Episode 21: Let's Get Lost American Single Malt by Dogfish Head

The Pot Still Column: Episode 21

Let's Get Lost American Single Malt by Dogfish Head

Proof: 102

Age: 3 Years

Finish: None

Source: Dogfish Head Distillery (Milton, Delaware)

Price: $59.99

So, Dogfish Head distills whiskey. Who knew?

Not me, that's for sure. But now I do, and I am very glad that I've discovered it. Primarily known for their beers, Dogfish Head is a mega-successful Delaware brewery responsible for a broad line of award winning IPAs. While less well-known to the public, the brewery also has a distillery on site through which they produce a small array of distilled spirits such as gins, vodkas, and whiskeys. The existence of this tiny Delaware distillery is fresh news to me, although they have allegedly been producing whiskey for over 20 years! Delaware's best kept secret? Perhaps.

Under the spotlight today is their most recent release, Let's Get Lost American Single Malt, which only hit shelves in 2021. Bottled at 102 proof and meeting the newly drafted American single malt criteria, the malt is my first foray into Delaware's whiskey scene. Sporting a square bottle that somewhat resembles those used by Knob Creek and Wilderness Trail distilleries, the presentation is unique and attractive. The label itself is simple and spacious, featuring a sky of lustrous stars that shimmer in the light. Nicely done!

Nosing this glass brings me great joy. The whiskey is unmistakably an American single malt, and the profile seems to take a page out of Westward's book by adopting a faint note of beery hops. Ironically, there are no hops or beer involved at any stage of the single malt's production, and Dogfish Head makes it clear that the grain bill differs from the ones used in their beers. The barleys used do overlap with some of Dogfish Head's IPAs, but Let's Get Lost adds a unique twist to the mix: Applewood smoke. The four grain mashbill of 100% malted barleys includes pale malt, crystal malt, and coffee kiln malt in addition to a high percentage of Applewood smoked malt. Dogfish Head also employs the same strain of yeast that they use in their beers, Doggy Ale yeast, keeping the whiskey firmly in the Dogfish Head family.

The brewery-distillery (brewstillery?) claims that the Doggy Ale yeast adds a banana note to the profile, but I am not picking up any bananas. What I do find in copious amounts is peaches and cream, like a peach-flavored yogurt. The scent isn't of fresh peaches, as it lacks the acidic sting, but reminds me more of the peach jam that some companies such as Chobani include in their single portion yogurt cups. There is also a rich smokiness that blends well with the beery notes I described earlier. Dogfish Head originally considered using peated malt, but chose to use Applewood smoke instead to soften the profile. I think they nailed it. Hops, peaches, and smoke--- that's the gist.

Alright, this tastes gooood. For your sake, I only added four 'O's, but this deserves at least six. Once again, Westward is the best mass-market comparison, and if you like the Westward profile, you will adore this. The level of richness is absurd, and the smoke comes out much more profoundly on the palate. The beery quality persists as well, coating the entire mouth with an IPA tang. This is a whiskey for beer lovers, for sure. The peach, while still present, is overtaken to a great degree by the smoke and hops, creating a really unique, faintly fruity whiskey that holds up extremely well at 102 proof.

The finish rarely deserves a paragraph of its own, but the oily beeriness of this single malt makes it last forever, and long finishes get long paragraphs. By long paragraphs, I mean more than one sentence because most finishes are worth little more. After three years in the barrel (this is significant for an ASM), the oak presence on the finish is perfect--- I wouldn't change it at all. The hops linger for over a minute, and one can smell the full profile every time one breathes out of their nose. I could set this down for a while between sips and keep the party going strong, but I like it too much to let it rest.

Closing Impression:

Dogfish Head hit a home run with Let's Get Lost. This is a spectacular example of American single malts heading in a positive direction, and I can tell that a lot of thought was put into the whiskey. At just under $60.00, this is an immediate buy for me. I can think of a hundred bottles off the top of my head that are priced more highly but aren't worth half. Dogfish Head doesn't seem to have expanded distribution beyond the East Coast, but I hope for my own sake that they do because I want a bottle of this now! I also hope that the brewstillery (I said it) focuses more on producing whiskey in the coming years, as this American single malt has earned them a firm spot on my release radar.

Nose: 92

Taste: 93

Finish: 93

Overall: 93/100 [Extraordinary]

Thanks to Adam J. for donating the sample for today's review