Cedar Ridge Distillery recently released a new limited-edition whiskey in its QuintEssential Series, the distillery’s acclaimed line of American Single Malts. Pete & Sherri Married 2nd Anniversary blends 6- to 9-year-old single malts finished in Pedro Ximénez, Oloroso, and Amontillado sherry casks. It clocks in at 116.8 proof and retails for $99.99.
In the rolling hills of eastern Iowa, Cedar Ridge sits atop the deep black soil that makes the Hawkeye State one of the most fertile places on Earth. Iowa corn has long supplied bourbon distilleries across America, yet the state had no post-Prohibition distilleries of its own until 2005, when the Quint family opened Cedar Ridge. The Quints come from a long line of Iowa farmers and take great pride in the state’s agricultural heritage.
An American Single Malt from Corn Country
Last year, I checked off my 48th state and flew to Iowa to tour Cedar Ridge. I was already familiar with the brand from researching whiskeys associated with rock stars. In 2019, Cedar Ridge teamed up with Clown, a founding member of Slipknot, to launch No. 9 Iowa Whiskey.
My visit wasn’t just about seeing the Heartland—it was also an opportunity to learn more about a new category of whiskey. Writing about whiskey since 2023, I considered myself well-tutored in bourbon and rye. But when it came to American single malts, I was woefully ignorant. Under master blender Murphy Quint, a Stranahan’s alumnus, Cedar Ridge has emerged as a leading force in the category, which received official recognition from the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) in 2025.
By law, American single malt must be mashed, distilled, and matured in the United States from 100% malted barley at a single distillery. Malted barley produces a more delicate distillate than corn, allowing American single malts to vividly showcase flavors from fermentation, maturation, and cask selection.
What impressed me most about Quint’s blending was his mad-scientist approach to cask finishing. In the QuintEssential Series, he’s wont to experiment with casks that once held Pedro Ximénez, Oloroso, Tokaj, and even wine from Cedar Ridge’s vineyards. Like the music of Frank Zappa or the Flying Burrito Brothers, his American single malts are challenging in all the right ways for connoisseurs yet still delightful to whiskey novices. I’m looking forward to trying his latest brainchild.
