American

Copperworks American Single Malt Whiskey Release 048

$69.99

OVERALL
RATING

Whiskey Review: Copperworks American Single Malt Whiskey Release 048

by Joshua Wilford
October 25, 2023

Tasting Notes:

About:

American Single Malt partially finished in Manzanilla Sherry casks; 100 proof (50% abv); 750ml; $69.99 MSRP

Appearance:

Dark amber and muted gold hues.

Nose:

Aromas of plum fruit, chocolate and beer foam.

Palate:

Notes of lemon rind, chocolate covered cherry and pale ale.

Finish:

Comments:

For a classic single malt this whisky struggles to provide a familiar profile. The brand has done a decent job of mixing the beer malt flavors with those more reminiscent of a classic scotch. It is also a fair bit hotter proof-wise than your everyday single malts and for all of these reasons I find it to be a bit unbalanced. Not a bad whiskey and fun for an experiment but maybe not right for an every-day-drinker.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review.

Over the past few decades, the American single malt market has been on a boom, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. Some big players have been notable brands – Oregon’s Westward Whiskey and Washington’s Westland Whiskey remain impactful after years of production and releases. One player in the new boom that hasn’t seen as much press but has continued to create great releases is Copperworks Distilling in Seattle, WA.

Copperworks Distilling Company was founded by Jason Parker and Micah Nutt in 2013. Park was raised in Kentucky, has degrees in Chemistry and Biology, and was the first Brewer at the Pike Place Brewery in 1989. Nutt has a background in home brewing and software engineering and even created his own fully automated home brewing operation before coming over to the distilling side. These founders brought their love of brewing into the distillery, often using classic brewing malt to create their whiskeys. This is a stark difference from other distilleries that use only distiller’s malt.

The distillery these two created has been a leader in the industry when it comes to sustainability. They have committed to Water Conservation, Waste Reduction, and Environmental Protection. Often a less focused side of the distilling business is how impactful it can be on local water resources. It is a testament to Copperworks Distilling Company’s dedication to the industry that they are so serious about creating a sustainable company.

The Release 048 From Copperworks Distilling Company is not a huge step away from previous release, 047. Both whiskeys are a mix of 5 malt aged for 3 years and 9 months and Baronesse Pale malt aged for 3 years. Where the 048 release differs is that it has been mixed with 7.5% of pale malt matured in Manzanilla Sherry casks for 5 years and 6 months. Manzanilla Sherry is known for being dry, oxidative, and driven by coastal salinity. The barrels were picked out by Parker and used to age the whiskey after being freshly dumped so that they would retain much of the sherry profile.