Tag: Washington

Woodinville Private Select, Holiday Market, barrel 4884

Josh2 Comments

Maker: Woodinville, Woodinville, Washington, USA

Style: Single barrel, barrel strength, straight bourbon.

Age: NAS (at least four years old).

Proof: 121.28 (60.64% ABV)

Michigan state minimum: $70

Appearance: Medium copper.

Nose: Spicy. Caramel, hot pepper jam, mace, cassia.

Palate: Full bodied and lucious. Caramel and cream, with big burn on the end. Water calms things down a bit, but doesn’t rob it of its richness. It also brings out the char and a little chocolate.

Finish: Sweet and oaky, in the “dusty” bourbon way.

Parting words: Woodinville is a farm-to-bottle distillery in the wine country near Seattle. Like many micro distilleries around the US, they claim the late Dave Pickerell as a formative influence on their business. After parting ways with Maker’s Mark in 2008, Pickerell went into business as a travelling consultant and worked with scores of start up distilleries over the next ten years, Woodinville included.

I’m not very well acquainted with Woodinville, and this is the first bottle I’ve purchased, so I had no expectations upon opening it. When I first opened it, I drank it mostly on the rocks, and I was not particularly impressed. Once I started drinking it in a Glencairn glass with a splash of water, my opinion changed immensely.

It has a richness that reminds me a lot of some of my favorite old “dusty” discontinued bourbons. I don’t remember how old it is, but I don’t really care, frankly. It’s one of the best “craft” bourbons I’ve had. $70 is a perfectly reasonable price given the quality and proof. I really like this, and I can’t wait to try more Woodinville selections. Woodinville Private Select, Holiday Market selection (barrel 4884) is highly recommended.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Vintage Select Riesling

Josh1 Comment

Maker: Chateau Ste. Michelle

Grape: Riesling

Vintage: 2007

Region: Columbia Valley AVA (Washington State)

ABV: 12%

Appearance: golden straw

Nose: light and sweet. Peach and orange.

On the palate: medium bodied. The peach comes through very strongly, a welcome change from the pear flavors that seem to dominate many younger, less complex Rieslings. As the glass warms, the peach stays, but the orange emerges from its shadow and a slight tartness sets in.

Finish: the finish is less complex. A big hit of orange, then peach, then a long, strong sweetness.

Parting words: I had buyer’s remorse almost as soon as I bought this bottle. I’ve been burned by musty, dusty over-aged Rieslings before and I wasn’t sure if my heart could take another disappointment from one of my favorite grapes. I’m very glad I took the plunge. This is a stellar wine. Riesling and Gewutz love the Columbia Valley and it loves them. And I love them all. Chateau Ste. Michelle is a pretty easy to find brand, but the next time you’re at Meijer or your favorite supermarket, do what I do. Look at the bottles on the back of the shelf. Many of the hard-working people who stock wine shelves at supermarkets just put the new bottles at the front of the shelf, pushing the older bottles to the back. A wino can find some great, well-aged bottles that way. This was one of them.