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Cedar Ridge The QuintEssential Solera Edition American Single Malt Whiskey Review

Can Iowa really produce a whiskey that rivals a Highland Scotch? Cedar Ridge's solera-aged QuintEssential American Single Malt might just change your mind.

OVERALL RATING

8
$59.99
  • Charles Steele is an attorney and whiskey enthusiast with a penchant for the peculiar.
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Tasting Notes

About:

Cedar Ridge of Swisher Iowa is quietly amassing an unexpected following. Iowa is not the first place you think of when the term Bourbon or American Single Malt, or even whiskey is brought up. However, Murphy Quint, has spent the better part of a decade trying to change that. This release marks an installment in their more premium experimental lineup the “QuintEssential” Single Malt.

From the distillery media release: The richness of our American Single Malt Whiskey is strengthened by our immediate access to fresh, once-used barrels from a variety of sources, including our own wine and Port casks. The complexity of The QuintEssential develops as we add each unique finishing cask in the proper proportion. There is an element of interest or surprise being incorporated into the overall blend with each addition from our arsenal of complex casks.

Vital Stats: 100% 2-Row Pale Malted Barley

Solera aging is not a knew process but it is growing in popularity worldwide. Think a giant pyramid of barrels, at the top you have the youngest whiskey and the bottom contains the oldest. As you pull whiskey out from the pyramid you refill from the barrel above it. That isn’t a perfect explanation, but it gets the simplest idea across. In the end the whiskey is constantly moving and aging to create a unique but well combined bottle.
Appearance:
A clear golden color with semi-slow legs which cling to the surface. Tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.
Nose:
Soft with oak and sugar. There is a nice malty falvor blended with leather and just a touch of ligth cigar smoke. Not as complex but softer and more approachable.
Palate:
A light but smooth and sweet body. Malty notes with touches of cigar wrapper and pipe smoke, new leather, and warmed sugars. Reminds me of a highland Scotch almost. There are fresh diced fruits underlaying the mid palate.
Finish:
The mouthfeel is a touch watery and short. The sip finishes crisply with honey and a dash of smoke but quickly fades from the tongue. A nice moment to remember.
Comments:
This is a nice bottle of whiskey and can stands up well. I think this is another prime example of intentional whiskey being really quite good. My hat is off to Murphy Quint and Cedar Ridge. Continue to explore and expirment you have a penchent for it. Personally I’d share this with people who might have closed off opinions about whiskey and where it can/can’t be made. It’s nice to have something on the shelf that helps expand perception.

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.

Charles Steele

Charles Steele, a Portland-based attorney, is a native of the Pacific Northwest. His legal background provides him with an analytical approach to understanding whiskey and other aged spirits. Primarily a legal writer, freelancing for The Whiskey Wash offers Charles a unique opportunity to showcase his versatility as a writer. Although his preference lies with whiskey and whiskey-based cocktails, he has a profound appreciation for all unique and unconventional liquors, from Malört to Ojen - if it's peculiar, he's intrigued.

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