I had not even tried any whiskey from Woodinville Whiskey Company in Washington State, but decided to buy their single barrel cask strength bourbon that was likely sourced by their Louisiana distributors. I have seen more and more distributors get into the store pick game, with many whiskies having a Louisiana Edition designation at Hokus Pokus. This bottle of Woodinville appears to be another one of those, and my experience is that distributor picked barrels tend to be very good.

The story of Woodinville Whiskey Company does not begin with a dusty, century-old family recipe or generations of distillers. It begins with two best friends, Orlin Sorensen and Brett Carlile, and a shared, audacious dream: to prove that world-class whiskey, capable of standing alongside the finest from Kentucky or Scotland, could be crafted in their home state of Washington.  The company was founded in 2010. The duo, who had grown up together in the town of Woodinville, found themselves in an environment uniquely suited for such a venture. Woodinville was already a celebrated hub for craft beverages, home to more than 100 wineries and some of the country’s pioneering craft breweries. This ecosystem of artisanal production, coupled with new state laws that allowed distilleries to sell directly to consumers, created a fertile ground for their ambition. Recognizing the depth of the craft, they knew they needed a guide—an icon with an encyclopedic knowledge of the industry. Their search led them to the late, legendary Dave Pickerell, who had recently retired after a celebrated 14-year tenure as the Master Distiller for Maker’s Mark. They convinced Pickerell to fly from Kentucky to Washington to provide a crash course in chemistry and the proper way to make bourbon.

They waited a full five years before releasing their flagship bourbon, ensuring it met their exacting standards. This philosophy prioritizes long-term brand equity and reputation over short-term profit. They use locally sourced non-GMO grains and age their whiskies in Rickhouses that have hot summers and cold winters as they have in Kentucky. They source their barrels from General Stave, and use a mashbill of 72% Corn, 22% Rye, 6% Malted Barley. The mainline bourbon is a 90 proofer, but they also have cask strength releases such as the Louisiana Limited Edition.

This bourbon is cask strength at 115.6 proof. I paid almost $70 for it, which is not bad for a cask strength craft bourbon. The color on it is a nice dark amber; I imagine that this whiskey is from five to six years old. On the swirl is a thick film and thick legs; very oily. On the nose is a ton of rich caramel and vanilla, some dark fruit and floral notes, On the palate is a lot of youthful bitterness that will probably require some oxygen to dissipate. After a few good swirls, I get bitter dark chocolate, caramel chews, leather, English pipe tobacco, and some black pepper. The youthful bitterness has now become more like cocktail bitters. On the finish the cocktail bitters really persist, along with some leathery notes, candied stone fruit, and a hint of clove.

My overall impression is that, even at five years, this whiskey is too young and needs another year or two of barrel aging. Then again, my palate is particularly sensitive to those youthful bitter grainy notes; other people either don’t detect them or it doesn’t bother them as much as it bothers me. Maybe some folks really like that flavor. After 24 hours of being open, the bitterness was much less, but it was still there particularly on the finish.

But, as it did with my recent review of Hochatown Distilling Company’s Single Barrel, I do love investigating and writing about American Whiskey terroir and how that affects the barrel aging process. If indeed Woodinville has found a microclimate that mirrors Bardstown Kentucky in which to age their whiskey, that also means you need to age it for as long as they do in Kentucky to get it right. I had a pour of HDC Single Barrel after the Woodinville; at just shy of four years it tastes older than Woodinville, because of the drier hotter climate.

Overall, I am not mad I bought this bottle, but I won’t be buying another without an age statement. It is a solid bourbon but it needs more maturation.