Is any whiskey really worth waiting for days outside in the cold for a chance to buy a bottle? The diehard fans of Stranahan’s, a distillery making American single malt in Denver, seem to think so. The annual Snowflake release goes on sale at the distillery tomorrow, and people have been camped out since Thursday morning to secure their place in line. We have the details about what they can expect this year.
Stranahan’s was founded in 2004, released its first whiskey just two years later, and has become one of the biggest names in American single malt over the past two decades. The majority of the whiskey is aged in new charred American oak barrels, like bourbon though there is no legal requirement for American single malt (yet). But other types of barrels are used for special cask finishes, including Sherry and Port. When it comes to the annual Snowflake release, however, a wide range of casks are used to mature the whiskey. The point is to come up with a “snowflake” expression, one that hasn’t been created before and will never be repeated. And that’s exactly why whiskey fans have gathered in what the distillery is calling Snowflake Village this year to brave the elements.
I had a chance to experience the scene for myself in person a few years back (no, I didn’t camp out, but I did get up at 3 am to check out the vibe). It’s pretty much a party that lasts for several days, with people who have traveled from different states to experience the camaraderie of obsessive whiskey hunting and the glory of getting a one of these coveted bottles. This year, the festivities will kick off tonight featuring DJs, bands, games, and of course cocktails. Finally, at an as yet undisclosed time tomorrow morning, Snowflake Batch 27, Redcloud Peak, will go on sale and very tired, cold, and presumably still intoxicated fans will be able to purchase three bottles, up from the two bottle limit of previous years.
That might be a wise investment, actually, if you’re the type of person who likes to buy one bottle to drink and another to flip. Snowflake will cost $120 at the distillery, but a quick look at secondary market websites shows releases from previous years selling for as much as $3,000. This year’s batch, Redcloud, is an American single malt aged for nine to 12 years in new charred oak barrels and then finished in Portuguese, French, and Spanish fortified wine casks, including madeira, port, sauternes, Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry, and brandy. Finally, the whiskey was put into Hungarian Tokaji, American rye, and bourbon barrels to marry for a period of time. I got to try a sample, and the whiskey is a unique fruit bomb, with notes of cherry, grape, and candied orange on the palate, along with signature malted chocolate and espresso bean flavors.
The only way to get your hands on a bottle at the moment is to be at the distillery tomorrow, so if you’re not already there you’re probably out of luck. They will most certainly show up on the secondary at inflated prices in the coming months, however, and you can always find the core portfolio available to purchase via ReserveBar. Also, keep an eye out for the new Mountain Angel 12-Year-Old, Stranahan’s oldest expression to date that was finished in port casks, and the 11-year-old Founder’s Release that marks the 20th anniversary of the distillery’s founding.
