Stranahan’s Diamond Peak, the newest release from Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, is now available. It is made from Master Distiller Rob Dietrich’s favorite barrels that were hand-selected for their maturity and depth of flavor.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, Diamond Peak has notes of dried apricot, tack-shed, leather, black licorice and a hint of wet cedar. On the palate, it evokes Turkish apricot, dark-roast coffee, butterscotch, oak, cayenne and Mexican hot chocolate. On the finish, it is rolling and creamy.
“Diamond Peak represents the cream of the crop of our Stranahan’s barrels that I married in just the right way to complement their unique characteristics,” says Dietrich. “I recommend that Diamond Peak be savored neat, 3-fingers worth, with only the tiniest dash of cold filtered water or spring water.”
Rob Dietrich is Master Distiller at Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, one of the state’s first whiskeys since Prohibition, which was created by distilling legend Jess Graber. Dietrich is responsible for every aspect of the 100 percent malt whiskey’s “grain-to-bottle” production and is committed to maintaining Graber’s original recipe, artisanal methods and his handcrafted approach to distillation.
Dietrich oversees sourcing primarily Colorado malted barley, fermenting and distilling the mash, managing the barrel aging process and blending and cutting the spirit to proof with Rocky Mountain water. In addition, he supervises the all-volunteer bottling brigades at the distillery in Denver. Dietrich is also personally in charge of creating the distillery’s famed Snowflake editions, which have “Stranafans” lining up all night prior to its release.
Joining Stranahan’s in 2006, Dietrich learned the art and science of distillation from Graber, whom he proudly calls his mentor. Graber originally was a local volunteer firefighter who happened to have a moonshining hobby. He responded to a call by George Stranahan, founder of Flying Dog Brewery, that his barn was ablaze. After the fire was extinguished, the two got to talking and learned that they shared a love of the outdoors and whiskey. Graber started experimenting with distilling whiskey mashes made by Flying Dog. All the ideas came together, and in 2002, Graber founded Stranahan’s and perfected his 100 percent malt whiskey.
Previously, Dietrich spent 10 years in the music business with Bill Graham Presents and as a freelance agent for venues like Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre and The Fillmore in San Francisco. Dietrich is a veteran of the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division and served from 1992 to 1995. His two combat tours in Somalia and relief operations in Haiti shaped his life-affirming philosophy.
A native of Montrose, Colorado, where Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey sources some of its grain, Dietrich enjoys rebuilding vintage cars, motorcycles and trucks, including a 1937 Dodge used at the Stranahan’s distillery. He also has a passion for long distance motorcycle trips across the U.S., Argentina, Chile, Thailand and Baja, Mexico, as well as hunting, camping and hiking.
Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey is one of the state’s first whiskeys since Prohibition. Master Distiller Rob Dietrich locally sources primarily Colorado malted barley for fermentation and distillation, and the spirit is then cut with Rocky Mountain water. The spirit has a loyal following within its home state, where avid fans wait in line all night to purchase the spirit’s limited run Snowflake editions or volunteer on its bottling line.
Stranahan’s was created by Jess Graber, a distiller and volunteer firefighter, who helped save George Stranahan’s burning barn. The two found that they shared a love of the outdoors and whiskey. From this newfound friendship, Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey was born. Owned and distributed by Proximo Spirits, Inc., it is now rolling out across the U.S. For more information, visit www.stranahans.com. On social media, Facebook at www.facebook.com/stranahans.colorado.whiskey. On Twitter at @Stranahans and Instragram at @stranahanswhiskey.
