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Please read and drink responsibly.
Classification: American Single Malt Finished in Oloroso Casks
Company: Hood River Distillers
Distillery: Clear Creek Distillery
Release Date: April 2023
Proof: 112
Age: 6 Years
Mashbill: 100% Peated-Malted Scottish Barley
Color: Warm Gold
MSRP: $120 / 750mL (2024)
Peat | Campfire smoke | Charred oak | Graham cracker | Intriguing mix
Hazelnut | Smoky peat | Tobacco leaf | Vanilla | Buttered toast | Caramel | Summer fruits
Slight heat | Tobacco | Peat | Caramel | Butterscotch | Long
A complex American single malt that leads with peat and smoke, but grounds itself with flavors that are most likely attributed to its Oloroso sherry cask finishing.
The McCarthy’s 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 remained 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. The distillery is currently led by Master Distiller Caitlin Bartlemay, who joined Clear Creek in 2010 as a logistics coordinator and worked her way through the ranks to eventually become Master Distiller in April, 2024.
McCarthy’s 6 Year Oregon Single Malt Oloroso Cask Finished Whiskey is a limited release. This bottle starts as the distillery’s 6 Year Oregon Single Malt, which is then finished in Oloroso casks before being blended and bottled. As with many American single malts, and especially those that are peated, the flavor profile deviates quite a bit away from what bourbon drinkers are used to, venturing well into scotch territory. This release is no exception, though Hood River Distillers does well to keep the peat and smoke notes in check, but still manages to tie back some typical bourbon flavors such as caramel, vanilla, tobacco, and butterscotch. Finishing in ex-Oloroso sherry casks helps ground the whiskey as well, and most likely contributes in whole or part to the hazelnut, vanilla, toast, and summer fruits flavor notes. Overall, it’s a well done malt whiskey that should appeal to scotch drinkers and the growing number of American single malt fans.
The bottle in review was bottled on 4/27/2024 and is bottle number 864.
