SipScout Monthly Subscription Box (Photo by the brand)

American Single Malt Whiskies, Part 2

As mentioned in Part 1, SipScout is the monthly subscription-based wine, beer, and spirits discovery program created by Suzanne Henricksen, founder of The Crafty Cask. We continue the discovery exploration of the October SipScout subscription box with the tasting notes of the included whiskies.

Santa Fe Spirits Colkegan

Santa Fe, NM. Santa Fe Spirits is one of the original producers of ASMs. and Colkegan, eponymously named for founder Colin Keegan, is one of my favorites. In fact, it was one of the very first ASMs I’ve ever sampled, and despite everything I’ve sampled over the years, it remains among the top. Showcasing American ingenuity, Colkegan features mesquite-smoked barley and experiences accelerated maturation due to New Mexico’s hot, arid summers. Colkegan pours a pole straw into the glass, releasing a sweet and slightly distant smokiness akin to smoke vanilla spice. Swirling the glass opens the nose, with grilled meat and vegetables becoming more prevalent, along with hints of savory herbs and dry soil leading to hints of citrus zest and nearly-burnt white sugar. The palate is lightly oily with a hint of heat from the 46% ABV, with a slight sugar sweetness. Flavors start with cooked salted caramel, old leather, and fruity salsa and lead to hints of cooked berries, pie crust, and far-off campfires. The finish is moderately long with a sweet and earthy firmness.

10th Street Distillery Distiller’s Cut

San Jose, CA. The term “cut” refers to a portion of the distillate during the distillation process. Cuts vary in flavor, aroma, and consistency, determined by the purity as determined by the number of distillation rounds. 10th Street uses the term to describe a special selection chosen for its specific flavor structure. Aged in first-fill bourbon casks and bottled at 44% ABV, Distiller’s Cut is a classic Scotch-styled ASM, boasting an intense peat-driven smokiness and nicely balanced with wood and a firm fruitiness. The multi-gold award winner presents aromas of citrus, vanilla chews, young oak, and grilled meats. Initial brown sugar sweetness leads to notes of caramel, green apples, and winter spices. The finish is fairly long, with notes of unsweetened cocoa, lime zest, barrel spice, and resurgent peat.

Copperworks Distilling Release 047

Seattle, WA. Blended from a combination of 13 casks aged from three to just under four years, this ASM strays from a typical “Scotch” styling in favor of its own unique structure. It pours a gorgeous golden amber with a tinge of red, the aromas open with milde apple and cinnamon spice, with a slighlt alcohol burn, leading to hints of shaved pencil, dried apricots, pineapple, and licorice chews. Its 50% ABV  leads a little heavily on the palate, with a syrupy sweetness leading to notes of honey, caramel chews, candied ginger, and fig newtons. The finish reveals malt notes, “fallen leaves,” and some sharp charred oak notes in the distance.  This one could use some additional aging time.

Dampfwerk Distilling Batch No. 2

St. Louis Park, MN. Dampfwerk produced its ASM from 100% Minnesota-sourced pale ale and chocolate malt and is matured in Minnesota-made American white oak barrels and finished in a selection of red wine casks. The pale amber juice opens with a noticeable beer-like nose, with notable fruit and dark-chocolate notes followed by oak, toffee, toasted almonds. At 43% ABV, it revelas very little heat, but has a round, mouthfilling feel. Milk chocolate notes lead to a slightly thin and stringent sense, opening into figs, dates, and other dark fruits. Orange peel and brown sugar follow with a shorter finish of bitter cocoa and barrel spice.

Vapor Distilling Boulder Spirits ASM

Boulder, CO. Aged a minimum of three years in American oak, this is Vapor’s “entry” whiskey, boasting an intensely spicy character. It pours a golden amber, immediately redolent of winter spice and oak, with notes of vanilla, toffee, caramel, and brown sugar. It’s 46% ABV is surprisingly prickly, and the sip is immediately sweet. Initial flavors of ginger-chews lead to more refined winterspices, along with hot chocolate and marshmallows, fruit cake, and creamy malt cereal. The finish is long and warm, with oak and ginger resurging in the swallow. It’s like a chocolate-covered ginger-candy kiss.

Jettywave Distillery Maritime

Half Moon Bay, CA. Lightest in color and mouthfeel, Jettywave is reminiscent of a lowland Scotch. It’s pale straw color immediately opens with aromas of marshmallow and dry grasses with a hint of savory spice. Inital notes of malt ceral lead to refined chocolate notes, dried apple, and spice. At 46% ABV, it has a hint of prickly heat, which is quickly replaced by applejuice and dry ginger. It’s slightly astringent finish leads to more spice, a hint of apple-cider vinegar, and a distant wisp of smoke. This would make a good aperitif or palate-cleanser whiskey between courses. It reminds me of Grappa or pisco more than malt whiskey.

Final Thoughts

SipSocut has assembled an impressive array of American Single Malt whiskies, attesting to both their own skill at creating memorable tastings as well as highlighting the incredible variety represented by Amewrican distilleries. I’m all in for promoting ASMs, and look forward to what the future holds with upcoming tasting boxes.