AMERICAN SINGLE MALT WHISKY
Single malt whisky IS the original whisky, created a thousand years ago by Irish monks, refined by Scottish distillers, and then becoming the world’s most desired and appreciated spirit. Differentiated by strict requirements for sourcing, mashing, distilling, and maturing, single malts often represent the very best a producer offers.
American whiskey is rooted in Irish heritage but reflects the broader availability of corn and rye, grains uniquely synonymous with the American experience. Many U.S. whiskeyphiles claim that Bourbon and rye rival their predecessors’ variety and quality, but despite the joy of the debate, they remain distinct spirits produced in equally distinctive ways. It’s akin to arguing whether shoes or boots make better foot coverings!
Barley was the primary grain used to make whiskey for centuries before the Pilgrims settled in America. Their attempts to grow the imported English two-row barley largely failed due to the northeast’s inhospitable soil and climate. Colonial farmers fared better using Scottish six-row barley, but readily available corn and rye dominated early-American whiskey. Westward expansion in the 1800s led to extensive experimentation and eventual scientific breakthroughs in barley cultivar farming, and California barley saw worldwide success, primarily for beer and cereal use.
Despite burgeoning barley production, there was little domestic interest in malt whiskey. Scotch had limited availability in the U.S. marketplace, with exceptions for certain export blends. In 1963, William Grant and Sons began marketing Glenfiddich outside of Scotland. Initially marketed as “pure malt” and eventually as “single malt,” demand swelled and other distillers joined the fray. The 1980s saw an explosion in Scotch demand, and though dwarfed by blended Scotch in sheer volume, single malts continually received most of the heat and glory, a fact reflected in single malt prices.
Even as demand increased for imported single malt whisky, it wasn’t until the 1990s that Steve McCarthy’s Clear Creek Distillery released the first American single malt- McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt Whiskey. It received many accolades, but significant barriers to entry prevented domestic competition for ten years. Higher materials cost (barley is more expensive than corn and rye), a market appeal in its infancy, and lack of industry support or even standardization discouraged widespread participation, and it wasn’t until the early 2000s that demand drove wider experimentation. With over 100 American single malts whiskeys today, the industry is emerging as a viable competitor. Yet it’s still just a blip on the screen compared to Scotch and Irish whiskey sales.
As American single malt quality and demand rise, an internal revolution looms on the (near) horizon. Scottish and Irish law reserve the term “single malt” expressly for bottles where all included malts source from one distillery. American whiskey has no such regulation. Any American whiskey containing a minimum of 51% malted barley can carry the name “malt whiskey,” and distilleries can use “single” at will. To combat potential confusion among consumers, American single malt producers formed a member organization, the “American Single Malt Commission,” to set up voluntary standards. Members agree to apply the term “Single Malt” similarly to Scotch and Irish whiskey, as follows:
- Made from 100% malted barley
- Produced at one distillery
- Mashed, distilled and matured in the USA
- Matured in 700-liter or smaller oak casks
- Distilled to no more than 160 proof (80% alcohol by volume)
- Bottled at 80 proof or more (40% alcohol by volume)
As in many things, America is the young upstart attempting to buck years of tradition and experience. Increasingly high-quality single malt whiskeys are driving up interest and demand. While not yet perceived as a significant challenge to the old world order, the market grows by leaps and bounds. Some industry analysts predict American single malt sales increasing 500% in the coming five years, making one thing clear- American ingenuity is once again turning an industry on its head!