Malted grain | Crushed green grapes | Chocolate | White peppercorn | Canned lychee syrup | Toasted oak

Herbal | Whoppers candy | Malted grain | Subtle rye spice | Canned fruit | Frozen green grapes

Toasted oak | Dash of fresh fruit salad | Rye spice | Malted grain | Lingering green peppercorn spice

Old Potrero California Cellar Series is a nod to the shared heritage of whiskey and wine in the state of California. Head Distiller Kevin Aslan states, “Old Potrero California Cellar Series is an exciting opportunity to highlight other California producers. We all share a commitment to the quality of the final product and an openness to innovation. It was inspiring to collaborate with other exceptional producers from our home state to create these uniquely Californian expressions.”

Old Potrero California Cellar Series #03 was created by taking the company’s toasted barrel rye that has been aged for just shy of 6 years and finishing it in Gundlach Bundschu Gewurztraminer barrels for 14 months. Gundlach Bundschu Winery is located in Sonoma, California, and is the second-oldest winery in Sonoma County, having been in operation since 1858. Its founder, Jacob Hundlach, hailed from Germany and initially planted grapes to produce that same year. While wine-finished whiskeys have been all the rage, it is extremely rare to come across a Gewurztraminer wine-finished American whiskey.

This is one of the most unique wine-finished whiskeys I’ve had. From the start of the sip to the finish, the whiskey distinctly displays both its malted rye aspect and its Gewurztraminer barrel influence simultaneously. The combination results in a whiskey that will be polarizing; those who enjoy a unique wine finish or barrel finish will be giddy with the challenge of what this presents, while others will scratch their heads, wondering what they just drank.

The sip opens with a yin and yang pull between malted grain, chocolate, toasted oak, and sweeter, fruitier scents of crushed green grape and canned lychee syrup. It’s an oddball combination that just works incredibly well and leads into a herbal midpoint that continues this contrasting theme. Whoppers candy and muted grain mix with canned fruit and frozen green grapes. A subtle rye spice makes an appearance, which becomes bolder as the sip comes to its finale. Joining the spice is toasted oak, fresh fruit salad, and a familiar malted grain note, before riding out on a lingering green peppercorn spice note.

Similar to last year’s Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series: Ice Wine (Edition 001), experimenting with a rarely used wine finishing barrel can result in a whiskey that is refreshing to experience. So often, companies cycle through the same standard wine finishes that everyone else uses, leading to products that can barely differentiate themselves from one another. The combination of Hotaling & Co.’s 100% malted rye mashbill and extended aging in a Gewurztraminer barrel is a home run. Add in a reasonable price of $80, and you have one of the best wine-finished whiskeys to hit the market in 2025.