Peated malt | Heavy campfire smoke | White peppercorns | Faint pear | Earthy

Smoke | Peppercorn mix | Peat | Light vanilla | Lightly charred oak

Peat | Campfire smoke | Light oak | White peppercorns | Earthy

Hood River Distillers’ McCarthy Whiskey line is distilled by Clear Creek Distillery in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1934 in Hood River, Oregon, Hood River Distillers got its start by making fruit wine from excess apples, berries, and pears from the Hood River Valley harvests. Hood River Distillers received the first state distiller's license (DSP-OR-1) and has been in business ever since. Clear Creek Distillery was founded in 1985 with “a vision to use the bountiful fruits of the Pacific Northwest to create fruit-based spirits that rivaled the best of their European counterparts.” Hood River Distillers purchased Clear Creek Distillery in 2014, which allowed Hood River Distillers to acquire a distillery rich with single malt experience.

Hood River Distillers are helping bring a Scottish flair to American single malts. Even at only 3 years old, peat and smoke permeate all aspects of this whiskey. It’s hard to even tell the whiskey’s age as the flavors are strong and prevalent, traits generally not associated with young whiskey. Its 85 proof, usually a deterrent for many whiskey drinkers, doesn’t come across as weak because of the potency of the whiskey’s flavors. With the absence of a secondary finishing barrel, peat remains the main attraction here. If you’re a fan of peated whiskeys, then it's worth checking out the entire McCarthy's Whiskey line, as they are well-crafted malted whiskeys that get even better with age.

The bottle in review comes from batch number W23-011 and was bottled on 3/15/23.