North American Whiskey
Clyde May’s
Isn’t it nice to know that some things stay true to their roots? Like Clyde May’s Whiskey. Just one sip, and you can feel the wind rustling through those Alabama pines as Clyde kept one eye on his still and the other looking over his shoulder for the law. What is Alabama Style Whiskey? It’s Clyde’s proprietary finish. Clyde added oven-dried apples to his barrels which smoothed out his amber whiskey. Today during the bottling process, a subtle hint of apple is folded into 4-year minimum aged straight bourbon. It’s what makes it smooth and unusual. Clyde May’s Whiskey – the Original Alabama Whiskey.
Crown Royal
Crown Royal Deluxe Canadian Whisky, a blend of their finest whiskies, was created in 1939 as a gift for King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, to celebrate the royals first visit to Canada. From the shape of the bottle to the signature regal purple bag, Crown Royal Deluxe embodies that royal history. Today, in Gimli, Manitoba, on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, the men and women at the distillery carry on the tradition of making these exceptional whiskies to the same uncompromising standards, while the blending team in LaSalle utilizes their knowledge, artistry and craftsmanship to ensure the Crown Royal tradition of excellence continues on. From their unique blends to their flavored whiskies, to their award winning Northern Harvest Rye, Crown Royal offers a wide variety of blended whiskies for every whisky palette.
Tincup
Tincup, Colorado (originally called Virginia City), was an old mining town set on the western side of the Rockies, named after the old cups the miners would drink from. TINCUP Whiskey’s name and the cap on the bottle are both nods to this piece of Colorado history. Founded in 1972, TINCUP is a blend of two great American whiskeys, each aged in #3 charred oak barrels for a minimum of four years. “High-rye” bourbon, distilled and aged in Indiana, is blended with a small amount of Colorado single malt whiskey. These whiskeys are then cut with Rocky Mountain water and hand-bottled. TINCUP is a smooth yet bold whiskey, perfect for enjoying outdoors (or even indoors here in Denver).
Blackened
Blackened American Whiskey is a collaborative effort between fabled metal band Metallica and legendary Master Distiller Dave Pickerell. Together, they’ve combined their creative fire and unapologetic dedication to craft to create Blackened, a blend of straight whiskeys finished in black (what else?) brandy casks. This unconventional whiskey of uncompromising quality is definitely not your average head-banger’s whiskey. (Yet we must confess the shameless urge to crank up “Enter Sandman” while enjoying a glass.)
Fans of the band will be interested to know that each batch of Blackened has a unique playlist created by Lars and the boys that was used to “sonically enhance” the whiskey during finishing. As the well-aged whiskey rests in the finishing barrels, the (presumably loud) music is played, apparently causing the whiskey inside to move and interact with the wood. Throughout this process, Dave tests the whiskey to determine the optimal color and flavor profile for each batch. (We’ll stop there, but suffice it to say we’d want to watch that music video.)
Dickel
Born 40 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, George A. Dickel was an established Nashville merchant when he entered the whiskey business. Dickel preferred whiskey made in the winter months more than summer months because he felt it made the whiskey taste smoother–so the company began advertising their Dickel’s Cascade Tennessee Whisky as “Mellow as Moonlight.” This is why their whisky is chilled before undergoing the charcoal-mellow filtration. This extra step smooths out the flavor, and they’re still the only Tennessee distillery to do it. Today, their distiller carries on the tradition of excellence that has made Dickel a symbol of quality for over 130 years.
George Remus
One of the best-known criminal attorneys in the Midwest, George Remus wound up creating one of the most successful bootlegging operations of the Prohibition era. Known as “King of the Bootleggers,” he ultimately owned several famous distilleries–becoming a multimillionaire in the process–and then lost it all. It’s been said that Remus inspired the character of Jay Gatsby in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. His parties were legendarily extravagant, to put it modestly: At least once he gave all his male party guests diamond stickpins and their wives, new cars. (We’re guessing they didn’t return the generous parting gifts once his wealth had departed.)
A high-rye blend of bourbon whiskies, George Remus is today aged at least four years in charred American White Oak barrels at the distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. It’s known for its sweet, maple aroma, its hint of vanilla and sweet-yet-characteristic rye flavor, and its smooth, warm finish with just the right amount of spice. While you may not receive a diamond stickpin or new car with every bottle, we humbly submit that sipping it neat is reward enough.
Stranahan’s
It all began when volunteer firefighter Jess Graber responded to a neighbor’s barn fire down the road. The neighbor was George Stranahan, a longtime brewery owner and whiskey connoisseur. From their shared passion, Stranahan’s Rocky Mountain Single Malt was born. Today they hand-produce small batch whiskey in Denver using only four ingredients: 100% malted barley, yeast, Rocky Mountain snow melt, and time in hand-selected barrels. Their Original Rocky Mountain Single Malt is the #1 American Single Malt in the U.S., but Stranahan’s is also known for their Diamond Peak and Snowflake whiskey batches. The latter is aged in new white American Oak barrels, then transferred into used sherry, cognac, rum, and tequila barrels—absorbing the uniquely rich flavors from the casks. Stranahan’s Snowflake is only available one day each December at their distillery.
Westland
Recent Accolades: Master Distiller AND American Single Malt of the Year, 2017Westland Distillery was co-founded by Matt Hofmann in 2010 in Seattle, WA. The distillery mashes, distills, matures and bottles American Single Malt Whiskey in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. When we founded Westland Distillery in Seattle, we had a vision for an entirely new category of whiskey. Distilled from the rich, flavorful barley of Washington State and matured predominantly in new American oak casks in the steady, cool humidity of our seaside home, this whiskey is a testament to that vision. All of these choices and ingredients conspire to create an approachable, mature and uniquely American single malt that can stand with the finest whiskies in the world. Westland has also founded and funded The American Single Malt Whiskey Commission, designed to establish, educate, promote and protect the category of American Single Malt Whiskey as a whole. Today, it counts over 50 Member Producers and an equal number of trade supporters.
Old Camp
Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard, the boys of Florida Georgia Line, are known for their innovative sound that combines country, rock, hip-hop, and pop–and, of course, their smash-hit “Cruise.” Now they’ve created a taste that’s equally unique with their Old Camp American Blended Whiskey. Old Camp is a peach pecan, easy-drinking whiskey that does down smooth. As FGL tells their fans, the peach and pecan notes are “a little bit of Florida, a little bit of Georgia.” Whether you’re sipping it neat or over ice, or even trying it with mixers, it’s the perfect whiskey for passing around the campfire. Like the wolf on the label, you may find yourself howling for more.
