Just about every spirit company claims to have the “Best.” “Best Triple Distilled Vodka,” “Best Single Barrel Bourbon,” how about “Best Tequila That Definitely Won’t Give You a Hangover, We Promise.” But how many of those brands can back up their claim with a panel of impartial industry experts who have tasted and rated their products on a rigid rubric? One such spirit vanguard that can proudly proclaim its “Bestness” with conviction is Alpine Distilling, whose Triple Oak Whiskey recently received a stellar 98 Platinum rating in the Enthusiast Reports International Spirit Competition.
“In my 15-year career in the spirits industry, we’ve only had three other instances of a 98 rating that came in from our panelists,” says Enthusiast Report CEO and publisher Lincoln Salazar. The rating is derived from a group of expert panelists with a combined over 100 years of industry experience. And they take their judging roles extremely seriously. During the blind tasting, judges appraise thousands of spirits submitted from across the globe. To ensure an unbiased rating, judges are restricted from eating or drinking hours prior, and roaming proctors ensure they keep from conferring with each other. It’s like an SAT, but with booze.
Triple Oak is available through special order on the DABS website. abs.utah.gov. $179.99 . Photo courtesy of Alpine Distilling | Jess Gruneisen.
Alpine is no stranger to international accolades. Master Distiller Sara Sergent was recently inducted into the London Gin Guild as “Warden Rectifier”—only the second woman in U.S. history to do so. Their Elevated Gin was named “Gin of the Year” in 2021 and continues to shine in local and national competitions. While Alpine’s botanical brilliance is derived from Sara, founder and husband Rob Sergent leans into his roots—Kentucky roots to be exact. The Bluegrass State native comes from generations of distillers and has honed his process to perfect award-winning whiskey in Utah, a locale known for its elevational challenges and stringent spirit laws.
Alpine’s Triple Oak is a feat of distilling ingenuity, starting with locally sourced mountain water fed from a subterranean aquifer and grain imported from Rob’s home state. Each production stage is tedious and hyper-monitored, from the open-fermentation stage to secondary aging in double-toasted oak barrels. The latter process, artisanal aging in hand-crafted barrels, is in itself a signal to Alpine’s pursuit of perfection. The distiller tapped Chris Hansen to craft barrels with wood that could counteract Utah’s low humidity with faster lignin extraction, allowing hemicellulose to release from the oak and dissolve into the spirit. For all you non-master distillers: these are the yummy sugars that create caramel, toffee, and honey-like notes in your bourbon. The additional year spent aging in hand-crafted barrels of quarter-sawn American Oak with hand-split French Oak heads results in a sophisticated flavor profile.
All of that painstaking labor pays off in a whiskey that is rich and creamy on the palate, with a luxurious finish of roasted nuts and molasses. It’s a delightfully smooth sipper, and we can attest, Triple Oak is truly greatness in a glass.
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