Disclosure: the sample for this review was provided at no cost. Our tasting notes and score are our own.
A little background
Stillman’s Sonder American Single Malt is a 10-year-old American single malt whiskey from Dancing Goat Distillery in Cambridge, Wisconsin. It was distilled in Indiana by MGP and aged in Wisconsin. After its initial maturation, the whiskey went through three rounds of blending, re-barreling, and finishing across a range of casks, including virgin oak, ex-bourbon, Wisconsin brandy, Cognac, and Calvados. It is bottled at 96.4 proof (48.2% ABV) and has an MSRP of $70. Beyond its American single malt designation, the mash bill is undisclosed.
The whiskey grew out of a collection of orphaned barrels. From 2010 to 2016, distillation at MGP in Indiana included a series of large exploratory test runs that left a number of barrels unused, among them American single malt. The Maas family acquired and curated those stocks over time, and father and son Tom and Nick Maas led an 18-month process of analysis, blending, finishing, and refinement to select the best barrels. The name honors Duane Maas, a stillman who worked on production methods and quality standards for spirits such as Seagram’s and Chartreuse beginning in the 1950s and consulted on the early development of Dancing Goat Distillery before his passing in 2016. Stillman’s Sonder is a range of 10-year whiskey blends that currently includes this American single malt, a bourbon, and limited single barrel offerings.
(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)
Color
Light Gold
Nose
Vanilla, nutmeg, lemon zest, toasted oak, and sweet baked pears.
Palate
Vanilla cream, brown sugar, custard, baking spice (nutmeg, clove, and light cinnamon), lemon, and soft oak.
Finish
Continued baking spice, cracked pepper, dried apples, vanilla, caramel, and oak.
In closing
Stillman’s Sonder American Single Malt delivers a soft, approachable profile full of fall flavors. The nose is light at first but grows more complex with time, offering vanilla, nutmeg, lemon zest, toasted oak, and sweet baked pears. The palate is soft yet enjoyably flavorful, with vanilla cream, brown sugar, and custard leading into baking spice of nutmeg, clove, and light cinnamon, along with lemon and soft oak. The finish is long and evolving, carrying continued baking spice and cracked pepper into dried apples, vanilla, caramel, and oak.
This is a very approachable whiskey that I think most people would enjoy, and its warm, fall-like flavor profile makes it a great introduction to the American single malt category. The multi-cask finishing adds orchard fruit and dessert-like depth, and at 96.4 proof it stays soft and easy to sip. At $70 for a 10-year-old American single malt, it is priced well and worth the price tag. Stillman’s Sonder American Single Malt is a wonderful addition to the growing American single malt category.
NOTE: The sample used for this review was provided at no cost courtesy of Dancing Goat Distillery. We thank them for the sample and for allowing us to review it with no strings attached.
Stillman's Sonder 10 Year American Single Malt
96.4 Proof
