Review of Copperworks Distilling Core Expressions: MaltSmith, FarmSmith, and PeatSmith

 

I love to see small craft distilleries I’m familiar with grow. Even though I’ve no financial interest in them, it feels like a kind of intimacy there.

 

Copperworks Distilling Co. 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; one even took my annual Whiskfellow Best Of Awards. Its accolades are well-deserved (or, at least, I believe so).

 

If you’re new to the scene of American Single Malt Whiskey, you may wonder how it differentiates itself from other whiskeys. We’re on the cusp of the TTB approving it as a legally defined category. The proposed and mostly-agreed upon rules are as follows:

 

• It must be made from 100% malted barley;
• It must be entirely a product of one distillery;
• It must be mashed, distilled, and aged entirely in the United States;
• It must be aged in oak casks of 700 liters or less;
• It must be distilled at 80% ABV (160°) or less; and
• It must be packaged at 40% ABV (80°) or more.

 

Copperworks has always been one-and-done with its releases. In other words, it was gone forever if you missed a specific release. This is where Copperworks experienced its growth spurt. The distillery has launched its three core expressions, which are available year-round. They’re named MaltSmith, FarmSmith, and PeatSmith. Today, we’ll explore that core lineup.

 

Before I #DrinkCurious, I must first thank Copperworks for providing me with these whiskeys in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews. Also, to eliminate repetition, I’ve tried each of these in a clean Glencairn glass and sipped them neat.

 

Copperworks MaltSmith

 

MaltSmith is crafted from a brewer-style recipe combining pale malt and caramelized malts. This is the distillery’s flagship American Single Malt Whiskey.

• Mashbill: Distilled from 75% Pale Malt, 10% Carastan Malt, 6% Special B Malt, 5% Biscuit Malt, and 4% Melanoidin Malt.
• Cooperage: Blend of 14 new, 53-gallon charred oak casks, 6 refilled Copperworks single malt casks
• Age: NAS
• Alcohol: 50% ABV (100°)
• Price: $59.99 for 700ml

 

Appearance: This whiskey was the color of liquid gold. A thin rim produced thick, crazed legs.

 

Nose: This was a fruit bomb. I smelled peaches, dried apricots, green grapes, and apples. There was also a touch of vanilla. When I drew the air through my lips, I found a bit of grapefruit.

 

Palate: MaltSmith’s texture was thin and oily. The front of my palate discovered orange zest, browned butter, and peaches. Midway through, there was cinnamon, nutmeg, and grapefruit. The back offered fresh leather, charred oak, and white pepper.

 

Finish: The finish featured grapefruit, baked apples, apricots, charred oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper. Its duration ran 1:22, placing it in the long category.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: MaltSmith was fruity through and through. It reminded me so much of a typical Speyside malt. There’s nothing to dislike; it isn’t peaty, there’s nothing medicinal, and it lacks anything that tastes like Bandaids.

 

I fully understand why Copperworks chose MaltSmith as its flagship whiskey. It will appeal to various whiskey drinkers, including those who only indulge in Scotches or Irish whiskeys. This is worth having in my whiskey library, and it earned my Bottle rating.

 

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Copperworks FarmSmith

 

FarmSmith celebrates the barley fields of Washington by showcasing the impact of a single variety, single farm, and single growing year barley. As the years change, so will this whiskey.

• Mashbill: Distilled from 100% malted Baronesse barley
• Cooperage: Blend of 8 casks, #3 char 53-gallon barrels, Kelvin Cooperage
• Age: 3 years, 5 months
• Alcohol: 50% ABV (100°)
• Price: $69.99 for 700ml

 

Appearance: This whiskey had more of a brassy look to it. A thin, broken rim generated thick, wavy tears.

 

Nose: There was a hint of smoke as I brought my glass under my nostrils. It isn’t peaty; it is likely from barrel char. Apples, pears, and orange citrus were following, but it wasn’t done yet. Vanilla came next, and I finally put my finger on the smoke: It was from hickory. I encountered thick, rich vanilla when I inhaled the air through my lips.

 

Palate: FarmSmith’s mouthfeel was thick and creamy. I tasted vanilla mint and freshly shredded tobacco on the front. My mid-palate encountered eucalyptus, nougat, and smoked oak, and then the back found white pepper, dry leather, and cocoa.

 

Finish: I timed the finish at 2:07. It featured white pepper, cocoa powder, dry leather, oak, burnt hickory, and baked cinnamon apples. I would classify it as very long and lumbering, with the final note being that burnt hickory.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I really enjoyed FarmSmith. I was expecting neither the smoke nor the hickory. It was a pleasant surprise. This was a sweet, spicier whiskey than MaltSmith. The enduring finish was tasty and coaxed me to have another sip. I believe it is well worth the price and convey my Bottle rating.   

 

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Copperworks PeatSmith

 

PeatSmith explores the unique flavors that local smoke contributes to Copperworks’ whiskey; it is crafted from barley malted with smoke from peat harvested from Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, offering a smoky profile distinct from traditional peated whiskeys.

• Mashbill: Distilled from 100% peat-dried malted barley.
• Cooperage: Blend of 7 casks, #3 char 53-gallon barrels, Kelvin Cooperage
• Age: 3 years, 5 months
• Alcohol: 50% ABV (100°)
• Price: $79.99 for 700ml

 

Appearance: PeatSmith possessed an orange-amber appearance. It had a medium rim that discharged thick, slightly watery tears.

 

Nose: Unsurprisingly, as I poured this whiskey into my glass, there was an aroma of smoky peat. I allowed it to breathe longer than MaltSmith and FarmSmith. It smelled of barbeque meats and made my mouth water. Also present were baked apples, caramel, and vanilla pudding. Pulling that aroma into my mouth, I found salted caramel.

 

Palate: PeatSmith’s texture was thick and creamy. I anticipated peat, and instead, the front of my palate was introduced to oranges, cherries, and dates. The smoky peat came next, followed by brine and caramel (it wasn’t quite salted caramel; these were two distinctly different flavors). The back included cinnamon spice, oak, and grapefruit.

 

Finish: What remained was grapefruit, cinnamon, brine, dates, vanilla, and smoky peat. It began soft and slowly built to its crescendo. Its overall duration was 1:03, placing it somewhere in the medium-long venue.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I admit it. Of all three, this was the one I couldn’t wait to try, but I saved it for last. It seemed slightly less peaty than Release 042, the previous peated whiskey I tried from Copperworks.

 

If you’re worried about a peat bomb, PeatSmith isn’t going to scare you away. Its smokiness is complimentary rather than dominating. It drinks similarly to a mainland Highland Single Malt Scotch – with fruit, peat, vanilla, and brine.

 

I savored PeatSmith. My only minor complaint is that the finish could have been longer. I’m sold and crown it with 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.