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The American single malt world continues to blossom and Colorado has been on the forefront. Spirit Hound Distillers is positioned in Lyons, Colorado, however they’re well-known in London, as their Straight Malt Whisky was named Whisky of the 12 months and Greatest in Present on the 2024 London Spirits Competitors.
Spirit Hound Straight Malt Whisky is distilled from barley grown and malted in Alamosa, Colorado, with a small proportion being peated malt. All of Spirit Hound’s Straight Malts are supplied as single barrel expressions, aged in char No. 3 casks of 53 gallons. The bottle featured on this evaluate has been aged for two years 351 days. Whereas this age comes throughout as younger to many whisky lovers, Spirit Hound insists that their local weather’s candy spot is between 2 years, 9 months and round 3 years, 6 months. Given the distinctive ageing situations in Lyons, Spirit Hound says that they discover their whisky tends to choose up an excessive amount of oak character when aged for for much longer. In lower than 3 years, this specific barrel skilled an angel’s share of 20.39%. (In an act of full transparency and label aesthetics, Spirit Hound features a QR code on all labels that give manufacturing particulars which can be particular to every distinctive barrel.)
Whereas some would possibly balk at a malt whisky underneath the age of three years, Spirit Hound was capable of personal the 2024 London Spirits Competitors. Is Spirit Hound right of their evaluation {that a} whisky round 3 years is their candy spot? Let’s dig in.
The primary scent detected is that of sawdust. Sawdust will not be a observe I generally discover pleasurable, however for this whisky, it’s not disagreeable. The aroma of graham crackers and inexperienced bananas follows, and because the whisky opens up, caramel makes an look. The nostril signifies a whisky that has not spent an prolonged period of time in oak, however its youth nonetheless creates a lovely aroma.
The graham cracker observe is equally current on the palate — particularly the honeyed selection with out cinnamon. The brilliant nostril appears to match the palate with a crisp inexperienced apple observe, and because the taste evolves, buttered toffee comes into the image. Whereas the nostril presents a inexperienced banana, the again of the palate shows extra of a dried banana character. The dried banana observe doesn’t style inexperienced, however barely candy and barely earthy.
The crisp profile continues with the end, as inexperienced apple remains to be current, then exhibiting a barely grassy observe that ends with extra of that dried banana. I didn’t get a lot of the peat character on the preliminary tasting, however the whisky does conclude with a slight smoky observe.
Total, Spirit Hound Straight Malt Whisky is a really pleasurable whisky. It’s a testomony to the truth that whisky doesn’t must be aged for an prolonged variety of years to be value consuming. I absolutely loved the intense and crisp notes that include this whisky. I’ve skilled different American malt whiskies that I’ve loved extra, however Spirit Hound did job with this one. The steered value of $63 might come down a bit because the whisky is so youthful, nevertheless.
90 proof.
B / $63 / spirithounds.com
Spirit Hound Straight Malt Whisky
$63
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