Review: Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey Mountain Angel 12 Years Old

By David Tao | December 10, 2024 |

Since it first released Mountain Angel 10 Years Old in 2020, Stranahan’s has laid claim to one of the highest continually released age statements in American single malt. Now, under the guidance of second-year Head Blender Justin Aden, the brand is tacking on a couple more years to a core offering. Starting in late 2024, Stranahan’s will begin selling a version Mountain Angel with a 12 year age statement. According to the brand, it’s the oldest straight American single malt ever released to the public.

According to Aden, this first 12 year old release is a small blend of just five casks, bottled at 94.6 proof. But he expects that volume to increase about 20-fold in 2025 (and potentially further beyond that). The liquid in this first 12 year old release features whiskey that underwent a primary aging period of around nine years in new American oak, followed by three years of finishing in first-fill ruby Port casks. Moving forward, Aden plans to adjust components including primary aging and finishing times. His team will also incorporate whiskey finished in white and tawny Port in addition to ruby.

Let’s see how this newest (and oldest) Mountain Angel tastes!

Campfire-smoked tropical fruit kicks off the nose, like papaya, guava, and Pinkglow pineapple cooked in bonfire embers. The smoke influence is light and fleeting, only lasting long enough to add a touch of char to a lot of hallmark Stranahan’s tropical fruit. Next up are darker fruit notes — that ruby Port influence shining through — in the realm of dark cherries and preserved strawberries. Notes shift further from fruity to herbal/floral after more time in the glass, with whiffs of fried sage, dried rosemary, peony, and jasmine.

Fruit also leads on the palate, in this case of the orchard variety (peach, pear, and green apple), though there are hints of papaya throughout. The second sip is sweeter and lives at the intersection of lemon drop candy and vanilla donut glaze. That citrus-forward sour element provides a surprisingly elegant segue to some astringency on the midpalate. It’s here the whiskey dries out enough to provide a welcome respite from the sweet/fruity combo. A little smoke and barrel char bridge the middle and back palates; compared to the nose, that smoke flavor is more reminiscent of burning leaves than a true campfire.

The upper palate carries a lot of weight on the finish: light toffee, menthol, wintergreen, and spiced pineapple linger here. Dark caramel, vanilla extract, and wood sugar provide a sweet finish across the tongue and throat, though a bit shorter than the notes sticking on the roof of the mouth.

94.6 proof

A- / $100 / stranahans.com