American Single Malt Whiskey
American single malt does not officially exist (yet) as a legally defined category of whiskey in the United States, but producers generally adhere to the same regulations observed in Scotland. It is produced at a single, U.S. distillery from 100% malted barley, distilled to 160 proof, and bottled at no less than 80 proof. American single malt is often aged in used cooperage, like its counterparts overseas. On the other hand, “American straight malt” – which is a legally defined category – must be aged in new oak containers for a minimum of 2 years, echoing the rules for other categories of American whiskey. Today, American producers continue to experiment with barrel regimens for this emerging category.
Top American Single Malt Whiskey Posts:
A Visit to House Spirits in Portland, Oregon
Swift Single Malt Texas Whiskey Sauternes Finish
Lost Spirits Distillery Abomination “The Sayers of the Law”
The 2025 Texas Whiskey Festival is now behind us, and after a week of decompressing I’ve finally found time to sift through my photos and notes and bring you some thoughts about my favorite pours from the event. As always, it’s the stuff I missed that I regret the most: Check out TWF’s list of…
Lost Lantern, an independent bottler based in Vergennes, Vermont, has earned a well-deserved reputation for curating some of the most exceptional single barrels of straight whiskeys from the finest small distilleries across the United States. Known for their commitment to quality, Lost Lantern has often stayed true to the purist’s preference for unaltered bourbon and…
For whiskey enthusiasts and stout lovers alike, Virginia Distillery has crafted something truly unique with the latest release in their Brewer’s Coalition series. Released just in time for Valentine’s Day 2025, the Virginia Distillery The Brewer’s Coalition Foothills Brewing Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout Cask Finish American Single Malt Whiskey (whew!) is an ambitious collaboration that…
Fallon, Nevada’s Frey Ranch Distillery prides itself on offering farm-to-glass whiskey. All Frey Ranch grains are grown on the family farm. The Nevada distillery is one of the only true estate distilleries in the world and recently joined the Estate Whiskey Alliance to better promote the benefits of estate distilling. Proprietor Colby Frey offers traditional…
January 19, 2025, marked the first occasion that distillers had the option to officially classify their whiskey as American single malt whiskey with the Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB). While official recognition of the standards of identity for American single malt whiskey is very new, numerous distillers have been self-imposing those same standards for…
One of America’s oldest single malt distilleries, Colorado-based Stranahan’s, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. These days, the Proximo-owned brand seems to have plenty of older juice to play with. In late 2024, they rolled out a 12-year version of the core Mountain Angel whiskey, which is (for now) among the oldest single malts produced entirely…
We’ve been writing about Wolves Whiskey since shortly after its start in 2019, but it wasn’t until late last year that the brand dropped its first year-round product: Wolves American Single Malt. The bottle, denoted by a blue label, is cagey about the name of the product, just saying “American Single Malt Whiskey” in the…
New Riff’s Single Malt Whiskey got started back in 2023, and as of fall 2024, it looks like it’s turning into an annual affair. Drew’s 2023 review discusses the extreme complexity that is involved in making this whiskey — featuring at least six mashbills with four different types of malt, and aged in more than…
Since its original founding, Nevada-based Minden Mill Distillery has had a short but eventful history. It opened as Bently Heritage Estate Distillery in February 2019. In 2022, founder Christopher Bently announced the distillery and surrounding properties would cease operations and be put up for sale. And in 2023, Sonoma County-based Foley Family Wines & Spirits…
December 2024 brought the monumental news that the Federal Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) finally adopted official standards of identity for American Single Malt whiskey. The fight for official recognition for the category was a long process, and Seattle’s Copperworks Distilling was on the frontline from the start as a charter member of the…