Levant Heights Single Pot Still Lebanese Whisky
Riachi Winery & Distillery is quietly making some of the best whisky in the world. I’ll dive into their truly all-Lebanese whisky when I get to the Athyr line, but even these - the Levant Heights line, the experimental products - are excellent.
With Levant Heights, Head Distiller Roy Riachi pays homage to some of his favorite whisky styles from around the world. In addition to the Single Pot Still and Dark Malt, the two available in the US, there’s also a heavily peated edition honoring Islay-style whiskies and a bourbon-like dram, both available in select European and local markets to Riachi.
The Levant Heights Single Pot Still, though, is all about Irish whiskey. Interestingly for me, Roy used Samuel Gelston’s Single Pot Still as his inspiration. I’ve had many different styles and brands, but I’ll admit I had never heard of Samuel Gelston’s let alone tried it. My surprise was mitigated when I found out it’s not really available stateside, but still it’s now on my list.
To mimic the creamy and mild pepper profile, Roy used what he described as “long, long heads cuts” to maximize the hearts intensity. The result is a decadent pour that at 92º easily drinks above proof for the mouthfeel. For the fruity character, a longer fermentation was used, allowing the yeast to start producing fruit-forward esters you see in days 3-4 of a wash.
The last part of a classic Single Pot Still that Roy wanted to recreate was the smoothness. In looking to both SPS and Irish blends, Roy loves the smoothness and easy drinkability. You may or may not like using the word, but smoothness is a thing - drink a Jameson next to a Redbreast and tell me which is smoother (I love both of them, to be clear, but the profile as it hits your palate is undeniably smoother for the Jameson).
Two features of the Levant Heights Single Pot Still are unusual for the style: the mashbill and the maturation cask.
Single Pot Still mashbills typically have a mix of malted and unmalted barley, no less than 30% of each as per Irish regulations. Some producers add other grains in: wheat, more often than not, for its extra sweetness and mild character. Stateside, Talnua does this to great effect.
Talnua is also a good reference point for the maturation: like Talnua’s core single pot still, Riachi uses virgin American oak casks for its three-year maturation. The result is an intense, almost yellow cake-like vanilla and even more creaminess on top of the spirit’s inherent character.
Is it a Single Pot Still in the truest sense of the word? Probably not: purists will complain that there’s no unmalted barley and the virgin oak is too powerful. But honestly? Don’t believe them. This has all the creaminess, fruitiness, and vanilla you want in a SPS. If I had one point on which I think this could be closer to the Irish style, I’d say a bit more pot still spice, but that’s really it. Riachi uses a converted Armagnac still for both distillations, so that alone may lead to less spice because of the still style. I’ll have to look into that.
Levant Heights Single Pot Still Lebanese Whisky: Specs
Classification: Lebanese Whisky
Origin: Riachi Winery & Distillery
Mashbill: 60% Malted Barley, 40% Wheat (Local to Riachi)
Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
Age: 3 Years Old
Location: Lebanon
Levant Heights Single Pot Still Lebanese Whisky Price: $30
Levant Heights Single Pot Still Lebanese Whisky: Tasting Notes
Eye: White tea with a hint of green. Medium rims and large hanging drops.
Nose: Lots of vanilla, but also an intriguing umami note underneath I can’t quite identify (also haven’t gotten that previously). More savory while still being vanilla and spice-forward. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting, no proof.
Palate: So much yellow cake, batter and baked with the edges just catching. Semisweet cocoa frosting and pure candy disc sprinkles. Single pot still spice builds on the tip of my tongue, creamy with some warming but youthful proof on the back half of my tongue. Palate is light and fruity, creamy without being heavy, mildly coating. Still a vanilla show.
Finish: Short side of medium, in line for 92º. The creamy vanilla allows some lemon curd to sneak in while retaining a chocolate undertone.
Overall: Honors the single pot still style without hewing absolutely to the line, and I love it. At $30, it’s wildly underpriced. For the same price, this handily beats any comparable Jameson, Redbreast, or other Irish whiskey while maintaining a unique identity.
Final Rating: 7.5
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary
8 | Excellent | Exceptional
7 | Great | Well above average
6 | Very Good | Better than average
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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