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Whiskey Review: High Peaks Distilling Cloudsplitter

We review High Peaks Distilling Cloudsplitter, an American malt whiskey produced by a New York distillery known for its brewer's style focus to distilling.

OVERALL RATING

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High Peaks Distilling Cloudsplitter

Tasting Notes

About:

Distilled entirely by High Peaks distillery, aged in American and European Oak casks in Lake George, New York. Distilled in copper stills following the style of Scottish tradition. 90 proof & 45% abv, aged for a minimum of 2 years in oak barrels.
Appearance:
Deep amber with nice thick legs. Viscous, but not syrupy. Just the right amount of structure and rich color.
Nose:
Bright, floral, honeycomb and melon softly introduce more bodied notes of charred wood, caramel and cherry. The scent is really earthy and natural. Notes on the end are mineral heavy.
Palate:
Notes on the front end are softer than it’s bold finish. It’s only 46% abv, but I can definitely taste the astringency from the alcohol evaporating off my tongue when I take a breath. Anise, clove, caramel and vanilla make for a sweeter middle ground, with spicy cinnamon and rye notes tying everything together in the background. Charred wood, slate and leather create a rugged back-end that lingers with licorice and oak. There’s an effervescent smokiness throughout that brings peat and malt to the front of the palate, rising again in the middle and crescendoing into the finish.
Finish:
Comments:
The soft front end and bolder rugged notes at the end are a great representation of the terroir of the Adirondack Mountains of New York. The slate and stone flavors compliment the sweeter side of the spirit to create a balanced, approachable whiskey that’s easy to sip neat, on the rocks or in a craft cocktail.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Shauna McKnight

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