Weekend Briefs Oct. 2022: American Single Malts
A round-up of brief reviews from a recent weekend when I took a detour to the realm of American Single Malts with destinations in the malty heartlands of Oregon and Colorado. These samples were all thanks to friends who know how much I love the category of American Single Malt and graciously allowed me to take home some pours at the end of a recent local whisky club tasting.
Out of the nearly 900 whisky reviews on this website, 57 are American Single Malts, and of those, the clear majority, 36, are of Balcones or Westland releases. Beyond those two giants of the American Single Malt scene, I have reviewed just a smattering of releases of other distilleries. Distribution is a significant pain point for the category as even those well-established, well-funded distilleries do not have reliable national distribution. Smaller operations, even those which have been around for longer, face significant headwinds in educating consumers and getting product to them.
I have previously reviewed whisky from each of the three distilleries — indeed, my count for Westward is not too far behind Balcones, but Stranahan's is a rarity for me. Several local stores have done single casks selections from Stranahan's, and the core products are reliably available, yet I have had only a few opportunities to try them out. The flavor profile of those I have tried was very oak-forward and more similar to bourbon than your typical global single malt. The review below was an exception to that and a wild deviation from the norm. I had not reviewed a single malt from Clear Creek's McCarthy's label before this year— but I am hooked, and this is my fourth so far, with another to come shortly.
The American Single Malt category continues to grow, and with lively debate over proposed labeling and production standards, I expect the future is bright. I know I will continue keeping a close eye, but for now, on to the reviews!
Whisky Details: Westward Stout Cask Finish 46%
Nose: Vanilla, toffee, pudding, orange rind, ginger, tart plums, sour cherries, pastry crust, egg tarts, hints of coffee and baking spice.
Palate: Medium-bodied and gentle, ginger, oak, mellow sour cherry and plum, hints of citrus zest and chocolate; a gradual transition toward herbal sourness with yeast, ale, and pretzel dough.
Finish: Long and lingering with dry oak, cherry, and herbal ale.
Score: 3
Commentary: I love Westward, I love stouts; I have no idea why I do not love this. This is the second Westward Stout Cask Finish release that I have stumbled over, and I could copy and paste my notes from my last review. The two whiskies were quite similar, though this had less wood-driven spice and more sour oaky-herbal notes. The sourness reminded me of a recent Ardmore; though the Westward had none of the herbal weed-funk to it, it had a similar transition toward a finish that, at least on my palate, came off as sour and unpleasant. Perhaps if the malt had been a bit more robust, it could have stood up to the cask. It seemed a bit lost in this release in a way I have never really experienced with Westward.
Overall, I love Westward, and I love stouts; maybe I will just keep them separate from now on.
Whisky Details: Stranahan’s 7 Year “Sherry Finish Batch 13,” 47%
Nose: Rich sherry spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, dried fruits, fig cake, honey, candied coffee beans, hints of leather, oaky vanilla.
Palate: Medium to full-bodied, very sherry, baking spices and holiday pastries, gingerbread, mulled cinnamon apple cider, brown sugar, figgy jam, roasted honeyed dates, leather toward the end with candied almonds and varnished wood.
Finish: Long and lingering with sherry spice and hints of leather or coffee.
Score: 6
Commentary: This was easily the most scotch-like Stranahan's I have ever tried and while "big dumb sherry" is not my cup of tea, I could readily see fans of the style rating this a few ticks higher. The flavor profile was driven by the cask, and I was surprised that it was not over-oaked or bitter with heavy wood tannins at seven years. It was very well-integrated compared to my prior experiences with the distillery. Though it was too cask-heavy for my taste, the cask selection was well-done, and there was nothing off or outright funky with the cask. Water was not required, but a few drops accentuated more of the sweet spice and elevated the impression that this would be best enjoyed during the holidays or on a cold evening.
Overall, a well-put-together malt that showed off quality casks and classic sherry notes.
Whisky Details: McCarthy's 3 Year, Batch W16-02
Nose: Old beachside bonfire, charred driftwood, salt, minerality, sandstone, dried pine, tobacco, old newspapers, hints of roasted chestnuts and ginger snap cookies.
Palate: Medium-bodied, salt, old bonfire, occasionally metallic like rusting iron, old newspapers, dried herbs, tobacco pipe, an undercurrent of earthy red dirt, grill soot.
Finish: Medium to long finish with earth, iron, and hints of tobacco.
Score: 6
Commentary: A good friend bought this bottle years ago and promptly lost it. It disappeared into the catacombs of their whisky collection, which I imagine must have been extensive. It hid there as a buried treasure for nearly six years, resurfacing once more when he moved to a new house. He brought the bottle for the post-tasting bottle share portion of one of our local whisky club events. I was game to try a McCarthy's from an earlier era— bottled in 2016; it was distilled nearly a decade ago. I thought it compared nicely to the more recent releases and single casks I have tried. The nose was particularly enjoyable with some unique old newspaper notes I had never encountered on another McCarthy's. Besides a slightly more pervasive earthiness, the overall profile was very much in line with what one might expect to find with more recent releases.
Overall, lovely stuff! It would be enjoyable to do a vertical of different McCarthy's 3-Year vintages to track how flavors have shifted or changed in a more direct manner than what I did.
