Review by: The Auditor
Review #1102; American Single Malt #30
This American Single Malt comes to us from McCarthy’s, a brand that has been making American Single Malt since 1996 at Hood River distillers in Oregon. The malt is distilled from 100% peat malted barley from Scotland, distilled in a 60 gallon Holstein pot still in a single pass, and then put into Oregon Oak casks. This bottling aged for 6 years in Oregon oak before being finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks from Toneleria Del Sur before being bottled at cask strength with no chill filtering or additives.
Distillery: Hood River Distillers
Bottler: Hood River Distillers
Region: Oregon, United States
ABV: 56.13%
Still: Copper Pot
Nose: Rotting fall vegetation, Peppery, Raisins, Nuts, Hay, cedar, campfire
Palate: Medium oily mouthfeel, rotting vegetation, dark chocolate, nutty, raisins, hay, cedar, campfire, brine
Finish: Long finish, black pepper, dark chocolate, nutty, fig jam, hay, campfire
Conclusion: This is a great American Single malt. A nice peat base, a bit of sweetness from the PX Finish, and the peppery and dark chocolate notes help to round it out. A great bottling for me.
Final Score: 88
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 