Hood River Distillers recently announced the launch if a 6-year-old McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt to market, this edition finished in Oloroso Sherry casks.
A statement from the Oregon-based spirits maker noted that the single malt aged six years in Oregon oak casks before finishing four months in the Oloroso Sherry casks.
The McCarthy’s Portfolio now includes a 3-year Oregon Single Malt Whiskey, a 6-year Oregon Single Malt, a 6-year Oregon Single Malt Whiskey finished in PX Sherry casks, and this McCarthy’s 6-year Oregon Single Malt Whiskey finished in Oloroso Sherry casks.
The finishing casks for this edition came from Spain, shipped out just as they were drained of their original liquid in order to retain all the walnut and spice notes imparted by the wine.
“Oloroso has long been one of our favorite sherries, and we are very excited about this latest release as it pushes our familiar profile in a lighter and brinier direction than previous editions,” said Caitlin Bartlemay, Hood River Head Distiller.
She explained that their newest distiller, Garrett Trotter, took inspiration from Oloroso Sherry’s balsamic and nutty flavors and put together a blend that is “a sunny and welcoming dram.”
“This bottle of McCarthy’s spotlights the charm of America’s first single malt in a whole new way,” Bartlemay added. “With less smoke, more honey, and higher acid, this will make your summer sip memorable.”
McCarthy’s 6-year Oregon Single Malt Whiskey finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks clocks in at 56% ABV, 112 proof. It has a suggested retail price of $120 for a 750ml bottle. The tasting notes show the whiskey to have aromas of cherry sawdust, pine pitch and marsh grass on the nose.
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On the palate, the whiskey features tastes of burned sugar and citrus, with a back note of salt brine and sea spray. There’s a baseline of sarsaparilla root and chicory, with higher tones of toasted cereal grain, orange peel and maple syrup.
It was 25 years ago when founder Steve McCarthy sourced two-row peat-malted barley from Scotland and found a local brewer to make the wash. He distilled in 60-gallon Holstein pot stills using single-pass distillation and non-chill filtration, and aged his McCarthy’s single malt in 36-month air dried Oregon oak casks for a minimum of three years.
Today, the single malt is under the umbrella of Hood River Distillers, founded in 1934 and headquartered in Hood River, Oregon. It is one of the Northwest’s largest and oldest importer, distiller, producer, and marketer of distilled spirits.
For more information, check out www.hrdspirits.com.
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