It’s back!
Upon the arrival of our third batch of Cut Spike yesterday, I immediately popped a bottle and took a quick sip. A huge smile quickly washed over my face. “It’s the best parts of batch one and two combined!” I said to Kyle. “It still has tremendous richness, but it’s really moved beyond the core of creaminess. It’s beginning to develop its own house style.” The tremendous achievement inside these bottles is not only the deliciousness of the whisky, but the fact that the Cut Spike truly has its own unique character. It’s not just a good tasting single malt; it’s full of spruce, and ginger, and other exotic elements that are completely unlike any other whisky I’ve tasted. But where do those flavors come from? In an attempt to learn more about what exactly goes on over there in Nebraska, I reached out to distiller Jason Payne for a more detailed explanation.
Here’s what he had to say:
(Jason Payne) I have listed some of the “magic stuff” that I think makes Cut Spike Single Malt Whiskey unique and special! Let me know if this is what you were thinking.
1) The limestone filtered water from the Ogallala Aquifer that we ship in from the Sandhills of Nebraska is something, as far as I’m aware, nobody else is doing. The water is truly delicious, and acts as the perfect compliment to our hand-crafted whiskey when proofing the spirit. Hardly touched by the elements of man, the liquid is pumped directly from the Blue Spring Creek that runs beneath the prairie land of the Sandhills. Only a simple filtering process is implemented that removes sand and sediment before it is packaged and shipped off to the distillery.
2) We should not disregard that fact that our stills are hand-pounded copper stills produced in the far land of Scotland. Hailing from the mecca of great whiskey, our pot stills were constructed by a family run company that has been producing whiskey stills since the early 20th century. This company has been producing stills for many of the renowned distilleries of Scotland, and we are fortunate to have two traditional pot stills here in our distillery in Nebraska. Even more interesting, is that the design of our stills is based off the design of one of our favorite distilleries (I think I don’t want to reveal exactly which distillery our stills are modeled after – it may be proprietary info). When producing a premium whiskey, the exact shape of the still being used matters, just ask the Scottish. We modeled our stills off one of the best distilleries out there, but exactly who that is will have to remain confidential…
3) The blend of barrels we use to age the whiskey is ever evolving as we continue to hone our craft and strive to create one of the best whiskeys around. The barrels we buy are premium dry-aged barrels used to promote maximum interaction between the wood and the whiskey. We implement new charred oak barrels in our aging process, and then blend the whiskey that has been aged in barrels of different char levels ranging from toasted to a #4 (alligator) char. Used bourbon barrels and freshly emptied wine casks are used in finishing single malt aging process. The distillers at Cut Spike distillery have a proprietary blend that gives Cut Spike its own unique flavor. The exact blend will remain a secret with the distillers.
4) Before whiskey there must be beer – without the hops that is! We are fully trained brewers who decided to jump into the distilling world. So making whiskey wash was our expertise upon entering this wonderful world, and making a great wash is the first step to making a great whiskey. First and foremost, we use only the highest quality suppliers of barley. We have quality control measures throughout the process that do everything from: calculating fermentable sugars in the wash to maximize yields, counting yeast cells for proper fermentations, controlling the temperatures of these fermentations to reduce unwanted by-products, and resting the wash for at the appropriate temperature and for the appropriate length of time to “clean” the wash before distillation. All these controls and measures ensure that we are producing consistent wash at the highest quality. And this is not something that can be learned overnight. It is as much a desired skill as that of distilling amazing spirits.
Does that explain it? I don’t know. All I know is that this batch of Cut Spike is bigger than the last batch-and despite the greater amount of available bottle-it’s the best batch yet, which is really saying something. – David Driscoll
Cut Spike Nebraska Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($59.99)
At first we couldn’t believe our mouths. We knew that Cut Spike single malt had just taken Double Gold honors at the 2014 San Francisco Spirits competition (the highest possible honor), so obviously other people thought it was good, too. But after tasting so many mediocre American attempts at single malt whisky, we had become accustomed to the idea that the Scottish style of distillation would never be recreated here at home. There would be spin-offs, and experimental grasps at greatness, but that supple, malty profile would simply be something we needed to import from abroad. Then the folks at Cut Spike sent us a sample of their two year old Nebraskan single malt whisky made from 100% malted barley on a pot still crafted in Rothes, Scotland. Fermented at the brewery next door to Cut Spike in La Vista, the malt was matured for two years in new American oak with varying levels of char. The result is an incredible hybrid: soft, barley and vanilla-laden whisky that tastes somewhat like your standard Scottish single malt, but has its own unique character simultaneously. It’s the kind of whisky that you taste once and enjoy, but then the next day suddenly crave intensely. It impresses you instantly, yet doesn’t really reveal its full character until weeks later. The new oak blurs seamlessly into the malty mouthfeel, adding a richness on the finish normally not tasted in standard Scottish selections. Cut Spike is a major accomplishment for American distillation, pure and simple.
Jim Boyce | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 21, 2015
We, along with enough customers (and critics) to quickly sell out the last couple batches, fell in love with the Cut Spike whiskey. The first time we tasted this American Single Malt we were floored. This current bottling is a bit brighter, with great clove, ginger and banana bread spice notes. Grab a bottle while you can! ‘Merica!
Dulcinea Gonzalez | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 17, 2015
Now this is a whiskey to get excited about. The sensation of flavor is an American hybrid marrying qualities of bourbon and Scotch. This sits in the glass with deep hues of burnt orange. The nose on this whiskey is totally delicious with fruity notes of tangerine, freshly cut fennel, and dried apple. The mid-palate is clean, soft and delivers characteristics reminiscent of cream soda, all culminating in a spiced, toasty rich finish. Get a bottle while they last!
Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 17, 2015
Delicious and interesting. There are wonderful aromas that are a mixture of floral notes with some spice and citrus. In the mouth it is malty, juicy and smooth, with spicy undertones. The Cut Spike promises to be one fun drink.
Kyle Kurani | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 15, 2015
With this being only their third release, the anticipation of what is in the bottle was very high: a chance to try and flesh out exactly what is the house style that the good distillers at Cut Spike bring to the table. This bottling does a great job of solidifying them in my mind as one of the highest quality single malt producers in the States. This whisky is incredibly vibrant and fresh without tasting young or harsh. The nose is lifted with bright notes of candied ginger and Douglas fir, a sense of promised vanilla sweetness wafts in at the end. In the mouth there is sweetness, orange marmalade, a hint of clove for spice, and then the same vanilla cream from last batch that really adds roundness to the palate.
Danielle Freschet | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 15, 2015
Extremely unique and complex whisky with lots of gorgeous pine, rosemary and ginger notes melded together with the perfect amount of vanilla. It’s great to be drunk by itself or mixed in cocktails. Also being that K&L is the only major retailer to carry this whisky, it is something rare to share with friends!
Heather Vander Wall | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 15, 2015
The new Cut Spike is incredibly intriguing! This batch displays a full range of baking spices on the nose with just a hint of cardamom. Nice weight and balance on the palate, with just the right amount of creamy, toasty characteristics to complement the exotic spice elements. A great buy!
David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 13, 2015
When I first tasted the Cut Spike whiskey, I thought it was simply the best American single malt out there; a true revelation for the domestic category. However, as I’m now tasting the newest batch from the Nebraskan producer, I’m realizing that the whiskey is starting to morph into something very particular and unique to the brand. That classic creaminess is still very pervasive, but for the second time in a row there’s a pronounced note of pine that soon mutates into ginger and Asian spices before quickly turning back into rich vanilla and oak on the finish; smoothly seeping its way into my taste buds as that last little sip goes down. What we’re starting to witness here is the development of a house style–a flavor that defines this distillery. It’s very exciting, and it’s becoming infectious.
Dave Genevro | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 12, 2015
This is a delicious American Single Malt! Round, rich and great balance and length…don’t miss this great craft whiskey that you’ll only find here! Salute!
Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 22, 2014
I have to say my palate wasn’t quite sure where to place this flavor profile Scotch or Bourbon…Bourbon or Scotch…? But the one thing my taste buds certainly weren’t confused about was how delicious it is! There is plenty of the detail and delicacy of single malt but everything is lacquered with the exotic wood spice and richness of American oak. The two flavor bases (the malt and the wood) have married together really well making this a fascinating drop that I really think will please both types of whisk(e)y drinkers.
Joe Manekin | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 15, 2014
Here is our latest entrant in American craft whiskey, a very tasty, skillfully made whiskey from Nebraska. Nebraska? Yes, Nebraska! As mentioned earlier, this is stylistically a Bourbon-meets Sherry-barrel-aged Single Malt. Lovely richness, lots of sweetness and spice from new American oak barrels, but most importantly, the balance, drinkability and elegance of a well made single malt Scotch. These folks clearly studied how things are done in Scotland, and it shows. Very cool new whiskey that is well worth a try!
Gary Westby | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 15, 2014
This rich, layered whisky shows just how good young craft malt can be. I am not a believer in paying a high price for young stuff just because it comes from a small hands-on distillery. It has to be in the bottle, and the Cut Spike has the stuffing to justify the price. It is rich and textural without being over the top, and has layers of complexity that caught me by surprise. If you are interested in seeing how good a new distiller can be, check it out!
Shaun Green | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 14, 2014
Fantastic! This didn’t really take too long to grow on me, I was hooked at the first waft of the wonderful vanilla and malty aromatics. Long and rich with a great touch of sweetness–who knew the Nebraskans had been hiding this gem? It’s definitely Scotch-like, but with a wonderful, smooth, rich twist that more than hints at its American roots.
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