Woodinville Whiskey Celebrates Ten Years
Feb 06, 2020, 09:00 ET
WOODINVILLE, Wash., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Established in 2010 by two best friends in their hometown of Woodinville, Woodinville Whiskey is celebrating its 10th Anniversary with special celebrations and the release of distillery-only, limited edition whiskeys.
On February 9, Woodinville Co-Founders Brett Carlile and Orlin Sorensen, will host a 10th Anniversary Celebration at the Distillery. That day Woodinville will introduce its distillery-only, limited edition Woodinville Triple Barrel Blended Whiskey Finished in Ardbeg Islay Scotch Barrels ($69.95 per bottle) and its Woodinville Bottled-in-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($59.95 per bottle). Reservations are required for this event: a few spots remain available.
The Woodinville Tasting Room will be open to the general public to purchase these limited release whiskeys daily from 11:00am – 5:00pm, while supplies last. These whiskeys will only be available for purchase at the distillery in Woodinville, WA and cannot be shipped outside of the state. Woodinville will release more special releases during 2020, its tenth year.
In a nod to traditional "Topping Off" ceremonies in construction, guests on the 9th will sign a steel beam which will ultimately be installed in a new building being constructed at the Omlin Family Farm in Central Washington. The Quincy farm, cultivated by farmers in their fourth generation, is where Woodinville's grain is grown and its whiskey ages. The Omlin farm has new Barrel Houses and a Processing Facility being constructed. Graham Baba Architects and Rimmer & Roeter Construction are the firms involved.
That day guests will also be invited to join Woodinville's "Follow the Barrel" list. Guests will sign barrels of Woodinville Bourbon being filled at the distillery. They will receive regular Follow the Barrel updates as to where the barrels are over the years as they travel to Quincy, age, are tasted by Woodinville's distillers, and are eventually ready for bottling. At that point, five or six years from now, the Follow the Barrel members will be invited to taste and bottle that whiskey.
"It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since this incredible journey began," says Sorensen, Woodinville Cofounder/ Managing Director. "From the early days of bottling parties with friends who helped us get whiskey from barrel to bottle, to past releases where folks have camped out overnight to be among the first in line, we've made connections that are invaluable. And they've all centered around whiskey. The dream is to make the greatest craft whiskey in the world by bringing the time-honored traditions of bourbon production into a craft environment — using the highest quality locally grown grains from the Omlin Family Farm, the best barrels and coopers in the world, the most technologically advanced distilling equipment, and the mentorship of an industry icon, the late David Pickerell, former Master Distiller for Maker's Mark."
The 91-proof Woodinville Triple Barrel Blended Whiskey Finished in Ardbeg Islay Scotch Barrels ($69.95 per bottle, distillery only) is initially aged in new, heavy-toasted, lightly charred American oak barrels. After a stay in the new oak barrels it is re-barreled into used Bourbon barrels for additional aging and mellowing. Finally, it is re-barreled a third time into used Ardbeg Islay Scotch barrels. Cofounder and Distiller Brett Carlile gives it these tasting notes; "Subtle hints of vanilla bean, dried stone fruit and raisin with a slight hint of tobacco before being hit with a smoky, briny and earthy goodness. An incredible never-ending finish will leave you wanting more." The first 1,000 bottles will be hand numbered and will be given out in random order to those purchasing at the Distillery & Tasting Room on February 9th.
Woodinville Bottled-in-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($59.95 per bottle, distillery only) is a grain to glass bourbon, aged five years in heavily charred new American oak barrels, and bottled at 100 proof. Carlile describes it, "Candied nuts and dried fruit with a touch of dark chocolate. Vanilla/caramel truffle sweetness. Full bodied viscous mouthfeel with a long sweet lingering finish."
About Woodinville Whiskey Company
Woodinville Whiskey Company (www.woodinvillewhiskeyco.com) is a craft distillery founded by two longtime friends and residents of the Woodinville area, Orlin Sorensen and Brett Carlile under the mentorship of an industry icon, David Pickerell, former Master Distiller for Maker's Mark. Woodinville is Washington state's largest craft distillery, handcrafting all of its products from 100% locally sourced grains from the Omlin Family Farm in Quincy, Washington.
Their single farm, flagship products, Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and Woodinville Straight Rye Whiskey were both awarded "Craft Whiskey of the Year" in their respective categories by the American Distilling Institute in 2016 and 2017. In Jim Murray's Whiskey Bible 2020, published last month, Woodinville Bourbon scored a "Brilliant" rating and the Rye was recognized as a "Superstar whiskey that gives us all a reason to live". In a December blind tasting by Fred Minnick, Woodinville 5-Year-Old Flagship Bourbon ($45 per bottle) nearly beat the iconic Pappy Van Winkle 23 (over $2,000 per bottle). Fred named Woodinville the "Best Bourbon not from Kentucky." Minnick is the editor-in-chief of Bourbon+ Magazine and host on numerous shows on the Spirits Network.
In 2017 Woodinville joined Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy), the world's leading luxury goods company, with Orlin and Brett still at the helm running the company. Woodinville flagship whiskeys are available in Washington state, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Oregon and Texas. The state-of-the-art distillery and tasting room in Woodinville, completed in 2014, is home to exclusive new launches. Private "Inside the Barrel VIP Tours", led by a distiller are available, when scheduled in advance. The distillery is open 7 days a week and the distillery-only anniversary offerings will be available for purchase there while supplies last.
SOURCE Woodinville Whiskey
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