American single malt is on fire — as an American whiskey category, that is. New versions of the whiskey are dropping weekly from brands big and small. It feels like everyone is getting in on the game of malted barley whiskey. That means that there’s more and more on the shelf. And since it’s such a fresh category, there are going to be some misses out there — that’s why we’re here.
The rub with this category is that it’s not cheap. American single malt is still a pretty niche category with bespoke producers spending a lot of money making it. That means that grabbing a subpar bottle is a real threat and could be a real waste of money — especially if a mid bottle languishes on your shelf collecting dust. To that end, I’ve collected 10 new and interesting American single malt whiskeys that you can find right now. I put those whiskeys to a blind taste test (with the help of my very patient wife pouring and organizing for me), and then I ranked those whiskeys based on overall depth and flavor.
Our lineup today features the following bottles of American single malt whiskey:
- Bulleit Single Malt Frontier Whiskey American Single Malt Whiskey
- The Macklowe “Kentucky Edition” American Single Malt Whiskey
- Stranahan’s Snowflake Colorado Single Malt Whiskey “Pyramid Peak”
- Redwood Empire Whiskey “Foggy Burl” Single Malt Whiskey
- 291 “E” Colorado Whiskey Experimental Batch 13 American Single Malt Whiskey
- Lost Lantern “Mountain Meadow” St. George Spirits California Single Malt
- Westward American Single Malt Whiskey Small Batch Selection Vienna Malt
- New Riff Sour Mash Single Malt Kentucky Single Malt Whiskey
- Virginia Distillery Co. “Courage & Conviction” Double Cask Reserve American Single Malt Whisky
- Cedar Ridge “The QuintEssential” American Single Malt Whiskey Special Release Portside
When it came to ranking these whiskeys, it was pretty easy. This is about taste. Yes, barley whiskey has a different vibe than corn-fueled bourbon or grassy rye. But it still has to taste good. That was my north star when ranking these. And some just didn’t pass that bar so let’s dive right in.
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Part 1 — The American Single Malt Whiskey Blind Tasting
Taste 1
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is a candy bomb on the nose with sweet Jolly Rancher candies, fruit leather syrup, and tons of cherry and apple syrups with a hint of vanilla and oak backing it up.
Palate: Those sweet fruits vibe on the palate with a thick red berry syrup leading to pear candy and apple juice with a hint of sweetgrass countered by woody warming spice.
Finish: The end mellows dramatically toward soft mocha lattes, a touch of salted caramel, and faint whispers of a garden supply store.
Initial Thoughts:
This feels very one-note until the mid-palate, then it actually gets pretty interesting. Still, that fruity candy bomb on the nose and front of the palate is a lot.
Taste 2
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is malty on the nose with a soft touch of evergreen bushes, soft summer florals, spring honeycomb, and softly sweet yet spiced oak staves with a hint of Graham Cracker.
Palate: There’s a nutty maltiness to the palate that leads to spicy winter barks, light layers of vanilla, and a hint of gingerbread dipped in salted caramel.
Finish: That spice and sweetness combine on the finish with a light end that’s part barrelhouse earthiness and part soft malted sweetgrass braided with a touch of smudging sage.
Initial Thoughts:
This feels like a standard malt whiskey. Something was missing here that I can’t quite put my finger on. That said, this still sipped very nicely and had a classic Speyside vibe.
Taste 3
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sharp white pepper and old oak drive the nose toward apple hand pies frosted in powdered sugar icing, salted caramel, and a sense of sweet grain porridge cut with butter.
Palate: The apple takes on a spiced cider vibe on the palate as vanilla bean and caramel drive the taste toward smudging sage and dried sweetgrass.
Finish: Dark and apple-laced tobacco drives the finish toward sharp cinnamon bark, clove buds, and allspice berries before leading into a fresh sense of sweet apples off the tree and rolled in caramel.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a clearly balanced and very apple-forward sipper. It’s very reminiscent of bold Highland malts with a touch of American oaky depth. It’s nice.
Taste 4
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is lighter with notes of soft wood, orchard fruits, and vanilla wafer with a hint of nougat and caramel.
Palate: The malts mount on the palate as the nougat turns into dark chocolate sauce with a pinch of salt and a touch of caramel before a winter spice woodiness arrives with dark fruits and berries.
Finish: Those dark berries, caramel, and woody spice build warmth on the finish as light maltiness remains as the foundation of the sip.
Initial Thoughts:
This was nice too. Again, it wasn’t “Wow” but very sippable.
Taste 5
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has a bold AF nose with Honey Graham Crackers cut with real cinnamon before this rush of cherry hard candy, soft vanilla cream, toasted marshmallow, and dark woody winter spices burst forth.
Palate: The cinnamon sharpens on the palate as a deep and sweet sense of chewing gum leads the taste toward soft orange oils and more of those marshmallows before Red Hots take over with a hint of old oak.
Finish: The Red Hots and oakiness drive the finish toward whispers of orange rinds, marzipan, and dried jasmine with a faint flourish of nasturtium on the very end.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a big whiskey with big flavors. And they all work. This is a hell of a sipper.
Taste 6
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is a light and fresh nose with dill pickle vibes, pine dankness, and plenty of white pepper next to a lemon-infused green tea feel.
Palate: That lemon and pine mix on the palate for a hint of varnish before cinnamon and vanilla arrive to counter with a bit more of that green tea.
Finish: The pine dank and dill pickle herbs return to the finish with more bitter lemon and light maltiness.
Initial Thoughts:
Holy shit, this is an “acquired taste whiskey” — it’s so far out in left field that it’s hard to know what to do with it.
Taste 7
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is super crafty with huge sweet porridge notes of grains, banana bread, and pancake batter with a hint of maple syrup, salted butter, and floral incense.
Palate: That porridge vibe continues (in spades) on the palate as the banana turns creamy with a sense of Almond Joys and honey.
Finish: The end leans into the sweet and buttery grains with a touch of vanilla sheet cake, oak, and mint tobacco.
Initial Thoughts:
This is another one that’s a very “acquired taste.” If you’re not into grain-forward crafties, this is going to be a lot to get your head around.
Taste 8
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich malted winter spiced cakes lead the nose toward chili pepper spice, old dried fruits (dates, prunes, figs) all dipped in floral honey, and a light sense of citrus (both candied and dried) before old oak, orchard bark, and fall leaves arrive with a sense of fermented fruit laying on the ground of that orchard.
Palate: The funky fruit and fall leaves drive the taste back toward rich vanilla and spiced malted fruit cakes with a light sense of pipe tobacco and old leather boots before floral honey gives way to bright nasturtiums.
Finish: The floral spiced honey gets malty on the backend with a hint of salt and rock candy before hot tobacco and dried red chili build at the end.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a million miles beyond every pour that came before it on this panel. This is a delicious, balanced, and deep whiskey.
Taste 9
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with deep honey and candied orange next to apricot jam over scones with a hint of malted spice and brandy-soaked oak staves.
Palate: Black Forest cake by way of honey-pear-floral malted crackers drives the palate toward winter spice barks, soft milk chocolate sauce, and a dash of lemon malt meringue.
Finish: Fresh gingerbread and soft oak round out the finish with a nice dose of spice, chocolate, and malt.
Initial Thoughts:
This is nuanced and reminiscent of a great Speyside whisky. It’s delightful.
Taste 10
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with pecan waffles with a sharp candied orange rind vibe next to sugar cookies frosted with almond and lemon oil-infused frosting, a touch of creamy chocolate, and a sharp slice of ginger soaked in maple syrup.
Palate: That candied orange takes on the ginger with a rock candy sharpness and sweetness before Nutella enters the equation over buttermilk biscuits with a deep butteriness that leans toward toffee and brandy-soaked cherries dipped in dark salted chocolate.
Finish: The pecan and chocolate combine on the finish with a deep woody winter spice, soft vanilla pancake, and candied orange feel before stewed pear and soft marzipan kick in with a mildly warming finish that leans into rich tobacco spice just kissed with dried red leathery chili.
Initial Thoughts:
This is another whiskey that’s leagues beyond a lot of this panel’s pours. It’s a little sweet but it makes it work. This is really good whiskey.
Part 2 — The American Single Malt Whiskey Ranking
10. Lost Lantern “Mountain Meadow” St. George Spirits California Single Malt — Taste 6
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $149
The Whiskey:
This batch from Lost Lantern is a selection of four unique casks — all four years old — from St. George Distilling out in California. Once the barrels were batched, the whiskey was touched with water for this elite bottling.
Bottom Line:
This was just too out there to get a handle on. You’d really have to want something barely resembling whiskey, much less single malt to try this. Maybe that entices you? Lemon pine furniture varnish?
For me, it’s a pretty resounding “skip.”
9. Westward American Single Malt Whiskey Small Batch Selection Vienna Malt — Taste 7
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This whiskey was made thanks to a delivery miscommunication. Vienna malt was delivered to Westward instead of their standard 2-row malted barley. The team went with it and made a Vienna malt whiskey from the erroneous malts as an experimental run.
Bottom Line:
This has potential. But it’s just so young and grainy that it’s hard to get past. That said, it tasted a hell of a lot better than wood varnish so here we are.
Still, Westward makes amazing single malts, maybe start with their Stout Cask finish first.
8. Redwood Empire Whiskey “Foggy Burl” Single Malt Whiskey — Taste 4
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This is a new venture for California’s Redwood Empire. This whiskey is a batch of 27 barrels with 27 unique barley mash bills. Once those whiskeys were batched, they were touched with proofing water for bottling.
Bottom Line:
This was fine. For $100, I don’t think “fine” is enough. So I’d recommend trying Redwood Empire’s gorgeous rye and bourbon instead and giving them a little more time to tinker with their malt.
7. Bulleit Single Malt Frontier Whiskey American Single Malt Whiskey — Taste 1
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $58
The Whiskey:
This is a 100% malted barley whiskey created by bourbon and rye legends Bulleit. The malt was aged in new American oak for a spell before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Bottom Line:
This is another one that’s just not quite there yet. Two more years and this whiskey is going to be coming into its own. I’d wait until then.
6. Stranahan’s Snowflake Colorado Single Malt Whiskey “Pyramid Peak” — Taste 3
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $199
The Whisky:
This year’s Snowflake release from Stranahan’s is a small batch of great American single malts from the Colorado distiller. This year’s batch marries single malt finished in Islay quarter casks, rum, ruby port, sherry, and mezcal casks. Once those barrels were batched, the whiskey was proofed down with Rocky Mountain water and bottled otherwise as-is.
Bottom Line:
Okay, this is where we get into the legit stuff. This is a good whiskey that feels like a riff on the Highlands with a touch of Americana thrown in for good measure. This will work well over some rocks or in your favorite whiskey cocktail.
5. The Macklowe “Kentucky Edition” American Single Malt Whiskey — Taste 2
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $256
The Whiskey:
This is a Kentucky-sourced single malt limited release from elite single malt bottler The Macklowe. The batch was from barrels that rested in the Blue Grass State for just under four years before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Bottom Line:
This feels like a good bridge between Kentucky and Speyside with a lean toward American oak sugars in the malt. It’s very sippable but will work better in your favorite whiskey-forward cocktail.
4. 291 “E” Colorado Whiskey Experimental Batch 13 American Single Malt Whiskey — Taste 5
ABV: 65.1%
Average Price: $149
The Whiskey:
This special edition of 291’s iconic “E” expression is a four-year-old Colorado single malt that aged exclusively in new American oak. Only 291 bottles were bottled from the barrels and bottled at cask strength for this special batch.
Bottom Line:
This is a big and bold whiskey with a nice warmth that balances well with the profile. I’d pour this over a single big rock and then take time to seek out all the hidden nooks and crannies in the flavor profile under that heat.
3. Cedar Ridge “The QuintEssential” American Single Malt Whiskey Special Release Portside — Taste 10
ABV: 58.6%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
Last year’s special release of Cedar Ridge’s now-iconic Quintessential American Single Malt takes that whiskey to new places. The base is the same 100% 2-Row Pale malted barely base that’s aged for six years in ex-bourbon barrels. Prime casks were then batched and then re-barreled into first-fill Ruby Port casks, first-fill Amontillado sherry casks, and new French oak casks. Those barrels were then vatted and the whiskey was bottled 100% as-is.
Bottom Line:
This is delicious. It’s varied but distinct with a lovely profile that delivers maltiness with an American oakiness that just works. Pour this over some ice for a great slow-sipping experience. Or make a killer Manhattan with this one.
2. Virginia Distillery Co. “Courage & Conviction” Double Cask Reserve American Single Malt Whisky — Taste 9
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $71
The Whiskey:
This new fall release from Virginia Distillery Co. features double asking. That means that the whiskey was aged a minimum of five years in first-fill bourbon casks and European red wine Cuvée casks before slow batching with a touch of water.
Bottom Line:
This is as close to great Scotch whisky as you’re going to get in the U.S. right now. This scratched that itch for a Dufftown malted beauty while adding in American oakiness, giving it great depth. This is a fun and rewarding sipper. Take your time with it and enjoy the ride.
1. New Riff Sour Mash Single Malt Kentucky Single Malt Whiskey — Taste 8
ABV: Varies
Average Price: $69
The Whiskey:
This new whiskey from New Riff is years in the making. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of single malt whiskeys made with 100% barley mash bills (Golden Promise, Maris Otter, Chevallier heirloom barley, and Scottish peated barley malt) that are aged for seven to eight years in a combination of new charred oak, de-charred toasted oak, red wine casks, Portuguese brandy casks, classic sherried oak casks, and a few others.
Bottom Line:
This was the winner by a country mile. This is excellent sipping whiskey. It’s so deep and full of character. You want to spend time with this one. It’ll be like buddying up next to a crackling fire in a pub with an old friend.
