Alcohol in the news; Rogue Oregon Single Malt whiskey

From the Buzz

Rogue Oregon Single Malt Whiskey

An American whiskey with a fruity flavor

I need to start this week's column with a plug for Seven Saint's Whiskey Wednesday. Most of the whiskeys that I try are sampled there. For 50% off a select type (Micro-American/Canadian, Irish, bourbon, scotch) for the week, it's an unbeatable deal and a great way to try some new things without spending $8 on a drink you may not like. Plus, my waitress is a friend from high school, Mary, and we are able to talk casually about whiskey, which she and the other servers, know a lot about and are alway super helpful.

Seven Saints Whiskey Wednesday is an awesome deal.

This week (Micro-American/Canadian) Mary suggested I try the Rogue Oregon Single Malt whiskey, and I am glad that she did. This was the sweetest and most light whiskey I've tasted.

I had this on Wednesday as well, and it was about as smooth as anything I've ever sipped.

The beginning of the drink has a lot of lightness, an opening up of banana and honey flavors. The middle really shows off the toasted grain taste, and the end has a lot of real banana flavor. The first part of the drink is really organized, but the end loosens and lets the sweet, fruit flavors come through.

I wasn't really looking for the banana flavor, but I just couldn't get over how smooth this was. You've probably seen comedians joke about how "smooth" a beverage is, this one actually is. There isn't a hard edge to it. It just flows. If there's ever a whiskey that I could probably chug, it'd be this.

My friend Brad got to try it as well. We didn't get our glasses from the same bottle, and there was a distinct difference between the two. Mine was the top of the bottle, his was the bottom. Both were great, but I thought the top of the bottle was better.

Mary told me to expect banana, but I didn't really anticipate how distinct it would be. Overall, a surprising drink and a good introduction into American whiskey, which is interesting to see the ways micro-Americans define themselves against bourbon and Jack Daniel's which have controlled the American whiskey market for so long.

Mary is awesome. When looking for an American Micro whiskey, (or how to tell it's not bourbon) just look to see where it's made, and if it says bourbon. Additionally, don't look for a rye. If you aren't sure, then go to Seven Saints for Whiskey Wednesday, the lineup for March is:

March 2: Irish
March 9: Bourbon and Rye (my favorite night)
March 16: Scotch
March 23: Canadian and Micro American (like the Rogue)
March 30: Irish