Seared mint | Molasses | Cherry | Chocolate pecan pie | Brown sugar | Browned butter

Chocolate malt malls | Seared mint | Dark chocolate | Tart cranberry | Aged Cognac

Dry oak | Dark hot chocolate | Leather | Earthy

Woodinville Distillery started in 2010 by Orlin Sorensen and Brett Carlile in the state of Washington. The company sources all of its staple grains exclusively from the Omlin Family farm in Quincy, Washington. The grains are mashed, distilled, and barreled at their Woodinville Distillery, and then trucked back over the Cascade Mountains to the company’s private barrel houses.

Having launched in 2010, Woodinville is now at a point where it has higher-aged whiskey to unleash on the market. Last year, Woodinville launched an exceptional 8 Year Bourbon, and followed it up this year with an oak-dominated 9 Year version. Though they have been more of a bourbon-focused company since their inception, the company has been making rye for many years, and the launch of 90 proof 100% rye whiskey and now an 8 year release shows their interest in the style of whiskey.

Like its 8 and 9 year old bourbon counterpoints, Woodinville 100% Rye Aged 8 Years is every bit as bold. The whiskey’s nose is fantastic, thanks to wonderfully sweet and potent scents of seared mint, cherry, chocolate pecan pie, and brown sugar. The palate sheds much of this sweetness and leans more into the high-cacao content dark chocolate, resulting in a deep, intense, and complex flavor. But this territory also comes with some bitterness and a lot of dryness. The finish, in particular, is dominated by dry oak and leather, resulting in an earthy aftertaste.