Colkegan Cask Strength Single Malt is a 118 proof version of Santa Fe Spirits’ traditional mesquite smoked single malt whiskey which exhibits more barrel notes of coffee, chocolate, caramel and baking spices. Bottling whiskey at cask strength is about enhanced flavors and aromas, about stripping the whiskey down to its bones and preserving more of the original flavors of the cask and not diluting any of its essence. Colkegan Cask Strength Single Malt received a score of 90 in the Fall 2018 Whisky Advocate, who called it “a truly compelling American single malt," and a score of 90 again in the Spring 2022 Whisky Advocate.

Recent Awards

2022 Silver Medal Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition
2022 Gold Medal Beverage Testing Institute
2022 Silver Medal New Orleans Spirits Competition
2022 91 points Whiskey Advocate
2022 Distilling.com 4 out of 5
2022 Silver Medal Fifty Best
2021 Silver Medal American Craft Spirits Awards
2021 Silver Medal Fifty Best
2020 Craft Distillery of the Year My Whiskey Den
2020 Icons of Whisky, America, Craft Producer of the Year, Highly Commmended

Over the two years that it took Santa Fe Spirits to perfect the recipe for Wheeler’s Western Dry Gin, we found ourselves constantly wandering New Mexico in search of the perfect combination of botanicals to create a classic dry gin with southwestern flair. Much like explorer and cartographer George Wheeler, after whom both this bold gin and New Mexico’s highest mountain are named, we wandered New Mexico’s arid desert basins, lush mountain meadows, and everywhere between with the goal of revealing the subtle secrets of the Southwest to the rest of the world. But where Wheeler used a pen and paper, we used a bottle and a still.

Wheeler’s unparalleled flavor marries bold complexity with sincere terroir. When enjoyed neat, hop flowers and osha root create a vibrant aroma that is a delightful interplay of bright fruit and spice. Upon a solid foundation of juniper, the short-lived, frail, magenta flowers of the local cholla cactus contribute a one-of-a-kind flavor reminiscent of cucumber, but chock full of sweet nectar and delicate perfume. Then, just as the distinct hues of a desert sunset combine to form a single, spectacular view, the various aromas and flavors of Wheeler’s unite in a pleasant finish with a hint of sage, leaving one to contemplate the unending list of cocktails that would benefit from this adventurous gin and the subtle flavors of the Southwest.

About Santa Fe Spirits

Santa Fe Spirits was founded by Colin Keegan in 2010 with the goal of becoming the Southwest's pre-eminent artisan distillery. With products ranging from silver whiskey to barrel-aged apple brandy, Santa Fe Spirits is a relatively small distillery proud to be producing exceptional spirits designed to capture and accentuate the essence of the southwest.

For this expression of Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey, Santa Fe Spirits takes Colkegan from select aged barrels and transfers it to freshly emptied Apple Brandy barrels, where it continues to age for a minimum of one year. This mellows and sweetens the Colkegan, resulting in a whiskey Whisky Advocate described as having “soft and juicy aromas of ginger juice, apple tart, strawberry shortcake, and light, sweet smoke” with “a good deal of apple, poached pear, marmalade and light smoke” on the palate, and which they awarded 89 points.

Santa Fe Spirits bottles all of its Colkegan Apple Brandy Cask Finished from small batches, so each batch will have its own unique flavor. With the Apple Brandy Cask Finished we like to maintain the differences.  

About Santa Fe Spirits

Santa Fe Spirits was founded by Colin Keegan in 2010 with the goal of becoming the Southwest's pre-eminent artisan distillery. With products ranging from silver whiskey to barrel-aged apple brandy, Santa Fe Spirits is a relatively small distillery proud to be producing exceptional spirits designed to capture and accentuate the essence of the southwest.

In order for a spirit to be called Scotch Whisky it must be a product of Scotland. Although Santa Fe Spirits’ Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey is proud to pay homage to its heritage, this whiskey is much more than just another peat-smoked whiskey from across the pond and wouldn’t want to be called Scotch even if it could be.

Like its Scottish single malt cousins, Santa Fe Spirits’ Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey is made entirely from malted barley, carefully distilled, aged and finished in various oak casks to enhance the complex flavors inherent to true single malt whiskey. But there are key differences that set this remarkable spirit apart from its Scottish relatives.

While peat-smoked malt has always been a key ingredient in many well known Scotch whiskies, Santa Fe Spirits’ Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey’s wonderfully complex flavor profile benefits from a very different type of smoked malt : mesquite. The result is a smooth, mellow, mysteriously balanced hint of smoky complexity unique to Santa Fe Spirits.

Santa Fe Spirits’ Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey’s unique barrel aging process also separates it from its low-altitude relatives. Santa Fe Spirits is located 7,000 feet above sea level in the high desert and utilizes a climate-controlled barrel warehouse to maintain a more even temperature, as local temperatures range from freezing cold to swelteringly hot, with very low humidity. 

Santa Fe Spirits’ Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey is the deliciously unique result of an Englishman moving to the desert of the Southwest, building a distillery, and hybridizing time-honored Scottish distilling techniques with the unique flavors and climate of his new home.