McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt

Made with Scottish barley to mimic an Islay, this expression misses the sea salt and brininess characteristic of Islay scotch. However, it's still a commendable whisky. A friend shared this with me from a liquor store in NY that ships to my location, unlike many others. He sent me two bottles since the store couldn't ship to Chicago, and I was thankful for the gifted whisky, despite not knowing McCarthy's. We connected on FaceTime, and I opened this bottle. And... It strongly resembles the peated Irish whisky Dark Silkie. The aroma presents peat smoke with a subtle hint of rubber, complemented by notes of chocolate and coffee. There's also a mild cured meat scent, very faint in the background. Essentially, the aroma has everything I appreciate in a peated whisky, apart from the brininess. Some note youth in spirits, but this one, at only 3 years old, is surprisingly mature. It doesn't taste like a 10-year-old, but it certainly exceeds expectations for its age. The palate continues with peat, introducing a sweetness that transforms the dark chocolate notes from the nose into milk chocolate on the palate. It's a pleasant mocha blend with the coffee, and a touch of cream is present. The finish offers a hint of spice, yet it's smooth, without any alcohol burn, and it has a lasting presence. It doesn't last for days, but it lingers just long enough to appreciate this unique bottling that I was fortunate to acquire. The friend who sent this gifted me two bottles. He asked me to hold onto the second one. During our FaceTime call, he mentioned, "I'm visiting the distillery next month. If I can get more to bring back to Chicago, the second bottle is yours for whatever you like. If not, it means I'll have to visit again so we can share it." Considering this, isn't either outcome a win? A second bottle for myself, or a second bottle to enjoy with my friend? Honestly, I'd prefer the latter.

Nose: Sweet campfire smoke, sweet cereal malt, a trace of dark toffee, and a very faint hint of berries. Taste: Sweet campfire smoke, very light sweet apple juice, a hint of vanilla and caramel sweetness, brown sugar simple syrup, light metallic kettle corn. Finish: Light sweet campfire smoke, light metallic kettle corn, and metallic apple juice. Score: 77/100 Final Thoughts: This is a very clean and simple lightly peated malt. The peat in this one is tolerable as it offers a cleaner, drier smoke compared to that of Laphroaig. That said, it's also a fairly uncomplicated malt where I had trouble detecting many flavors beyond a straightforward cereal malt. Tiny hints of apple and possibly some berries were present, but that was a stretch. The metallic kettle corn taste was a bit unusual but not entirely off-putting. This could serve as a decent introduction to lightly peated malts, but I suspect it might be somewhat uninteresting. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - No

Nose: Medium peat smoke, hickory, bacon, blackened BBQ, vanilla bean, a light aroma of rubber and action figures. Flavor: Heavier peat and smoke than the aroma suggests. Notes of mesquite BBQ, pineapple, bold green apple, bitter dark chocolate, butter, and burnt caramel. Earthy and oak notes, leather, rum, and a hint of cinnamon. It lacks the sea or iodine character of top Islay Scotches. It's more like Laphroaig 10 or Caol Ila 12 than Ardbeg or Lagavulin. A great blend of Oregon and Scotland influences. Water dilutes it too much. Serving it with ice cools it and enhances sweetness and fruit but reduces complexity. Best served neat. My favorite American whiskey; it strongly resembles Scotch.

This whisky is oily and rich, with notes of apple, cinnamon, hay, oak, and a slight medicinal herb bitterness. There's a hint of iodine, and the peat is quite intense, persisting through the finish, which is medium in length. The peat is comparable to Laphroaig Select or Ardbeg 10. I highly recommend this whisky, placing it in my top 10. Any Islay fan should try it. Its price point is excellent for such a peaty whisky, and it's a truly interesting American single malt. Undoubtedly the best I've encountered so far.

Nose: Peat, a little bacon fat. Palate: Less thick than the cask strength version. The peat is well-balanced with the malt flavors. Mildly salty, with a strong, full mouthfeel. There's more sweetness here. This expression is much more complete, especially compared to the cask strength from Tuesday. I really like this. Some subtle brown sugar notes. Mild salinity and a tiny bit of meatiness, similar to Ardbeg. Finish: Some barrel char, wood tannins, mild peat phenols.

The aroma is vegetal peat with green bark and moss. It has a surprisingly strong alcohol presence and no sweetness. The taste is also strong, with malt and peatiness, but a bit hot. The finish is very short, almost nonexistent. I wish it lasted longer. It's certainly interesting and fun as a novelty, but likely not a regular purchase. It's amusing to see the Pacific Northwest applying its love for over-hopped beer to over-peated whisky.