I discovered Talnua Distillery somewhat by happenstance while visiting breweries in Avada, Colorado with my sons. We stopped in for a visit, and I quickly learned that I had stumbled upon the first American single pot still whiskey distiller, which began producing its malt whiskey in 2019.
Talnua produces a core lineup of four pot still whiskies as well as some special releases, one of which I got to sample while I was there. In addition, they produce a clear and a barrel rested gin of the genever style, meaning its base is unaged white whiskey, rather than vodka.
We hadn't planned on a tour, so we settled in for a cocktail and a tasting flight in the distillery's cozy tasting room and viewed the gleaming copper pot stills from a distance through glass. More on my flight in a minute, but first, a little background on the spirit:
What Is Single Pot Still Whiskey?
Pot still whiskies were first created in Ireland, and must contain a minimum of 30% malted barley and 30% un-malted barley, with all of the bottle's contents being produced in pot stills at a single distillery (but not necessarily a single still.) The remaining 20% can be made up of other cereal grains such as oats, rye, and wheat, with any other grain making up no more than 5% of the overall mash bill. With that said, today's most popular brands have a mash bill of 50% malted barley and 50% un-malted barley. Talnua distullery is no exception to this.
The inclusion of un-malted barley in the mash produces a whiskey with a thicker, more oily mouth feel than single malt whiskey.
A Brief History of Single Pot Still Whiskey
Pot still whiskey was first produced in Ireland in the late 1700's a a way of avoiding the Malt Tax of 1785, by reducing the volume of malted barley used in the distillation process. Pot still whiskey exploded in popularity and continued to grow even after the Malt Tax was repealed in 1855.
At one time, pot still whiskey was the most popular form of whiskey in the world making up as much as 80% of the world's whiskey supply in the late 1800's and was popular throughout the British Empire and here in the United States, so much so that if you asked for "whiskey" without being specific in many bars here in the United States in the 1800's, chances are you might have received a pour of Irish pot still whiskey rather than bourbon or rye.
Pot Still whiskey fell from popularity suddenly in the early 20th century, this fall was brought on by a trade war with Great Britain in the wake of Irish independence and exacerbated by taxation and the widespread wars of the early 20th century. By 1980, the only pot still whiskies in widespread production were the Irish whiskies
Redbreast and Green Spot, with the former briefly at some risk of disappearing as well.
Talnua Distillery Pot Still Whiskey Tasting Notes
I began my exploration of Talnua's American single pot still whiskey with their "core four," the Heritage Selection Small Batch, the Continuum Cask, the Bourbon Cask and Stave, and the Virgin White Oak. Later, I added the Olde Saint's Keep special release and the distillery's two gin selections. Each whiskey expression adds its own unique twist to the base pot still whiskey, leveraging different aging techniques, cooperage and blending.
Heritage Selection Whiskey
Blend of locally produced American pot still whiskey and grain whiskey distilled in Ireland and aged in Colorado with second fill American oak barrels. Pot still whiskey has a mash bill of 50% malted barley and 50% un-malted barley and is triple distilled in copper pot stills. Aged a minimum of 18 months. 86 proof.
Nose: Vanilla, honeysuckle
Palate: light bodied, vanilla and toffee
Finish: malt, toasted sugar
Continuum Cask Whiskey
The Continuum Cask expression is an American pot still whiskey with a mash bill of 50% malted barley and 50% un-malted barley, triple distilled in copper pot stills and aged a minimum of 18 months in new charred white oak casks. The whiskey is then vatted into a solera inspired cask which is never fully emptied. Over time, the average age of whiskey in the continuum should increase, yielding a richer flavor. 86 proof.
Nose: Vanilla, white pepper, grain
Palate: Sweet, slightly fruity, malt
Finish: White pepper, nutmeg
Bourbon Cask and Stave
The Bourbon Cask and Stave expression is an American pot still whiskey with a mash bill of 50% malted barley and 50% un-malted barley, triple distilled in copper pot stills and aged a minimum of 3 years in ex-bourbon barrels. New charred white oak staves are introduced to the barrel from the beginning of the aging process, enhancing the exposure to charred wood even though the cooperage is used. 86 proof.
Nose: vanilla, oak
Palate: honey, pears, grain
Finish: pepper, malt
Virgin White Oak Cask Whiskey
The Virgin White Oak expression is an American pot still whiskey with a mash bill of 50% malted barley and 50% un-malted barley, triple distilled in copper pot stills and aged a minimum of 3 years in new charred white oak barrels. 86 proof.
Nose: Baking spice, oak
Palate: caramel, allspice, spicy, lightly sweet
Finish: long. barrel char, pepper
Olde Saint’s Keep Whiskey
Olde Saint's Keep was a 1000 bottle limited release American pot still whiskey with a mash bill of 50% malted barley and 50% un-malted barley, triple distilled in copper pot stills. Finished in cognac and madeira barrels.
Nose: stone fruit, vanilla, malt
Palate: maple, plum, cinnamon, strawberry jam, butter
Finsih: white pepper, toffee
Overall Impressions of Talnua American Pot Still Whiskey
I was quite impressed with all of the American pot still Whiskey I tasted. The standout was far and away the Olde Saint's Keep, which had sadly sold out for bottle sales long before our visit. I ended up picking up one of my other favorites, the Continuum Cask, as well as a Virgin White Oak for a friend back home who really enjoys pot still whiskey. Next time I'm in the area, I'll probably add the bourbon Cask & Stave to my collection.
I also sampled the distillery's gin (genever) and barrel rested gin. Both were very good. While I did not keep detailed tasting notes I will say that Talnua's gin appears to be a more straightforward than some other craft distilleries, emphasizing traditional juniper botanicals rather than other herbs.
My son, who was with me for the visit, had a lemon espresso old fashioned which he offered me a taste of. This was a truly delicious cocktail that I would gladly order myself on a future visit.
Overall, our visit to Talnua was true serendipity, and I am glad we stopped in!
Cheers!
-Trevor
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