American Single Malt

It’s The Summer Of Bourbon For Independent Bottler Lost Lantern

June 26, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

The bourbon boom has brought great whiskey to parts of the U.S. where the brown spirit was never made before.

And thanks to the latest Lost Lantern series, you can now find great bourbon from Nevada’s deserts to Texas’ wide-open plains, and from the Midwest to the mountains of Colorado.

Lost Lantern, the independent bottler of American whiskey founded by Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski, shines a light on the depth and breadth of bourbon.

All the Summer of Bourbon releases come bottled at natural cask strength, and are labeled with the source distillery or distilleries.

The Summer of Bourbon includes the first new entry in Lost Lantern’s Blend Series since 2020, when the independent bottler introduced American Vatted Malt Edition No. 1.

Far-Flung Bourbon is a blend of straight bourbons from four distilleries in four states that have never been blended before: Frey Ranch in Nevada, Boulder Spirits in Colorado, Watershed Distillery in Ohio, and Still Austin Whiskey Co. in Texas.

The release also includes the first bourbon in Lost Lantern’s Single Distillery Series: Soaring Spice, from Frey Ranch Distillery in Nevada.

It also includes six different single casks from six distilleries in five states: Frey Ranch in Nevada, Boulder Spirits in Colorado, Ironroot Republic in Texas, Still Austin in Texas, Tom’s Foolery in Ohio, and New Riff in Kentucky.

“The Summer of Bourbon shows that great bourbon can take many different forms,” Ganley-Roper said. “It can be made in many different ways in climates and aging conditions that are utterly different from each other, having a huge impact on flavor.”

For more information, check out www.lostlanternwhiskey.com.

The Distillery Behind Jim Beam Is Releasing Its First American Single Malt Whiskey

May 15, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

American single malt will be a legally defined American whiskey any day now. That’s perfect timing for one of the biggest bourbon distilleries in the world, the James B. Beam Distilling Co., to release its own version into this burgeoning category called Clermont Steep.

James B. Beam Distilling Co. is, of course, the company behind Jim Beam which is one of the best-selling bourbons both here and abroad. In addition to that ubiquitous whiskey, eighth-generation master distiller Freddie Noe, along with his father Fred Noe and grandfather Booker Noe, have been responsible for some of the most influential American whiskeys of the past few decades. Booker was the creative force behind the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection, which includes Booker’s, Knob Creek, Basil Hayden, and Baker’s. Fred has been the face of the distillery and overseen operations there for many years, and is a respected and familiar face in the world of Kentucky bourbon. And now Freddie has come into his own with his Little Book series of blended whiskeys, operating the new Fred B. Noe Distillery and now introducing Clermont Steep.

At a recent tasting, Noe talked about the development of this new American single malt. Beam isn’t the first major American whiskey brand to release a single malt—Jack Daniel’s launched its own last year. But that whiskey was an entirely different animal, having spent a full two years finishing in Oloroso sherry casks. Clermont Steep does not get a secondary maturation, just a full five years in new charred American oak barrels. Noe said that the project really got underway six years ago when the first barrels were laid down for this release. Previous iterations of malt whiskey have appeared as components of Little Book Chapter Six, but those were younger whiskeys that were finished with different barrel staves.

While the pending legal definition of American single malt will likely allow it to be matured in used barrels, Noe is firmly in the camp that thinks that new charred oak barrels are the way to go. This puts American single malt more in line with bourbon, but he says that’s the point—this should be a distinctly American whiskey, as opposed to single malts from other countries that can be aged in nearly any type of barrel. The mashbill is 100 percent malted barley, and the distillery’s heirloom “jug yeast” is used for fermentation. The whiskey was distilled in a column still—”I will argue this till the day I die,” said Noe, “What goes on in a pot still can happen in column still”—and bottled at a higher 47 percent ABV.

“This American single malt whiskey is smooth, sweet, and incredibly balanced, and it deserves a spot on any whiskey lover’s bar cart, right alongside their bourbons and ryes,” said Noe in a statement. “I’m always looking toward the future of American whiskey, and the boundless runway in this category intrigued me. We don’t just want to participate in American single malt whiskey; we want to help define it for the future of the category.”

For more information please visit https://www.beamdistilling.com/

Santa Fe Spirits Releases Colkegan Unsmoked Single Malt Whiskey Nationwide

May 7, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

Santa Fe Spirits is releasing its Colkegan Unsmoked Single Malt Whiskey nationwide with online orders from its website. Santa Fe Spirits is well known for its Colkegan Mesquite Smoked Single Malt, and for the first time ever they have released an unsmoked Colkegan.

Like Scotch Whisky, Santa Fe Spirits’ Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey is made entirely from malted barley, carefully distilled, aged, and finished in various oak casks to enhance the complex flavors. The key difference is many Scotch whiskies are made with peat-smoked malt while Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey achieves its complex flavor profile using mesquite smoked malt. This approach has earned Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey numerous awards and a 91-point rating from Whiskey Advocate.

“We love experimenting with traditional single malt whiskey to develop new products while honoring the heritage of single malt,” says Santa Fe Spirits founder Colin Keegan. “Our mesquite-smoked Colkegan has won people’s hearts, and we wanted to release a whiskey that would complement our current line-up of American Single Malts, but also stand on its own. Four years ago we made our traditional Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey, but without smoking the malt. We tucked a few barrels of it into a back corner of the rickhouse, aged it in new American Oak, and used bourbon barrels. We’re excited to release it nationwide.”

Spurred by ever-increasing consumer interest and the efforts of the American Single Malt Commission, single malt whiskey made in the U.S. has gained considerable attention in recent years. As a founding member of the American Single Malt Commission, Santa Fe Spirits has helped champion the creation and promotion of American Single Malt Whiskey as an officially recognized category of whiskey. On July 29 the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) issued the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register which will formally define American Single Malt whisky. In the coming months, the TTB is expected to release an official definition of American single malt. This is great news for the entire industry and for consumers who are eager to purchase whiskey like Colkegan Unsmoked.

About Colkegan Unsmoked

Distiller Stephen Julander created a whiskey with 100% malted barley that focuses on the flavors of the pure malt with Unsmoked Colkegan. After distillation, Unsmoked Colkegan was aged for about four years in new American Oak and used bourbon barrels. The resulting whiskey has a beautiful copper color that evokes the coming of fall in the aspens, a deep amber luster as they welcome in the cooler nights of our Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Unsmoked Colkegan has warm aromas of brown sugar, bubblegum, macadamia nuts, and cinnamon, with a palate of toasted walnuts, wafer cookies, toast, dried pit fruit, and light spice. It has a lovely finish with lasting notes of toasted oak and butterscotch pudding.

About Santa Fe Spirits

Santa Fe Spirits was founded by Colin Keegan in 2010 with the goal of becoming the Southwest’s pre-eminent artisan distillery. With products ranging from silver whisky to barrel-aged apple brandy, Santa Fe Spirits is a relatively small distillery proud to be producing exceptional spirits designed to capture and accentuate the essence of the Southwest.

For more information please visit https://santafespirits.com/spirits/buy-online.

Blue Run Spirits Releases First Single Barrel Rye Whiskey

May 7, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

Blue Run Spirits announces its first ever Single Barrel Rye Whiskey, dropping just in time for Mother’s Day. Blue Run Kentucky Straight Emerald Single Barrel Rye Whiskey marks the second release from Blue Run’s award-winning Emerald Rye series. Blue Run Emerald Single Barrel Rye will be available only online at BlueRunSpirits.com beginning at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Tuesday, May 2.

Like the Gold Medal-awarded Blue Run Emerald Rye Whiskey (released in November 2022), this single barrel offering was contract distilled by Blue Run Liquid Advisor Jim Rutledge at Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. Shaylyn Gammon, Blue Run’s Whiskey Director, carefully selected these barrels to echo the rich, complex flavors from Emerald Rye Whiskey, but with each featuring its own personality found only in a single barrel release. Adding to the complexity, these are also bottled at barrel proof with no water added to dilute the flavor or aroma, thus allowing subtle individual nuances to shine through.

“With Blue Run’s Emerald Rye Whiskies, I am trying to work towards a baseline flavor foundation for the entire collection, then find interesting or unexpected interpretations that are wholly unique but don’t stray too far from the original profile,” said Gammon. “This might be somewhat easier when blending, but when you are working with single barrels at barrel proof, the art lies in the barrel selection, understanding how the distillate interacted with the barrel char level, and to the extent I can, what climate factors impacted that barrel as it aged over the years.”

In keeping with releasing a whiskey just before Mother’s Day, each of the single barrels from this Emerald Rye collection are named for the mothers in the lives of Blue Run founders. As noted by Shaylyn, each barrel has its own unique personality, just like these amazing women. Thanks moms!

About Blue Run Spirits

Georgetown, Kentucky-based Blue Run Spirits is an evolution of the traditional spirits company, creating award-winning bourbons and rye whiskies through time-honored traditions matched with inclusive, forward-looking vision. It all starts with the whiskey itself, carefully crafted by Blue Run Liquid Advisor and Bourbon Hall of Famer Jim Rutledge and Whiskey Director Shaylyn Gammon. That precious liquid is then housed in striking packaging adorned with Blue Run’s signature butterfly medallion, marking the metamorphosis of a centuries-old industry as Blue Run reaches across the bar to welcome today’s younger, broader and more diverse whiskey drinker. Blue Run Spirits was founded in 2020 and was named one of the 50 most innovative companies in America by Bloomberg.

For More Information:
https://www.bluerunspirits.com/

Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey to Launch This Spring

February 14, 2023 By Dow Scoggins

Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey – the newest full-time member of the Yellowstone brand family and the latest inspiration from Limestone Branch Distillery Master Distiller Stephen Beam – is set to hit retail shelves in the coming months. Aged four years and bottled at 108 proof (54% ABV), Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey will be available nationwide starting in March at a suggested retail price of $54.99.

Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey boasts a 100% barley malt mash bill, which yields tasting notes that are a unique departure from its sister spirit, Yellowstone Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Consumers of Yellowstone American Single Malt can expect a nose of cereal malt and honey, with a hint of peach blossom; a sweet, medium body with notes of honey, pear, stone fruit, and dates; and a finish that contains notes of oak, with hints of cinnamon and English Walnuts.

“I’m proud of the success Yellowstone Select Bourbon has enjoyed since 2015 when I introduced my take on my family’s historic brand,” said Beam. “And I’m proud to once again continue my family’s tradition of innovation with the launch of Yellowstone American Single Malt. This is a brand-new category of American whiskey, and our offering is sure to become a favorite among Yellowstone Bourbon fans and fans of American Single Malt Whiskeys alike.”

Packaging of Yellowstone American Single Malt includes a more design-forward label featuring the brand’s iconic Lower Falls artwork and a more prominent version of the Yellowstone brand name, as well as blue top-wrap to differentiate Yellowstone American Single Malt from other Yellowstone variants.

The Yellowstone brand continues its tradition of supporting its namesake park through an ongoing partnership with the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), an independent organization working to strengthen and protect our national parks. To date, Yellowstone has donated nearly $370,000 to the organization, and the brand is committed to continuing the partnership.

About Limestone Branch Distillery
Stephen Beam opened Limestone Branch Distillery in 2011, with the goal of crafting the finest spirits in small batches. Stephen is a seventh-generation distiller with a history of distilling on both sides of his family – Beam and Dant. In 2015, he brought the Yellowstone brand back to the family. The distillery is now home to Yellowstone Select, Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey, Yellowstone Limited Edition, Minor Case Rye Whiskey and Bowling & Burch Gin.

For More Information:
https://limestonebranch.com/