Since its debut in 2000, St. George Single Malt Whiskey has been an American original. When we started laying down barrels in 1997, no other distillers were making whisk(e)y from grain roasted beyond the pale. We recognized the potential of more heavily roasted grain, and changed the whiskey game forever. We hope you’ll try the spirit that inspired master distiller Lance Winters to join St. George and make reinventing spirits categories his life’s work.
Format: 750ml
ABV: 43%
Availability: A very limited annual release.
When St. George Spirits began distilling whiskey, there was no “American Single Malt” category. Influenced by the eau-de-vie philosophy of our founder Jörg Rupf, master distiller Lance Winters developed a revolutionary approach to whiskey making—focusing on the incredible flavors that can be coaxed from barley malt with careful pot distillation.
Lance’s brewing background strongly informed our whiskey’s mash bill—using various roast levels of two-row barley to elicit rich aromas of hazelnut and cocoa, and smoking a portion of unroasted barley over beech and alder wood to add base notes and additional complexity.
The resulting whiskey is expressive and inviting right off the still, but a variety of cooperage types contribute an even greater depth of flavor—creating a layered single malt with a signature all its own.
We released Lot 1 of St. George Single Malt Whiskey in 2000; since then, each release has evolved a little as we’re able to draw from a wider selection of barrels with every new bottling. The goal, though, is to increase expressiveness and flavor with every release—while staying true to our whiskey’s signature.
Head distiller/blender Dave Smith is now the chief custodian of our whiskey program, and it is his palate that guides its evolution.
Lot 21, our most recent release, takes advantage of our ever-expanding stocks to bring forth a whiskey of incredible complexity. The youngest barrel in Lot 21 is about four-and-a-half years old, while the oldest single cask is just over 10 years. The blend also includes cask blends with whiskey dating back 22 years. Lot 21 incorporates used Kentucky bourbon barrels, used Tennessee whiskey barrels, American and French oak apple brandy casks, agricole rum casks, and California Sauternes-style casks.
You’ll find notes of dark chocolate, coffee, roasted nuts, orange peel, and a hint of tropical fruit on the nose. On the palate: bittersweet chocolate, roasted nuts, honey, and light citrus.
Sip neat to fully experience all the nuances and depth of flavor, or add nothing more than a single large ice cube. This is as good as whiskey gets.
