Scotch vs Bourbon vs American Single Malt Whisky
– A Complete Whisky Guide –
Scotch and Bourbon have been arguing for years about who makes the better whisky. American Single Malt wasn’t invited to that conversation – but it showed up anyway, borrowed from both traditions, and made something entirely its own. This is the guide that explains Scotch vs Bourbon vs American Single Malt Whisky. How all three work, what makes them different, why they taste the way they do, and what happens when Colorado enters the room.
Origins & Geography
Two spirits shaped by where they’re made – and one that rewrites the rules
Every great whisky is a product of its place. The grain that grows there. The water that flows there. The climate that ages it. Scotch and Bourbon developed their distinct characters not just through recipe and craft, but through the very geography that surrounds them. American Single Malt adds a third dimension – the freedom to make great whisky anywhere in America, and let the local environment shape what it becomes.
Barrel Selection
New oak, old oak, or the distiller’s choice
The barrel is not just a container – it is an ingredient. And the most fundamental difference between Scotch and Bourbon is whether that barrel has been used before. American Single Malt is the first American whisky category to give distillers a genuine choice.
Think of it like tea bags. A fresh barrel makes a strong, bold brew from the first pour. A refilled barrel gives more subtly over a longer steeping time — the result is layered in ways a fresh barrel never could be. American Single Malt is the first American whisky category that lets you choose which cup you want to make.
Barrel selection for Scotch vs Bourbon vs American Single Malt Whisky
Refilled Casks – The Used Tea Bag
Scotch primarily uses second-hand barrels – ex-Bourbon, ex-sherry, ex-wine. The wood has already given up its strongest flavors. What remains is subtle and complex: gentle sweetness, dried fruit, extraordinary nuance built slowly over years. The cooler climate means these barrels can work their quiet magic over a decade or more.
New Charred Oak – The Fresh Tea Bag
By law, Bourbon must use new, charred American oak – a rule dating back to 1938. That fresh char layer contains caramelized sugars and vanillin that the whisky absorbs powerfully. Even young Bourbons carry pronounced vanilla and caramel. The trade-off: age too long and the oak can overpower everything else.
New or Refilled – The Distiller’s Choice
This is the defining freedom of the category. The TTB rules allow new charred, new uncharred, or used oak barrels – meaning an American Single Malt distiller can pursue the boldness of Bourbon, the subtlety of Scotch, or something entirely their own. The barrel becomes a creative decision, not a legal obligation.
One beautiful side effect of Bourbon’s requirement for new barrels: all those used casks have to go somewhere. Most of them go to Scotland. So in a very real sense, Scotch is finished by Bourbon, and Bourbon makes Scotch possible. American Single Malt distillers get to choose which tradition they borrow from – or whether to combine both..
The Grain Bill
Barley, corn, and why the grain changes everything
Before a drop of spirit is distilled, the grain bill determines almost everything about the whisky’s character. Scotch and Bourbon start from fundamentally different raw materials – and that difference truly defines them. American Single Malt follows Scotch in its use of barley, but brings a dimension to that grain that neither Scotland nor Kentucky can claim.
Grain used for Scotch vs Bourbon vs American Single Malt Whisky
| Characteristic | Scotch Single Malt | Bourbon | American Single Malt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary grain | 100% malted barley | Minimum 51% corn | 100% malted barley – like Scotch, sourced anywhere |
| Grain character | Gentle, receptive – absorbs its environment readily | Bold and assertive – corn’s natural sweetness holds its own against fresh oak | Gentle like Scotch barley – but local terroir shapes what it absorbs. Colorado barley carries a natural chocolate profile unique to this altitude. |
| Mouthfeel | Lighter, drier, more delicate | Fuller-bodied, rounder, richer | Varies by distillery – can lean either direction depending on barrel and water |
| Typical notes | Malt, dried fruit, heather, peat, vanilla, nuts | Caramel, vanilla, toasted oak, baking spices | Unlimited – no two ASM distilleries taste the same. That is the point. |
| Barrel rules | Typically refilled – ex-Bourbon or ex-sherry casks | New charred American oak – required by law | New or used, charred or uncharred – distiller’s choice |
| Geographic rule | Scotland only | United States – primarily Kentucky – but this is not required | United States – anywhere, which is the whole point |
| Best served | Neat or with a drop of still water in a Glencairn | Neat, on the rocks, or in classic cocktails | Taste it first and let it tell you |
Scotch’s exclusive use of malted barley – grain that has been allowed to partially germinate before drying – produces natural enzymes that convert starches to sugars. But the deeper truth about barley is its character as a grain: it is gentle and receptive. Where corn is bold and assertive, carrying its own powerful sweetness that needs the barrel’s harmony to balance it, barley listens to its environment. It absorbs the influence of water, wood, and climate readily – which is precisely why the Scottish Highlands, Islay, and Speyside can produce such dramatically different whiskies from the same grain. Every variable leaves a mark.
That sensitivity is also why barrel choice matters so much for barley-based whisky. A brand new, heavily charred barrel speaks loudly. For a bold grain like corn, that conversation produces the caramel and spice harmony Bourbon is famous for. For barley, a fresh barrel can simply overwhelm the grain’s quieter character. A refilled cask, by contrast, has already said its loudest things. What remains is a whisper – supportive, subtle, and quiet enough to let the grain do the talking.
Colorado barley adds one more layer to this. Grown at high altitude in Colorado’s unique soil and climate, it carries a naturally chocolatey profile that Scottish barley does not. That character is worth protecting. It is part of why barrel choice is not just a technical decision for us – it is a creative one.
A Third Way
The Rise of American Single Malt Whisky
For decades, the Scotch vs Bourbon debate had only two sides. American distillers were quietly making extraordinary single malt whisky – 100% malted barley, pot still distilled, patiently aged – but without a legal home to call their own. On retail shelves they were lumped in with Scotch, or Bourbon, or whatever the owner decided. On bar menus they hid in the “other” category. The category existed in practice long before it existed in law.
That changed on January 19, 2025, when the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) officially designated American Single Malt Whiskey as its own protected category – the first new American whiskey classification in over 52 years. The ruling was the result of nearly a decade of advocacy by the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission and its nearly 100 member distilleries, who had long argued that what they were making deserved to stand on its own terms.
The parallel most often drawn is to Japanese whisky – a category that took years for consumers to understand, then became one of the most sought-after spirits in the world. American Single Malt is at the beginning of that same arc. And the timing could not be better for the distilleries, like ours, who were building the category before anyone had a name for it.
How American Single Malt Whisky is different vs Scotch vs Bourbon
To be called American Single Malt Whisk(e)y, a spirit must be:
Distilled from 100% malted barley
Mashed, distilled and aged entirely in the United States
Distilled at a single distillery
Aged in new or used oak barrels – charred or uncharred
Bottled at no less than 80 proof
No requirement that barley be grown in the U.S. – imported barley is fully permitted
TTB Final Rule, effective January 19, 2025
The barrel freedom that changes everything.
Before January 2025, American whisky law required new oak barrels for anything labeled as a malt whisky. If you used a refilled barrel – the kind Scotland has used for centuries to make Highland Scotch – your whisky legally had to be called something far less appealing: “whisky distilled from malt mash.” Not exactly a label that sells itself, but one that we ourselves were using.
We believed refilled ex-Bourbon casks were the right barrel for our Single Malt – the same approach Scotland uses for Highland expressions. Here is why: barley is a gentler grain than corn. Where corn is assertive and bold – it needs the barrel’s caramel and vanilla to soften and harmonize its strong character – barley is more delicate. It listens to its environment. It absorbs the flavors around it readily. A refilled cask has already given its loudest flavors to a previous spirit. What remains is subtle, supportive, and quiet enough to let the grain speak. Colorado barley has a naturally chocolatey character that is genuinely worth hearing. Refilled oak gives it the room to do that. So we made it that way, labeled it correctly under the old rules, and waited for the law to catch up.
The TTB ruling didn’t change how we make our Single Malt. It just finally gave it the name it always deserved.
Today our Colorado Single Malt Whisky is exactly what it was always meant to be – an American Single Malt aged in refilled ex-Bourbon casks, in the Scottish tradition, shaped by Colorado barley, Minturn water, and Rocky Mountain air. The rules finally caught up with the whisky.
The Regions of Scotland
Scotland produces whisky in six distinct regions – each shaped by its own geography, climate, and tradition. Click any region to explore its character and how it connects to what we make in Colorado.
Select a region on the map to explore its flavour profile and distilleries.
Highlands
The most geographically diverse region in Scotland – stretching from Perthshire in the south to the far north coast. No single Highland style exists, but the region is broadly known for fuller-bodied, rounder, more complex whiskies than the Lowlands.
Glenmorangie, Dalmore, Oban, Balblair, Clynelish, GlenDronach, Ben Nevis, Old Pulteney
Our Colorado Single Malt is our most Highland-like expression. Aged in refilled ex-Bourbon casks – the traditional Highland method – the result is nuanced, malty, and gently complex. Colorado barley’s chocolatey character adds a dimension no Highland distillery can replicate. UK visitors reach for it first.
Speyside
A sub-region of the Highlands so distinctive it earned its own classification. The River Spey flows through it, and more distilleries operate here than anywhere else in Scotland. Speyside made its reputation in the 19th century and remains the benchmark for approachable, elegant single malt.
The Macallan, Glenfiddich, The Glenlivet, Aberlour, Balvenie, Glenfarclas, Cardhu, Craigellachie
Speyside is where most people first encounter single malt Scotch – The Glenlivet and Glenfiddich are the world’s best-selling single malts. If someone you know drinks Scotch, they probably started here. It’s the approachable face of a complex tradition – which is also what we try to be.
Islay
A small island off the west coast of Scotland that produces whisky of extraordinary intensity. Islay’s modern whiskies are the most consistent with their predecessors – retaining the heavy peat character that defined them from the start. Islay is where peat smoke is not just a flavour note but a statement of identity.
Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman
This is where Spence’s obsession began. Lagavulin, Laphroaig – the great Islay distilleries were what he looked for in an American whisky and couldn’t find. Our Peated Malt uses imported Scottish peated barley – already carrying Islay’s smoke before it arrives in Colorado. Spence’s goal is not to reimagine Islay. It is to honour it.
Islands
The Islands are not an official Scotch whisky region – they are technically part of the Highlands – but they are discussed separately because their character is so distinctive. Skye, Orkney, Arran, Mull, and Jura each produce whiskies shaped by their island geography: sea air, coastal peat, and maritime influence.
Talisker (Skye), Highland Park (Orkney), Arran, Tobermory (Mull), Jura, Ledaig
Highland Park from Orkney and Talisker from Skye are among the most beloved island whiskies – bold enough to satisfy peat lovers, complex enough to intrigue those who prefer something more nuanced. If you enjoy our Peated Malt, these are the natural next step into Scottish whisky.
Campbeltown
Campbeltown was once home to over 30 distilleries – the whisky capital of the world in the 19th century. Today just three remain: Springbank, Glengyle, and Glen Scotia. A region defined as much by its history as its character.
Springbank, Glengyle (Kilkerran), Glen Scotia
Springbank is one of the most respected distilleries in Scotland – independently owned, floor malted, and producing three distinct expressions in one facility. It is a reminder that small, independent, and obsessively focused can produce extraordinary whisky. Sound familiar?
Lowlands
The Lowlands produce the lightest, most delicate Scotch whiskies – traditionally triple-distilled, unpeated, and gentle. Often described as an aperitif whisky. The region has far fewer distilleries than its reputation warrants, but what it produces is genuinely distinctive.
Auchentoshan, Glenkinchie, Bladnoch, Ailsa Bay
If someone tells you they find Scotch too intense or too smoky, a Lowland expression is usually where to point them. Auchentoshan is approachable, floral, and genuinely lovely. It is also a useful reminder that whisky does not have to shout to be worth listening to.
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How to Taste Whisky
How to taste what’s actually in your glass
Whisky tasting is not about being an expert or being intimidated. It’s about slowing down, being present, and being aware. Anyone can taste and your opinion is never wrong, it’s just yours. These steps are intended to help you put a name to what you’re feeling and tasting, to increase your enjoyment. Never let this intimidate you. Whisky is for everyone, not just the experts. Well, everyone old enough to drink!
How to Taste Whisky
Whisky tasting is not about being an expert. It is about enjoying the sensations. Here is how to get more from every dram.
The Glencairn Glass
The tulip shape concentrates aromas at the narrow opening while the wide bowl lets the whisky breathe. It was designed specifically for whisky tasting and makes a genuine difference. If you don’t have one, a white wine glass works well. Avoid tumblers for tasting – the wide opening lets too much aroma escape before it reaches you. We use Glencairns at the Wee Dram for a reason.
Hold your glass up to the light and note the depth and shade of colour. Whisky colour comes almost entirely from the cask. Pale straw suggests a lighter, shorter maturation or refilled barrels. Deep amber and mahogany point to new oak or sherry casks. It won’t tell you everything – but it tells you where to start.
Swirl the whisky gently around your glass, then hold it still and watch what happens. Natural oils in the spirit leave a thin film on the glass, from which “tears” or “legs” slowly slide down. Slow, thick legs suggest a fuller-bodied, oilier spirit. Fast, thin legs suggest something lighter and more delicate.
Light body
Full body
Before you taste, nose the whisky. Start with the glass at chest height, then slowly bring it up toward your face. Don’t bury your nose straight in – the alcohol vapours at the top of the glass will overwhelm everything else. Approach from slightly below and to the side. Inhale gently. What do you smell first? Give yourself time. The first note is rarely the most interesting one.
Try keeping your mouth slightly open as you nose – it reduces the sting of the alcohol and lets more aromatic compounds reach your olfactory receptors. Our sense of smell is directly connected to memory, so don’t be surprised if something takes you somewhere unexpected.
Take a small sip – smaller than you think you need. Let it rest on your tongue for a moment before you do anything with it. The alcohol will announce itself first. Let that pass. What comes after is the whisky speaking. Your tongue picks up different flavours in different places – let it move the whisky around your mouth slowly.
Roll the whisky around your mouth rather than swallowing immediately. Pay attention to the texture – not just the flavour. Is it thin and watery, or rich and coating? Does it feel warming or cool? Oily or dry? Silky or slightly grippy? Whiskies can be creamy, waxy, velvety, or astringent – and mouthfeel is often what separates a good dram from an exceptional one.
After you swallow, the flavours that linger are called the finish. This is the sensory experience continuing after the whisky has gone – and it can be described both in terms of what you taste and how it feels. A long finish – one that keeps evolving for 30 to 60 seconds – is generally the mark of quality. A short finish isn’t necessarily bad – some whiskies are simply made to be bright and clean. But depth of finish is one of the clearest signs of careful maturation.
Add a few drops of still water – never sparkling – and taste again. Water lowers the alcohol concentration, which allows more volatile aroma compounds to reach your nose. It also unlocks different flavour compounds that the alcohol was masking. This isn’t a sign of weakness or inexperience. Even the most seasoned whisky drinkers add water. The question is always how much.
There is no right answer. Start with two drops and see what changes. If it opens up and becomes more interesting – keep going. If it starts to feel thin or flat – you’ve gone too far. The goal is to find the point where the whisky is most itself.
The Whisky Flavour Wheel
Hover or tap any segment to explore the flavour family. Use this as a guide when tasting — there are no wrong answers, only yours.
Hover any segment of the wheel to explore its flavour notes.
How Whisky is Made
Eight steps. One extraordinary result.
The grain is moistened, allowing it to germinate, then heated and dried to stop the process. During germination, enzymes activate that will later convert starch to sugar. Traditionally done by hand on malting floors. Peat may be added to the drying fire to impart smoke – which is how our Peated Malt gets its character before it ever leaves Scotland.
The malted grain is ground into three parts – the husks, the middle, and the flour – creating a powdery composition known as the grist. The ratio of each fraction matters: the husks act as a natural filter during mashing.
The grist is combined with hot water in a large mash tun. Water is added in three stages, getting hotter each time – starting around 67°C and rising to near boiling. The mash is stirred, converting starches to sugar. The sweet resulting liquid is known as wort.
Yeast is added to the cooled wort, converting sugars to alcohol over two – four days. The wash froths and bubbles as carbon dioxide is produced. The result is an unhopped beer of approximately 6-8% ABV known as the wash – the raw material for distillation.
The wash is heated in a copper pot still. Alcohol vaporizes, travels up the neck and down the lyne arm into a condenser. Distilled twice – the foreshots and feints are discarded, and only the pure center cut, the “heart of the run,” is kept at around 68% ABV.
The new spirit is placed in oak casks – which may have previously held Bourbon, Scotch, or sherry – and left to mature. The whisky becomes smoother, develops flavor, and draws its golden color from the wood. Colorado’s dramatic climate accelerates this process in ways neither Scotland nor Kentucky can replicate.
After maturation, whiskies from different casks may be combined and given a small water addition, known as proofing. Both can add to the whisky’s final character and taste. This is the step where a keen palate does its most important work – selecting and blending casks to create each expression’s final character.
The whisky is finally put into bottles at a minimum of 40% ABV and sent out into the world. Years of grain, water, fire, copper, and oak – distilled into something you can hold in your hand.
From the monks of 15th century Scotland to a mountain town in Colorado – the process has changed remarkably little. That is either tradition or stubbornness. We prefer to call it both.
What to Eat
with Your Whisky
If you ask Spence, whisky pairs well with anything. But whisky and food really do have a special relationship. The right pairing makes the whisky taste more intense – and the food flavors come out in more interesting ways as well. Here’s how to find yours.
Smoke calls for flavors that can hold their own.
Our Peated Malt is built on campfire smoke, sweet American oak, and Minturn’s naturally sweet snowmelt water. You want pairings that either echo the smoke, cut through it with fat and richness, or complement it with sweetness. Delicate flavors will disappear. Bold ones will shine.
Smoke amplifies smoke. Slow-roasted ribs, smoked brisket, or grilled lamb echo the peat character while the meat’s fat softens the oak’s edge.
Best matchThe classic peated whisky pairing. The brine and minerality of oysters is a natural counterpoint to peat smoke – salty meets smoky in a way that makes both better.
Classic pairingThe bitterness of 70-85% dark chocolate creates a beautiful tension with the sweet oak and smoke. The chocolate’s roast notes echo the peat’s earthy depth.
After dinnerRoquefort, aged cheddar, or a strong blue. The sharpness and funk of aged cheese stands up to the smoke where softer cheeses would be overwhelmed.
Cheese boardThe sea salt and smoke in smoked salmon mirror the maritime, peaty character of the whisky. A natural pairing that’s been enjoyed in Scotland for centuries.
Elegant starterHeavily roasted cashews, walnuts, or peanuts carry a char that harmonizes with the peat. The salt amplifies the sweetness of the American oak.
Easy snackThe Smoky Minturn Manhattan
2 parts Peated Malt, 1 part Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, 2 dashes bitters, Luxardo cherry. The vermouth’s sweetness bridges the smoke and the food – words can’t describe it. You just have to taste it.
Complexity deserves food that makes you slow down.
Our Single Malt leads with natural Colorado chocolate – subtle, layered, and refined. Aged in refilled ex-Bourbon casks in the Highland tradition, it has leather, tobacco, and a gentle malt sweetness. You want pairings that reward attention rather than competing for it.
Colorado barley already has a natural chocolatey profile – pairing with 70%+ dark chocolate amplifies that character beautifully. A drop of water in the glass first helps unlock it.
Best matchA well-curated board of aged Gouda, Manchego, prosciutto, and fig jam lets you explore how each element interacts with the Single Malt’s layers of leather, malt, and chocolate.
Perfect boardThe gentle fruit notes in the Single Malt come alive alongside fresh pear, crisp apple, or tart cranberry. These fruits mirror what’s already in the glass without overpowering it.
Light pairingRainbow trout, bass, or delicate salmon pair beautifully with the Single Malt’s refined character. The gentle malt sweetness complements without competing with delicate fish flavors.
Local favoriteThe slight bitterness and earthiness of walnuts echo the leather and tobacco notes in the Single Malt. Lightly toasted pecans bring out the natural malt sweetness.
Easy pairingA tender filet or lean sirloin lets the Single Malt’s complexity be the star. The malt’s grassiness and chocolate notes complement the savory richness without fighting it.
Dinner pairingThe Godfather
2 parts Single Malt, 1 part Amaretto. The almond liqueur amplifies the chocolate notes in the Colorado barley – unexpectedly perfect, genuinely elegant.
Smooth and approachable — it plays well with almost everyone.
Our Blended Malt is all honey, vanilla, caramel, and warm spice – it drinks more like a Bourbon than a Scotch despite being 100% barley. It’s the most versatile of our three expressions at the table, which is exactly why we use it interchangeably with Bourbon in our speakeasy cocktails.
The caramelized sugar top of a crème brûlée mirrors the Blended Malt’s vanilla and caramel character almost exactly. Sweet amplifying sweet at its finest.
Best matchThe cinnamon and apple of a classic pie echo the warm spice in the Blended Malt. Lightly spiced, not overpowering – the honey notes in the whisky tie everything together.
Autumn classicSoft, creamy brie with a drizzle of honey is a dreamy pairing for the Blended Malt. The honey in the cheese echoes the whisky’s natural honey character while the cream cuts the alcohol warmth.
Crowd pleaserStrawberries, blueberries, and raspberries bring a bright freshness that lifts the Blended Malt’s warmth. The berry sweetness mirrors the Colorado barley’s natural honey profile.
Summer pairingThe Blended Malt’s Bourbon-like character makes it a natural with BBQ. Sweet, caramelized sauces mirror the vanilla and caramel in the whisky. This is the one we’d bring to a cookout.
Summer BBQWhere the Single Malt wants dark chocolate, the Blended Malt is happier with milk chocolate. The lighter sweetness and creaminess echo the whisky’s honey and vanilla warmth perfectly.
Dessert pairingThe Old World Old Fashioned
2 oz Blended Malt, ¼ oz demerara syrup, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, 1 dash orange bitters, large ice cube, orange peel. The demerara amplifies the caramel. Controversial splash of soda optional.
The rules that work for any whisky – including ours.
You don’t need to memorize every pairing. Once you understand a few principles, you can improvise. Think of whisky like wine – it has weight, sweetness, acidity, and tannin. Match those qualities and you’ll rarely go wrong.
Light, delicate whiskies pair with light food. Bold, smoky whiskies pair with bold, rich food. A Peated Malt next to a delicate sole fillet will make the fish disappear. A Blended Malt next to a ribeye steak will be overwhelmed. Weight matching is the single most reliable rule in whisky pairing.
Either find flavors that echo what’s in the glass (sweet with sweet, smoky with smoky, nutty with nutty) or find flavors that create deliberate contrast (smoky whisky with fresh, briny oysters). Trying to do both at once usually results in neither working. Pick a direction and commit.
Fat in food softens the perception of alcohol and amplifies flavor. Aged cheese, cured meats, butter-rich pastry, oily fish – these all make whisky taste smoother and more complex. When in doubt, add something fatty to the table.
Dark chocolate with peated or complex whisky. Milk chocolate with lighter, sweeter expressions. White chocolate is tricky – it tends to make whisky taste thin. When building a tasting board, a small piece of good chocolate is almost never wrong.
Heavy garlic, very spicy food, strongly acidic dressings, and anything that doubles down on the whisky’s most assertive quality (extra smoke with peated whisky, extra sweetness with an already-sweet expression). The goal is balance, not competition.
Good company & no particular agenda
Whisky has been enjoyed alongside simple things for centuries – a handful of nuts, a piece of bread, a little cheese. Don’t overthink it. The best pairing is the one that makes you linger a little longer.
Cocktail Time
Three cocktails. One for each expression.
Not all cocktails are created equal — especially when it comes to single malt whisky. These three recipes are designed to complement and enhance the nuanced flavors of each expression, ensuring the whisky remains the star of the show. Whether you’re winding down after an alpine adventure or sharing a moment with friends, these cocktails bring out the best in your glass.
The Old World Old Fashioned
Rich, smooth, and deeply satisfying.
Ingredients
2 oz Minturn Blended Malt Whisky
¼ oz demerara syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
splash of club soda
1 dash orange bitters
Large ice cube
Orange peel, to garnish
Method
Combine whisky, syrup, and bitters in a rocks glass. Stir gently. Add a large ice cube and stir again to chill. Express an orange peel over the drink, twist, and drop in as garnish. The splash of soda is what makes this “old world”, it’s controversial…and optional
The Paper Plane
Crisp, refreshing, and effortless.
Ingredients
1 oz Single Malt Whisky
1 oz Aperol
1 oz Amaro Nonino Quintessentia
1 oz Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Method
Add the single malt, Aperol, Amaro Nonino and lemon juice into a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain and serve in a coupe glass. Enjoy the perfect balance of whisky and aperol.
The Smoky Minturn Manhattan
Words can’t describe it. You just have to taste it.
Ingredients
2 parts Minturn Peated Malt Whisky
1 part sweet vermouth
2 dashes bitters
Orange twist
Premium Maraschino cherry
Method
Add whisky, sweet vermouth, and bitters to a mixing glass with ice. Stir until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry or orange twist. Sip slowly.
The Story Behind the Labels
From Cunard Steamships
to the Colorado Rockies
Every Minturn Whisky label carries a piece of history that most people walk right past. The color schemes are drawn from transcontinental steamship passenger tickets from the early 1900s – documents that carried people across oceans toward new lives in a new world.
Our Blended Malt label, for instance, is based on a steerage Passenger Contract for passage on the Cunard Line Steamer RMS Ivernia — departing Copenhagen, bound for Minnesota, via Liverpool and Boston. Dated 11 March 1905.
There is something in that image — the idea of crossing an ocean toward something unknown, carrying everything you value in a single bag — that feels right for a whisky made in the mountains of Colorado by two people who walked away from everything they knew to build something they believed in. The tradition travels. The spirit is entirely new.
Which one is yours?
There’s no wrong answer — it all comes down to your palate, your mood, and the moment. If you love complex, earthy flavors with a touch of smoke, the Peated Malt may be calling. If you prefer something refined and contemplative that reveals itself slowly, the Single Malt is waiting. And if you want something smooth, warm, and immediately welcoming, the Blended Malt will never let you down. Take our quiz to find your match in six questions, or visit one of our tasting rooms and let Spence pour you something.
Ready to taste the difference?
Not sure which expression is yours? Our quiz matches you to the right dram in six questions.