American distilleries have made malts for a few decades, but until recently, the term “American single malt” didn’t mean much. Unlike bourbon and rye, it wasn’t governed by a strict set of guidelines.
That all changed in January 2025. After years of lobbying by producers and advocacy groups, the Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau finally recognized American single malts as a distinct whiskey style.
American single malts must be made from 100% malted barley and have to be mashed, distilled, and aged in the United States, among other requirements that dictate proofing and aging. The category has grown rapidly over the years, and the regulations ensure that consumers know what they’re getting.
It also allows American distillers to attract global drinkers used to sipping scotch and other single malts from countries like Ireland, Japan, and India.
“I haven’t had the pleasure of trying every single malt available, but of those I have tasted, I find that the American single malts tend to be more bold and experimental, and sometimes even feature some really fun and unique smoke signatures,” says Joe Shirghio, beverage director for Black Marble Hospitality, a group with multiple concepts in Dallas that include Bowen House and the newly opened bar Sylvestro.
He says that American producers are using more new oak than many makers that rely on used barrels and finishing casks. “In the end, it all comes down to the main reason we drink what we do: taste.”
Shirghio tends to find more vanilla, maple, oak, and baking spices in American single malts than he does in scotch, which often leans toward malt, fruit, and honey. But just like other styles of American whiskey, profiles can vary drastically due to distiller preferences and the climate.
“I can’t even imagine the challenges of making a single malt in the heart of Texas versus the Pacific Northwest,” says Shirghio. “What I do know is that I love tasting the results.”
Westward Whiskey Cask Strength
Food & Wine / Westward Whiskey
Shirghio says that Westward Whiskey, based in Portland, Oregon, makes a lot of great products which include many with exciting cask finishes. But his favorite is the Cask Strength, a single malt made with Pacific Northwest two-row barley and aged in new American oak. He calls it “bold, complex, and absolutely amazing to drink with a little ice. It is also incredibly nuanced. I taste something new every time I sip it.”
Whiskey Del Bac Dorado American Single Malt
Food & Wine / Whiskey Del Bac
When considering single malts, you probably don’t think of Tucson, Arizona, but don’t sleep on Whiskey Del Bac. “As far as I know, Del Bac was the first to use mesquite wood to ‘peat’ their whiskey, and the Dorado is also the best version of this I’ve tasted yet,” says Shirghio.
The Del Bac founders are furniture makers turned whiskey producers, and they smoke their whiskey with the same mesquite wood they once enlisted for furniture. Shirghio likes the story, but he stresses that the whiskey stands on its own. “It’s very delicious and unique,” he says. “I love all things barbecue, and now I can combine that with my love for all things whiskey.”
St. George Single Malt
Food & Wine / St. George Spirits
California’s St. George Spirits, a pioneer of the American craft spirits movement, was among the first stateside distillers to make a single malt, with its first release in 2000. And it’s a go-to for Sebastian Estes, beverage director at Katsubō in Charleston. “St. George is balanced, malt-forward, and complex, with just enough smoke and oak to keep it interesting without overpowering the spirit,” he says.
High West High Country Single Malt
Food & Wine / High West Distillery
Estes also gives a nod to High West’s High Country American Single Malt, made in the Utah mountains. “It feels very place-driven in a different way: lighter, brighter, and a little more rustic, with a mix of sweetness and spice that works really well,” he says.
Estes says that both the High West and the St. George expressions “feel intentional and well made, and they highlight what American single malt does best when it’s focused on flavor and character, rather than trying to copy scotch.”
Redwood Empire Foggy Burl
Food & Wine / Redwood Empire Whiskey
Kati Morgan considers herself nostalgic, so it’s easy to recommend Redwood Empire, a distillery located in her hometown in Northern California. “They work with nonprofit organizations to restore forests, and all of their releases are named after protected trees,” says Morgan, assistant general manager at The Darling Oyster Bar in Savannah, Georgia. But Redwood Empire also makes good whiskey. She says that its Foggy Burl single malt “feels like a walk through the forest with notes of honey and black pepper.”
Clermont Steep
Food & Wine / Clermont Steep
Clermont Steep is a five-year-old single malt under the Beam Distilling portfolio. It’s made by eighth-generation master distiller Freddie Noe. When it launched in 2023, it became the storied distillery’s first-ever single malt.
Morgan says that Clermont Steep is “a great entry-level American malt.” She says that its profile falls “on the lighter side, with vanilla and caramel notes that play wonderfully in a cocktail like a Hot Toddy or Whiskey Sour.”
Dining and Cooking