Coors’ New Blended Malt Whiskey is Surprisingly Good

Welcome to Taste Test, where every week our critic Jonah Flicker explores the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world. Check back each Sunday for his latest whiskey review.

When it comes to American whiskey, bourbon reigns supreme. Of course, there are other categories to consider, like rye, wheat, and malt whiskey, but none of them are nearly as popular as America’s native spirit. So what made one of the country’s biggest beer brands decide to release a blended malt whiskey instead of a bourbon? And, more importantly, how the hell did Coors manage to make such a good whiskey?

Maybe that’s not entirely fair. First of all, I’m no beer snob. I have nothing against Coors or any other American beer that might be considered lesser by the craft crowd. In fact, I’d prefer to drink Miller High Life or Narragansett any day instead of some hoppy double IPA. That’s not backlash or a contrarian take, it’s just taste. That being said, Coors isn’t necessarily my beer of choice, but it most certainly is for millions of people every day. The brand is owned by Molson Coors Beverage, a company that decided to get into the spirits game in 2021 when it opened the Coors Whiskey Co. The brand has released several whiskeys over the years, including Barmen Bourbon and the Five Trail series of blended whiskeys. Some have been good, others have been kind of forgettable.

The latest release, however, is a pleasant revelation. Coors Whiskey Co. Blended American Malt Whiskey is, as you should expect from the name, a blend of malt whiskeys. Here’s what we know about this whiskey. It was made from a mashbill of “Coors’ own proprietary malt and Colorado malt” (referring to the malted barley). It makes sense that a beer company would know a thing or two about malt, given that it’s the core ingredient of most beer. There is no dedicated distillery, but Shaylyn Gammon, Coors Spirits Co.’s head of whiskey development & innovation, spearheaded this project. The whiskey was distilled at Bardstown Bourbon Company in Kentucky, and the components were aged for eight years before being blended and bottled at 110.5 proof. The reason this is a blended malt whiskey and not a single malt is that either the components did not come from one distillery or the mashbills were not 100 percent malted barley. (We reached out to a rep to find out, but have not yet heard back.)

Another thing we do know is that this is just a good whiskey, and one that I think even dedicated bourbon fans who think they don’t like malt whiskey might enjoy. It’s clearly well aged, because there is none of the hoppy bitterness or green barley notes that some younger whiskeys in this category have. Instead, expect fruit flavors like cherry, pear, apple, and orange, but also deep notes of milk and dark chocolate, vanilla, toasted almond, and lighter notes like lemon peel, cinnamon, and some pepper spice. That last flavor is augmented by the whiskey’s higher proof, which veers toward burn but pulls back at the last minute.

According to a brand rep, this is the first in what will be an ongoing series of whiskeys focusing on “exploration and innovation.” Based on the quality of this new release, I’m up for trying them, whatever that means. In the meantime, give this new blended malt a try, I think it’ll suprise you too.

Score: 88

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