Review #249 - McCarthy's 6 Year Oregon Single Malt
McCarthy's American Single Malt, made by Clear Creek Distillery, originates in Hood River, Oregon, not too far from Portland. This was the original American single malt, dating back more than 25 years, but the distillery is also known for their variety of other spirits, especially brandy.
While fellow Pacific Northwest distillery Westland has gained some fame for their annual Garryana oak releases, it was actually Clear Creek that began the use of Oregon white oak for whisky maturation - all of their bottles spend at least some time with Garryana oak barrels, as far as we're aware.
McCarthy's 6 Year Oregon Single Malt
USA - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 97 (2024)
Age Statement: 6 Years
Strength: 50% ABV
Cask Makeup: Garryana oak casks
Details: Batch MC6-21-01
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 2 months from a sample. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: A decent smoky side, lending charcoal and wood smoke, while sweetness from malt, caramel, and demerara sugar adds some balance. In the background, we found blood orange and charred berries, as well as the occasional hint of perfume.
Palate: A medium thickness mouthfeel; strong grilled jalapenos, wood smoke, char, and sweet peat. Woody but not overly mature, and there's some sweetness from lime candies and orange.
Finish: Medium-long, and the smokiness is still relatively strong. A mix of wood smoke and peat smoke, lots of wood char and spice; there's a hint of burnt rubber in the aftertaste. After some orange peel, we found dry vanilla and soft floral flavors.
Final Note: A nice introduction to peated American single malt - nice flavor development, but not overly complex, and a good strength for sipping. A very solid offering in general.
While prices may be more reasonable on the West Coast of the US, closer to where this is produced, it is quite expensive to get this bottle in our area - value isn't bad, but a little bit below average, because of that.
Our Average Rating: 6.8 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.88
Check out our other peated/smoky American single malt reviews:
Review #244 - Colkegan Cask Strength Single Malt
Review #50 - Westland Peat Week 2019
Review #49 - Kings County American Single Malt
