Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Santa Fe Spirits.
Bottler: Distillery bottling.
Region: New Mexico, USA.
ABV: 46%.
Age: NAS. Bottled in 2018.
Cask type: Ex-ASM and new charred oak finished in apple brandy casks.
Price: $62 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 (notes consistent throughout the bottle.)
Nose: sagebrush, applesauce, mesquite smoke, a dry, savory note in the background.
Palate: medium-full body ~ more applesauce, smoked pork belly, more sagebrush, orange zest, camphor, black pepper.
Finish: medium length ~ on smoke and apples, mint, more camphor, fennel seeds.
Thoughts: Santa Fe Spirits started out producing apple brandy before developing their mesquite-smoked single malt whiskey, so they’ve produced these two spirits side-by-side for a while now, re-using the ex-brandy casks for the single malt. If you know Santa Fe’s spirit and Calvados casks (or any apple brandy, broadly speaking) this is a predictable match, and one that complements both parts very well—it’s turned out to be one of my favorite releases so far from them, or at least on par with the cask strength bottlings I’ve tried. The mesquite-smoked distillate really finds a harmonious partner in the sweet apple notes from the cask finish, the cumulative effect of the two keeps me coming back again and again. It’s not especially complex but just great at what it’s doing, and I can find very little fault with it (especially at the price point.) P.S. Santa Fe recently discarded the Colkegan name in favor of a new branding as ‘The Original Santa Fe’, but I’ve tasted the newly-labeled version of this at the distillery and happily can report that the liquid has not changed.
Final Score: 86.
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 