American

Whiskey Review: Stranahan’s Extra Añejo Tequila Cask American Single Malt

We review Stranahan’s Extra Añejo Tequila Cask. It's finished in Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo casks.

OVERALL RATING

8
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Tasting Notes

About:

A blend of six- to nine-year-old whiskeys aged in new American oak barrels, char #3. 45% ABV, mash bill: 100% malted barley, SRP $69.99/ 750ml bottle. Batch 003. Bottle 1185. Colorado.
Appearance:
This is golden yellow with a coppery undertone.
Nose:
At first sniff, the nose seems a little shut down and almost reductive. It’s hard to discern much. With a few more sniffs, I start to pick up a whiff of tequila barrels, and flavors seem to suddenly explode from the glass. There are unusual fruit and spice notes like grilled cherries, cracked black pepper, and old lemons. On the chemical side of the spectrum, I pick up notes of nail polish remover, pool water, and oiled wood. Underneath are sweet vanilla base notes and a touch of burnt rubber. It’s a musky whiskey that seems heavily influenced by its tequila-laced sleep.
Palate:


Finish:
Comments:
As I sit here writing, the taste of the whiskey still lingers on my palate. I can’t objectively say this is a bad whiskey. No. It has complexity, uniqueness, and length at a reasonable price. Can I objectively say this is a fantastic whiskey? No. It lacks hallmarks of being a whiskey. It want a lime wedge and some salt.rnrnPerhaps this whiskey an attempt to hold a mirror up to extra añejo, flaws and beauty both? That’s outside of the scope of a review for me to say. What I can say is that this whiskey has the same conundrum of extra añejo: how long is too long in a finishing cask? What is something that is all finish and no start?rnrnIt reaches for the stars but doesn’t quite make it. Maybe the next attempt will be better. Here’s hoping that it’s in the works.

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.

Suzanne Bayard

Suzanne Bayard struck out to the West Coast with her now husband almost a decade ago to explore the intersection of wine and policy in its world-class wine regions. She manages a Portland, OR bottle shop by day as the wine buyer and newsletter editor. She is also the Director of the Deep Roots Coalition, an organization of 30 Willamette Valley wineries that educate on and promote dry farming and sustainable practices. She joined the Whiskey Wash to explore two other passions: writing and whiskey.

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