Great Plains) received a Gold Medal and the Award of Excellence for Best New Whisky at the 2020 Canadian Whisky Awards (www.canadianwhisky.org) for its debut product, a western Canadian 18-year-old whisky that was finished for over twelve months in Jerez Brandy casks, bottled at cask strength, non-chill filtered, with no colouring.
How did a start-up produce an award-winning 18 year old whisky? Great Plains acquired several batches of 17-year-old 100% corn whisky originally from the old Potter’s distillery in Kelowna B.C. One batch was then transferred from the original bourbon barrels to twenty-two freshly emptied vintage Brandy de Jerez casks. Then, after more than twelve months of finishing, it was blended and bottled at high proof (54.5% ABV) without colouring or chill filtering producing a taste and character unlike anything else on the market. Calgary whisky specialists, Kensington Wine Market, are currently carrying the product and their assessment concludes: “silky at 54.5%, this is a unique twist on Canadian whisky, distinctly Canadian with a spicy-dark fruit flourish.”
“As a new company, we are extremely grateful for the recognition of our debut product. It’s a culmination of over three years of passion and hard work. But we’re even more excited about the other unique products in development. We have another batch of 17-year-old whisky from the same distillery that is in the process of a 24 month long finish in vintage Cognac barrels that were re-coopered to a small size! We also have a very special and rare 34 year-old whisky that’s currently finishing in Armagnac Barrels. Our goal is to produce limited runs of interesting whiskies that appeal to enthusiasts who can appreciate the uniqueness of our products. Our limited-run whiskies are custom crafted with expressions that simply aren’t available from the large producers”.
About Great Plains Craft Spirits
Incorporated in 2016, based in Calgary, Alberta, Great Plains Craft Spirits is pioneering the production of limited-run, custom-finished, ultra premium and luxury whiskies in western Canada. We source and finish small lots of well-aged Canadian whiskies in select barrels from European regions like Jerez, Cognac and Armagnac. Through discerning selection and careful innovation, our focus is producing custom whiskies that are distinctive and in both quality and taste.
Terry Bunch
