Andalusia Stryker Smoked Single Malt

Aroma: Smoky, BBQ smoke, orange, vanilla, malt

Nose: TX mesquite bbq, caramelized barrel Taste: besides a syrupy sweetness on the forefront, the smoke really takes over - I wouldn’t call it one note because it hits different from the start to the mid to the finish, but it’s all different shades of the smoke

Distillery tour today. Andalusia Whiskey Company is located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country about an hour from Austin or San Antonio. They do all their own smoking of their barley, as well as age and bottle on site. Among Texas distilleries, they get a lot of press, and have been featured in Texas Monthly and Whisky Advocate. This one is perhaps their most well known malt. Stryker is made with a portion of malt that has been smoked with mesquite and applewood, much like a Texas BBQ pit. The nose contains that smoke and smells just like a brisket fresh off the cooker. The taste keeps the smoke consistent without being too overpowering. The finish is a bit short, but the smoke lingers. I can't say this is my favorite mesquite smoked American Single Malt (looking at you Del Bac...), but I was glad to have tried this one.

Nice combo of sweetness and smoke. Hints of vanilla and mesquite on the nose and nice smoke on the taste. Add some water to bring out the vanilla for an amazingly balanced single malt on the palette. Similar to a lightly smoked scotch with a Texas bbq flair

Smoked, but not heavy handed. Subtle scotch-like character.