I poured this as part of our online whisky group’s 2024 holiday advent calendar; this year I helped organize things so I knew what the drams were. We had several American single malts among the 24 drams, this single malt from Omaha, Nebraska was among them. Cut Spike was a new distillery to me, my prior encounters with Nebraskan single malt were all from Brickway– who would have thought that Nebraska would have more than one single malt producer! What a time to be alive.

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Whisky: Cut Spike 6 Year (2017) 110 Proof Cask 151

Country/Region: United States/Nebraska

ABV: 55%

Cask: Oak

Age: N/A (Distilled 2017)

Notes: Woodsy and sweet with a big spoon full of brown sugar and molasses. Rum baba cakes, chocolate powder, and molasses cakes faded as more medicinal spices and cinnamon joined. It was vaguely rye-like until cherry wood, crayons, and a touch of plasticine arrived. Medium-bodied and woody with bold dried fruits and baking spices— a cupboard brimming with molasses, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and hints of cloves. Dried cherries, raisins, and cranberries (or sugary Craisins more like) drove a sweet evolution from holiday fruit cakes to lacquered wood, licorice, and strawberry soda. The finish was long with brown sugar and subtle strawberry soda.

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Score: 6-7 (81)

Mental Image: Holiday Flavor Soda Pack

Conclusion: The aroma had me worried that, like so many other American single malts, this had been bludgeoned into submission with new oak. It took a while to get more than brown sugar, molasses, and oak on the nose, and I felt certain this would leave me with splinters on the palate. Thank goodness that was not the case! This proved to be one of the rare whiskies with more depth on the palate than the nose. It was woody, but not overwhelmingly so and the alcohol was well-integrated. If I had tried this blind, I am sure I would have thought it was a sherry cask matured whisky with all the dried fruits and holiday spices. Overall, impressive for a young American single malt!