American Single Malt is a category of whiskey that has been around almost 30 years since Steve McCarthy’s Oregon-based Clear Creek Distillery put out the first one. I believe I have had a couple over the years, probably without even knowing what they were trying to be, but basically you can think of American Single Malt as “Scotch, but made in America.” That short, but sweet, definition is probably enough to piss off a few people on both sides of the pond, but let’s be honest…the two styles of whisky are very similar.
Both are made of 100% malted barley. Scotch single malts are made at a single distillery, which is also a rule for the American variation. ASM is distilled to a maximum of 160 proof and aged in oak barrels before being bottled at no less than 80 proof…and it has to be done in America, of course. Scotch has to be distilled in pot stills and aged in oak barrels a minimum of three years…in Scotland…duh. What will be the differences in resulting whisky? Crops, water, wood types, age, finish…and the fact that very few ASMs will be peated like an Islay Scotch.
With all that in mind, I picked up a bottle of Yellowstone American Single Malt last month. It is bottled at 108 proof (54% ABV). Although Limestone Branch Distilling is located in Lebanon, Kentucky, this spirit was distilled and aged up the road in Indiana (making it perhaps an MGP jam).
Pouring the Yellowstone in my glass, I noted that it was a nice medium golden color, with just a touch of red. I swirled it around a bit and saw that the legs were slow to form and roll down the inside of the glass, signaling it’s increased viscosity. Putting my nose in the glass, I got wonderful baking spice and fresh bread aromas.
When I took a sip, it really did hit me like a very nice Scotch, possibly a Highland variety, but who’s to say (I know…probably someone who’s more of a Scotch aficionado than me)? It was mildly sweet with notes of pear and apple, while having a nice cinnamon burn, and the ever-present note of the grain from which is was made, as if it was baked into bread. I miss the more overt sweet notes from corn and spice from rye, but this ASM whiskey is really a delight and opened my eyes to what else could be done in the greater realm of whiskies that are barley-based. I want to go back and try more Scotches…but they have nearly gotten out of control in price…and I’m very curious to see what other distillers in America are doing in this category. I’d put these on a definite “must try” basis if you haven’t done so already and found the Yellowstone American Single Malt a nice place to start.
