Sonoma County Rye

Grain to Glass is the focus at Sonoma County Distilling Company. Every level of the production is handled in-house including the milling, mashing and fermentation of grains, direct-fire copper alembic pot distillation, American oak barrel aging, bottling and labelling. Proudly ignoring the industry trends in pursuit of a new legacy, they are steeped in traditional values but fuelled by modern taste. Sourcing only the finest non-GMO grains from California and the malted barley is locally smoked in Petaluma with California Cherrywood. Their new, American oak barrels are proudly made in Missouri and Minnesota. Through hard work, traditional time-honoured techniques and their ideal location in picturesque Sonoma County, they are California’s premier whiskey distillery.

Adhering to traditional methods, they’ve chosen to use direct fire, copper pot stills for their distillation process. Their labour intensive production requires double-distillation to allow the rudimentary stills to reach a high enough alcohol concentration to go to barrel. In return, they are left with a beautifully viscous and high ester-driven spirit. At Sonoma County Distilling Company, they keep a watchful eye for burns as the direct-fire stills produce a consistent and slight caramelization. It’s through this imperfection that they find distinction. Using a mindful approach, combined with the coastal climate and refined barrel program, they craft a distinctive style; confirming their commitment to producing world-class whiskeys.

100% rye whiskey, made up of 80% unmalted Canadian and Californian rye and 20% malted rye from the UK, giving it a spicy and dry flavour. It is then aged in charred oak and ex-rye barrels - kind of like rye².

Tasting Notes

Nose: Subtle dried apricot and allspice.

Palate: Sweet persimmon fruit and even sweeter honey, balanced out by white pepper.

Finish: A warming, nutty sweetness from walnut and vanilla.