BEST 7 American Single Malt Whiskies
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
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Westward Single Malt Cask Strength is next level. Amazing.
Thank you for the shoutout. That cask strength McCarthys runs $65 in Oregon. A great value in my option. Cheers!
Sounds like I need to ping some family in Oregon and have them store a case for me 😂
@@drunkenmonkie not a terrible idea. Cheers.
As a Scotch drinker I'd like to know what these compare to.
I like Balviene, and other highland scotches. What's similar?
I just commented on your last video about McCarthy’s and you started the video with it! I’m behind the times, and I apologize, but so glad to see the bottle come up and that you enjoyed it Kurt! I wish I could have seen Trenton sip though haha.
@@drunkenmonkieI believe they ship online!
SLB Classics
0:52 Classic Trenton cut and edit
1:09 LIVESTREAM and Kents Bday this Friday 2/23 8 PM CST
2:42 Trenton is having a hard time believing it is a bad boy
2:57 MVP Peter
3:37 Trenton cuts to the peat head chase
4:20 I actually hear the fridge or something (furnace)
5:28 DANG IT KENT!
5:49 Trenton works his sourcery (misspelling for pun)
6:26 MVP Matt
6:54 Trenton has a mouth gasm
8:34 Kurt struggles with words
8:48 MVP Doug
10:10 coco, coffee, barley sounds delish weird normal notes from Trenton
11:32 Trenton can’t keep his hands off the wine finished single malts
12:18 MVP Chris
13:27 starting a very long drum roll
14:11 Trenton is going to make Westward disappear
14:43 Some serious readjustment
15:12 the boys love the detail on the bottle
16:36 need to give Trenton more to make his knees weak to 💍🍾
17:49 Trenton knows he has weird notes, firecracker
18:49 Trenton is trying to reign it in
19:21 MVP Johnathon
20:04 great mini series
21:26 the boys are friends and amateurs
21:55 nice sign off and nod….
22:14 keep the b roll coming
Love it Jordan!
I need to explore single malts more. A distillery near me, VA Distillery Co. makes American Single Malt that’s pretty good. Their Courage & Conviction has won several awards and they have quite a variety of different finishes.
Agreed. They also have a line of cask strength versions. I enjoy the cuvée finish. They are located in a the foothills of the mountains south of Charlottesville VA. Also many breweries and ciders nearby.
There stuff is good. The ones I had were US single malts blended with scotch single malts.
I live minutes away from there and have never been. What would you all recommend. I’m down to try a sip
Would also recommend KO distillery if you're in Virginia!
In Virginia you can get Caiseal Single Malt. Excellent stuff.
OMG! Stopped at my local Binnys and found a bottle of the Balcones! You were SOOOOO right! I can't believe I scored this amazing bottle in my area for basically LIST - $129.99! This may very well be my new favorite bottle. Truly amazing! I wish I could afford a few backups. I am going to be so spoiled. 😖
You guys have the absolute best whiskey and bourbon content around. Keep it up
Cedar Ridge Rye picks are awesome. Great value and the malted rye in the mashbill separates it from other ryes.
Westward has a stout barrel finish at 135.57 that is mind blowing with flavor!
I've got a bottle of 2022 peated Balcones single malt (62.9% ABV) and it's legitimately one of my favorite whiskies. Ever. It's worth every penny. I know Balcones has a reputation for being polarizing(as with many Texas whiskies) but I truly believe that their malt whisky is world class. Andalusia distillery out of Blanco, TX also produces amazing malt whiskey.
That Breckenridge bottle is a hip flask on steroids! 😂
14:42 The pronunciation is bal-KO-ness. 🙂
The only Balcones barley whisky I've had is the Lineage Texas Single Malt, and it's *good.*. It's a $40 bottle, which is the upper end of my usual budget, but I've enjoyed every sip I've ever had. If I could afford it, I'd gladly pay $50-60 for the Lineage.
16:34 Balcones Distilling began with barley whisky. They branched out into rye, corn whisky, and bourbon, but they first hit the market with barley whisky (a year, IIRC, before the first Garrison Brothers release, which is why the strip below the front label says THE ORIGINAL ⭐ TEXAS WHISKY).
Love seeing my local place in Cedar Ridge on here! Love their lineup!
Just a general comment - LOVE what you two do. Really enjoy the shows - just like tasting with my buddies. You do a great job and it is a lot of fun and also leads me on a hunt every now and then.
Thanks for the video. I look forward to trying the top 3 that seem somewhat available.
Great show. I was happy to see a Texas product make one of your best lists.
I am so happy I live just 10 miles from Cedar Ridge distillery. So many good things come from there!!
Kurt you are spot on concerning the Balcones as I tried it last night. It is so different, but oh so enjoyable. Thank you for touting this single malt as I probably would not have tried it otherwise.
I know it’s not everywhere yet, but any list without Whiskey Del Bac is incomplete. A must find!
They seem to travel to AZ a lot so
They highlighted a couple of Del Bac on Monday’s show
Outstanding as always guys. I'm picking up a bottle of the Balcones tomorrow. Thank you and keep up the great work.
I would LOVE a Texas single malt episode. They are really doing some amazing stuff down here..Balcones Mirador is a top tier dram.
Loved the video! Would be really cool to see a rum video, and maybe even a tequila and/or mezcal video too!
Love that Westward Cask Strength… recently picked it up at a Total Wine for $98. Thanks for the recommendation!!!
I think a video on rum would be pretty cool, cheers!
The single malt category has become a world wide phenomenon. The United States has produced a lot of good ones in recent years, but so have many other countries. I strongly recommend exploring single malts from everywhere and not concentrating on one country. There are two that immediately come to mind that have some similarity to the American style, at least in terms of richness and complexity: M&H (Israel) - Apex, and Paul John (India) - Mithuna. Both are cask strength, and they are full of flavor. The M&H whisky is reasonably priced and can be found at Total Wine. The Paul John is a special release and is expensive and might not be so easy to find. Considering how good these are, I think it would be worth checking out other offerings from these distilleries.
I would love to see some rum on this channel. A good barrel aged rum is a natural choice for whisky drinkers who want to branch out. It can be hard to discover new ones since bars usually view rum as a mixing spirit and don't typically have good sipping rums. I've put in some effort and have started to figure out how to get my hands on the good ones, but I still have a lot to learn.
Nice. For ones you don’t mention: Balcones Peated is amazing, but I also love Colkegan cask strength (out of Santa Fe, made by a Scotsman), which ranked high on Fred Minnick’s list this year.
Dang it - now I need to go to Specs tomorrow and pick up a Balcones Cataleja. Thanks!
Just FYI, based on Monday's video, I bought a bottle of Stranahan's Blue Peak single malt whiskey. Obviously watching again today. Thanks to all.
I’m with you guys in terms of discovering these single malts. As mentioned on the first video, I crossed paths with Westward before many even knew it existed.
Btw… thanks for the ending. I’m not sure how much Trenton edits out but would love to see SLB Blooper Reels. Maybe Trenton’s shorts could play a part.
Would definitely love a rum show. I’ve got a half dozen, and looking to expand. Current favorite, Foursquare 2008. 🥃
Huge fan of the Westward Cask Strength. I’d also highly recommend Hillrock Single Malt.
my favorite whiskey. not just American single malt is a Balcones store pick 133 proof. FLAVOR BOMB.
Highly reccomend Westland out of Portland Oregon. My favorite is rum finished cask. Full proof and regular offering are very good. I have a stout finished bottle but have not opened it yet.
Balcones Cataleja has been sitting on the topshelf of the local liquor stores, both big box and small, down here in the Dallas, TX area for the last few weeks. Might have to jump on that and any Westward offerings next time I stop in one. As always, thanks for these "best of" videos. They make it easy to know what to look out for, especially nowadays, with the ever growing selection of American whiskeys. I know you guys aren't the greatest fans of alot of Texas whiskey offerings, but the 2023 release of the Garrison Brothers Guadalupe is probably my favorite pour in my 100+ bottle collection.
My wife really loves Courage and Conviction. It's approachable and goes down smooth, but the value proposition doesn't seem great compared to some legacy scotch brands that don't face the financial pressure a new distillery does when first starting.
So glad I picked up a bottle of the Westward Cask Strength this week. Even happier to learn I got it for a good price! Can't wait to try it. Thanks for this episode!
That Westward cask strength is by far my favorite! I would love for you to do some rum shows. Cheers 🥃
I hope you see this, as I was out of the country when you did this one. You need to try Westward Founder's Collection, Ken's Artisan Sourdough. It rocked my world! It is from 2017, so I am not sure you can find it. But, if you guys et to the west coast, particularly Oregon, I still have more than half a bottle in my little collection. Westward ROCKS!
Had Bushmills 12yr single malt and was amazed. Happened to be the bottle on my birthday out of the amber advent box.
Great video and lineup. Balcones does a bunch of Single Malts and it is going to be their primary product going forward as they move away from their Bourbon production. Their No.1 is their base expression but they also do a Rum Finish and other specialty finishes, Mirador which is made to be a little less intense but they also have a lower price offering that's supposed to be close to what you'd expect from a Scotch called Lineage which is pretty delicious as well. I would also highly recommend that if you can find it and is well worth searching out, the Town Branch 7yr ASM is one of my all time favorites. I've taken it to many parties and converted people that don't even like whiskey to enjoy a pour. Cheers!
Again a really good video. Listening to all this talk about single malt and the celebration of barley got me to thinking about a song recorded by many people about barley. The version I really like is by Tim Van Eyken entitled "Barleycorn." Sorry for going off topic, but it is such a great song and a great grain. Cheers!
You guys are the best!
Probably the third time I’ve watched this video. Great one. I love single malts. Just picked up a Town Branch store pick in Ankeny, IA and find it delicious. Wondering if you’ve ever had a single malt from Town Branch. Thank you.
Ranger Creek l’e single malt has a chocolate finish that goes on and on that I love. Definitely worth a try
ASW out of Atlanta. Love their Duality Double Malt (Rye & Barley), excellent cask strength whiskey, drinks a little like a young Talisker (less peat, more smoke)
Also, Kurt mentioned Mcarthy's imports it's barley from Scottland, do you know what region/distillery etc?
Glad to see a Texas whiskey make Kurt's number one spot. A lot of whiskey TH-cam channels like to make a big show of hating on Texas whiskey, Balcones in particular, so this video is refreshing.
Balcones whiskeys do have a very unique flavor profile, can be pretty love-it-or-hate-it. I'm not a huge fan of their rye, although it is super interesting. But the single malts are delicious for my palette.
Wait until they start trying the Andalusia single malts
I want Balcones to come back with that Texas Bock, Shiner colab, they had. I never got to try it. But when I drank beer I loved Shiner Bock and now I drink whiskey.
This was great to delve into with you two.. We've got some of the Westward available out here in ID, and I saw a Balcones offering - not what you have.. Breckenridge 86 proof bourbon blend is available, and a Rum Cask finish, none of the rest... I might drive to Idaho Falls for the Westward after that advertisement! Thanks guys
Well I'll be damned - you like a Texas product! I think our whiskeys are great. Glad you like this.
They like Still Austin for sure.
I have really enjoyed these two videos on single malt whiskey. It is amazing how quickly this sector has grown which I'm sure is due to the fact that these are some very good whiskies. I currently only have a bottle of the Stranahan's yellow label but plan to start trying some others and this provides a nice starting point to hunt for. Thanks guys!
When I worked in a bookstore I would have people come in regularly who would ask for a book they had heard about, and then refuse to believe the book I showed them was the one they were looking for. I knew I'd seen the McCarthy's black label on shelves here and passed by the white label several times thinking it wasn't peated. Well I finally realized my error and picked one up and enjoy it quite a bit. I really think you'd like the Balcones Peated Single Malt if you like McCarthy's.
Hi guys, a puncheon barrel is usually larger than the standard USA 53 gallon. Puncheons vary from 59 to over 130 US gallons. They could have had rum or sherry in them. The trouble in this industry is different countries refer to things with different terms. Sometime it is confusing.
Definitely put me on a mission to work on some Single Malts! Thanks for the motivation!
Awesome to see Trent branching out to malt spirits! I usually line up with Kurt’s palate on spirits but I gotta say I was disappointed with the Westward Pinot Noir. It felt a bit too wine influenced and drying as a result. I liked their regular single malt much better. Would love to see you guys get a Stranahans 10 year or Snowflake sometime
Oh I would love to try the McCarthy's! I am a huge peat head and being able to get so many favours beyond the peat is a lot of fun! I have had the Breckenridge Dark Arts and I loved it. I can see why it reminds you of the wonderful Glenmorangie Signet and I absolutely enjoyed the signet so much. Delicious! Terrific video! I enjoyed this so much!! 🙂
Dude, you have great taste: you hit 3 of our top faves: Balcones, Cedar Ridge, Westward. I have been buying their products for yrs.
Just picked up the 130 proof cask strength Westward store pick. its luxury in a bottle. Malty chocolate with a honey drenched stone fruit finish. drinks like a 96 proof. My favorite atm.
Westward cask strength screams peanut butter jelly sandwich to me. Love it
A standard bourbon barrel holds 53 US gallons/~200 litres; a puncheon holds 450-500 litres/~119-132 US gallons, so more than twice the size, with slower/gentler maturation.
Thank you for the clarification! Appreciate the knowledge!
😁🙌🏻 would love to see more rums. Non of my bottles of rum show up in the OnlyDrams app. Peeps sleeping on rum. 😁
asm’s have quickly become a go to in my circle, the quality bottles that are already out there is exciting for the future of the catagory. have those westward and balcones bottles on my wish-list next! thanks for sharing the experiences 🤙🏻
As often as you guys rave about that Westward Cask Strength, I’m convinced enough to pick up a bottle at my local liquor store ($100 here in Portland, ME). Part of me hopes I don’t care for it though, because there are already too many choices for me in the bourbon and scotch categories:).
So my store here in Iowa had a barrel pick of cedar ridge the quintessential and it wasn’t selling and then they set the price to $30 a bottle and I had to get a few back ups before it got cleared out
Wow wish I could have gotten in on that! Where's your store? I'm in Cedar Rapids
@@nkidd3358 it was the downtown DSM hyvee! I also snagged a larceny A-124 from there too they can get some good things sometimes
Just started getting into rum and asm and really enjoying it
Balcones is all about single malt. They do Bourbon and Rye but they get too oaky in Texas. Single malt is king for Balcones. They use a traditional Scotch barley (golden promise) and pot stills just like Scotland
I haven't tried most of these but I have to say, any Balcones single malt is soooooo good
I’m relatively new to trying new Bourbons. Could you do a show explaining Malts, cast strengths, single barrel and all the other terms. You show is great entertainment and I learn a ton.
Because of you guys, I bought and finished my first ever bottle of Westward Cask Strength and to date, it’s my favorite pour. Also the only American Single Malt I’ve ever had. Can’t wait to try others. Keep up the great work! Love the channel!
Unfortunately many will not compare to that Westward Cask Strength. At least that’s what’s been happening to me. That Westward is soooooo good. Roasty malty chocolate espresso goodness.
I’m sure that’s going to be the case. But, at $100, I’m hoping to find something that’ll still put a smile on my face for less $.
Definitely want to try American singles malts this yr. Great recommendations, guys. Love the show. Cheers
I've been to liquor stores from Nashville, to Memphis, to Austin, to St Louis, to Chicago, to Milwaukee and lots of places in between. I've seen a lot of Westwards in Illinois, but not so much anywhere else. I imagine they're easy to find West of the Rockies and in a few states in other places. But I definitely haven't seen them "littered" throughout the Midwest. I've picked up two cask strength store picks but have yet to open one. You've got me excited for the day I decide to! Thanks for this video!
Thanks for doing these two on ASM. Looking forward to more.
I'm a fan of Balcones in general, but that Cataleja is absolutely funky. It's a funkbomb. The sulfer note comes off like porta potty to me. 😆
Poured some of my pinot noir while watching. Been thinking about getting that cask strength since you mentioned it the last time.
Yeah, Westward is around on the shelves out here.
The distillery tour was really cool as well.
Love all the content, and thanks for always keeping this show lively!!!!
You can be a hiker but not a backpacker but not a backpacker w/out being a hiker. Balcones makes good everything. I believe Crowded Barrel (Whisky Tribe guys) recently won an award for their single malt which you may be able to still get on their website. FYI
Balcones #1 Single Malt is in their core line and a repeat buy for me. That single also has many store picks and everyone I’ve tried is the same deliciousness dialed up to 12!
Regarding the sulphur note in the Balcones, that tends to show up from the Sherry cask influence.
Hey, great video! If you liked that Westward Pinot Noir finish you need to look for a store pick of that bottle at cask strength. Cask strength has way more flavor, especially when you compare them side by side. We found one at a local liquor store and almost bought them out of what was left because we love it so much and are bunkering bottles to last. Also, I saw that Balcones bottle in a store this week and passed on it based on the price, now you have me regretting it! Westward makes a lot of different single malt finishes and I joined their whiskey club just so we could have access to their limited release club bottles.
Will have to try one of these, know zero about American single malts. That Breckenridge bottle is gorgeous
Keep the single malts coming
I sure hope there is a meet and greet when you all come to Portland for a Westward pick.
Cedar Ridge does such a good job with all their offerings. Let me know when you do your pick. I am only an hour away.
You need to try Aberlour A’Bunadh Single Malt Scotch Whisky , Please love to know what you think. For sure my fav Scotch so far. Bourbon lovers will love it
Try to find a bottle of Town Branch 11year Cask Strength Kentucky Single Malt. Got it on a trip to the US. Delicious!
In Germany we don't get most of the Whiskeys you guys review😄 but still love every single video.
I'll be happy to track down another balcones for ya. They are still around but word is certainly getting out. After I sent you that one, I went and bought a backup.
Great episode guys. I have been able to find a lot of the Westward offerings in Michigan at our state minimum. I dont think the word has gotten out. I better go buy a few now. Cant believe they are so easy to find in WA. Would 100% support a cask strength Pinot
Westward and Balcones are the best. We got a Westward Syrah Cask release for the Australian Whisky Club and it was the best.
That Cataleja is unlike anything I’ve ever tried. So unique and delicious
Being both a bourbon and scotch drinker i am finding my ASM collection growing. A big fan if stranahans, especially cask strength n mountain angel. Just recently picked up the courage and conviction cuvee cask.
Driftless Glenn in Wisco has a tasty single malt!
And for peat…I LOVE Octomore!!!!!
Boulder Spirits from Colorado has some amazing Peated and unpeated American Single Malts. Also, some nice finished bottles as well. Their BIB Bourbon is so tasty too
That McCarthy's sounds good! I love Ardbeg Uigedail and Laphroaig 10 so need to try that one!
Frey Ranch Smoked Single Malt is really good.
Really good. Let's see some more scotch content
I had the pleasure of meeting Graeme Wallace, Distiller @ Hogback Distillery in Boulder, CO., whose Single Malts have won Gold at the world whiskie awards in '22, '23, and '24 (!) for best American Single Malt.
Westland and Balcones. They make multiple single malts and they’re fantastic.
Great video. You both will cry to know I got a bottle of the Westword Single Malt CS last weekend for only $65. Nearly half off. The store was having problems selling it and cut the price big time. I should have bought more.
I’m crying right now. Grats!
LOVE THIS EPISODE THANK YOU!
I just got into bourbon a year ago and haven't expanded much on that, I keep seeing that Westward CS and haven't gotten off my wallet yet because I haven't had any American single malt before. Sounds like that would be a great first one to buy. Thanks for the information and reviews.
You're missing the best American Single Malt Whiskey in Los Angeles Distillery Triple Cask and the Double Cask. Both have won double gold at SF Spirits. You need to try them! They are aged for 7 years in Tokaji Casks, Virgin Oak, and Bordeaux Wine Barrels (for the triple).
I hope you’re able to try the Del Bac Dorado Cask Strength or Del Bac Ode to Islay in the future.
Next time I’m in Iowa, I’m def going to stop by Cedar Ridge. Looks like a cool place!
My sister got ahold of the Pinot and CS Westward through a friend out west. Looking forward to visiting her for the eclipse.
Cedar Ridge had another special released last year that was called Pete and Sherri 1st anniversary that blows the portside out of the water imo
Balcones is moving towards exclusively making single malt whiskeys. I haven't had any yet, but I can't wait to get one. I like their rye, even though it is a little unconventional.