10th Street STR Single Malt
American Whisky
46% ABV
$65
Website
We would like to thank 10th Street Distillery and Feature M for sending us a sample to review.
What the Distillery Says
STR Single Malt unpeated whisky is an all-American creation, matured in ex-bourbon casks that have been shaved, toasted, and re-charred (STR) to impart some of the flavors of freshly-charred wood, without being overwhelmed by oak notes from direct immersion in virgin American Oak barrels. Striking a balance between the oak influence from new casks prevalent in American whiskies and used barrels common in traditional Scotch techniques, STR Single Malt is one of the only American single malts to use STR barrels. 10th Street uses domestic two-row malted barley, double distills in all-copper pot stills and, finally, bottles without chill-filtering, to preserve complexity.
“For our first unpeated product, we wanted to create a distinctive single malt whisky that strikes a balance between the influence of the freshly charred American oak, and classic malt notes. Using specially prepared STR barrels allowed us to bring in the caramel, almost candy-like notes from the wood and pair them with the malt coming from our copper pot double-distilling process. The result is a delicate, yet flavorful whisky that is truly unique” says Virag Saksena, CEO, 10th Street Distillery.
TASTING NOTES
Nose: Lightly spicy with overtones of sweet caramel and butterscotch
Color: Light golden
Palate: Complex cherry-like sweetness with notes of vanilla bean, nutmeg, and clove
Finish: Smooth and round, filled with decadent flavors of candied fruits
What Gary Says
Nose: Malty, toasted oak with vanilla and caramel, butterscotch, honeysuckle, freshly baked yeasty bread, a hint of apricots and green apples.
Palate: Sweet with a round mouthfeel, cherry with honey and vanilla, gentle pepper and baking spices, hint of green apples.
Finish: Short to moderate in length, slightly drying with spices, dried fruit and a bit of pepper.
Comments: This is a very unique single malt. American ‘single malt’ isn’t defined like it is in Scotland and other countries, but if trying this blind – it has some resemblance to a single malt scotch while not reminding me of any in particular. The pot still and non-chill filtering lend to a nice mouthfeel even at a pretty young age (the bottle states “whisky aged at least one year in reused cooperage”, so not sure precisely how old, but likely between 1 and 2 years old). There aren’t many whiskies under 2 years old that I thought were worth drinking. This is one of the rare exceptions. If tasting this blind, I wouldn’t have guessed it to be that young. While the bread notes are something I associate with young whisky, it isn’t predominately cereal in nature. Don’t get me wrong – it isn’t amazingly complex, but if I was asked to guess the age – I would have put it in the 5 to 8 year range. Very well done whisky!