About the Producer
Clear Creek Distillery was one of the first craft distillers, founded in 1985 in by Stephen McCarthy with the goal of producing eau-de-vies. To this day their most popular product is pear eau-de-vie made from Oregon pears. Clear Creek was bought out by Hood River Distillers in 2014 and moved from their original home in Portland to the Hood River valley. In addition to a wide range of aged and unaged brandies they also make what’s likely the first American single malt, made with peated barley and named after the founder.
Details
- Made from golden delicious apples
- 42.5% abv
- Aged 2 yrs, 1 year in a first fill ex-bourbon barrel then the 2nd year in a different first fill ex-bourbon barrel
Nose
Glorious amount of apples. Fresh and baked. Apple cider and cinnamon apples. A complex wave of apple and spice. Caramel apples and apple pie. Medium intensity and lightly sweet. Very tasty and reasonably complex.
Palate
Exactly the same as the nose with a complex mix of every form of apple you can think off. Delicious. Has some caramel, vanilla and cinnamon from the barrels. Medium bodied with good flavor intensity. Balanced despite the flavor intensity. Lightly Sweet.
Finish
Medium with bittersweet apples and cinnamon.
Rating: 7
Overall
A damn good apple brandy that hits all the right notes despite and tasting mature being only 2 years old. With the low price of $45 I’ll be having this on my shelf all the time.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite
10 | Perfect | Perfect
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