Stranahan’s Diamond Peak 2022
STATS:
Stranahan’s Distillery in Denver, CO
Single Malt Whiskey Finished in Bushmills Casks
100% Malted Barley
90 Proof (45% ABV)
7+ Years
Stranahan’s Distillery Website
Stranahan’s was founded 20 years ago and has had a home in Denver Colorado ever since. Their good whiskey, unique labeling, and strong brand presence have made them well-known in whiskey circles. And, as Colorado whiskey continues to become more mainstream, they continue churning out great products.
The return of their Diamond Peak whiskey is a welcome one. For 2022, they finished their juice in Bushmills Single Malt casks. This is a beautiful marriage of two OG distilleries. Stranahan’s as one of the first Colorado distilleries, and Bushmill’s as the first licensed Irish distillery.
It’s hard to go wrong taking high-end Irish-style whiskey and actually connecting it to Ireland. So, needless to say we’re excited to try it!
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Nose
(4.5)
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Palate
(4)
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Finish
(4)
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Heat vs Proof
(4)
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Value
(4.5)
Notes & Review
Nose: There’s a lot there, especially for something at 90 proof. There is absolutely no shortage of delicious, sweet, and malty characters in the nose. Swaths of butterscotch, lucky charms, toasted oak, chocolate malt, rosehip, and Werther’s candies.
Palate: Butterscotch, toffee, and torched brown sugar on the front make it a sweet bomb before it fades into more earthy and malty notes. You get lighter notes of wood, oiled leather, hibiscus, and a little chocolate malt.
Finish: Brown butter, lightly toasted oak, moss, a slight floral note, and toffee keep it light, oily, and tasty the whole way through.
Review:
Well, I’m going to be straightforward on this one. They knocked it out of the park.
There’s a great amount of sweetness packed into this bottle. But, it’s not offensively sweet. It’s just the right balance of candy, earthy, and floral sweetness. These fade into more earthy profiles, but still keep it light and easily drinkable.
I’m at the point where I’m used to higher-proof bourbons and can’t wait to embrace that strong and bold spicy flavor. However, for a 90 proofer, this packs a wallop of flavor. The heat level is negligible at best and drinks closer to 80 proof with a flavor of something closer to 100. It’s really a unique characteristic that I feel is excellent and worth hunting for. At around $75 a bottle, I wouldn’t even think before happily buying a backup bottle.
