McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt

Batch no. W22-01 The whisky itself is oily and rich, having notes of apple, cinnamon, hay, oak, and slight medicinal herb bitterness. There is a slight iodine, and the peat is relatively intense and lasts throughout the finish. The finish is medium length. Similar peat to laphroaig select or ardbeg 10. I love this whisky. It is in my top 10, and any islay fan should pick this up for a try. it’s price point it’s relatively great for a whisky this peaty and it’s a really interesting American single malt. Hands down the best I’ve had so far.

W11-01. Bottled June 20, 2011. Lots of peat and smoke. Sweet and full.

Peat but very well rounded.

Used imported pear from Scotland, tastes just like an Islay

Smoky, berry, vanilla

They make it with Scottish barley to approximate an Islay, but it's not quite an Islay in that it's lacking the sea salt and brininess. That doesn't mean this isn't a fine whisky in its own right. A friend of mine tasted this at a liquor store in NY, and apparently, that place ships to my location even though many store don't. In fact, he sent me two bottles because the location couldn't ship from Chicago, and as happens with any gifted whisky, I was grateful, even though I'd never heard of McCarthy's. We had a FaceTime call, I cracked this one open. And... It actually reminds me a lot more of the peated Irish whisky Dark Silkie. The nose is peat smoke that has the faint trace of rubber with undertones of chocolate and coffee. There's a slight cured meat aroma but it's a very faint trace in the background. In other words, the aroma contains all I like in a peated whisky other than that brininess. Sometimes, people comment on youth in a whisky, and in this case, it's actually surprising that it's only 3 years old. I'm not saying it tastes like a 10 year. But it's punching above its weight. On the palate the peat continues but there's a sweetness like the darker chocolate aromas on the nose become a milk chocolate on the palate, a nice mocha blend with the coffee, a little bit of cream in there, you know? The finish itself has a bit of spice, but it's also smooth, no alcohol burn, and it lingers, I wouldn't say for days, but let's say, just long enough to give one an appreciation that this is a unique expression one's been lucky to get one's hands on. The buddy who shipped this to me actually shipped two bottles. Hold onto the second one for me, he asked. And on the FaceTime call he said, "I'm going to the distillery next month and if I can get my hands on some more to bring it back to Chicago, the second bottle is yours to do with as you wish. If I can't, well, it just means I have to visit again so we can enjoy it together." And hearing that, well, isn't that really a win-win in either case? A second bottle of good whisky for my own purposes or a second bottle of good whisky to enjoy with my friend? Truth be told, I'd prefer option two.

Finest American single malt I’ve ever had