Brownstone 6 Year Old Malt Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

May 2019 seems like another world to me now, but little over a year ago I was visiting in New York and took the opportunity to call upon Breuckelen Distilling. Started in 2010 by Brad Estabrooke, the distillery occupies an industrial studio, making very efficient use of a rather modest space. Despite the space constraints, Estabrooke has steered his company into the ranks of craft distillers who are raising the bar for maturity in craft whiskey. He has released a few bonded expressions, but when I called upon him in 2019 he wanted me to try something else he was working, something that became Brownstone 6 Year Old American Single Malt.

Made from 100% malted barley, Brownstone was aged in charred, new 53-gallon American Standard Barrels (most Scotch whiskies are aged in used versions of the selfsame cask) for six years, before bottling at 100 proof in a 1,000-bottle production run.

Even as American craft whiskey has been pushing its boundaries and leaving behind its youthful growth pains, some of those distillers have been working to establish an identity for American Single Malts. By cranking out a distinctly American, 6 year old single malt, Breuckelen has put down a milestone for both small distillers and that malty subset within them.

The Whiskey
A pour of Brownstone lives up to the name, presenting a solid, middle amber look. I had fun looking at this particular pour, as the liquid was so viscous it hung onto a bubble in the middle of the glass, one that lurked under the surface for almost a minute after swishing.

The nose has a dark, moody character. Golden raisins, molasses, cinnamon and musty wood come into the nostril and sit there heavily, departing grudgingly. Sipping gave me a mix of anise, fennel, cinnamon and nutmeg for spices, brown sugar and dried burley tobacco, and this rounded out with a sliver of toasted oak. The finish unfolds with lingering spiciness and a faint trace of wood.

This is a flavorful whiskey, one that is sweeter than most American Malts, but in a way that manages to not lean into bourbon territory. It’s a dark and hefty, sweet and spicy, and a must-have for anyone who is cultivating enthusiasm for the burgeoning American Malt sector.

The Price
This item can be had for $75 a bottle, but it’s tricky to get outside of New York and New Jersey.