Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey

This past March at Binny's Whiskies of the World expo (Chicago), I had the opportunity to meet Jess Graber, the man behind Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey and sample his wares.

I also had the opportunity to chat briefly with him the next night at the Chicago Whisky Fest. But it wasn't until very recently that I had a chance to sit down with Jess without people jamming a glass in his face.

There's a growing number of non-bourbon, non-rye American whiskies hitting the shelves. Yep. Single malt American is becoming a category - but Jess disdains the term "Single Malt Whisky" (even though that is exactly what his product is) and instead prefers the simple moniker of Colorado Whisky.

Stranahan's exudes an elegant ruggedness (or a rugged elegance, if you prefer), much like the state in which it is produced. If you've spent any time in Colorado, this statement will make sense. The people of Colorado revel in the fact that they are surrounded by some of the most incredible natural beauty in the world. Yet Colorado also provides some of the most genteel and sophisticated amenities you'll find anywhere.

The Package

That elegance starts with the packaging. According to Jess, "The bottle says 'Colorado'", and you can see what he means. The labeling is minimalist, allowing the whiskey to speak for itself; the bottle ia tall and slender while the neck and mouth are crowned by a tall metal cap. That cap is more than mere decoration - it's meant to replicate the look of a frontier closure - but it also serves a more mundane, and useful purpose - it conveniently doubles as a 3 ounce tasting cup. Coloradans spend a lot of time outdoors and by providing the tasting cup, Jess effectively turns the bottle into a flask.

"Being an old redneck, I'm used to doing things my way."

But despite his self-proclaimed 'red-neck' status, there's a shrewd business man beneath the laid-back exterior.

Stranahan's didn't start bottling until fairly recently - April of 2006 and Jess tells me that "Sales have been good". After less than a year and a half on the market, Jess has achieved some impressive US distribution - now available in Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia, California, Connecticut and Rhode Island. There's also limited availability in Oregon and Wyoming and by November you should be able to find Stranahan's in Texas, South Carolina and Wisconsin. Jess tells me they are working on distribution deals in New York and New Jersey and hopes to have those deals in place by this Christmas.

Success stories are more interesting when there's a story behind them. In this case, Stranahan's was the phoenix born from the ashes of a barn. From the company's history:

When volunteer firefighter Jess Graber responded to a neighbor's barn fire down the road, he never imagined any good could come of it. But the barn he made effort to save belonged to George Stranahan, long-time liquor connoisseur. When the fire settled, the two discovered a shared passion for the Colorado outdoors and a good pour of fine whiskey. And so Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey was born.

That's a good story . . . but it doesn't mention that George Stranahan is also the founder of the popular (and excellent) Flying Dog brewery. In fact the wash for Stranahan's whiskey is brewed by the brewery, conveniently located right next door. And although George Stranahan is only a minority owner in the distillery, Jess says they decided to use Stranahan's name because "It sounds a hell of a lot better than 'Graber'."

This isn't Indiana

I ask the compulsory question: "Why not Bourbon?"

Jess tells me it's simple. He didn't want to do a bourbon. Plus, since he wanted to make a distinctly Colorado product - and corn isn't a Colorado crop - a bourbon wasn't really ever on the table.

If I was doing this in Indiana, I'd probably make a bourbon. I'm in Colorado.

The Process

I won't go into the entirety of the stupidity of the United State's liquor laws - forced upon us as a concession to the repeal of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution (otherwise known as those dark days of Prohibition) - but I will touch upon one of the more inane regulations which concerns the subject of maturation.

In the US, there is no minimum requirement for maturation. Whisk(e)y can be called whisk(e)y by simply being stored in an oak container - without adhering to any minimum pre-determined length of maturation.

However, if you age your whisk(e)y for less than 4 years, you must state the length of maturation on the label - but if you have aged your whisky for longer than 4 years, then there is no requirement to list the age.

If you age for more than 2 years, you get to call your whisk(e)y "Straight".

WTF? Were they drunk when they came up with this shit?

But as usual, I digress.

Stranahan's IS a Straight Whiskey which means it was aged for at least 2 years. Jess tells me that a two-year old will always be the standard maturation length, but leaves it open that there could be future  releases which have matured for longer.

The wash is made from a mixture of 4 different barley malts, primarily a Crystal 2-row barley. Jess and his team spent 3 years experimenting by distilling different beer washes to see what worked and what didn't, before locking in on the current mash bill.

Jess also let's me know that they have been experimenting with some finishes. They've got whiskey in Port casks and Cabernet casks as well as some in a cask from one of his favorite table wines. No plans for release at this point - "We'll just see how it turns out".

Whiskey is fun

Not taking themselves too seriously is also evidenced by their marketing - their original ads featured a statuesque pin-up girl provocatively astride a cask of Stranahan's - with the catch-phrase "Well-Built"; equally applicable to the red-headed hottie or the tasty beverage.

This poster hangs in my lounge - much to the delight of my male buddies and dismay of female visitors. And you can have one as well. This limited edition  poster is still available in limited quantities will not be reproduced. It is still available on the Stranahan's site for $20 - but for you dear readers (always foremost in my mind) I have one which will be bestowed upon the first person to email me with the answer to this question: Through which site can you purchase Stranahan's Whiskey? (As usual, you pay for shipping - which will vary based on your location).

UPDATE: The Poster is long gone. Congrats to Kurt S.

The Bottom Line

Stranahan's is light and fruity yet presents an amazing complexity. Somehow it exhibits nuances of both Scotch and bourbon - while maintaining its own distinct flavor.

Jess wants you to know that if you enjoy any type of whisk(e)y, you should give Stranahan's a try. He tells me that it will remind you of your favorite:

Bourbon drinkers will find that oak they like at the beginning; Scotch drinkers will like the finish and Canadian whiskey drinkers will get some spice in the middle.

Jess tells me:

We are attempting to produce a truly unique product from a truly unique state - and it's really good.

We are not Scotch, we are not trying to be. I don't even want to be called a 'Single Malt Whisky' - to avoid the inevitable comparisons. We are an American whiskey. We are a Colorado Whiskey. And that's what I want to be known as.

I think it's one of the best - and if you don't agree, let us know - because we will try to improve it.

We've done something different and it's good and we're happy with it.

You know what? I'm happy with it too.

Visiting

If you happen to be in Denver for the Great American Beer Festival this weekend (October 11-13), stop by Flying Dog brewery and also check out Stranahan's Distillery next door.

We get around 500 people a day visiting us during the festival.

I won't be in Colorado this year, I'll be in Louisiana attending the Celtic Nations Heritage Festival

Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey
2405 Blake Street
Denver Colorado

The can also arrange tours with advance notice.

Comments

[sku]

Great report Kevin, lots of great information. I appreciate the attitude of the Stranahan's distilers and look forward to more from them. I generally liked Stranahan's but thought it could do well with more age. And at $55 a bottle I couldn't really recommend it at that price.

[Oliver Melton]

I'm down in Vegas where there are not a lot of liquor store options. Most spirits are sold right out of the grocery store. The one really solid liquor store, Lee's Discount, doesn't have this item at present; but being so close to Dnver, I'm hoping they'll stock "Colorado" whiskey (I guess they use the "e" since it's American) soon. I'd love to try a sip of "American Single Malt."

[Di Blasi, Jonathan]

Hi Kevin, first of all, great blog, keep it up!
And about Stranahan's, I surprisingly saw it at the Whisky4U stand at the Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival last month! (Checking their site now doesn't show it.) The importer had just been over for a visit from what I heard, and I'm not sure if they have actually begun importing it, or if what they had were just samples to test the market. Either way, quite impressive to find in Stockholm! I'm sure it will be years before it makes it over to Norway, where I am.

[mark davidson]

this is my first visit to the blog and my first reply to one. Stranahan's is one of my favourite drams of the year. First hearing of it in Malt Advocate I set out to get my hands on one. Living in Scotland I am often frustrated by thew dificulty I have in accessing some bottlings. A new freind Brett from a (the?) liquor store made my (and others') day when he trailed one with him just for us when visiting Scotchland. My chums at my tasting circle have found it generally a breath of fresh air. Yummy, characterful and a very welcome addition to the family. Don't know what our friends at the whisky magazine were drinking when they reviewed it.We got batch 7, I think. We were also delighted to sample Virginiain whisky (Rapahanock or similar ) But the Colarado took the honours. Yhanks boys. Anyone else up for swapping when over here?

[alix]

I live in Oregon and i would like to buy some of this stranahan's colorado whisky. I tried calling a few stores. Any suggestions other then ordering online?