Review #302 - McCarthy's 6 Year Oloroso Cask Finished Single Malt
Clear Creek Distillery produces the McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt with a few different cask finishes - here's the Oloroso sherry finish. They start the process with peated malted barley originating in Scotland; after distillation, many of their casks mature in Garryana oak, a more rare and difficult-to-use version of hardwood oak found in the Pacific Northwest in the United States, which tends to impart more spicy flavors on the spirit.
This was bottled at a great batch strength of 56% ABV (112 proof), and given the combination of peaty and sherry influences, flavor should not be lacking. This also has a decent age statement for an American single malt: 6 years.
McCarthy's 6 Year Oloroso Cask Finished Single Malt
USA - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 150 (2024)
Age Statement: 6 Years
Strength: 56% ABV
Cask Makeup: Finished in ex-Oloroso sherry casks
Details: Bottled in 2023
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times (once blind) over 1 month from a sample. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Lots of orange fruit and some spices: clove, cardamom, and sweeter brown sugar. The peat smoke is medium in strength, and it's accented by barbecued wood; soon, more meaty or umami notes come in, along with a hint of funk.
Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel, syrupy and oily in texture. Juicy sweet red fruits, along with candied pecans and blanched nuts, and the peat smoke is stronger now, quite smoky. A kick of spice comes from tannins and some cinnamon, but this palate is a bit sweeter than the nose overall.
Finish: Very nice texture lingers - oily, with lingering smokiness, and it's quite rich. Dry vanilla arrives, along with some apples, hints of red fruits, and a slightly sour sensation.
Final Note: The palate here gives us a blast of fruity, smoky, nutty flavors - quite good. Those nutty notes from the Oloroso casks were a treat, and this dram had nice balance between sweet and drying as the fruits combated the smoke. Good texture, too - we would be happy to have a bottle of this on hand.
As we aren't particularly close to Oregon, where this whisky is made, it's quite hard to come by in our area, and it commands a higher price. Because of that, the flavor to price ratio isn't quite as high.
Our Average Rating: 7.5 / 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: 5.65
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
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