Review: Whiskeys of Shelter Distilling (Updated 2025)
If you’re out exploring or skiing in the Eastern Sierras and need a spot to quench your thirst, Shelter Distilling will have you covered. This craft distillery located in The Village at Mammoth in the shadow of Mammoth Mountain has been cranking out everything from agave-based spirits to beer and canned cocktails for years with a focus on innovation and unique ingredients. More recently, some of their offerings have begun to see wider distribution beyond California. We received samples of two bourbons and a young single malt. Thoughts follow.
This review was updated in 2025 with an additional expression, Ridge Runner.
Shelter Distilling Small Batch Blue Corn Bourbon Review
One of nine different whiskey offerings in the Shelter portfolio, this is something of a flagship for the distillery. It’s a truly small batch blend of only 2 or 3 barrels and distilled from a four-grain mashbill of California blue corn, wheat, barley, and rye. Aged at least one year and non-chill filtered. The youth is ever-present on the nose, which showcases big, raw grain notes, a lacing of smoke, and undertones of new tire rubber that thankfully dissipate with time to in the glass. The blue corn offers up a unique and engaging cereal element with notes of grilled peach, anise, and warm nuts. The palate is front-loaded with candy corn and licorice before a gently peppery midpalate sets in, accented with baking spice. The finish is warm, dry, and surprisingly green with fresh mint and bell pepper. Interesting and showing promise but probably needing more time in the barrel. 90 proof. B / $50 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Shelter Distilling Single Barrel Blue Corn Bourbon Review
The same bourbon as above but drawn from a single barrel and aged twice as long (at least two years). The aroma is drastically different, infused with classic barrel notes of toffee, baking spice, and butterscotch which, at first, completely overwhelm the unique grain dimension seen in the younger expression. With time to open a bit of stone fruit arrives and some nuttiness, but things stay solidly in the wheelhouse of younger, traditional bourbon. The palate offers up a little more nuance with early notes of weak black tea and ginger that give way on the midpalate to butterscotch candies, wintergreen, and some mild astringency. The finish is short with notes of chocolate and peppery oak. It’s an easier sipper, but less interesting than the Small Batch. 92 proof. B / $70 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Shelter Distilling American Single Malt Whiskey Review
The only single malt in Shelter’s whiskey stable, made with Colorado-grown malts that have been double pot distilled, rested on Hungarian Oak chips, and then aged in American oak for no less than six months (in case you haven’t noticed a theme, Shelter is proud of their young whiskeys). The aroma offers a well-balanced sweetness with notes of light roasted malt, subtle gingerbread, and a bit of pipe smoke. It’s pleasant enough but clearly lacking the depth of age. On the palate, top notes of ginger snaps and pie spice are almost buttery before evolving on the midpalate to tinned peaches and vanilla pudding. The finish lingers with barrel char, stone fruit and warm spice. Lacking some energy and complexity, but it’s a pleasant and very drinkable single malt. I’d be curious to taste this one with more age on it, but it’s still a clear favorite of the three. 90 proof. B+ / $50 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Shelter Distilling Single Barrel Ridge Runner Bourbon Review
Single Barrel #22-0032 was double distilled on a Carl pot still from a mashbill of 62% Root Shoot non-GMO yellow corn, 19% Proximity white wheat malt, 14% Proximity pale malt, and 5% Proximity rye malt. Fermented for 3–5 days with USW-6 yeast in open-top stainless tanks, the whiskey was proofed to 100 before entering 53-gallon barrels with a #4 char for more than 2 years, then gradually brought down to 94 proof in-barrel before being bottled without chill filtration.
The nose starts with hay, followed by butterscotch and vanilla frosting, with a late appearance of honeysuckle. The palate opens with raw bread dough and picks up a light cinnamon note and a touch of turmeric. The texture is thick and coats the tongue, with a flavor profile that suggests cinnamon rolls without icing. On the finish, the doughy quality gives way to something more like a warm yeast roll, joined by black pepper and salted peanuts. The whiskey is enjoyable, though its youth shows clearly in both aroma and taste. Still, the mashbill brings character and complexity that make this release worth revisiting after more time in the barrel. 94 proof. –Jacob Kiper B / $50
The post Review: Whiskeys of Shelter Distilling (Updated 2025) appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.