Fifty Stone Single Malt

Lighter fuel that‘s delicately aged in a toilet.

This is gross. Very young, almost a chemical smell on the nose and palette. Don’t buy it. Sorry I was hoping it would be good.

I was always curious about this one —it’s a young American craft single malt made with floor malted barley ( which is a rarity in the US, and in most Scottish distilleries as well ), and then smoked with seaweed and American peat. But unfortunately, outside Maine and some North Atlantic states, it’s really hard to purchase. Thankfully, I got a sample courtesy of @jonwilkinson7309. I’ve always had a soft spot for craft American distilleries; something about the passion and can-do attitude. One of my goals is to have an American whiskey made in every state ( might have to hold out with Alaska ). Unfortunately, many of the craft distilleries put out product way too young , or simply too expensive for what it offers. This one though, isn’t in that category. At just over $40, it’s not gong to break the bank. And if you’re a fan of medicinal peat Islay, you’ll love this. So, this markets itself as made in the Highlands style, but a big whiff of that peat begs to differ. You get a truck load of medicinal iodine, brine, and salt —all wrapped into a buttery pastry dough. It’s like a Laphroaig, but with less complexity. If you’re ever driving through Maine, NH, or VT, pick this up. At $40-45 USD, you can’t go wrong. Thanks Jon for the pour !

Even though this distillery is relatively local to me as a resident of the New Hampshire seacoast, I wasn't aware of Fifty Point until @pbmichiganwolverine mentioned it in the comments of my Oppidan Smoke and Sea review.   I checked out Maine Craft Distillery's web site, and it appears that distribution of Fifty Stone is currently limited to Maine.  Happily, through the site's store locator I discovered the Fifty Stone  just fifteen minutes away, right across the state line at...Walgreens.  For some of you, that may not seem strange, but in the Northeast it's highly unusual to buy spirits alongside toothpaste and deodorant.  But so much about Maine is different, odd, interesting, or all three.   This whiskey definitely qualifies as both interesting and different, due to the seaweed smoking of the malt, which is very distinguishable on both the nose and the palate. The bottle labels the Fifty Stone as a "Highland style malt".  That rings true to me, as it shares much in common with martime Highlands such as Old Pulteney and Clynelish.   On both the nose and palate, there are notes of cereal, vanilla, honey and citrus. Also present is the strongest sea salt note I've scented or tasted, along with distinct seaweed that comes at the end of the palate.  While there's a reasonably strong hit of ethenol mid-palate, there is very little alcohol burn on the finish. There is a mild burnt toast note, however, undoubtedly a byproduct of burning seaweed. While the malt is on the young side, it's not dry, and fairly rich. The whiskey presents itself as two distinct but complimentary components - the malt whiskey and smokey seaweed.  If I had been told it was a single malt finished in seaweed barrels, I (probably) would have believed it, even though I have no idea what a seaweed barrel is. Ultimately, your reaction to this whiskey may be determined by how you feel about the combination of the two very different components - highland malt and smoked seaweed.  I suspect that opinions will be quite polarized. For me the combination is a bit challenging, but it works.  This is a complex dram, and due to the unusual flavors, I suspect the intrigue will remain through the last of the bottle. While it's not a whiskey I'd reach for regularly, it's a very nice departure from the norm. And it captures the essence of so many oceanside towns on the rocky Maine coast.  Props to Maine Craft Distilling for a truly creative dram!  This is a 3.75 that I've rounded to 4.0 because I love the concept and brilliant expression of the local terroir.