It’s been about three months since American Single Malt whiskey earned official designation status. By definition, this kind of spirit is made entirely of malted barley at a single American distillery. In many ways, it’s the stateside equivalent of Single Malt Scotch.
Now, there are some details that allow for different kinds of oak barrels for the aging process. By and large, however, American Single Malt is all about showcasing a single grain, affording American whiskey a heightened sense of terroir. It’s about making a whiskey that tastes unique due its place of origin.
Down in Colorado, Craig Engelhorn is the co-founder and head distiller at Spirit Hound Distillers. The label is part of a growing Rocky Mountain scene looking to pursue essentially the whiskey equivalent of estate wine.
Like many in the Colorado circuit, Engelhorn started in beer. He helped develop the wildly popular Dale’s Pale Ale while at Oskar Blues Brewery. Since, he says, he’s “graduated” to whiskey.
“I think the category is just getting settled in,” he says. “It officially kicked in on Jan, 19, 2025, and right now we’re seeing a bunch of people working to help educate the industry and spirits lovers as to exactly what the category is, and what it means. We’re in a position as a long-time producer of American Single Malt Whisky to help guide exactly how this new category gets perceived by our wholesalers, retailers, and consumers.”
Now, many producers, like Spirit Hound, have been making the equivalent of American Single Malt for years. Prior to that, there were no clear parameters for the term. “We’ve been making this category since we started production in 2012, but I refused to use the American Single Malt term because there was no official, or agreed upon definition,” he says. “Many producers used the term, but many didn’t–largely for the same reasons I didn’t. (And some who used the term now fall outside of the definition, and aren’t happy about it, which was another reason we didn’t use the term.)”
Engelhorn says there’s a huge potential benefit to this whiskey category. “It’s worthy of dedicated shelf space just like bourbon and Scotch whiskies currently enjoy,” he says. “We have a new avenue for our fans to easily find us.”
A major plus comes in the form of transparency. “It helps us reach whisky lovers in a whole new way and an opportunity to educate them about the processes and ingredients we use. People don’t like to buy things when they don’t know what it is. We definitely have work to do to educate,” He says.
Controlling inputs, going local
“We all should be using local products as much as we can,” Engelhorn says. “First, it’s our terroir, the flavors of our own area. Second, why should we ship grain from Colorado to Shakopee (no offense intended, they produce outstanding malt) and then ship that malt back to Colorado,” he asks, questioning the sustainability of that approach.
“The Colorado Grain Chain is actively working with farmers and brewers and bakers and distillers to make sure we’re growing and using locally produced, sometimes heirloom varieties. I think it’s fascinating to imagine the possibilities for great flavor and local collaboration. In Scotland a few years ago I was at several distilleries where the barley fields were literally right out their back door. That’s perfect.”
When you oversee every step of the process, you not only gain control but become keenly familiar with the product. For Engelhorn and Spirit Hound, there’s no other way. “I shudder to think of not being able to control our inputs,” he says. “We’re lucky in Colorado to have a thriving agricultural heritage, especially in barley. Spirit Hound American Single Malt Whisky is and always has been made from local Colorado ingredients; it’s 100% Colorado from grain to glass.”
Back in the day, he says, it was pretty much Coors and Colorado Malting Co. “We in Colorado now have many malt producers, and our amazing distilling community gets a huge benefit from local and regional supplies that we can easily visit personally, and build relationships with. With good local suppliers, we can more easily manage our inputs and ensure that we’re able to consistently produce quality products.”
Another benefit to going local is weathering possible tariffs. Engelhorn says his label is offering local farmers a domestic outlet and revenue stream that’s pretty much tariff-proof. A topsy-turvy economy and trade wars inspire producers like Engelhorn to dig into local even more.
Now, with American Single Malt going full steam, there’s a lot to be excited bout. The term is a celebration of all these important talking points, which add up to a better product that truly tastes like a specific place. “With a real TTB definition, I see a much better future for the category—not just here in the U.S., but definitely abroad,” Engelhorn says.
“I know there is keen interest in the UK and Europe for this kind of whisky, so maybe we’ll see an uptick in American Single Malt exports in the near future. Also, my personal opinion is that there’s a huge array of flavor diversity in different malted barleys. The very process of malting and kilning (or smoking even) creates such a varied flavor palette for the distiller to have in their arsenal that we’ll see an amazing range of new whisky characters beyond what we typically get from the bourbon category (no knock on bourbon, I love it).”
For lovers of fine American whiskey, there’s a lot to be pumped about.
