By S.D. Peters

Rating: B+

Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey is the “aged” version of one of the two Scotch-style whiskeys distilled by Santa Fe Spirits – and another fine example of an independent distiller making good things happen to whiskey in the 21st Century.

An American distillery, set against a backdrop of Rocky Mountain peaks and Rio Grande basin vistas, established in 2010 by an English architect who arrives in Santa Fe via the British Virgin Islands, and producing a Southwestern variation of Scotch-style whiskey? Could this be part of a CM for a new character in another critically-acclaimed TV drama set in New Mexico? Santa Fe Distillery’s hometown of Tesuque, NM, was one of the last places visited by Walter “Heisenberg” White in the 2014 season finale of “Breaking Bad”, but a fictional distiller named Colin Keegan wasn’t the person Mr. White visited.

Colin’s story is very real, as is that of Santa Fe’s distiller John Jeffery. His choice of craft, though rooted in the high tradition of Scottish distilling, is a singular refinement attuned to Willa Cather’s wind-swept immigrants (she mentions Tesuque in 1927 novel, “Death Comes to the Archbishop”), an ironically life-affirming desert still life of Georgia O’Keefe, or the novels of Cormac McCarthy (who also resides in Tesuque).

The Whiskey

Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey is distilled from 100% malted barley and bottled at 92 Proof (46% ABV). That mashbill, the base of traditional Scotch and Irish whiskeys, distinguishes Colkegan from most American whiskies, which are traditionally corn and/or rye-based. As Colkegan’s web site says, however, “this whiskey… wouldn’t want to be called Scotch even if it could be.”

It’s one of a unique breed of American Single Malt whiskeys which are adapting the Celtic traditions in new and exciting ways. Early American distillers imported the basics of their craft from Scotland, but initially took to the more durable rye grain in practice as a substitute for barley.

Now independent American distillers are returning to malted barley, and refining the traditional method at the malting level. Santa Fe Spirits isn’t the first – Rick Wasmund’s Copper Fox Distillery, in Sperryville, VA, has been distilling its Wasmund’s Single Malt Whiskey in 2005 – but like its peers, it stands apart from them and other American whiskeys.

The barley base of Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey employs a smoked malt that substitutes southwestern mesquite for peat, an idea now prevalent in Southwestern craft circles. The whiskey is aged in various oak casks, at the Santa Fe, NM, elevation: 7,000 feet above sea level, in the high desert.

In the glass, Colkegan has the mellow golden glow of a classic Scotch or Irish whiskey, and a woody scent of smoky vanilla bean with caramel stripes gives way to a pleasant hint of sliced star fruit and strawberry. The body is warm and relaxing, with a moderate sweetness at first, commanded by the flavors that filled the nose, but grows more earthy with a dash of mown grass and lemon zest.

The result of the malt’s smokiness is uniquely revealed in a mellow finish, where a moderate mix of bark, leather and tobacco harden around a soft, lingering taste of vanilla ice cream laden with fresh black raspberries. Although Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey is rooted in the Scotch tradition, it’s lasting finish is much closer to the triple-distilled velvet of an Irish malt whiskey.

The Price

At the time of this review, Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey is available for purchase in the U.S. for $49-60. It can be found throughout New Mexico, as well as in parts of Colorado, Texas and Oregon. It is also available online to limited mailing locations in the U.S. through the Santa Fe Distillery website.

Awards

In 2014, Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey received a Gold and a Silver medal in, respectively, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the Telluride Colorado Distillery Tasting. It also received a Silver medal in the 2013 Breckenridge Craft Spirits Festival.