Review #823 - McCarthy's 6 Year Rum Cask Single Cask - The Whiskey Lodge Pick
McCarthy's single malt whisky is produced by Clear Creek distillery in Oregon; in addition to a core range of products, they also produce single barrels, including some picked by stores or groups. Here's an example that was selected by The Whiskey Lodge: a 6 year single malt aged in a rum cask.
This is an unusual McCarthy's bottling in that it was fully matured in that rum cask; generally all McCarthy's whiskies are aged for at least some amount of time in Garryana oak (Oregon oak, the species that Westland has made famous with their limited Garryana releases), even if they are destined to be finished in another cask type. The rum cask used here comes from Casa Magdalena, which is a sugar cane/molasses-based rum made in Guatemala.
After those 6 years of aging in the rum cask, this peaty single malt was bottled in 2024 at a cask strength of 56.83% ABV (113.66 proof).
McCarthy's 6 Year Rum Cask Single Cask - The Whiskey Lodge Pick
USA - Single Malt
Price: USD 120 (2026)
Age Statement: 6 Years
Strength: 56.83% ABV
Cask Makeup: Guatemalan rum cask
Details: No chill filtered; barrel no. 701, bottled August 28, 2024
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 13 months; bottles at 100%, 90%, 80%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Musty and smoky - the peat is relatively strong, and this has an Islay-like nose. Sweetness from buttered rum, custard, and vanilla, but there's also a funky side and some effervescent or estery notes. Mineral notes are strong, and we also get licorice and anise spice... there are subtleties of butterscotch, medicinal scents, plums, and molasses. Even lime, pineapple, and saline notes pop up - very varied from tasting to tasting.
Palate: Dense and viscous, with a medium-thick mouthfeel. Creme brulee or vanilla custard is dominant at first, followed by coal and some peat, a bit of chocolate and grilled jalapenos. Oaky tannins and black licorice add a bit of spice, but there are also funky notes, a bit of paint, and earthy flavors. Lemon-lime soda, molasses, and cake icing arrive, and it grows much more medicinal with time.
Finish: Quite sweet overall, with unusual notes like mint toothpaste, jalapeno cream cheese, and musty coal. Creosote and industrial oil notes bring a darker side, but we also get molasses, vanilla, powdered sugar, and a hint of dark beer. This finish is long.
Final Note: This is such an interesting, unusual whisky - we can't remember the last time we found such strange notes, but it's a lot of fun to dig into. Lots of sweet creamy and sugary notes from that rum cask, a decent amount of smoky and musty flavor from the peat, some fruit from the distillate, and a bit of spice from the oak... a lot going on.
This single malt is also evolving a lot in the bottle, bringing different flavors each time that we drink it. This is a very good bottle, probably the most unique American single malt that we've tried to date.
Value is decent here; these McCarthy's single casks can be a little bit pricey, and this 6 year example was around $120. That's asking a lot, but this one delivers with tons of flavor and character.
Our Rating: 7.6 / 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: 6.13
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.
