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Stranahan’s Diamond Peak Local Brewer’s Cask Review

What happens when whiskey barrels boomerang between distillery and brewery? This unique Colorado collaboration creates bold chocolate malt and dried fruit flavors.

OVERALL RATING

7
$79.99
  • Charles Steele is an attorney and whiskey enthusiast with a penchant for the peculiar.
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Tasting Notes

About:

The fourth release in our Diamond Peak series is finished in barrels from Colorado’s top brewers, previously used to age bold beers like Coffee Stouts, Barley Wines, and Belgian Quads.

The new release draws on Stranahan’s founding connection to Colorado’s brewing industry. When Jess Graber created the first batch of Stranahan’s, he used beer mash from George Stranahan’s Flying Dog Brewery. This relationship between beer and whiskey continues with Diamond Peak Local Brewer’s Cask, which features barrels that traveled between Stranahan’s and four local breweries.

The process began with ex-Stranahan’s casks being filled with craft beer at partner breweries. These “boomeranged” barrels then returned to the distillery, where they were filled with a blend of 4 to 6-year-old American single malt and aged for an additional 18 months. Official tasting notes describe the resulting whiskey as having “bold notes of ripe fruit and velvety chocolate malt.”

After aging 4 to 6 years in new American oak, the whiskey is finished for an additional 1.5 to 2 years in these seasoned beer casks. Bottled at 90 proof.
Appearance:
Tawny – Almost Auburn with thin legs
Nose:
Brewers yeast, rose, port/stout malts of chocolate, bread, and hay. Just a hint of charcoal and robust oak.
Palate:
The deep beer flavors are present, chocolate malt, dried fruits, crumble sugar, oatmeal, and some darker notes of alcohol esters, charcoal, and just a touch of cream.
Finish:
Buttery mouthfeel with all that luscious malt, it lingers with just a hint of peppery single malt whiskey.
Comments:
Really a fun expression of breweries and whiskey. There are some fun beer notes and the malted grains add complexity that differentiates the complexity of the single malt whiskey. Malty body and finish like having a dram right after finishing a creamy pint.

This is a fun expression and truly an enjoyable exploration about the intersection between the robust distilling and brewery scene of Colorado. It’s great to see producers of various industries reach across, or in this case back across, their respective industries to make new products.

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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