Spirit Hound Distillers of Lyons, Colorado, is excited to announce the upcoming release of its Sherry Cask-Finished American Single Malt Whisky, its rarest release to date.
The perfect gift for Colorado whisky geeks this holiday season, Spirit Hound’s Sherry Cask-Finished American Single Malt was finished in Romate Sanchez Winery Palo Cortado Sherry casks imparting bright notes of sherry on the nose as well as rich traces of raisin and dark dried fruit to taste.
A long-time fan of sherry cask-finished whiskies, head distiller, and co-founder, Craig Engelhorn sought to create his own interpretation of the specialty expression utilizing Spirit Hound’s award-winning American Single Malt Whisky, which won overall Whiskey of the Year at the London International Spirits Competition in 2022 and earned Whisky of the Year again in 2024 in the American Single Malt category. So Engelhorn tapped into some industry connections in order to source a single sherry cask from the celebrated family-owned Spanish winery, one of only 20 barrels available for sale. A rare cask like this is difficult to find, and this particular cask has been making wine since 1961, the year Engelhorn was born.
“I had always wanted to create my own take on a Sherry cask-finished whisky,” explained Engelhorn. “So when the opportunity arose to source an incredibly special barrel, I knew I had to have it.”
For this expression, Engelhorn hand-selected barrels of Spirit Hound’s American Single Malt Whisky that had been aged for four and a half years. Those barrels were then finished in the over-sized Palo Cortado Sherry Casks for an additional four months resulting in a total aging time of nearly five years.
Paying homage to the sherry-making process, Spirit Hound will also utilize a solera aging process where the barrel is never fully emptied. Instead, Spirit Hound will continue to add new batches of their American Single Malt Whisky to meld with previous batches. This process allows the whisky to integrate with older stock, while also adding layers of complexity.
Spirit Hound’s Sherry Cask Finished American Single Malt Whisky will be available exclusively at both of Spirit Hound’s Colorado tasting rooms beginning Dec. 4.