Laphroaig Cairdeas 2020 Port & Wine
The first Laphroaig Cairdeas (“friendship” in Gaelic) came out in 2008 and has been an annual release since then. The 2020 Cairdeas Port & Wine represents a way to introduce wine finishes to a smoky scotch, something that is not always successful given the strong elements of a typical Laphroaig. To solve this, part of the initial maturation was done in ex-bourbon casks and part in second-fill ruby Port barriques. These are then combined to finish in red wine casks. Specifics about the time spent in each process is not available but that is relatively common in No Age Statement whiskies.
OOLA Smoked Whiskey
OOLA was founded in 2010, making it one of the oldest distilleries in Seattle. Since then, owner Kirby Kallas-Lewis and team have crafted a portfolio of gins, vodkas and whiskies. Eager to tap into the creative juices – and lax regulations – around whiskey production, one of the early series to feature whiskies is OOLA’s Whiskey Discourse. This series is about using creative combinations or influences to encourage drinkers to enter into discussion of what’s in their glass. The OOLA Smoked Whiskey is the second release in the series. Starting with a mash bill similar to the distillery’s bourbon, comprised of corn, rye, malted barley (which is smoked with apple wood and cherry wood) and wheat, combined with an unnamed Highland scotch.
Stranahan’s Blue Peak
Stranahan’s Whiskey was founded in 2004 and holds a special place as one of the first distilleries in the craft distilling rise of the mid-2000s. Founded by Jess Graber and George Stranahan, who also founded Flying Dog Brewery and the Woody Creek Tavern, the duo latched onto using local ingredients to create their offerings. The Stranahan’s Blue Peak was introduced in 2020 and finished with Solera aging, much like Spanish bodegas do with sherry in large oaken barrels called foeders. New whiskey is put in to replace the whiskey being taken out, which means older spirit continually remains to mingle with the newer and creating a unique effect. It is also, at time of press, their cheapest whiskey.