Woodinville Whiskey is quietly producing some of the best bourbon and rye outside of Kentucky at its Pacific Northwest distillery just outside of Seattle. That includes single-cask expressions, which have only been available to retailers and whiskey clubs—until now, that is, as the distillery announced it is rolling these barrel picks out on a national level.
Woodinville was founded in 2010 by Brett Carlile and Orlin Sorensen, along with some help from the late master distiller David Pickerell in the early years. It is actually owned by a major drinks company, having been acquired by Moët Hennessy in 2017, but it still essentially operates as a craft distillery. The bourbon and rye are made in the town of Woodinville from a mashbill of grains grown by the Omlin family, and then it is sent about 200 miles away to Quincy in central Washington to mature inside new charred oak barrels in a much drier climate.
The newly available whiskeys are Woodinville Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Aged 7 Years and Woodinville Single Barrel 100% Rye Aged 7 Years. Both are a year older than the core whiskey, which got a six-year age statement added to the label just a few months ago, and are bottled from individual barrels at cask strength. “We really wanted to elevate our single barrel program,” said cofounder and head distiller Brett Carlile in a statement. “I personally taste hundreds of barrels and pick only the best ones for this offering to ensure they are something very special. All of my selections are a minimum of seven years old, which really adds a tremendous amount of depth and character to the whiskey.”
Individual tasting notes will vary depending on the barrel, but expect some consistency across the line with sweet vanilla and oak notes in the bourbon and dried fruit and spice notes in the rye. And as far as barrel proof, the distillery says that will range from 115 to 125, again depending on the barrel. (The samples we received clocked in at 57.95 proof for the bourbon and 58.77 proof for the rye, a bit less than you’d find for your average Booker’s or Elijah Craig Barrel Proof.)
There’s more to come from the distillery over the coming year as well. It has been upping its age statements, a good sign for a younger distillery when it can finally release some older whiskey. Woodinville released an 8-year-old bourbon in 2024 and a 9-year-old in 2025, and this year will see the release of a 10-year-old expression. More to come on that when it’s ready to launch, but in the meantime you can find the single-barrel bourbon and rye (SRP for both is $70) available starting this month.
Authors
Jonah Flicker
