Brother Justus Cold-Peated American Single Malt Whiskey Review (2025)

 

The Minneapolis, Minnesota distillery, known as Brother Justus Whiskey Company, was founded in 2014 by Phil Steger. He looked toward the man at the forefront of Minnesota distilling: Brother Justus (his real name was William Trettel). He wasn’t the first moonshiner in the area, but he felt it was immoral to produce low-quality moonshine that could sometimes be toxic. If you were going to break the law by running an illicit still, you don’t do that at the expense of your neighbor’s well-being.

 

As Brother Justus learned the trade, he shared his knowledge with others in the area. He helped, through the church, acquire the necessary materials to build copper stills and taught locals how to make them and then how to make quality whiskey. His required payment was called a whiskey tithe, which consisted of a jar of the whiskey his students distilled. It is estimated that nearly 1200 corn farmers were using Brother Justus’s techniques before the 21^st Amendment passed, eliminating Prohibition.

 

That brings us to today’s review. Have you ever heard of cold-peated whiskey? That was a new one for me. I was unsure if this was legitimate or merely marketing-speak, so I visited the distillery’s website.

 

“Minnesota's Boreal Forest contains vast peat bogs, formed millennia ago by melting glaciers. Traditional whiskeys burn peat, destroying its delicate botanicals and creating bike tire-like flavors. We invented the Aitkin County Process® to capture the pure essence of Minnesota's ancient peat. Our award-winning Cold-Peated® American Single Malt Whiskey, aged in the world’s coldest oak™, is the first and only whiskey in the world to feature the pure flavor of natural peat, thousands of years in the making.” – Brother Justus Whiskey Co.

 

Phil and his team are innovators. The patent-pending process utilizes Torv Rök peat in the finishing stage rather than during the barley malting. Torv Rök is a granular peat, and aside from imparting the natural flavors, it is also supposed to filter out any impurities. It is said to impart earthy flavors rather than strong, smoky ones.

 

Cold-Peated American Single Malt is packaged at 43% ABV (86°), and a 750ml has a suggested price of $99.99. It is less than a year old.

 

Now that we know Cold-Peated is more than a marketing schtick, we can address the more important point: Is it good? The folks at Brother Justus have been kind enough to provide me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious!

 

Appearance: I poured this whiskey into my Glencairn glass and sipped it neat. It appeared as the color of brown topaz. A very thick rim produced fast, medium-spaced tears.

 

Nose: I allowed the whiskey to breathe for about ten minutes before approaching it. I immediately picked out caramel and toffee as I brought the glass under my nostrils. I kept exploring and discovered chocolate, malt, Chinese black tea, and mushrooms. When I drew the air into my mouth, chocolate, albeit very soft, hit my tongue.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was a bit watery. The front of my palate plucked clove, orange peel, and malted barley. I tasted spiced nuts, overly toasted bread, and leather in the middle. Flavors of charred oak, a hint of coffee, and marzipan were on the back.

 

Finish: Somewhat surprisingly, the roof of my mouth tingled after my second sip. The finish featured black walnuts, sweet caramel, marzipan, black pepper, and clove. The duration ran 2:19, which I’d classify as very long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I’ve had a lot of American Single Malts, and I tend to gravitate toward them. Now that the category is legally defined, I’m excited to see what’s coming down the pike from various distillers.

 

Yet, this is all about Brother Justus and its Cold-Peated Single Malt Whiskey. I do prefer this Cold-Peated to its non-peated sibling. There was more panache and more excitement. But, if you’re looking for peated whiskey, this ain’t that. I understand what Brother Justus did with its Cold-Peated American Single Malt, and if you dislike peat, don’t be afraid.

 

This whiskey needs time, both in the glass and in your mouth. Quick swallows won’t allow you to experience everything it has to offer fully. It is decidedly different than many other single malts – no matter its country of origin – have to offer. That in and upon itself is an attention-getter.

 

Is this Cold-Peated whiskey pricey? Most definitely. Is it good? Yes, especially if you allow the time required. I’m stuck on the fence here, and when that happens, I always tip the scales to the lower rating, which, in this case, is a Bar. 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.