Copperworks Distilling Cask No. 364 American Single Malt Whiskey Review & Tasting Notes

Copperworks Distilling Company of Seattle, Washington, was founded by Jason Parker and Micah Nutt in 2013. Both had backgrounds in craft brewing and were curious about what would happen if they distilled high-quality craft beer into spirits. While using traditional hand-hammered copper stills from Scotland, Copperworks is a leader in the American Single Malt Whiskey movement and is driven by innovation, sustainability, and the pursuit of flavors from the Pacific Northwest.  

 

Copperworks was named the 2018 Distillery of the Year by the American Distilling Institute. It offers American Single Malts, vodka, and gins. Everything it produces comes from malted barley. I’ve reviewed several of its whiskeys; its accolades are well-deserved.

 

Today, we’re reviewing Copperworks' Cask No. 364. This American Single Malt Whiskey utilized a Queen’s Run of a mash of Copperwork’s five-malt recipe and Fritz malt. It aged four years and three months in a new, #2-charred oak barrel from Canton Cooperage. If four years doesn’t seem like much, remember that American Single Malts tend to mature faster than Bourbon and even Rye whiskeys.

 

“If you’ve been a fan of Copperworks American Single Malt Whiskey for some time, you may have noticed the term ‘Queen’s Run’ used to describe previous releases. Queen’s Run is a term we’ve borrowed from the rum industry to describe one of Copperworks’ types of spirit distillation, where we run exclusively the heads and tails from prior distillations.” – Jason Parker, Co-Owner & President

 

Packaged at its cask strength of 60.2% ABV (120.4°), one of the 207 - 750ml bottles can be acquired for $89.99 from the distillery and its online store. Copperworks indicates it cannot ship to Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, or Virginia.

 

Before I #DrinkCurious and explore how this whiskey tastes, I must thank Copperworks Distilling for providing me with this sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I poured this single malt into my Glencairn glass and sipped it neat. Inside, it was a deep, dark amber bordering on burnt umber. The medium rim shed thick, fast tears.

 

Nose: I smelled malted barley, molasses, grapefruit rind, and warm, melted butter. The flavors of baked pears and apples danced across my tongue when I drew the air through my lips.

 

Palate: My first sip revealed a thin, oily mouthfeel. The front of my palate experienced cinnamon spice, roasted almonds, and pecan pralines. The middle featured cocoa, molasses, and grapefruit. Tastes of coffee, clove, and brine were on the back.

 

Finish: Coffee, cocoa powder, brine, grapefruit, and oak spice were left behind. Its duration was medium to long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: American Single Malts are a fun category; they’re like snowflakes - no two distilleries seem to do things similarly. Even more exciting is when a distillery escapes duplication from one release to another.

 

Copperworks Distilling is one such distillery, and with Cask No. 364, many flavors competed for attention yet seemed not to overrun one another. Coffee and cocoa remained after the others dissipated.

 

Is Cask No. 364 worth picking up? Absolutely. This 120°, well-aged American Single Malt justifies its premium, and I’m happy to confer it my Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.