Stark Peated Amerian Malt Whiskey Review

By Debbie Shocair

Rating: A-

Stark Peated Whiskey
(Credit: Debbie Shocair)

In the heart of Pasadena, California, there is a micro-distillery that, in my mind, epitomizes the American Craft Whiskey movement. There, husband and wife team Greg and Karen Stark operate a distillery in a mere 1,100 square foot space in a business park that sits in the shadows of the San Gabriel Mountains.

No. Really. Blink and you may drive right past it.

Having lost their jobs in the Great Recession of 2008, Greg and Karen found they were overqualified for the job market, but too young to retire. Eventually, they decided to pursue their passion and put their combined smarts together, opening Stark Spirits Micro-Distillery. They currently produce 7 different spirits, nearly all of them award-winning, a particularly delightful peated whiskey among them.

Most of the equipment in their micro-distillery was hand-made or hand-modified by Greg Stark, who had previously been a master home-brewer, and Karen speaks proudly of his accomplishments as she talks about the distillery they both cherish and over which they toil. It has certainly been a labor of love and a product of the passion for great spirits the Stark both share. Each of the three stills is lovingly named: Dragon, Hoga, and Esmeralda. Using smaller barrels to expedite the whiskey’s maturation, they settled on a NAS label. After all, you pick the apple when it’s ripe, right?

The Peated Whiskey is made from 98% peated malt and 2% normal malt, with the whiskey bottled at 92 proof.

The Whiskey
The aroma on this peated beauty was of oak and caramel, with low-lying notes of peat, taffy, leather and pie crust. I really liked that. Breaking it with a ½ teaspoon of water brought the pastry notes forward and intensified the sweet taffy.

The mouthfeel was silky, tingling only the tip of the tongue and later the back of the palate.

The medium finish was of oak and leather, followed by cinnamon, clove, and an indefinable sweetness near the end. The peat was subtle, and very pleasant, indeed.

This is definitely a sipping whiskey, one to inspire conversation. It should make any Californian proud, and if you locals visit, Karen will happily receive you and show you around. Stark Spirits will be a part of The Whiskey Mistress 2018 Southern California Tour too.

The Price
It can be found at a number of California retail outlets, including Mission Spirits and Wade’s Wines, and can be purchased online through their website for about $65 retail.