Florida Single Malt Whiskey

Florida Single Malt Whiskey is an American single malt made from 100% malted barley at Timber Creek Distillery in Crestview, Florida. It is produced using traditional single malt methods — lauter tun mashing, copper pot still distillation, and a copper worm condenser — then aged in new #3 char American oak rather than the used Scotch casks most single malts rely on. The result is a buttery, approachable whiskey that carries clear barley character alongside the caramel and vanilla depth that new charred oak delivers. It is bottled unfiltered at 90 proof.

What Is American Single Malt Whiskey?

American single malt whiskey is a category of whiskey made from 100% malted barley at a single distillery in the United States. It follows the same grain requirement as Scotch single malt — 100% malted barley, one distillery — but it is produced on American terms, using American ingredients, American aging vessels, and American production environments. The American Single Malt Whiskey Commission formalized the category definition in 2024. That gave American producers a recognized framework for the style.

The key distinction from Scotch single malt is what American producers do differently. American distillers are not constrained to used casks — they can age in new charred oak, which produces a fundamentally different flavor profile than used barrels. American producers also operate in a wider range of climates — from the Pacific Northwest to the Southeast. So American single malts vary more in maturation character than their Scottish counterparts. At Timber Creek, we make an American single malt on distinctly Florida terms: new charred American oak, Florida limestone spring water, and aging in the heat and humidity of the Florida Panhandle.

For a detailed look at how the American single malt category developed, see our guide to American single malt whiskey.

What Makes This a Florida Single Malt

Florida Single Malt Whiskey is not simply an American single malt made in Florida. The production standards we apply distinguish it from single malts made anywhere else in the country.

• Distilled from 100% US-grown malted barley
• Uses only Florida limestone spring water throughout production
• Aged in Florida’s heat and humidity, which shapes maturation differently than cooler climates
• Aged in new #3 char American oak — not used Scotch casks
• Bottled unfiltered to preserve natural oils, esters, and grain character
• Hand-selected barrel blending before bottling

Each of those standards is a deliberate production decision. Florida’s climate accelerates barrel cycling. New charred American oak adds caramel and vanilla depth that used casks do not. Unfiltered bottling preserves the oily mouthfeel that 100% barley distillation produces. Together, they define what a Florida single malt actually tastes like — which is different from both Scotch single malt and from American single malts produced in cooler, drier climates.

The Production Method — Traditional Scottish Approach, Florida Execution

When we designed the production process for this whiskey, we modeled it closely after traditional Scottish single malt methods. That decision was intentional — Scottish distillers refined the single malt production method over centuries, and those refinements exist for good reason. However, we execute those methods in a Florida environment with American materials, which produces a distinct result.

Lauter Tun Mashing

We use a lauter tun to mash the malted barley. A lauter tun separates liquid wort from the spent grain husks after mashing. The result is a cleaner, clearer wort than a traditional mash tun produces. Cleaner wort means cleaner fermentation. The barley’s own flavor compounds carry through more clearly rather than being masked by fermentation byproducts.

Copper Pot Still Distillation

Single malt whiskey is traditionally distilled in copper pot stills. Pot stills retain more congeners — the flavor-active compounds from fermentation — than column stills. Copper reacts with sulfur compounds in the distillate and removes them, lightening the spirit without stripping it. Still shape also affects character. Taller stills with longer necks produce lighter, more floral spirit. Shorter, wider stills produce heavier, oilier distillate. Our pot still produces a spirit in the middle of that range. It has enough body to carry the barley character and stays clean enough to let it read clearly.

Copper Worm Condenser

A worm condenser is a coiled copper tube submerged in cold water that condenses the vapor coming off the still into liquid. This traditional method produces a heavier, oilier distillate than modern shell-and-tube condensers. The vapor spends more time in contact with copper at lower temperatures, which adds texture. That additional oil and texture contribute directly to the mouthfeel that distinguishes this expression.

New #3 Char American Oak

Most single malt whiskeys age in used oak — ex-bourbon barrels, ex-Sherry casks, or other previously-used vessels. Used oak contributes wood character more slowly and adds complexity from whatever spirit occupied the barrel before. New charred American oak works differently. The char layer creates a layer of activated carbon that filters some of the harsher congeners from the new spirit. Behind that char layer, caramelized wood sugars extract into the whiskey, contributing caramel, vanilla, and toasted grain notes. At #3 char, caramelization is significant without going deep enough to overwhelm the barley character. The result is a single malt with more sweetness and oak presence than most Scottish or Pacific Northwest American single malts. Clean grain character balances that oak weight throughout.

Florida Single Malt Tasting Notes

Florida Single Malt is the most approachable whiskey in the lineup. It is buttery, smooth, and built around clear barley character rather than sharp spice or aggressive oak.

Nose

Warm caramel and vanilla from the new American oak lead the nose, alongside light honey and cereal sweetness from the barley. A subtle butter note develops with air — a characteristic of the worm condenser’s heavier distillate. There is no peat, no smoke, and no sharp grain edge. The nose is soft, welcoming, and clearly grain-forward despite the oak’s significant contribution.

Palate

The entry is smooth and sweet, with the caramel and vanilla from the barrel arriving first. Barley’s natural cereal and malt character follows — biscuit, light toast, and a subtle nuttiness that distinguishes malted barley from corn or rye on the palate. The oily mouthfeel from the worm condenser and unfiltered bottling makes this the most texturally rich expression in the lineup. At 90 proof, the alcohol stays gentle enough that grain and barrel character carry the palate without heat interference.

Finish

The finish is clean, warm, and moderately long. Vanilla and light oak tannin linger after the barley sweetness fades. The butter note returns on the back end. Unlike rye-forward expressions, there is no spice on the finish — just a smooth, malt-driven warmth that makes this an easy whiskey to return to repeatedly in a single sitting.

Overall Character

Florida Single Malt is sweet, buttery, and distinctly approachable for a single malt. It does not taste like Scotch — the new American oak and Florida climate produce something clearly in a category of its own. For guests at the distillery who are unfamiliar with single malt whiskey, this expression consistently surprises. It is richer and sweeter than most guests expect from a 100% barley whiskey. Silver Medal winner at the Denver International Spirits Competition for Single Malt Whiskey.

American Single Malt vs. Scotch Single Malt — What’s Different?

Single malt whiskey as a category is most closely associated with Scotland. However, American single malt and Scotch single malt are distinct products shaped by different regulations, different ingredients, and fundamentally different production environments.

Scotch single malt must be produced in Scotland, aged in Scotland for a minimum of three years in oak casks, and bottled at no less than 40% ABV. Scottish producers typically age in used barrels. Ex-bourbon American oak and ex-Sherry European oak are the most common choices. The cooler, damper Scottish climate produces slow, even maturation. Peat is optional, not required, but common in many Scottish regions.

American single malt has no geographic restriction within the U.S. and is not limited to used casks. Florida Single Malt uses new American oak — permitted under American single malt standards and explicitly not permitted for Scotch. Florida’s warmer climate produces faster maturation. New oak and accelerated barrel cycling produce more caramel and vanilla than most Scotch single malts at comparable ages. Additionally, there is no peat in Florida Single Malt — the flavor profile is built entirely from barley, oak, and the production process rather than from any smoked ingredient.

If you want a deeper exploration of how the two categories compare and how American single malt developed as a recognized style, see our American single malt guide.

Where Florida Single Malt Fits in the Timber Creek Lineup

Each whiskey in the Timber Creek lineup demonstrates what one grain produces on its own. Florida Black Rye Whiskey is 100% heirloom rye. Florida Single Malt is 100% malted barley. Those two expressions anchor opposite ends of the grain character spectrum — rye at the dry, spicy end; barley at the smooth, oily, malt-forward end. The Florida Whiskey and Southern Reserve sit between them, blending those grain components in different proportions.

Florida Single Malt also contributes the barley component to the four-grain Southern Reserve blend. Tasting it here shows exactly what barley brings to that blend — the round mid-palate texture, the subtle malt depth, and the butter note that gives Southern Reserve its cohesion. The Bourbon Blending Experience lets guests work with single-grain components, making barley’s specific contribution to multi-grain blends tangible rather than abstract.

Awards & Recognition

Florida Single Malt Whiskey has been recognized in American single malt competition categories. For the full award history across all Timber Creek expressions, see the Awards page.

 

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Farm-to-Bottle PureBlend® Process

At Timber Creek, we take a natural, sustainable approach to crafting our spirits through our proprietary PureBlend® process. This method carefully brings out the rich, authentic flavors of each grain and ingredient, honoring their natural character. After aging, we thoughtfully blend these elements to create bold, balanced, and pure flavor profiles — delivering a true farm-to-bottle experience.

For the full story on how single malt production works at Timber Creek, see our grain-to-glass distillation guide.

Download the Florida Single Malt Spec Sheet (PDF)

Explore the Whiskey Lineup

• Florida Whiskey — Wheated three-grain blend, sweet and approachable at 93 proof
• Southern Reserve Florida Whiskey — Four-grain blend featuring single malt barley, bold at 100 proof
• Florida Black Rye Whiskey — 100% heirloom rye, dry and grain-forward at 93 proof
• Bourbon Blending Experience — Blend your own whiskey using the single-grain components
• The Long Road to American Single Malt Whiskey
• What Is Whiskey? A Distiller’s Complete Guide

Spec Sheet