Apple juice | Apricot | Honeydew | Caramel | Malt

Caramel | Candy corn | Dried fruits | Grainy malt

New toasted oak | White pepper | Toasted coconut | Light oak | Buildup of spice

Mad River Distillers is located in northern Vermont, with one of their locations in Burlington. They have been around longer than you may think, having been founded in 2011 and recently hit the market with an impressive 10 year old rye.

Summit Single Malt is made with Northeast-gown barley and aged in new, charred American oak barrels qualifying it as an American single malt. With so many single malts made in the Pacific Northwest, it's refreshing to finally see a change of location.

The whiskey opens with a strong scent of sweet apple juice. Apricot and honeydew get thrown in to create a rewarding effect. The palate is straightforward, with notes of caramel, candy corn, and dried fruit. The finish turns unsuspectingly spicy with a welcome amount of toasted oak and toasted coconut.

Overall, Mad River Distillers Summit Single Malt features an enjoyable array of flavors, however its youthfulness puts a slight damper on its sip. The single malt doesn’t feature an age statement, but, nevertheless, tastes a little on the young side. My hope is with some extra aging time the flavors could deepen and add some additional weight to the sip, especially for its price. The whiskey is headed in the right direction, and if their 10 year old rye is any indication, even better times are ahead for this promising American single malt.