Pear

Rogue Dead Guy Whiskey

Rogue Dead Guy Whiskey

America has always had a certain fascination with whiskey and it has long been a source of curiosity to the right kind of craftsman. Rogue did not start life as a distillery but as a brewery and pub, producing beers of high quality since 1987. There was a focus on using local resources to craft their drinks and to put a high focus on community and a unique offering. Eventually, this love of producing beer branched out to spirits and Rogue now makes vodka, two kinds of rum, two kinds of gin, and a single malt whiskey. Clearly, they have an alcohol problem. Lucky cads. What Scotchology is exploring is a whiskey made using the same malts as their renowned Dead Guy Ale. Will this unholy melding of beer and whiskey turn monstrous or end up becoming something, like all good whiskeys, that is greater than a sum of its parts?

Scapa 16 Year

Scapa 16 Year

The Scapa distillery is one of the most northern distilleries in Scotland, located in the Orkney islands. It is also one of the smallest, with only three staff on site (the manager operates out of Speyside, and the distillery itself is part of the Chivas Brothers branch of Pernod Ricard). Sadly, the small staffing means the distillery is closed to the public. The distillery used to be larger and produce several different offerings. Currently, all production goes into making the Scapa 16 that was launched in 2009. What kind of spirit is produced in a land where it is almost always ever-day or ever-night?

McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt

McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt

From one of the very few artisanal distilleries in the United States, McCarthy’s has only been in production since 2000. It hasn’t wasted any time, though, winning awards and other high marks in short order. McCarthy’s is also unique in that the whisky is made from peated malt imported from Islay, given that Oregon shares certain climate qualities with Scotland. The aging renders their young whisky surprisingly smooth.