Why is Everyone So Excited About American Single Malt Whiskey?
The excitement surrounding American single malt whiskey is fuelled by its innovation, quality, regional diversity and growing recognition. The American Single Malt Whiskey Commission (ASMWC) plays a pivotal role, pushing legislators to define and further legitimise the category both domestically and internationally.
In February 2024, we were lucky enough to attend the ASMWC members’ meeting in Denver, Colorado. We asked attendees what they love about the new category of American single malt and what makes it so exciting.
Jeff Eddington (Production Manager, Iron Fish Distillery) said: “This is an amazing time in American single malt. It's brand new. It's fresh, it's exciting. It's putting a whole new spin on American whiskey.”
Nino Kilgore-Marchetti (Whisky Writer, former founder of The Whiskey Wash) added: “American single malt, it's not bourbon, it's not rye. It's something that really reflects true innovation and creative spirit. There's this idea of what American single malt is, but there's this flexibility and innovation under it that you see reflected in a very unique way, whether you're in Arizona or Oregon or New York or California.”
For Ryan Negley (Marketing & Blending, Boulder Spirits): “I think it’s the future of American whiskey. I think it's something that we're lacking in our spectrum of flavours here in the United States. And I think the general consumer, the whiskey consumer, is ready for some new flavours.”
Raymond Lui (Head Distiller, Skyward Whisky) said: “I was shocked by how great America's single malt is. But this, to me, shows diversity potential. And some of it is already fantastic.”
Caitlin Bartlemay (Head Distiller, Clear Creek Distillery) added: “I think it's exciting as a category because of the opportunity for creativity and expression. It's a really great way to kind of join this patchwork quilt of what whiskey means to each region, what the flavour of each region is. And be able to experience what is a huge country is as far as the cuisine and the culture of all of these areas.”
For Becky Paskin (Founder, OurWhisky Foundation): “The impressive thing about American single malt whiskey is the diversity that exists within the category. This is all stemming from single malt, so malted barley. But there's just so much variety in terms of the way that it's created the different cask finishes, and it's something completely different to Scotch or Irish or any other single malt we see around the world. I love how the American single malt community seems to be so supportive of one another. They're all just so excited to try and taste what everyone else is doing and learn from each other's experiences. They're creating a category from scratch here. It's really exciting.”
Nate Randall (Co-Founder, Hinterhaus Distilling) said: “I think just the creativity and the ingenuity of what people are up to and the experimentation, it's a very free category. And that I think, is lended itself to a wide variety of flavours, which is amazing. And people exploring local grains, how local water can impact things, different aging techniques. It's exploratory, it's fun, and it's a cool thing.”
Tyler Pederson (Master Distiller, Westland Distillery) said: “It's a really exciting category because there's a lot of room for innovation while still holding true to some of the concepts that single malt drinkers globally know and love. So, you can experiment with your mashbills, your raw materials, your equipment, your approach to blending. And there's a lot of ways to introduce some new compelling whiskeys to the world.”
Jared Himstedt (Head Distiller, Balcones Distilling) added: “New whiskeys are being made, coming out of the very rich and old tradition. They're being made in ways and in places are completely new. And because of that, there's going to be flavour combinations that are just whiskey drinkers have never had before. And it's a really exciting time.”
Mark Vierthaler (Head Distiller/Blender, Whiskey Del Bac) “If you’ve had an American single malt and you haven't really liked it, try a different one because there's so much ingenuity, there's so much different, different creation going on.”
