Craft American Single Malt

American single malt is made from 100% malted barley, distilled entirely at one distillery in the United States, and aged in oak barrels no larger than 700 liters. Unlike bourbon, the barrels do not have to be new or charred, which leaves room for wine, sherry and other cask finishes.

Both are American whiskeys, but they start from different grains and follow different rules.

Bourbon must be made from a mash of at least 51% corn and aged in new, charred oak containers. The corn and fresh charred oak give it its familiar sweetness, with notes of vanilla and caramel.

American single malt must be made from 100% malted barley, distilled entirely at one distillery in the United States, and aged in oak casks. Unlike bourbon, those casks can be new or used, so distillers often finish their whiskey in barrels that once held wine, sherry or other spirits. The result tends to be maltier and more varied, often closer in style to a Scotch single malt.

At a glance:
Grain: bourbon is mostly corn; American single malt is all malted barley
Barrels: bourbon requires new charred oak; American single malt can use new or used casks
Flavor: bourbon leans sweet and rich; American single malt leans malty, with more room to experiment

American single malt became an official US category in 2025, and it is one of the fastest-growing styles among craft distillers.

They start from the same recipe: 100% malted barley, made at a single distillery. What separates them is where they are made, how strict the rules are and how the climate shapes them.

Scotch single malt must be distilled in copper pot stills and aged in oak casks in Scotland for at least three years. Those rules, refined over centuries, give Scotch its consistency and its regional styles, from light and floral to heavily peated.

American single malt must be distilled and aged in the United States, in oak casks that can be new or used. There is no minimum aging period and no pot still requirement, which gives distillers more room to experiment with barrels, stills and even how they dry their barley. Some use smoke from local woods like mesquite or oak instead of peat. Many American distilleries also sit in warmer, drier climates than Scotland, so their whiskey interacts with the barrel faster and can taste richer at a younger age.

In short:
Same: 100% malted barley from a single distillery, aged in oak
Scotch: made in Scotland, pot stills, at least three years in the barrel
American single malt: made in the US, flexible methods, more experimental