MCCARTHY'S OREGON SINGLE MALT WHISKEY

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MCCARTHY'S OREGON SINGLE MALT WHISKEY

Unread postby Blue » Thu Aug 11, 2005 11:12 pm

Anyone heard of this? If so, what is it?
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Unread postby tlsmothers » Sat Aug 13, 2005 2:55 pm

McCarthy's is made by Clear Creek Distillery based in Portland, Oregon. They also make some fabulous eau de vies, but I digress. It's a pot distilled whiskey in a Scotch style using Scottish barley that has been peated. They age it for about 3 years. It's 80 proof and quite tasty, with a light camp fire smokiness.http://www.clearcreekdistillery.com/Whiskey.htm

I first discovered it at a competitor's store where I got "busted" while snooping around so I felt obligated to buy something and make small talk. :oops: Gave it to Ben as a gift that night, and we were both impressed. I sell it here at the store for $35.00. We've turned a lot of folks on to it since we love to support these small American artisanal distillations.
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Unread postby TNbourbon » Sun Aug 14, 2005 12:23 am

Interesting that the distillers of Scotland have protested the use of 'single malt' by Glenora Distillery in Nova Scotia (Glen Breton whisky), but apparently have not done so to either McCarthy's or St. George's (Washington State).
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Unread postby Blue » Tue Aug 16, 2005 4:00 pm

Thanks guys, I may just have to try some.
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Unread postby MikeK » Sat Aug 20, 2005 10:56 am

I managed to find a bottle locally 8 months ago for $29. It was very good, kind of like a young, light Ardbeg. If you consider that it is only aged 3 years and is a brand new effort by Stephen McCarthy, I think the result is quite phenomenal. Grab one if you can find it. I emailed Stephen when I was hunting for a bottle and he was very personable. I wholeheartedly support this type of experimental behavior by small American distillers. I've been wanting to talk about this whiskey for a while, but couldn't make up my mind whether it belonged in Non-Bourbon Whiskey or Scotch :)

On a more local note, I am eagerly awaiting the release (this fall?) of Notch (Scotch style) Whisky by Triple Eight Distillery on Nantucket MA. Their island location should make for some flavorful aging. I've tasted their bourbon barrel aged rum and it is very nice. However, for a very young whiskey from a brand new distillery, I find their projected bottle pricing of $60 - $100+ to be outrageous. I can buy a truely outstanding 18yo Talisker or Caol Ila for $50 - $75. I have to guess he's hoping to sell to the Boston socialites who just don't care.

I guess I'm just giving another nod to McCarthy's for pricing their product reasonably.

Mike
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Unread postby gillmang » Sun Aug 21, 2005 8:45 pm

I offer sincerest gratitude and plaudits to the dude who spots the first micro-distilled bourbon to hit the market. I believe a company in Cincinatti may be working on a true bourbon, I can't recall the name, Stonegate or something, it is part of a winery operation. I find it astonishing that in some 20 years of microdistilling (to be fair, a small field hitherto) we have seen scotch-style whisky, brandy, gin, vodka, rum - but no bourbon. Some corn and white lightnin and even a white-colored rye put out in Virginia, but no bourbon. Amazing.

Gary

P.S. I know of course about Potrero's rye and single malt made from rye. I respect the endeavour but am not a fan, they are just too young in my view.
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Unread postby Art L » Fri Dec 09, 2005 5:36 pm

Along the same lines with the McCarthy's and Triple Eight Distillery,
the Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton Mass is making a "single malt" whiskey scheduled for release in 2009 (unfortunately).
Nashoba has been making some tasty distilled spirits at reasonable prices since they got their farmers-distiller license back in 2003.
I think it's great to see more distillers (especially whiskey distillers!) cropping up around the country.
I can hardly wait to have a taste of their whiskey! Here's what they say on their web site about it:

Nashoba "Single Malt " Whiskey
Release date - 2009

Our whisky is 100 percent barley malt oak aged for a minimum of 5 years in new and used oak cask. The use of used winery cast gives our malt a slight hint of fruit and generous oak flavors. As of this date, our single malt whiskey generally is very aromatic, smooth and medium bodied, with palates that range from lushly complex to floral delicacy. Our malt whisky is been produced, aged and bottled at our distillery in Bolton, Massachusetts.
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Unread postby cowdery » Sat Dec 10, 2005 5:00 am

I believe the micro distillers are making malt whisky because they have pot stills and every book they can buy about making whisky in a pot still tells them how to make malt whiskey. That may sound damning but it's the least damning explanation I can conceive.
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Unread postby Art L » Sat Dec 10, 2005 2:37 pm

Perhaps the micro distillers use only the one grain (barley) because it's easier to manage than multiple grains?
at least to start with... Let's hope they branch out someday so we can have more bourbon distilleries in operation!
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Unread postby gillmang » Sat Dec 10, 2005 4:01 pm

I'm not sure what the reason is. Most microdistillers use small stills, often the type used in Europe to make white spirits from apples, pears and other fruits. These surely can be adapted to produce bourbon white dog, just as Woodford Reserve has done. I don't think grain management is an issue. True, malting barley is easy to buy but so is corn and the preliminary heating corn needs, and rye, should not pose problems for someone intrepid enough to undertake commercial distilling. I think the reason is simply that it has been so long since truly small plants made bourbon that the new distillers forgot bourbon could be made on a small scale. Either that or they thought, like many people do, that a spirit from somewhere else has to be better than American whiskey and therefore it is better to make something similar to cognac or malt whisky. Anyway the tide will turn (or rather the wavelet - the microdistillers are a small group at present). The Ohio concern I mentioned earlier (distillery arm of Woodstone Creek Winery) will at some point, I have heard, release real bourbon - and that will be a watershed event - especially if it tastes good. :)

Gary
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Re: MCCARTHY'S OREGON SINGLE MALT WHISKEY

Unread postby Roscoe » Fri Sep 23, 2011 1:56 pm

I'm thinking of bringing it in to our store. My cost is 31 bucks/bottle so I've got to put it up for 39.99 at least.

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