Name: Stranahan’s Original Single Malt Whiskey
Color: Copper
Nose: Malt, oak, vanilla, white fruit
Taste: Malt, oak, vanilla, white pepper
Stranahan’s Whiskey was founded in 2004 and it is located at 200 S. Kalamath St. Denver, CO. The distillery and visitor center is in an industrial park and has a simple outdoor seating area with a nice view of the mountains. The inside bar area has a modern rustic wood design with seating for around 75 people. The bar serves whiskey, flights, cocktails, and the retail store sells bottles and merchandise. The staff has that Colorado friendly and easy going vibe.
The Original is 100% malted barley, aged 2-5 years in new charred oak barrels, non-chilled filtered, and the water is sourced from a spring in Boulder. The Original is very nice tasting and well-balanced whiskey, however, when you start comparing it to their other expressions it is a baseline whiskey. The whiskeys that really impressed me are the Snowflake, Sherry Cask, and Cask Strength.
One issue I keep running into with American Whiskeys is the cost v. age v. flavor profile. I realize many distilleries are in an economic position where they need to charge a lot to cover their production costs and make profit. This should not be considered a deal breaker, but it is a mathematical fact that should not be ignored by any reviewer. It can be difficult to spend $50-75 for a young domestic whiskey when you can get a aged single malt for the same or lower price. Everyone has a budget when it comes to whiskey no matter how much they have in their wallet.
Other expressions produced: Original, Blue Peak, Mountain Angel 10 Year, Snowflake, Diamond Peak, Sherry Cask, Single Barrel, and other special releases.
Priced around $55 and a good baseline.
If you like it, drink it! – Chris
If you like it, drink it!
