PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Stranahan's introduced Mountain Angel in 2020, and it made history the moment it hit shelves: the first-ever 10-year age-stated straight American single malt whiskey. Batch 5 is the newest chapter in that story — an ultra-premium annual release, distilled, aged, and bottled more than a mile high in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Denver, Colorado, using pristine, pure Rocky Mountain ingredients. Made entirely from 100% malted barley and matured a full decade in new, charred American oak, Mountain Angel represents Stranahan's most patient, most ambitious statement about what American single malt can actually become.
That patience produces something genuinely unusual: Denver's high altitude, combined with the use of new American charred oak rather than the used bourbon barrels most single malt relies on, creates an unusually aggressive "angel's share" evaporation rate — meaning the whiskey loses considerably more volume to the barrel each year than it would at sea level. Stranahan's own team credits that loss directly with giving Mountain Angel "depth of flavors and aromas comparable to a Scotch whisky more than twice its age," despite carrying only a 10-year statement. Each batch is genuinely scarce — early releases numbered fewer than 500 bottles distributed across Colorado, California, and New York — and Stranahan's is upfront that batch-to-batch character stays deliberately consistent: "the flavor and quality of the whiskey remain consistent across batches, as there are no variations in the product from batch to batch."
Men's Journal called Mountain Angel simply "the best American single malt, period," describing it as accumulating "an enviable golden amber hue" during its decade-plus of slumber in virgin cooperage, surrendering "notes of cedar-smoked honey as it pours into a snifter," with "a salty caramel taste" on first sip, developing with repeated exposure into "dried apricots and a bit of baking spice, reminiscent of nutmeg." Tastings.com scored Batch No. 4 a remarkable 96 points out of 100. David Fleming's review for Whisky Advocate found "hints of fragrant mountain pine, sweet lemon, vanilla cream, and spiced toasty oak" on "an exhilarating nose," "boldly inviting on the palate, with a mouth-coating mélange of vanilla, hints of cherry sorbet, candied raspberries, and coconut shavings, set against bitter chocolate and licorice, all spiced with jalapeño pepper," calling it "elegant rusticity in this superbly balanced, individualistic dram." The Whiskey Wash's Scott Bernard Nelson found "burnt umber; black tea" on the nose, developing into "sweet liqueur, glazed cherries, after-dinner cognac and pipe smoke," with "tobacco and brown sugar; dark, sticky molasses; maple bars; caramelized wood" on the palate, closing on "a long and luxurious" finish with "velvety" mouthfeel. Mountain Angel 10 Year has also earned Double Gold at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. This is genuinely rare, patiently built whiskey — with less than 500 bottles per batch, Stranahan's own warning holds true: "you'll be lucky to get your hands on a bottle."
Stranahan's Mountain Angel 10 Year Old is produced by Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey, distilled, aged, and bottled at the distillery's facility more than a mile above sea level in Denver, Colorado. First released in 2020, Mountain Angel became the first-ever 10-year age-stated straight American single malt whiskey, and remains an annual, ultra-limited release, with a new batch — this one, Batch 5 — crafted and released each year.
Made entirely from a mash bill of 100% malted barley, the whiskey matures a minimum of 10 years in new, charred American oak barrels (#3 char). Denver's high altitude, combined with the use of new rather than used oak, produces an unusually aggressive angel's share evaporation rate that Stranahan's credits directly with giving the whiskey depth and complexity comparable to a considerably older Scotch. ABV varies slightly from batch to batch, with recent batches ranging around 45.1% to 47.3%. Stranahan's own statement affirms that flavor and quality remain deliberately consistent across every annual batch. Bottled at 47.3% ABV / 94.6 proof.
Tastings.com — 96 Points (Batch No. 4, reviewed 7/16/2024)
Double Gold Medal — San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2021
Men's Journal:
"Stranahan's Mountain Angel Is the Best American Single Malt, Period... During a decade-plus of slumber in virgin cooperage, Mountain Angel accumulates an enviable golden amber hue. It surrenders notes of cedar-smoked honey as it pours into a snifter. Upon the palate, it exudes a salty caramel taste with first sip. Repeated exposure reveals dried apricots and a bit of baking spice, reminiscent of nutmeg. Subtle in approach and evolving slowly in the glass."
David Fleming, Whisky Advocate:
"Hints of fragrant mountain pine, sweet lemon, vanilla cream, and spiced toasty oak on an exhilarating nose. Boldly inviting on the palate, with a mouth-coating mélange of vanilla, hints of cherry sorbet, candied raspberries, and coconut shavings, set against bitter chocolate and licorice, all spiced with jalapeño pepper. A finish perhaps not as bold as the palate, but offering tasty notes of coconut, red fruit, and spice. Elegant rusticity in this superbly balanced, individualistic dram."
Scott Bernard Nelson, The Whiskey Wash:
"Burnt umber; black tea. Sweet liqueur, glazed cherries, after-dinner cognac and pipe smoke. Tobacco and brown sugar; dark, sticky molasses; maple bars; caramelized wood. The finish is long and luxurious, the mouthfeel velvety."
Nose
Golden amber in color. Cedar-smoked honey and fragrant mountain pine lead, joined by sweet lemon, vanilla cream, and spiced toasty oak, alongside burnt umber and black tea.
Palate
Salted caramel opens, developing into a mouth-coating mélange of vanilla, cherry sorbet, candied raspberry, and coconut shavings, set against bitter chocolate, licorice, and jalapeño spice. Dried apricot and baking spice — nutmeg in particular — emerge with repeated tasting, alongside tobacco, brown sugar, and dark molasses.
Finish
Long and luxurious, with a velvety mouthfeel, closing with coconut, red fruit, caramelized wood, and lingering spice — a genuinely balanced, individualistic close.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Style | American Single Malt Whiskey — Ultra-Premium, Limited Annual Release |
| ABV / Proof | 47.3% ABV / 94.6 Proof (varies slightly by batch) |
| Age | 10 Years |
| Mash Bill | 100% Malted Barley |
| Maturation | New American oak, #3 char |
| Distillery | Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey — Denver, Colorado |
| Batch | 5 |
| Category Significance | The first-ever 10-year age-stated straight American single malt whiskey (debuted 2020) |
| Production | Ultra-limited — early batches under 500 bottles total |
| Awards | Double Gold, San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2021) · 96 Points, Tastings.com (Batch 4) |
| Style / Identity | A genuinely rare, patiently matured American single malt — depth and complexity Stranahan's compares to Scotch twice its age |
| Aromas & Flavors | Cedar-smoked honey, salted caramel, dried apricot, baking spice, vanilla, coconut |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
Best enjoyed neat in a snifter to fully appreciate its slow-evolving, layered character.
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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