Review #911 - Cedar Ridge The QuintEssential Single Cask Apricot Brandy Cask Finish - Scotch 4 Dummies Pick
Cedar Ridge began their wine and distilling operations in the 2000s; first they began growing grapes for wine, and then they added distillation of fruit brandies before again adding a new category of spirits: whisky. They produce a diverse range within this spirit category, including bourbon, rye, and single malts; they brand their single malt range as 'The QuintEssential,' which is a reference to their master distiller Murphy Quint.
Here we have a single cask example of their QuintEssential single malt, specifically one made with peated malted barley. The Scotch 4 Dummies YouTube channel selected this single cask, which spent time aging in an apricot brandy barrel. The combination of peated spirit and an exotic cask like apricot brandy is unusual, especially in the realm of American single malt - let's see how this one comes together.
This single cask was bottled at cask strength - in this case, 61.8% ABV (123.6 proof).
Cedar Ridge The QuintEssential Single Cask Apricot Brandy Cask Finish - Scotch 4 Dummies Pick
USA - Single Malt
Price: USD 70 (2025)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 61.8% ABV
Cask Makeup: Finished in an apricot brandy cask
Details: Cask no. AP-2023-11, bottled 2025
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 4 months; bottles at 90%, 80%, 70% (blind tasting), and 60% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Musty, but plenty of sweet notes: caramel, then stone fruit like peaches or apricot. It's a bit closed up at first, but we get some subtle peat smoke building with time; malty chocolate, candied mango strips, brown sugar, and a darker fruit like raisin or dry prune come next. In the background, we get allspice and a mild earthy scent.
Palate: Soft, musty peat smoke is a little bit stronger on the palate than the nose, but we still get an emphasis on syrupy stone fruits like tinned peach, then maybe some oranges. Black licorice candy, raisins, figs, and cinnamon spice are other strong notes; there are also subtleties of maple syrup, wood smoke, Campari, malt, and something medicinal. The mouthfeel is medium-thick.
Finish: Mango, apricot, charcoal, vanilla, and graham crackers... then malty grain, soft peat smoke, oranges, and nectarine. There's a hint of cinnamon and sangria wine in the aftertaste, and this finish is long and quite sweet, yet nicely rounded.
Final Note: Wow, this is remarkably easy to drink considering that strength of nearly 62% ABV - we would probably have guessed the low 50s given it blind. Those sweet, syrupy fruits are the dominant flavor; we found it a bit dense and hard to dig into at first, but it's opening nicely with more air time. While this was made with peated barley, we found the smoky element to be quite subtle, with the emphasis all on the sweet stone fruit notes, followed by just a subtle spice.
Value for this bottle is quite good - Cedar Ridge is known for very fair pricing, and this cask strength single malt for $70 is no exception. This specific cask is now gone, but as a general guideline, we think this brand's single malts are worth giving a shot if you enjoy the category.
Our Rating: 7.5 / 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: 7.28
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.
Check out our other reviews of Scotch 4 Dummies single barrel picks:
Review #829 - Virginia Distillery Port Cask Single Barrel - Scotch 4 Dummies Pick
Review #719 - Andalusia Chocolate Malt - Scotch 4 Dummies Pick
