In east central Alabama lies an unassuming distillery that has been slowly and steadily making a name for itself for the past decade. They're producing whiskeys, rums, vodka, gins and other liquers that you won't find anywhere else in the country. Today we are taking a look at John's Alabama Single Malt Whiskey, the namesake spirit from John Emerald Distilling Company.
This small batch craft distillery honors one of their forefathers, John Emerald Sharp, by offering a 100% malted barley single malt whiskey. This whiskey speaks volumes of the locale, boasting that it was the first legal whiskey to be produced in Alabama in 100 years. The malted barley is smoked with local peach and pecan woods, further identifying the uniqueness of this brand while adding to the overall enjoyability of this spirit.
Copper color with light hues of chocolate bar, this single malt whiskey has as subdued nose initially that is slightly reminiscent of a single malt Scotch with the earthy notes and toasted nut aromas. We let this one sit in the glass for a bit, allowing some air to touch the liquid as we thought there would be more to this - and we were right. Additional aromas of cooked apples, vanilla and clove present themselves, leading us to flavors of tropical fruits, dried field grass, nutmeg, vanilla and caramel candy. This is very smooth, which you would expect in part from the proof point, but also because of the attention to detail in the overall distilling process. The finish is a touch short, but we aren't hung up on the finsih since this one is so unique. And we are fans!
ABV: 43.0% (86 proof)
Distillery: John Emerald Distilling Company
Suggested retail price: $49.99
Drink The Bottles score: 87/100
