Del Bac Breaking Bourbon "True Malt Grit" Single Malt Whiskey

This pick comes from the not widely known but purely original Del Bac Distiller.

Del Bac is located in Tucson, Arizona, and brings the spirit and taste of the American Southwest to their whiskey. They do this by malting their barley over mesquite instead of peat-like traditional Scotch single malts. From there, they mash, ferment, distill, barrel, and bottle all under one roof. They proudly started distilling using a 5-gallon alembic pot-still from Portugal, and then in 2011 graduated to a 40-gallon pot still. Their still gives their whiskey the additional character that fits their brand well.

Tasting through the single barrel samples we were blown away by the texture of these single malts. Sometimes American single malts can lean more on the elegant side, forgoing raw character. Yet Del Bac does well at never venturing too far outside the box by offering a whiskey that’s unique but also familiar tasting. Using mesquite to malt their barely speaks to the geographical area they’re based in and does well to capture its spirit.

This is why when developing our single barrel sticker for this release we knew we had to convey their uniqueness and “true grit” they use to make their single malt whiskey. Their determination, perseverance, and passion they put into their whiskeys speaks to you through every sip you take.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Malty | Roasted nuts | Caramel chews | Faint peppercorn mix | Approachable
• Palate: Creamy caramel | Walnut | Sweet | Tannic oak | Earthy-sweet mix | Ancho chile pepper | Spicy kick
• Finish: Nutty | Leather | Sweet vanilla | Light oak | Lingering heat