McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt Whiskey Oloroso Cask Finished

McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt Whiskey Oloroso Cask Finished is a heavily peated American single malt that drinks like an Islay transplant — the pour for a Lagavulin or Laphroaig drinker curious what campfire smoke does after a turn in sherry wood.

Process & Profile

Made from 100% malted barley imported from Scotland and distilled at Clear Creek Distillery in Portland, Oregon, this release spends six years in oak before a finishing run of roughly four months in Oloroso sherry casks, bottled at a bold 56% ABV / 112 proof. The peated-barley recipe traces back to founder Steve McCarthy, who built the whiskey in the Islay tradition decades before American single malt was a category; Clear Creek's single-malt program has been in the hands of Hood River Distillers — an Oregon house founded in 1934 — since it acquired the distillery in 2014.

On the nose, smoked meat, barbecue char, and sooty charcoal, with the Oloroso adding a backnote of dried fig and walnut.

On the palate, campfire smoke wraps around apple, cherry, and orange, with bitter chocolate and glowing charcoal embers underneath.

The finish is long and ashy, the sherry sweetness fading into dry smoke.

The Oloroso finish is what sets this apart from the standard McCarthy's: where the core bottling is pure peat and citrus, the sherry cask layers dried fruit and nuttiness over the smoke, giving the whiskey a richer, more Speyside-meets-Islay shape without dulling its signature campfire punch.

Serve neat in a Glencairn; a few drops of water tame the proof and lift the fruit. It stands up to a peated-cheese board or grilled meats.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this whisky?
A heavily peated American single malt from Oregon, aged six years and finished in Oloroso sherry casks.

What are the specs?
American single malt, 6 years plus ~4-month Oloroso finish, 56% ABV / 112 proof, 100% malted barley, 750mL.

What does it taste like?
Smoked meat and charcoal on the nose; campfire smoke, apple, cherry, and bitter chocolate on the palate; a long, ashy finish.

How should you enjoy it?
Neat in a Glencairn with a few drops of water to open the fruit.

Why is this release notable?
It marries McCarthy's Islay-style peated malt with an Oloroso sherry finish, a combination the core bottling doesn't offer.