Whiskey_Hound
Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey (Discontinued)
American Single Malt — Colorado, USA
Reviewed
August 5, 2020 (edited September 15, 2020)
My first Colorado and my first American Single Malt. Interestingly, in regard to the latter, this doesn't necessarily have to be 100% malted barley, unlike European single malts. This one happens to be 100% malted barely, though I thought that was an interesting find. Let's see an American single malt stacks up to its European counterparts.
Batch No. 227. Bottle No.4,454.
Nose: Caramel, toffee, vanilla, brown sugar. Roasted almonds, croissant, and shortbread cookie. Honey and butterscotch. Faint lemon citrus. Prominent craisin/cranberry and some jelly doughnut. Black cherry. Chestnut and oak. Some campfire smoke, though not in any comparable to what I get from an Islay. This evokes the image of a midwinter fire deep in the woods, while the latter is more a summer campfire close by to the coast. Unique smoke note. Great start.
Palate: More of the obvious: toffee, caramel, brown sugar, malt, butterscotch, and shortbread cookie. Some milk chocolate and almond. Woody, grassy, oak notes. Some strawberry, honeydew, pear, and peach (stole that last one from @WhiskeyLonghorn 's review of the Sherry Cask.) A bit of sulfur. Loving the fruit influence here.
Finish: A burst of dried red fruit notes of cranberry, raisin, date, and prune. Big oak, roasted almond, walnut, and chestnut notes. Milk chocolate and caramel. Kiwi. Clove, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Mid-to-long, leaning toward long.
Very impressed with my first American Single Malt. I'll admit, it's very strange. Initially off-putting. But now that I'm halfway through the bottle, I get this one. It's earthy and hearty, yet fruity, fresh, and natural. Colorado is my favorite state in the U.S., based only on the couple of times I've been there. This is a great embodiment of Colorado character.
So how's the value? In the world of craft whiskey, this is actually a bargain. Judged in a vacuum, I'd say that at $58.99, this is $6-9 bucks overpriced. I draw those numbers from my experience with Scottish/Irish single malts and American bourbons/ryes alike. Slightly overpriced, but still a solid value. And a damn good whiskey. Cheers!
59.0
USD
per
Bottle
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First American Single Malt you say? Perhaps I should throw a few samples in your box then :) I've got the Westward, Balcones, Westland Peated, and a few odd ones from Corsair if you're interested.
@WhiskeyLonghorn - I’ve never really understood the big swings in regional pricing. Yes, the taxes play a part,but there’s more to these variations than just taxes. I’m in Kansas and we don’t see a lot of whiskies that are widely available in other states. Balcones is one that I keep asking my liquor store about.
@claptonfan756 it’s funny you mention that. I can get Stranahans for less in Texas now than I used to it in Colorado. State liquor law differences are so bizarre!
@WhiskeyLonghorn I sure did! After your review, I'll be sure to check out the Black Diamond next. @claptonfan756 I believe I can get the sherry cask for a good bit cheaper than that, so I'll have to check that out as well
Look out for the Sherry Cask release. It’s quite expensive ($90-ish) but it’s very nice and tastes like a Sherry-finished highland scotch.
It’s a great whisky, and the pride and flagship for my old home state. They’ve really come into their own the last few years. They’ve got older stock for blending now, which I think gives them a more consistent flavor profile than they were able to achieve 5-10 years ago. Glad you enjoyed it!