American Single malt whiskey is hitting a stride. Much of that is thanks to a few smart master distillers who had the foresight to lay down barrels about a decade ago. Those barrels are coming of age now. That means that there are some serious American single malts hitting shelves this season.
It’s an exciting time for the category, to be sure. Which means that it’s time for a blind taste test of some super smooth new American single malt whiskeys.
Let’s get a little background. American single malt, like single malt Scotch (or any other single malt made in any region in the world), is always made with 100% malted barley. That’s where the similarities end though. The climates in various regions of the United States mean that American single malt can be drastically different from single malt aged in the cool temps of Scotland, Ireland, or Japan. What can take 20 years to accomplish with oak aging in the cool Scottish Highlands may only take 10 or even six years to accomplish in Kentucky or Texas or California. It’s just a different game — so don’t come into American single malt expecting a carbon copy of what’s going in Scotland or Japan just because “single malt” is in the name.
For this exercise, I grabbed 10 new bottles of American single malt whiskey that have popped off this year with tons of accolades and followers. These are the bottles that people in the whiskey world are talking about, sharing, and enjoying. That makes our lineup today the following American single malt whiskeys:
- Lost Lantern Single Cask Series Andalusia Whiskey Co. Triple Distilled Texas Single Malt
- Root Shoot Whiskey American Single Malt Bottled in Bond Aged 4 Years
- Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt Oloroso Sherry Cask
- Santa Fe Spirits Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey
- Westward American Single Malt Whiskey Single Barrel Reserve Grand Cru Sauternes Cask
- Brother Justus American Single Malt Cold-Peated Whiskey
- Virginia Distillery Co. American Single Malt Whisky Courage & Conviction Double Cask Reserve
- Wolves The Malted Barley Series California Single Malt Whiskey Lot No. 2
- Boulder Spirits American Single Malt Whiskey 2023 Limited Edition The 10 Essentials
- Clermont Steep American Single Malt Whiskey
After my patient wife shuffled, poured, and cataloged these for a blind tasting, I tasted through and ranked them. I was looking for overall taste, balance, and depth. Most of these were pretty damn good with a few that might need a little more time to find the sweet spot (which is a problem with this relatively young category still). Let’s dive in!
- The Single Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
- The Best Whiskeys We Tasted At The 2023 Kentucky Bourbon Festival
- Every Bottle Of Jack Daniel’s Whiskey, Power Ranked
- The Best New Whiskeys To Chase Down This April
- The Smoothest Single Malt Whiskeys On The Market, Blind Tasted And Ranked
Part 1 — The American Single Malt Whiskey Blind Tasting
Taste 1
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Notes of fresh chili pepper and leathery spiced fruit drive the nose with hints of stroopwafel (those honey waffle cookies from The Netherlands) and candy cane.
Palate: That candy cane turns to pure peppermint on the palate as subtle notes of clove and allspice mingle with creamy eggnog ice cream and malted honey crackers.
Finish: The finish is nice with a sweet spiciness akin to moist dark Christmas cookies with a touch of malted vanilla.
Initial Thoughts:
This is pretty nice overall. It was very reminiscent of the holiday season and felt very well-balanced from start to finish.
Taste 2
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with a fresh honey-laced granola bar with a hint of nuttiness and chocolate next to earthy cherry bark, old cinnamon sticks, and whispers of clove (maybe even anise).
Palate: Poppy seed danishes and mocha lattes drive the palate with a sense of wildflowers and apple orchards while a flutter of old leather tobacco pouches and old whiskey cellars sneak in.
Finish: The end leans into the woodiness of the tobacco and oak with a nice touch of malted spice cakes and orchard fruit.
Initial Thoughts:
This was good too. It had a nice depth overall and felt like well-rounded whiskey. It didn’t wow, but it got the job done.
Taste 3
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose draws you in with a sense of plums, dates, and figs swimming in brandy next to toffee rolled in roasted almond and dipped into dark chocolate with a hint of spiced wine cut with molasses and fresh green chili pepper.
Palate: The dark chocolate attaches to the black-tea-soaked dates with plenty of nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice next to malted chocolate spiced holiday cakes and a nice flourish of marzipan just kissed with pear oils.
Finish: The end has an almost woody dark chocolate vibe with the green chili making a comeback with a deep leatheriness and nice maltiness.
Initial Thoughts:
This rocks. It’s deep and vibrant. It goes to interesting places with a fun vibe. It also feels like a fully-rounded pour of whiskey.
Taste 4
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a subtle balance of brisk desert smoke next to olive brine umami on the nose and then hints of rich and sweet marzipan arrive with white chocolate fattiness and whispers of vanilla blossoms.
Palate: The taste opens with a hint of smoked plums next to a strawberry rhubarb cobbler with a scoop of malted vanilla ice cream before a thin line of mesquite smoke sneaks in.
Finish: That berry fruit feel carries on into the mellow finish as the smoke dissipates.
Initial Thoughts:
This starts off so boldly but sort of disappears at the finish. I feel like a rock or just more time (exposure to air) would have opened this up a bit more.
Taste 5
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has a deep nose that takes you on a journey through sweet grains, soft caramel, burnt orange peels, grilled peaches, and summer flowers.
Palate: There’s a sharp cherry soda on the palate with a hint of grapefruit, pineapple, and ripe peach next to bright ginger, soft coconut, and a hint of honeyed malt with a whisper of nuttiness.
Finish: That orange comes back on the finish with a soft fresh floral edge next to light cedar bark braided with chewy fresh tobacco dipped in honey and dusted with citrus zest.
Initial Thoughts:
This is boldly grain-forward but balances it with deep woody whiskey notes.
Taste 6
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is interesting — dried shitakes, forest moss, and spiced oak staves lead the way with a light sense of maple syrup cookies.
Palate: That maple turns into caramel on the palate as more earthiness nudges in with potting soil and wet wicker play with vanilla and orchard fruit.
Finish: The end fades quickly, leaving you with a sense of umami earthiness, caramel, and wood spice.
Initial Thoughts:
This was a little all over the place.
Taste 7
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with deep honey and candied orange next to apricot jam over scones with a hint of malted spice and brandy-soaked oak staves.
Palate: Black Forest cake by way of honey-pear-floral malted crackers drives the palate toward winter spice barks, soft milk chocolate sauce, and a dash of lemon malt meringue.
Finish: Fresh gingerbread and soft oak round out the finish with a nice dose of spice, chocolate, and malt.
Initial Thoughts:
This feels the most like a Scotch. That aside, this is really good.
Taste 8
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Nostalgia drips from the nose with oatmeal raisin cookies, old wicker porch furniture, lemon pepper, and dried red fruit leather next to spicy oak and soft apple cider.
Palate: Soft salted caramel and bruised apricot drive the palate with a sense of honeyed oats, old tobacco pouches, and rich malted vibes.
Finish: The end leans into the malted chocolate with a dried fruit feel with brandied pears and old oak staves leading to soft pipe tobacco and hints of floral honey.
Initial Thoughts:
This is really good stuff. The nuance and journey this sip takes you on are just great.
Taste 9
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a medley of pear and apricot (both dried and candied) with spicy forest honey, old leather, and malty Graham Crackers dipped in dark chocolate and just flaked with sea salt.
Palate: The palate is lush with a sense of eggnog spices and creaminess that gives way to pear brandy-laced marzipan and more of that forest honey next to warm maltiness.
Finish: The warmth leans into fresh green chili, nuttiness, and dark chocolate on the end (almost getting into mole territory) before leaning back toward spiced malts with a woody tobacco finish.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a great pour right here. It has everything while feeling dialed and nuanced.
Taste 10
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a toasted caramel maltiness that’s super grainy with salted toffee syrup and a nice dollop of butter with a hint of chocolate-covered caramels in the background.
Palate: The palate is light with a Kentucky winter spice bark vibe next to a bowl of Cream of Wheat with a hint of honey and nasturtium as a counterbalance.
Finish: The end really leans into the Kentucky wood spice with a hint of pear orchards and soft chewing tobacco just kissed with chili pepper spice.
Initial Thoughts:
This is very, very grainy.
Part 2 — The American Single Malt Whiskey Ranking
10. Clermont Steep American Single Malt Whiskey — Taste 10
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $65
The Whiskey:
This new release from James B. Beam in Clermont, Kentucky is Jim Beam’s foray into the world of American single malt whiskey. The juice was crafted from 100% American malted barley and fermented with Beam’s proprietary yeast strain. That whiskey was left for five years to mellow in toasted barrels that were barely charred. The final product was batched and proofed down before bottling.
Bottom Line:
This was just too grainy today. It feels like it needs another year in the barrel to calm that grain down and let the rest shine a little more brightly. I’d wait for next year’s batch.
9. Brother Justus American Single Malt Cold-Peated Whiskey — Taste 6
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $96
The Whiskey:
This Minnesota whiskey is all about 100% Minnesota malted barley. It’s also about a cold peat malting process called the “Atkin County Process” wherein Minnesota peat is used to malt Minnesota barley without fire. Hence the name, “Cold-Peated”.
Bottom Line:
This was fine but was missing real depth. I’d pass for now.
8. Westward American Single Malt Whiskey Single Barrel Reserve Grand Cru Sauternes Cask — Taste 5
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This is Portland’s classic American single malt taken up a level. After years of resting, a single barrel was re-barreled in a sauternes cask from France’s Grand Cru Classé estate. 14 months later, Westward bottled that whiskey with a kiss of local water.
Bottom Line:
This was also very grain-forward on today’s panel. The whiskey did go well beyond the grains into a balanced overall pour. But … it took time to find all of that. So if you’re looking for a grain-forward malt with good depth, this is the play.
7. Santa Fe Spirits Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey — Taste 4
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $53
The Whiskey:
Colkegan is a combination of the Scottish Highlands and New Mexico’s ingredients. Instead of smoking their barley malts with peat, Santa Fe Spirits uses local mesquite logs in the kilning process, giving the base of this whiskey a clear New Mexico vibe. The juice is then aged at 7,000 feet above sea level in a climate-controlled warehouse that drops the temperatures to near freezing before amping them up extremely high while also lowering and heightening the humidity in the room.
Bottom Line:
This is where we get into the “this is pretty nice” territory. There’s nothing wrong with this pour. It’s a solid “B” through and through. My recommendation is to try it when you’re in New Mexico.
6. Root Shoot Whiskey American Single Malt Bottled in Bond Aged 4 Years — Taste 2
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is made from barley grown, harvested, and malted on a 5th generation family farm in Colorado. The whiskey is aged in new American oak for four years before batching and bottling at 100 proof.
Bottom Line:
Again, this is a perfectly nice whiskey. If you’re into good single malt and in Colorado, pick up a bottle.
5. Lost Lantern Single Cask Series Andalusia Whiskey Co. Triple Distilled Texas Single Malt — Taste 1
ABV: 52.6%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This single cask from Lost Lantern’s Fall 2023 series is a three-year-old single malt from a very new Texas distillery. The whiskey in this case is made with 100% 2-row malted barley and triple distilled a la Irish whiskey. A single honey barrel was picked by the Lost Lantern team and bottled 100% as-is, yielding only 177 bottles.
Bottom Line:
This is where we get into the really nice stuff. I like this as a slow sipper that isn’t going to make me think. This is an end-of-day pour if there ever was one.
4. Virginia Distillery Co. American Single Malt Whisky Courage & Conviction Double Cask Reserve — Taste 7
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $71
The Whiskey:
This new fall release from Virginia Distillery Co. features double asking. That means that the whiskey was aged a minimum of five years in first-fill bourbon casks and European red wine Cuvée casks before slow batching with a touch of water.
Bottom Line:
This is the close to a nice 15- or 18-year-old Scotch single malt that you can get on this list. It’s that good. If you’re looking for that Scotch whisky vibe from an American producer, get this bottle.
3. Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt Oloroso Sherry Cask — Taste 3
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
Jack Daniel’s has been toying with American single malt for over a year and has finally pulled the trigger on a permanent expression for retail shelves (albeit just on travel retail shelves for now). The whiskey in the bottle is a 100% malted barley juice (that’s charcoal filtered) that was aged in new oak for over half a decade before being transferred into huge Oloroso sherry casks (from Tonelería Páez Lobato) for even more mellowing.
Bottom Line:
This is just good whiskey, malt or not. It’s deep, delicious, and lush. It’s also great neat. Though, I imagine a rock or some water would make it super creamy. The next time you’re at duty-free at the airport, get yourself a bottle or two.
2. Wolves The Malted Barley Series California Single Malt Whiskey Lot No. 2 — Taste 8
ABV: 55%
Average Price: $305
The Whiskey:
Lot 2 of this California Single malt just dropped. The whiskey was made with imported Irish malts that were fermented with California ale yeasts. That juice was aged for 11 years before very small batching, which yielded only 2,010 bottles.
Bottom Line:
This is American single malt at its best. It’s balanced, nuanced, and freaking tasty. I know it’s pricey, so try it at a good whiskey bar first then commit to a bottle.
1. Boulder Spirits American Single Malt Whiskey 2023 Limited Edition The 10 Essentials — Taste 9
ABV: 49.5%
Average Price: $64
The Whiskey:
This new limited release from Colorado’s Boulder is a blend of five single malt casks. Former armagnac, tawny port, PX sherry, and new American oak were batched for this release after five to 6.5 years of aging. The whiskey was then cut with El Dorado spring water for bottling.
Bottom Line:
This is great neat. I want to go back to it with a single rock and really take my time digging into the deeper layers that are here (but I didn’t have time for in a blind tasting). This is the good stuff, folks!
Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the American Single Malt Whiskeys
This was a fun and pretty delicious panel of American single malt whiskeys. Overall, anything in the top five or so is going to be a great play if you’re looking to get into the style.
If you’re looking to go deep, then any of the top three are great candidates as they’re just really good whiskeys overall.
Brass tacks? The top two really are tied. So go back and re-read my tasting notes. Find the one that really touches your soul and go with that.