Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Blinking Owl.
Bottler: American Single Cask.
Region: California, USA.
ABV: 66.3% (mis-labeled 63.3%). Cask strength.
Age: 5 years. Distilled in 2018. Bottled in 2024.
Cask type: New American oak, toasted but not charred.
Price: $37 USD for 250mL (bottle split, full bottle cost $110).
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 2 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder, regular-formatted notes taken further into the bottle past the halfway point (no additional development at the heel.)
Nose: massive oak, cherry, fennel seed, chalk dust, lemon candy.
Palate: thick ~ more cherry and fennel seed, star anise, black pepper, more spices in the background, 99% dark chocolate, liquorice tea.
Finish: long ~ on pepper, cherry and oak, wood notes intensify as it sits.
Conclusion: Blinking Owl (Santa Ana, CA) was one of the numerous business casualties of the pandemic, struggling for a few years after and closing up in 2023. American Single Cask is a one-man independent bottling operation focused on American whisky of all kinds, and all released at full proof without any coloring or chill filtration.
I really admire what ASC is doing, so some friends and I decided to split their first three American single malt releases to check out what they’re all about. I read this 5yr from Blinking Owl basically like a wood-forward bourbon, but a little bit brighter than usual and with a much better mouthfeel from the all-malted-barley mashbill. Even forgoing the charring and just toasting the cask, the new American oak still had a very strong impact on the spirit. It’s quite good whisky, engaging and interesting, just not a profile I’d reach for all that often.
Final Score: 82.
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 