Review: Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey Calvados Cask Finish Aspen Exclusive
To celebrate the launch of the new Stranahan’s Whiskey Lodge in Aspen, the Denver-based distillery is rolling out a series of exclusive and limited blends. The first is a six-cask blend of their core single malt, each aged at least eight years with two and four of those years in ex-Calvados casks.
It’s a premium-priced bottle at $140, and a portion of profits from each sale go toward the Aspen Fire Protection District.
At an SRP of $140, a portion of proceeds from Calvados Cask will be donated to the Aspen Fire Protection District to honor its role in Stranahan’s founding.
Let’s see how Stranahan’s first Lodge-exclusive release, bottled at 47% abv, stacks up in the landscape of American single malt!
Wine tannins, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, and dark oak kick things off on the nose; the underlying single malt profile takes its time to unfold, perhaps a testament to the long finishing time. Tanned leather and wood varnish develop with more time in the glass. Simply judging by aroma, this is far more audacious than most of Stranahan’s core line. It’s a powerful, no-punches-pulled nose for 94 proof. I suppose if you’re launching a new, high-end booze line in a fancy ski destination, it’s better to start things off on a bold and memorable note!
The palate isn’t quite as punchy, but it still makes a statement with a sweet-and-spicy combo of pear and baking spices. Those flavors dominate the first couple sips, with green apple and caramel gradually building toward the midpalate. The final fruity transition is to sparkling white grape juice, with lingering hints of spice providing an effervescent quality toward the back and sides of the tongue.
The finish is tart without turning overly acidic or bitter, again heavy on both pear (Asian pear, specifically) and white grape. It’s a memorable dram that doesn’t quite hit the highest rungs of the brand’s capabilities — but it’s still unique and worth a splurge in my mind.
94 proof.
A- / $140 / stranahans.com
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