Review #784 - McCarthy's 3 Year Oregon Single Malt
Clear Creek Distillery, near Hood River, Oregon, is known as the birthplace of American single malt. They were the first to do it more than 25 years ago, and they continue to be one of the highest-quality producers of that genre of whisky, at least in our opinions.
Most or all of the single malts made for Clear Creek's 'McCarthy's' brand spend some time aging in Garryana oak, or Oregon oak. This species, native to the Pacific Northwest, is a slow growing tree; the use of it in whisky supposedly adds a higher level of tannins, as well as some dark and sweet baking spices.
This 3 year entry-level single malt from McCarthy's doesn't actually state on the label which type of oak it was aged in, at least for this version that we have, as it was bottled several years ago. On the website, though, they do disclose that their whisky is aged in Garryana; for this 3 year version, no finishing casks or other wood types are listed.
One quick note - this specific bottling of 3 year ASM from McCarthy's was bottled at least 10 years ago at a strength of 40% ABV (80 proof). These days, that strength has been bumped up to 42.5% ABV (85 proof).
McCarthy's 3 Year Oregon Single Malt
USA - Single Malt
Price: USD 57 (2026)
Age Statement: 3 Years
Strength: 40% ABV
Cask Makeup: Garryana oak
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 9 months; bottles at 100% (blind tasting), 90% (blind tasting), and 80% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Earthy smoky, but also salty and savory. A decent amount of peat, accented by wood char; there are subtle medicinal and mineral notes. In the background, we get strawberries and estery rum funk, as well as seaweed and a meaty scent. It's interesting but also a little bit spirity.
Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness; more malty and sweet to start the palate, with vanilla, maple syrup, and then some peat combined with chocolate. There's a light funky side, as well as salt, coffee, and orange soda. The peat becomes a bit lighter over time.
Finish: Peat smoke remains a constant, but this finish grows softer overall. Subtleties of vanilla and sweet cream, a bit of sweet lemon, then Chardonnay and some wood smoke. Chocolatey malt lingers in the aftertaste; it's a medium-long finish.
Final Note: This has to be one of the most robust, interesting 40% ABV whiskies that we've ever tried. The mouthfeel and the length of finish are very surprising considering the minimum bottling strength; while this doesn't have amazing complexity, it does have a surprisingly wide range of flavors to its profile. Sweet fruit, smoke, funk, and sweet baking notes... this is a fun bottle, better than the strength or age statement would suggest.
Value here is also good. We were able to score this bottle for cheap at auction; the typical price now if you order online seems to be $55 to $60. We think this is one of the more interesting American single malts at that sort of pricing, and it's worth picking up a bottle.
Our Rating: 7.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.39
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
