This sample was provided by the producer with no strings attached.
I am an outlier in my family. I do not like tequila. At all. Not in a margarita, not in a cocktail, not in a glass on its own. I’ve tried expensive tequilas and inexpensive ones. It just doesn’t mesh with my palate. So when a bottle of Woodinville Bourbon that had been finished in tequila barrels landed on my doorstep, I was a little concerned about how this review would go. But I persevered and did the tasting anyway. I mean, there’s no way it would be as bad as some of the TerrePure bourbons I used to occasionally review. And I went into this review with an open mind, even though I’ve been known to describe a margarita as “lovely sweetened lime juice ruined by tequila.”
So, what is this bourbon? And where can a person get their hands on a bottle if they adore both tequila and bourbon? Well, I’m going to let the producer tell you a little story about that. They went through all the trouble to write a wonderfully transparent story. It would be a shame to let it go to waste.
“Tequila and Bourbon, together— a pairing Woodinville co-founder and head distiller Brett Carlile could not wrap his mind around. “It’s something I always wanted to try but was afraid to take a stab at. Eventually, curiosity got the best of me. So, I went for it and was blown away by how well Tequila and Bourbon play together,” says Carlile.
Brett’s experimentation landed on what he and Orlin see as a real winner: Tequila Finish Woodinville Flagship Bourbon. It’s a Bourbon that’s made quite the trek. It started with grains grown in Quincy, WA where the Omlin family has farmed for four generations. Then those grains headed across the Cascade mountains to our distillery in Woodinville, WA, to be distilled in this Western Washington town where nearby wineries and breweries send their wild yeasts into the air— lending a distinct terroir to the whiskey. That new-make whiskey heads back across the mountain pass, again, where it’s placed in new American Oak barrels built from wood that seasoned in the elements for 18-24 months.
Brett tasted that Bourbon, and once it reached nearly 6 years, he deemed it ready for a fun project in the top-secret Warehouse 1. (It’s an original barrelhouse on the farm that’s home to numerous experiments.) Brett sourced some Extra Anejo Tequila barrels, and the team filled those emptied barrels with Woodinville Bourbon. And there it sat. Orlin and Brett revisited it, during the sweltering summers and frigid winters of Central Washington. And, a few months back, they tasted it and knew it was ready to release.”
According to the press release, 2,000 bottles were produced. 500 of them will be available at the distillery on May 3rd starting at 10 a.m. On May 5th, the rest will become available on their website, woodinvillewhiskeyco.com. The price will be $69.99 per 750 mL bottle.
Let’s see how it tastes, shall we?
Woodinville Whiskey: Tequila Barrel Finished Bourbon
Purchase Info: This bottle was provided by the producer for review purposes at no charge. The suggested retail price is $69.99 for a 750 mL bottle.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.67
Details: 50% ABV. Aged for over 5 years.
Nose: Green apple, brown sugar, and woodsy notes.
Mouth: Dry and oaky—trending toward, but not reaching, astringency. Notes of agave syrup, baking spice, brown sugar, and vanilla.
Finish: Warm and on the shorter side of medium length. This is where the tequila influence appears strongest to me—notes of agave and cinnamon.
Thoughts: As mentioned above, I've been known to describe a margarita as “lovely sweetened lime juice ruined by tequila.” I do not care for tequila. So I am turning this over to my usually silent, tequila-loving tasting partner and wife so this one gets a fair shake.
"I like this. What stands out to me is how well the flavors produced by the yeast that Woodinville uses play with the tequila. I like the woodsy notes on the nose—kind of a cedar, oak, underbrush sort of smell. On the mouth, I like how the bourbon adds richness and baking spice to the product, flavors that tequila typically lacks. If I'm nitpicking, I could wish it was sweeter—not a huge fan of the dryness—but I can get past that. I like it, but am not sure I'd reach for it if I was looking for bourbon. But when I can't decide if I want bourbon or tequila, this will work well."
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