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”
Everyone’s getting into the single malt game now that the official TTB rules have been proposed — Jesus, even Jack Daniel’s has a single malt — so it’s only natural that Yellowstone would drop one sooner or later. Like most of Yellowstone’s production, this one’s also sourced — this one from Indiana, which is proof…
Portland, Oregon’s Westward Whiskey recently unveiled its first whiskey for 2023 for its Whiskey Club members, an expression of its single malt which has been finished for 14 months in French Sauternes dessert wine casks. This limited edition won’t be widely available, but at press time it’s still showing up on Westward’s website — so…
Last summer Monica brought us coverage of the first edition of a curious combo from Colorado’s single malt purveyor Stranahan’s, a Distillery Exclusive bottling finished for 2 1/2 years in extra anejo tequila barrels. Now this expression is back and bottled as a second batch under the annually released Diamond Peak line — though it…
Wisconsin’s Tattersall Distilling continues to push into the whiskey world, with the launch of its first American single malt. Inspired by (and named after) the first interstate park in the nation — crossing between Minnesota and Wisconsin — it’s a four year old whiskey that ages in virgin oak barrels. Let’s crack it open. American…
Only a few months back we sampled Old Line Spirits’ American single malts in two finishes: Port cask and Madeira cask. Now it’s time for a third rendition, which is returning to production after a brief hiatus. This 100% malted barley whiskey is aged for five years in #4 charred new American white oak and…
Indie bottler Lost Lantern continues its focus on unique American craft whiskeys with its latest single cask collection. The four bottlings comprising the Spring 2023 cohort feature some of their oldest offerings yet from the likes of Westland, Watershed, and Corbin Cash, all bottled without filtration and at cask strength. A bit about this bunch…
For those following craft distilling’s growth in the United States, Chattanooga Whiskey is no stranger. As the distillery approaches their 12th anniversary — and with more of their in-house distillate coming of age — they continue to pump out releases that bend contentions on blending and cask finishes. One of their latest whiskeys is a…
“American whiskey with hops” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but the world has yet to come up with a sexier sounding term for booze made from beer. There’s plenty of it out there these days, including this latest bottling from Arcane Distilling, the first whiskey from the Brooklyn-based operation. Here’s a little backstory: Helmed…
After a recent visit to Stranahan’s for the release of their highly sought-after Snowflake expression (review soon to come) I happened to ask founder Jess Graber a simple question, “Is Snowflake the release you’re most proud of?” After a moment’s reflection Jess replied, “No, that would be The Osopher.” If you’re unfamiliar with Stranahan’s The…
It’s hard to believe that California’s St. George Spirits has been producing booze for 40 years, but here we are. To mark the occasion, the company has launched a 40th Anniversary Edition of its iconic St. George Single Malt Whiskey, limited to 1982 bottles (get it?) which ” bring together decades of craftsmanship and our…