Cask Notes: Issue 5
Welcome to the fifth issue of Cask Notes, I'm very glad you are here!
This issue of Cask Notes features:
- American Single Malt 101
- Whisky Facts: What is an STR Cask?
- Tasting notes: Nc’ Nean Organic Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Click here for previous issues of Cask Notes
Every bottle carries a story, from the people who craft it, to the flavors shaped over time.
— Stephanie Macleod, Master Blender/Distiller, Dewars
American Single Malt
For a long time, "single malt" meant Scotland to most drinkers. Maybe Ireland or Japan.
But something has been quietly distilling in the USA.
American Single Malt is now an official category. The federal standard took effect in early 2025, and the production rules are refreshingly simple:
- 100% malted barley
- Made at one distillery
- Distilled, mashed, and matured in the USA
- Aged in oak casks no larger than 700 liters
- Bottled at 80 proof or higher
Here's what I love: Unlike bourbon, which requires new charred oak, American Single Malt distillers can use new casks, used casks, charred, uncharred, wine barrels, beer barrels, you name it.
Some bottles taste familiar to Scotch. Others taste like nothing you've had before.
Living in Colorado, I don't have to look far. Stranahan's has been making single malt in Denver since 2004. Head west and you'll find Westland in Seattle, Westward in Portland, Balcones down in Texas. Every region is putting its own stamp on it.
Next time you're in the whisky aisle, pick up an American Single Malt. Pour a small glass, add a drop of water, and just notice what you taste.
Whisky Facts
Ever seen "STR cask" on the back of a whisky label and wondered what it means? It stands for Shaved, Toasted, Re-charred, and it's one of the smartest ideas in modern whisky.
It starts with an old wine barrel, usually one that held red wine. First, the inside gets shaved to remove the wine-soaked layer of wood. Then it's toasted with gentle heat, which caramelizes the natural sugars in the oak. Finally, it's re-charred with open flame, creating a charcoal layer that helps filter out rough edges.
The result is a cask that's essentially been given a second life. It works fast and pushes out big flavors: red fruit, vanilla, toffee, and a bit of spice.
The method was championed by the late Dr. Jim Swan, a whisky consultant who helped distilleries from Taiwan to England get tasty results in a short time. If you've enjoyed Kavalan or Cotswolds, you've likely tasted his work.
The next time you see STR on a label, you'll know exactly what the barrel went through to make your glass taste that good.
Tasting Notes
Nc’ Nean Organic Single Malt Scotch Whisky - ABV: 46%
This one is a real treat, and deserves more backstory…
A former strategy consultant, Annabel Thomas set out to create Nc'nean in 2013 with a mission to change the way the world thinks about Scotch whisky. She didn't even plan to run it, she intended to write a business plan for her family and return to consulting, but somewhere between the spreadsheets and a research trip to Islay, that changed.
The distillery sits on the Drimnin estate, which her parents had bought a decade before she had the idea, on the Morvern Peninsula, at the end of an 11-mile single-track road. It opened in March 2017, and the name comes from Neachneohain, a ghost queen from Gaelic legend, pronounced "Nook-knee-anne."
What sets Nc'nean apart is conviction. It remains the only distillery in Scotland that exclusively uses 100% organic Scottish barley, it runs unpeated, and it was the UK's first whisky distillery with net-zero operations. The company has since launched in the US and re-certified as a B Corp with a higher score. The result is a young, fruit-forward single malt that proves Scotch doesn't have to be smoky, or stuffy to be seriously good.
Nose: Peach, apricot jam, citrus (lemon and clementine), and sweet wildflowers layered with rich biscuity malt.
Palate: Stone fruits like peach and apricot, hints of green apple, a creamy nuttiness (walnuts and hazelnuts), and warm baking spices.
Finish: Long, generous, and warming with lingering sweetness and subtle spice.
Overall: I enjoy this dram with just a few small cubes of ice and really savor the flavor.
Pro tip: This is one of the most exquisite Scotch’s I’ve ever enjoyed. And it comes at a price, as it can be hard to find in the US, but can be shipped to your door via ImpEx Beverages. So, if you get a bottle, savor this beauty, and appreciate the road Annabel forged to create this dram. Truly inspiring!
Cheers! Dan