Stranahans Founder's Release 12 Year 750ML

Stranahan's Founder's Release 12 Year 750ML is a cask-strength American single malt whiskey bottled at 60% ABV (120 proof) in a 750ml bottle. What distinguishes this expression is its finishing regimen: after initial aging of eight to eleven years in charred new American white oak barrels, a portion of the whiskey was further matured for one to four years in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-blonde ale casks — a nod to co-founder George Stranahan's deep roots in Colorado craft brewing.

Quick Facts: ABV: 60% (120 Proof)  |  Origin: Colorado, USA  |  Age: 12 Years  |  Distillery: Stranahan's

Production & Heritage

Stranahan's holds the distinction of being Colorado's first legal distillery since Prohibition. The distillery works exclusively with a 100% malted barley mashbill, placing it firmly in the American single malt category. For the Founder's Release, the base spirit spends the majority of its maturation in charred, new American white oak barrels before a secondary finishing period in a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-blonde ale casks. That blonde ale cask influence is the signature touch here — George Stranahan co-founded Flying Dog Brewery, and the brewing connection runs through this whiskey's DNA. Bottled at full cask strength without dilution, the 120-proof intensity preserves every layer of flavor developed over twelve years of aging at Colorado's high altitude.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Opens with rich toffee and glazed pecan, followed by waves of milk chocolate and coffee cream. Deeper inhales reveal nutmeg, peppermint, and a faint suggestion of fresh apple crumble — cinnamon-dusted and warmly spiced.

Taste: The entry is dense with milk chocolate and coffee liqueur, carrying real weight at cask strength. Mid-palate, scorched meringue sweetness transitions into amaretto and sarsaparilla, while flat cherry cola and nutmeg develop as the whiskey opens. A splash of water draws out additional malted barley character and softens the proof into a rounder, more integrated experience.

Finish: Long and layered, with amaretto giving way to bubbly cream soda sweetness and lingering clove spice. The blonde ale cask influence emerges subtly at the tail end, lending a biscuity, lightly toasted grain quality that separates it from standard bourbon-finished releases.

How to Drink the Founder's Release

At 120 proof, this whiskey rewards patience. Start neat to appreciate the full cask-strength intensity, then add a few drops of water to unlock the mid-palate complexity — the chocolate and coffee notes bloom considerably with dilution. For cocktails, the robust proof and malt-forward character make it a strong candidate for a Manhattan, where the amaretto and clove spice complement sweet vermouth beautifully. Try it in a Bobby Burns, where Bénédictine draws out the toasted malt and biscuit undertones. It also holds its own in a Highball with quality soda water, stretching the toffee and cream soda notes into a long, refreshing serve without losing character.

Best For

• Gifting a whiskey collector who follows American single malt's rise as a category
• Side-by-side tastings comparing American and Scotch single malts
• Marking a milestone — the 12-year age statement and cask strength give this bottle occasion-worthy weight
• Adding a rare, age-stated Colorado whiskey to a home bar

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Founder's Release taste like? It leads with rich milk chocolate and coffee cream, transitions through amaretto and sarsaparilla at the mid-palate, and finishes with clove spice and cream soda sweetness. The cask-strength bottling amplifies these flavors, giving it a dense, layered profile distinct from lighter American single malts.

How does the Founder's Release compare to Stranahan's Snowflake releases? Stranahan's Snowflake bottlings are hyper-limited, single-barrel expressions finished in a rotating selection of unusual casks, while the Founder's Release is a multi-cask-finished 12-year expression bottled at cask strength. Both are sought-after, but the Founder's Release offers a more structured, age-driven profile compared to the Snowflake series' experimental, cask-forward character.

Is the Founder's Release good for sipping neat? Yes — the 60% ABV is assertive but carries enough depth from twelve years of aging to remain balanced. A few drops of water help integrate the proof and open up chocolate and coffee notes considerably.

Where is the Founder's Release made? It is distilled and aged at Stranahan's distillery in Denver, Colorado, which was the state's first legal distillery since Prohibition. Colorado's high-altitude environment, with its wide temperature swings, contributes to accelerated barrel interaction during aging.

What foods pair well with the Founder's Release? Dark chocolate truffles complement the milk chocolate and coffee notes directly. Pecan pie mirrors the glazed pecan aromas on the nose. Smoked brisket works well against the cask-strength intensity and clove spice. Blue cheese amplifies the amaretto sweetness through contrast. Apple tart with cinnamon echoes the apple crumble nuances found on the aroma.

What sizes does the Founder's Release come in? The Founder's Release 12 Year is available in the standard 750ml bottle size.

Is the Founder's Release worth the price? The Founder's Release positions as a premium expression within the American single malt category, justified by a genuine 12-year age statement, cask-strength bottling, and the distinctive blonde ale cask finishing step. For collectors and enthusiasts following the American single malt movement, the combination of age, proof, and limited production represents strong value relative to comparably aged single malts from Scotland.

Why the Founder's Release?

Twelve-year age statements remain uncommon in the American single malt space, and this release backs that number with a production story that actually means something — the blonde ale cask finishing directly connects to co-founder George Stranahan's brewing legacy. The full cask-strength bottling at 120 proof preserves a layered, uncompromised flavor profile that ranges from toffee and milk chocolate through amaretto and clove spice. Stranahan's essentially pioneered Colorado whiskey distilling, and the Founder's Release reads as a culmination of that history: the distillery's longest-aged public release, bottled at its most intense. In a category increasingly crowded with young, lightly aged expressions, this whiskey earns attention by doing the one thing that cannot be shortcut — putting in the years.