Eau Claire Distillery’s flagship Ploughman’s Single Malt Canadian Whisky has won a Double Gold medal and a Consumers’ Choice Award at the 2026 SIP Awards. The international competition, judged entirely by consumers through blind tastings, announced the results for the Turner Valley, Alberta-based distillery on July 28, 2026.
Double Gold is awarded to spirits that score in the top percentile of their category. The Consumers’ Choice Award is reserved for spirits that have placed at the SIP Awards for two or more years, marking Ploughman’s as a repeat performer. The wins continue a strong run for Eau Claire, described as Canada’s most awarded distillery.
“Because the SIP Awards are judged by everyday consumers rather than industry panels, the double recognition is a meaningful vote of confidence for Ploughman’s and Eau Claire’s vibrant whisky program,” the distillery said.
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READ THE STORYPloughman’s is Eau Claire’s most elevated expression to date. It is made with 100% Alberta malted barley, including horse-farmed grain grown as part of the distillery’s farm-to-glass philosophy.
The whisky is aged in ex-Bourbon and European oak casks. It is then finished in rare Pedro Ximénez sherry casks from Ximénez-Spínola, a historic family-run bodega in Jerez.
Bottled at 46% ABV, Ploughman’s carries the official notes from the brand of toasted oak, espresso, dark chocolate and dates on the nose. The palate shows oak spice, roasted walnuts, honey, cherries and dried fruit.
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Some of that depth comes from Alberta’s dramatic weather. As Chinooks and pressure swings move through the foothills, the whisky expands and contracts against the oak, drawing out more of the cask with every temperature swing. Eau Claire calls the effect the “Angel’s Gift.”
The single malt meets the standard set out in the province’s new Alberta Whisky Act to be called an Authentic Alberta Whisky. It is made from Alberta barley and Alberta water, and matured in the foothills.
Ploughman’s Single Malt is available in limited quantities at the distillery, at select retailers across Canada and in a number of US markets, and online.
The distillery sits 45 minutes southwest of Calgary in the Sheep River Valley, where visitors can taste the range in the Whisky Lounge.
