Stranahan’s built their reputation on exclusive Colorado single malt whiskey, though recently they have been offering special edition releases like this one which uses Caribbean rum casks to finish their whiskey. From the start, even on the nose, this presents as an aggressive whiskey. But that’s not a bad thing. This is replete with resin, desiccated apricot, caramel, browned butter, light citrus, and apricot notes. And though aggressive as any high-proof tends to be, there is nonetheless a wonderful balance of its elements. Cutting this a little helps to balance out the flavors, and it nicely fills the mid-palate and finish, where the resin and caramel and browned butter take over. Though the rum cask finish is evident, it’s not overpowering, and it does allow for a well-tuned level of sweetness and roundness in the mouth. The whiskey itself has an age statement of between “six to nine years” before finishing in the casks, which came from a variety of places: Barbados, Martinique and Dominican Republic. In the end this is a whiskey that leans a little toward a whiskey-rum in character, and it does so deftly. 94
A Platinum Award winner at the 2025 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
Reviewed by Michael Cervin
Brand – Stranahan’s
Spirit Type – Whiskey
Other Designation – Diamond Peak Single Malt, 2024 Caribbean Rum Cask
Country of Origin – USA
ABV – 45%
Bottle Size – 750ml
Price – $80
Score – 94
Date Reviewed – 6/28/25