Cedar Ridge The QuintEssential American Single Malt

The peat in this is perfect. Adds a nice touch to the dark fruit and chocolate.

Fruity on the nose. Not as hard as you would expect of a 46% alcohol content. Little bit of fruit, maybe some almonds initial taste. Smokey, almost peaty, aftertaste. Great sipping bourbon, would buy it again!

This whiskey is exactly what you want from an American Single Malt. It rounds out all the boxes from the aromatics to the nice chewy viscosity from the ever-changing complexity of flavor over sipping time. I have batches 2 and 5 and though they’re slightly different they both have all the qualities above. I’d rate this as an equal to my Lagavulin 16 yr. I can’t believe anyone would rate this under a 4. It’s a solid 4-5 in my book.

Red wine finishing is prominent in good and bad ways. This isn’t my ideal single malt, but it presents cleanly and is an enjoyable pour. Well done for an out of the way craft distiller, and will be a clear winner for those that like a spicier profile with those red wine barrel notes. Rich tawny red-gold. Grapey with a pleasant twinge of spice on the nose. A touch sour. Palate builds upon the nose. Grapes that edge toward grappa, persistent cinnamon, red fruit, and the vein of sourness stays. Aspartame. Walnut. Sweet start is overrun by a building spice that lingers. Shares a common hallmark with other CR products. A little young overall but a nice pour if you want a little assertiveness.