December's Spirit of the Month- Shelter Distilling American Single Malt Whiskey

December’s Spirit of the Month is Shelter Distilling’s American Single Malt. Made from Colorado 2 Row Pale Malt and Crystal Malt barley that has been malted, the Whiskey is double pot distilled, has Hungarian Oak chips soaked in it for 24 hours and then is aged in char level 3 American Oak barrels for 6-7 months. The result is a Whiskey with notes of toffee and coco that lead to rich cherries and light raspberries. There’s a nice coating mouthfeel that can be found in many Single Malts, and subtle but vibrant oak spice on the finish.

Located in Mammoth Lakes, California at 8,054 feet of elevation, Shelter Distilling is able to use the pristine mountain water, some locally sourced products and grains like corn, wheat and barley from Colorado. Due to being at such a high elevation and consistent temperatures, Shelter can age their products quicker than Distilleries closer to sea level. Typically, when tasting Whiskey (Single Malt, Bourbon, Rye, any type of Whiskey) that is only aged for up to 7 months, you’ll usually get a lot of oak spice, but very little else. Because of the advantage of aging Shelter has, Whiskey in barrel for 7 months can pull so much more flavor than a counter part in Kentucky or Tennessee.

Shelter Distilling’s American Single Malt is a great gift for the Whiskey drinker in your life. Most haven’t heard of this smaller Distillery in Mammoth Lakes so it will be something new to them. And the American Single Malt category is finally starting to get some attention in the United States now that it is an official category. With some of the bigger brands out there releasing their own Single Malts, it’s important to keep an eye on the small craft brands out there doing it on a smaller, more focused scale. And Shelter’s American Single Malt Whiskey is exactly that.