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France has cognac, Mexico has tequila, England has gin and America has whiskey. It is a source of national pride and the stuff of legend. Jack Daniels. Jim Beam. George Dickel. Old Rip Van Winkle. The names reverberate like macho heroes. Rightfully so: These are pioneers. Now there's a new pioneer, and his whiskey ain't made in Kentucky or Tennessee. Say hello to Colorado's first whiskey, Stranahan's.
As the story goes, a volunteer firefighter named Jess Graber rescued a barn owned by George Stranahan. They discovered a mutual affection for whiskey, and embarked on making their own booze with water and barley from the Colorado Rockies. A neighboring brewery, Flying Dog, provides some necessary ingredients. After fermentation, the whiskey is distilled twice and aged for at least two years. This is truly small-batch whiskey: They make just three barrels a week.
The result is extraordinary. It's got that classic amber hue, a creamy smell and remarkable complexity that mixes wood, nuttiness, sweet vanilla and spiciness in every sip. They didn't skimp on design either. In addition to having an elegant, diagonally placed label on the bottle, there's a silver cap which functions like a tall thin shot glass. At 94 proof, it's just manly enough to have a bit of burn. It may be tough to find right now unless you live near the Rockies. But it's well worth asking for at your local liquor shop.
-- James Oliver Cury
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