McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt Whiskey Review

 

The First American Single Malt. That’s what Hood River Distillers claims is McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt Whiskey.

 

“More than 25 years ago, founder Steve McCarthy returned from a trip to Ireland determined to make his own single malt. Not only did he succeed, but in doing so ignited the craft American Single Malt Revolution. This is passion and craft, an Oregon original.” – Hood River Distillers

 

There are a few dots to connect to understand the claim fully. First, let’s look at Steve McCarthy. Known as the godfather of American Single Malt Whiskey, he founded Portland’s Clear Creek Distillery in 1985. His family owned orchards since the early 1900s. Steve manufactured parts for hunting rifles. His business frequently took him to Europe, where he discovered pear eau de vie.

 

European distillers typically used Williams pears. Steve looked to a similar American alternative of Bartlett pears. He created his first batch of eau de vie in 1985, and Clear Creek Distillery was born there.

 

In 2014, Steve sold his distillery to Hood River Distillers, which labels itself The Northwest’s Largest and Oldest Distillery.   It was founded in 1934 and assigned DSP-OR-1. That would solidify its claim of being the oldest in Oregon. It started with pear and apple brandies. That seemed a natural fit for buying Clear Creek Distillery.

 

Hood River owns another beyond its namesake and Clear Creek. There is Seattle’s Big Gin Distillery, which it acquired in 2016. Hood River primarily sells whiskeys, rums, gins, and vodkas in the Pacific Northwest.

 

For the record, Steve passed away from Parkinson’s Disease on January 2, 2023.

 

That brings us back to McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt Whiskey. Four expressions are produced: the flagship 3-year, a 6-year, a 6-year finished in PX Sherry casks, and a 6-year finished in Oloroso Sherry casks.

 

Today, we’re exploring the flagship offering. As expected, it is distilled from 100% malted barley. What’s unusual is that barley is imported from Scotland and peated. The distillate matured in Oregon oak. There is no indication if the barrels were new or vintage. A 750ml carries a suggested price of $65.00 and is packaged at 42.5% ABV (85°).

 

Hood River Distillers provided me with a sample of this whiskey in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. It is Batch W23-01, which was bottled on March 15, 2023.

 

Let’s #DrinkCurious and discover what this American Single Malt is all about.

 

Appearance: I poured this whiskey into my Glencairn glass and sipped it neat. The liquid’s coloring was that of golden straw. A medium rim formed, producing thick, tightly spaced, slow tears.

 

Nose: As I peeled back the foil seal, I could already smell Islay peat. As the whiskey cascaded into the glass, that sensation multiplied dynamically. I then set the glass aside for about ten minutes, allowing it to breathe.

 

That did nothing to quell the peat (I consider that a good thing). Beneath it, I found lemon zest, grilled meats, salted caramel and vanilla. I encountered plums and strawberries when I pulled the air through my lips.

 

Palate: McCarthy’s texture was thin and oily. On the front of my palate, I tasted smoke, pears, and plums. The mid-palate offered oak spice, boldly salted caramel, and vanilla. Flavors of dark chocolate, pepper, and smoked brisket were on the back. Yeah, the brisket was quite pronounced and unmistakable.  

 

Finish: Dark chocolate, smoky peat, salted caramel, plums, smoked brisket, and oak remained in my mouth and throat. Its duration was long, clocking in at 2:10.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: My favorite cut of meat is brisket, so my palate quickly identified it. I could almost chew it.

 

There are too few peated American Single Malts out there. That’s a shame because peated whiskeys can be incredible. One of the things that I’ve always hoped for is an American Single Malt (peated or not) that could compete with Scotch whisky. McCarthy’s flagship can, and may be one of the most impressive American Single Malts I’ve encountered. It snags my Bottle rating, and I’m very interested in its other expressions. 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.