Cedar Ridge Distillery is located in Swisher, Iowa and is a big champion of the newly minted American Single Malt whiskey category. Wine and whiskey both get produced at Cedar Ridge, and the two worlds have blended harmoniously in a new American single malt that was aged in barrels that were once used to mature wine.
The QuintEssential, Cedar Ridge's flagship American single malt whiskey, is first matured in barrels that were once used to make Bourbon before being finished in a range of cask types, such as rye, rum, sherry, and house-made wine and port.
“While past expressions have included a foundation of either new American oak or French oak, this release exclusively features wine-finishing casks: amontillado sherry, tokaji, moscatel, and Pinot Noir. Each cask is complex in its own right, and I enjoyed the challenge of blending those complex flavors.” ~ Murphy Quint, master blender at Cedar Ridge Distillery
The whiskey starts just like the main expression, matured for three to five years in Cedar Ridge's own ex-bourbon barrels after being distilled from two-row pale malted barley. After that, it is aged in three different kinds of barrels: moscatel (a sweet fortified wine), tokaji (a sweet Hungarian wine), and first-fill amontillado sherry. To give a hint of smoke, the whiskey is also mixed with a peated malt that was aged in a Pinot Noir wine cask. It gets bottled at 118.1 proof.
“Blending finishing casks to achieve the desired result is as much an art as a science, and like any creation, it often takes time to develop the full picture. This release truly tested my patience, but the extra time and care were well worth it. I’m thrilled with the final result and can’t wait to share this expression.” ~ Murphy Quint, master blender at Cedar Ridge Distillery
Buy it here or shop other expressions at ReserveBar now!
