Deerhammer American Single Malt Whiskey

Deerhammer American Single Malt

Cost: $13 for 2oz pour (Colorado)

Age: 4 years

Proof: 92

Mash Bill: 100% malted barley (85% Pale malt, 5% chocolate malt, 5% c120 malt, 5% c45 malt)

Reviewed neat in a rocks glass (at a bar…so quick jotting down of tasting notes).

Appearance: Dark honey in color, oily looking.

Nose: Toasted grain – think grain silo aromas. Caramelized sugar. A faint oak note.

Palate: Sweet, dark, earthy grains. A little cherry, vanilla, a light orange peel, and a slight spice, maybe cinnamon even. It’s soft at first, but a little astringent and drying on the palate on the backend.

Finish: Sweetness, mild toasted grains, and a little florally. Medium in length.

Rating: 6.2/10

Overall: I’ve been trying more American single malts lately and I thought this was a nice, clean version. A little “darker” and not quite as bright as most others though. It’s not a smoked malt, so you do get a lot of those toasted grain flavors that I’m fond of. But it also has some darker notes like cherry, vanilla, and maybe even a hint of chocolate in there. I actually think this would be an excellent first single malt for a bourbon lover.

Behind the Bottle: I stumbled into this pour by going on a ski trip out in Colorado last weekend. We were staying in Dillon/Silverthrone area, and after skiing one day, we dropped by somewhere to eat some dope ass empanadas and then dropped by Timberline to grab a couple drinks before calling it a night. When I got there, I discovered their amazing Colorado whiskey selection! They had a menu that had to contain no less than 60 whiskey’s just from Colorado. Admittedly, I was out of my comfort zone. Other than Old Elk and Stranahan’s, I really didn’t know much about anything else on the list.

Now, recently when visiting Whiskey Del Bac in Arizona in January – one of the couples at our tasting mentioned something about “Deerhammer.” I really don’t remember what they said. For all I know, they said it was shit! All I remember was the name (I think because I’m a deer hunter, the name just stood out). At any rate, on second pass looking through this extensive Colorado whiskey list, my eyes settled on Deerhammer…a name that I’ve heard, but certainly not familiar with. Now, they had 3 offerings by Deerhammer: American single malt, Hickory Smoked (corn) Whiskey, and 4 grain bourbon. My instinct was to go with my bread and butter – get the bourbon! But, like I said, I’ve been on a bit of an American single malt kick lately, so I went with that.

After getting my pour, I really have no regrets! I actually never even wound up trying their bourbon. After I left, I pulled up Deerhammer’s website and realized that the bourbon is actually a newer offering and their cornerstone is their American Single Malt. So, in the end, I think I picked the expression that best defines Deerhammer. Based on my experience, I’ll definitely be open to trying out other expressions, and particularly, finished ASM expressions, from Deerhammer in the future (I’ll be visiting Colorado again later this year, so I’ll definitely be on the lookout)!

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect