Copperworks American Single Malt (Release No. 034)

Rating: 19/23 This is really exciting. This is the first American single malt to ever be release made from Washington peat. Not this brand - this actual release number. Westland is coming out with one too soon(ish) but for now copperworks is the only producer and even for then this batch has pretty much come and gone. Not heavily peated. I smell some medicinal bite but also some really nice chocolate on top of the usual copperworks fruit (cherry, tangerine, maybe some orange), malt, yeast, and oiliness. It's a very nice extra layer. There's some vanilla with sort of a dusty papery quality to it. There's also something funky deep down that lands just on the right side of the line between good savory and bad/young distillate savory. I get some dry grassiness as well. I'm a big fan of this nose - it has tremendous complexity. From the nose, my impression is that Washington peat is more grassy and smoky, but far less phenolic than Islay peat. But on to the tasting. Smooth, rich, full, viscous, oily. I get chocolate, cherry, tangerine, yeast, malted barley, mild spices (cinnamon and ginger), papery vanilla. This is a tremendously hedonistic and balanced whiskey with some really nice complexity. It tastes far older than it is. Considering the way everything fits together so mellowly, I would have guessed this was a much older bottle. There is some smoke, but it's a light touch for a peated whiskey. With the yeast and paperiness, this reminds me of westward, but it's more interesting, mature, and refined. Nutty. How did I forget to say that? This is very nutty, blending nicely into the oil. Sort of pecan and almond. This is a sweeter and less bitter peat It has a weird profile for a scotch, but if have put it at around the 16 year mark if it were a scotch. I mean, it has that American single malt character to it, so that kind of strongly hints at its age, but aside from that. As for rating, this is no lower than an 18. It could be a 20. I think I'll go with a 19.

You can make out the peat aroma if you are looking for it. Otherwise I wouldn't have noticed. Peat flavor is way subtler than your get from Islay but the result is excellent balance. Dark and complex flavor, quite enjoyable.

This is one of my favorite Copperworks releases yet. I almost didn’t buy it as I don’t seek out peated whiskeys. Trying it in their tasting room blew me away, and I went home with a bottle. The peat smoke is quite tame. Imagine drinking a more typical Copperworks release next to a campfire. The smokiness comes through mostly in the nose for me. I get orange peel and baking spices on the palate.

Nose: woodsy Palate: roasted almonds Finish: smoke, hickory I can’t drink this neat or with water. Drinks too hot/spicy for me. Does very nicely in an old fashioned