Despite its relative youth of their distillery, founders Mark McLaughlin and Arch Watkins of Old Line Spirits have deep roots in the burgeoning American craft whiskey scene.
The two former naval flight officers, as we first reported upon earlier this year, studied closely under Bob Stilnovich, founder of Washington-based Golden Distillery and then purchased their mentor’s distillery to continue his legacy of creating great American single malt whiskeys. After the purchase, McLaughlin and Watkins moved all the Golden Distillery equipment and barreled whiskey to their own location in Baltimore, Maryland, – thus beginning Old Line Spirits.
Their flagship whiskey, Old Line American Single Malt Whiskey, is made from American malted barley distilled in a copper pot still and aged for two years in charred American white oak casks. It represents a small, but growing, trend as an emerging category of domestic whiskey. Whereas bourbons and rye currently dominate the vast majority of the American whiskey tradition, a number of the distilleries in the burgeoning craft whiskey scene are choosing to push against the boundaries of what it means to be an American whiskey with new single malts.
Old Line markets their single malt as embodying “the best aspects of the new school of American whiskey—strong traditional roots infused with innovation.” And with this whiskey, they hope to prove this to the world.
Tasting Notes: Old Line American Single Malt Whiskey
Vital Stats: 86 proof, Aged two years in small oak casks, Originally distilled on Samish Island, Washington, $50 a bottle, 750ml.
Appearance: A gentle mahogany liquor in a clear tall bottle more in the style of single malt Scotches.
Nose: The nose is sweet, clear, smooth and deep – with notes of cedar and leather hidden peeking out from behind strong vanilla notes with hints of berry.
Palate: The taste, much like the nose, is an intriguing mix of vanilla and fruit, mixed with molasses and a hint of spice with leathery undertones. A variety of flavors are mixed into a pleasantly deep and unique flavor profile.
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Final Thoughts:
This whiskey is a complete delight and definitely punches above its weight class, buoyed by its unique flavor. Old Line Single Malt American Whiskey has a place on whiskey shelves next to Nikka Coffey Grain whiskey as examples of innovation in single malt whiskeys outside of Scotland. It lives up to the distillery’s promise of taking the best elements of the American whiskey tradition and the single malt tradition from Scotland, and turning it into something truly special.
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