This week I leave Scotland behind to begin a quick turn around the world. First stop, American Single Malts! Santa Fe Spirits Distillery is a new one for me. I love how much the category of American Single Malt has grown over the last few years, especially with all the new distilleries bringing new approaches and ideas to the table. This lovely release, one of the earliest, featured barley smoked with mesquite wood, a resource far more available in New Mexico than peat!

Whisky: Colkegan Mesquite Smoked Single Malt Batch 1

Country/Region: United States/New Mexico

ABV: 46%

Cask: New American Oak, Refill Barrels

Nose: Dried grass and brush, musty earth, sandstone and minerals, subtle florals, orchard fruits with a kiss of strawberry.

Palate: Medium-bodied, musty earth, baking chocolate, dried grass, sandstone, menthol tobacco, spearmint, green apple, touch of strawberry and wispy smoke.

Finish: Medium-length with dry earth, a touch of ginger, and grassy sweetness.

Score: 5

Mental Image: Hiking across the Prairie; Beware Bison

Narrative & Notes: The aroma was dry and dusty with memories of hiking through the Tallgrass Prairie Reserve; dried grass, brush, musty earth trampled by bison, sandstone and dissolved minerals, and subtle menthol tobacco. A touch of almost rose-like florals arrived with wispy burning grass, orchard fruits, and a hint of strawberry. Medium-bodied, the flavor profile began with baking chocolate and prominent musty parched earth, dried grass, sandstone, and menthol tobacco. Spearmint rose to the top with time and took a more assertive role on the nose as musty hay, green apples, and a touch of strawberry arrived on the palate. Like a distant grass fire or old barbecue, a wispy smoke lingered in the background and through to the end. The finish was medium-length with dry earth, a touch of ginger, and grassy sweetness.

This New Mexico single malt's aroma was delightful, with a lovely interplay between earth, grass, and fruit. The slow buildup of menthol and spearmint gave the aroma a nice transition over time. The palate was surprisingly shallow compared to the aroma, I really expected a much more precise set of flavors and earthy complexity to develop, but the flavor notes always remained a bit indistinct, and water seemed to wash some of them out. I described the finish as medium in length, but the intensity of flavors was quiet, without any strong, assertive notes lingering as the whisky slowly faded.

Overall, this was intriguing, and I want to try more from the distillery. While I thought the palate fell a bit short, the aroma was beautiful and hinted that there might be more to this malt. It was a great introduction to a new American single malt distiller.