Woodinville Whiskey Distillery Visit - Bourbon and Rye Tasting Flight

On a recent visit to Seattle, my son and I found ourselves with some time to kill in Redmond, and split that time between a tasting at the Woodinville Whiskey Co. distillery and a stop at the Black Raven Brewery nearby. There are also several wineries in the area, offering a great opportunity to build an experience that caters to everyone you’re traveling with, even if tasting distilled spirits isn’t your thing. 

The Woodinville Whiskey Company was founded by Orlin Sorensen and Brett Carlisle, who set out to create "the best craft whiskey in the world," a lofty goal, to be sure. They certainly got their business off on the right foot with an outstanding choice of mentors: David Pickerell, a former master distiller for Maker's Mark who had been in that role for 14 years. The grains are locally sourced from Quincy, Washington.

Woodinville Whiskey Tasting Notes

Woodinville’s line of spirits are based on two primary mash bills, a high rye bourbon and straight rye with a one hundred percent rye mash bill. From there, they branch out with an array of wine cask finishes for their bourbon and a cask strength rye. 

I was personally a little disappointed to hear that they had discontinued their double barreled option, but the remaining choices are well worth experiencing.  

In my notes below, I cover all of the selections available at this posting date except for the cask strength rye.

Woodinville Straight Bourbon - Mash bill: 72% corn, 22% rye, 6% malted barley. Aged 5 years in #4 char barrels. 90 Proof. 

Nose: Vanilla, new oak, grain 

Palate: Caramel, cocoa, grain, pepper 

Finish: Rye spice 

Woodinville Straight Rye - Mash bill: 100% rye. Aged 5 years in #4 char barrels. 90 Proof. 

Nose: Rye grain, cinnamon, wood 

Palate: Caramel, wood, black pepper, dry sweetness 

Finish: Lingering spice and mild sweetness 

Woodinville Port Finished Bourbon - Mash bill: 72% corn, 22% rye, 6% malted barley. Aged 5 years in #4 char barrels. Finished for 6 months in used Port barrels. 90 Proof. This one had significant legs when swirled in the glass. 

Nose: Vanilla, dark red fruits, and berries 

Palate: Thicker mouth feel than the straight bourbon with notes of caramel, red berries, pepper, and baking spice 

Finish: Long, lingering pepper, cocoa and plums 

Woodinville Moscatel Finished Bourbon - Mash bill: 72% corn, 22% rye, 6% malted barley. Aged 5 years in #4 char barrels. Finished for 6 months in used Moscatel casks. 90 Proof. This one had even more pronounced legs than the port finish. 

Nose: Dark fruity aroma, hints of vanilla

Palate: A little less sweet than the port finish, with a very silky mouth feel. Lots of red fruit notes, vanilla, and spice

Finish: Black pepper, leather

Woodinville Sherry Finished Bourbon - Mash bill: 72% corn, 22% rye, 6% malted barley. Aged 5 years in #4 char barrels. Finished for 6 months in used Sherry casks. 90 Proof. 

Nose: Sweet apples, vanilla, wood 

Palate: Honey, red fruits, and black pepper 

Finish: Cocoa and pepper

Closing Thoughts

When I arrived in Washington, I expected to visit more than one whiskey distillery, and was hoping to stop in to Westland Distilling and to make a return visit to my good friends at Skybound Spirits, a favorite stop of mine from the inaugural tasting tour of the Seattle Chapter of the Whiskey Mafia. I made the trip to Woodinville mainly on the recommendation of Collin, who said it was the place he heard everyone talking about.

Although I do still regret that I wasn't able to go visit Steven and his team at Skybound, I must say that if I had known that I was only going to try one new distillery on this visit, Woodinville was definitely the right one. They produce a high quality craft distilled product and a wide range of wine finished options, including the very unique Moscatel Finished bourbon, a bottle of which found its way back to Maine in my luggage.

We did make one or two additional stops that are noteworthy for a whiskey blog, including The Whiskey Bar, and Belltown Provisions, but those stops are material for another day. In the meantime, if you ever make your way to the Seattle area I recommend a stop at Woodinville Whiskey for a tasting.  Their spirits are definitely worth the short drive outside the city.

Cheers!

- Trevor