Review #471 - McCarthy's 5 Year Single Cask #157 - Westmoreland Liquor Pick
McCarthy's American Single Malt - the original American single malt, made at Clear Creek Distillery, dating back more than 25 years now. At the time of writing, the regulated category of American single malt has just recently been made official by the TTB in the US; now, the journey than Clear Creek and many other high-quality distillers started years ago has finally yielded fruit.
McCarthy's produces a range of releases: a few standard age-stated expressions at low to middling proof points, some finished single malts (Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez, for example), and a variety of single cask selections. This bottle here comes from that third category - it's a 5 year old pick that was selected by Westmoreland Liquor in Portland, Oregon.
While there's no specific cask type listed for this release, we do known that most or all McCarthy's releases spend time aging in Garryana oak, a species native to the Pacific Northwest. That's a good bet here since no finishing cask is specified, but we're not sure if this was a first fill cask or some refill variety.
What we do know is that this is bottled at a cask strength of 55.8% ABV (111.6 proof), and it was made with Scottish heavily peated barley - we're expecting quite a smoky experience, then.
McCarthy's 5 Year Single Cask #157 - Westmoreland Liquor Pick
USA - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 70 (2025, equivalent product)
Age Statement: 5 Years
Strength: 55.8% ABV
Details: Cask 157, bottled October 28, 2020
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times (once blind) over 2 months from a sample. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Relatively strong and peaty - spirity, too, but that's backed up by a nice sweetness. Butterscotch, vanilla cream, and lime yogurt; it becomes more woody with time, adding some spice and a heathery hay. Lemon adds another fruit scent, and there's a mild mineral note in the background... more time brings licorice.
Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel; sharp and full of both peat and wood smoke, and there's a great roasted jalapeno flavor. A bit of burnt rubber and pepper seeds add more sharpness, and cinnamon adds a baking spice. The background has some mossy and orange notes.
Finish: Medium-long, and the musty peat smoke stays strong; hot peppers, mixed berries, cinnamon, and charcoal linger in the aftertaste. It grows more subtle with time, but there's a great oily texture that lingers.
Final Note: This is a very nice American single malt, but it definitely leans into the style and profile seen more in Scotland, especially on Islay. That punchy, peaty barley is a big part of that, but the more reserved wood impact also has an effect - it allows that distillate to stay intact and quite spirity. A nice mix of flavors, and the notes changed over time with some air.
Value is decent, too - these single cask picks aren't always easy to find, but prices can be quite reasonable in some places. This isn't too much more expensive than the 3 year old entry level McCarthy's single malt, and it's definitely worth the additional expense.
Our Average Rating: 7.3 / 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: 7.21
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.
