Beyond Bourbon: American Single Malts
American Single Malts are one of the fastest growing and most innovative categories within the current American Whiskey boom, and have garnered praise for their unique and experimental flavor profiles. In this in-depth tasting class we’ll explore the frontier of American craft spirits.
In class, we’ll cover American malt, with a tasting flight of standout examples of the categories’ best and brightest whiskies. American "Malt Whiskey" most often departs from the Scottish style with the use of charred barrels, and is the perfect cross over for serious Scotch and Bourbon drinkers alike. We’ll discuss major innovations relating to flavor such as unusual sources of smoke, or hop flavor from using finished beer as the distillate, and compare these with more traditional examples. This is a perfect opportunity for the serious whiskey drinker to explore craft whiskeys close to home.
Learning objectives:
- Learn whiskey tasting and evaluation methods
- Explore through tasting, the flavor profiles of selected spirits
- Identify the major difference between most American and Scottish "malts"
- Understand and define the terms "single" and "malt" as they are traditionally used.
- Distinguish non-traditional sources of flavor in American malt whiskey.
Guests will receive:
- One welcome beverage
- Six tasting pours of American whiskies
- Palate cleansing bread and cheese
- Two hours of education, including time for Q&A with an Astor Center instructor
- Access to our state-of-the-art tasting facility