Fruit leather | Raspberry | Redcurrant | Fruity barleywine | Citrus zest | Full

Raspberry jam | Fruit leather | Red grape | Green tea | Caramel | Rich & unique

Brandishing heat | Fruit leather | Raspberry jam | Long

Copperworks Distilling Co. is a distillery located in downtown Seattle, Washington, and has been operating since 2013. Copperworks focuses on single malt whiskey, and variables across releases include the variety of barley, aging time, and characteristics of barrels used for aging. Special Release Red Wine Cask is the distillery’s first and exclusive release for their newly launched Copperworks Whiskey Club. The whiskey is made from Genie malt from Athena, Oregon, which is a two-row malting barley known for its light, malty flavor and growing popularity among craft brewers. It was aged for just over 6 years in a French oak cask that previously held red wine.

Copperworks Special Release Red Wine Cask is full of flavor and a unique pour, to say the least. It’s heavy on red wine influence, with prominent fruit leather and red fruit notes throughout. There’s a malty undertone that weaves its way throughout the sip, but takes a clear backseat to the red fruit flavors.

Whiskeys with such an unusual flavor profile are polarizing. When considering whether or not to purchase, consumers must approach such whiskeys with a filter to determine whether the style will appeal to them or not. Copperworks Special Release Red Wine Cask nails the American single malt plus red wine cask flavors to a high degree, delivering ample richness of flavor and intense fruit notes with a satisfying malty base. This whiskey will not be for everyone, but with only 250 bottles in total and available exclusively through the distillery’s newly-launched whiskey club, it will hopefully reach those who revel in what it offers.

The bottle in review is number 41 of 250.