Review by: dustbunna

Distillery: Clear Creek.

Bottler: Distillery bottling.

Region: USA, Pacific Northwest.

ABV: 56.0%. Cask strength.

Age: 6 years. Bottled in 2023.

Cask type: Refill Oregon oak, finished in an Oloroso sherry cask.

Price: $125 USD for 750mL.

Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

Bottle open across approx. 9 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder, italicized notes taken towards the heel.

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Nose: red fruits, gentle wood smoke, jam-filled doughnuts, vanilla cream, gentian, hickory.

Palate: oily and thick ~ baking spices, wood spice, more red fruits (mixed berries), bacon fat, water brings everything nicely into balance.

Finish: medium length ~ more wood smoke and pastry dough, a bit of acrylic paint, moss.

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Conclusion: Clear Creek was the first distillery in the US to release a 100% malted barley mashbill, spearheading the explosion in the category of American single malt. Even in that increasingly populated field, their use of peated Scottish barley and local quercus garryana (Oregon oak) makes for a singular profile distinct from their brethren. This is a fabulous finished whisky from them, considerably fruitier and less austere than their now-standard 6yr release, but less sweet than its sister PX cask that came out around the same time in 2023. Remarkably consistent across its life (showing just a bit more wood right at the end), this shows a really attractive balance of smoke, fruit, and wood throughout. It’s one of the better McCarthy’s bottles I’ve tried so far, rivaling (though maybe not quite besting) the Hard Water single cask from 2020 that I loved.

Final Score: 87.

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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.