Woodinville Whiskey Straight Bourbon 9 Year 750ML

Woodinville Whiskey Straight Bourbon 9 Year 750ML is a 100-proof (50% ABV) Washington State straight bourbon aged nine years in custom-specification barrels. What distinguishes this release is its use of heavily toasted, lightly charred barrels made from staves that have been open-air seasoned for 24 months — a costly, labor-intensive process that produces measurably higher concentrations of vanillin, furfural, and phenolic flavor compounds compared to industry-standard kiln-dried cooperage.

Quick Facts: ABV: 50% (100 Proof)  |  Origin: Woodinville, Washington, USA  |  Age: 9 Years  |  Distillery: Woodinville Whiskey Co.

Production & Heritage

Woodinville Whiskey Co. operates out of Woodinville, Washington, in the state's renowned wine country. The distillery works with a high-rye mashbill of 55% corn, 35% rye, and 10% malted barley — a grain bill that leans heavier on rye than most traditional bourbons, contributing notable spice complexity. After distillation at the Woodinville facility, barrels are trucked east over the Cascade Mountains to the company's private barrel houses, where dramatic temperature swings between seasons accelerate the interaction between spirit and wood. The barrels themselves are the real differentiator: while the bourbon industry standard calls for kiln-dried wood with a heavy #3 or #4 char, Woodinville instead uses 24-month open-air seasoned staves with heavy toasting and a lighter char level, extracting deeper caramel and vanilla character rather than relying on aggressive charcoal filtration effects.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Deep caramel and toasted oak lead, followed by vanilla, dried stone fruit — apricot and peach — and a subtle thread of cherry candy. Beneath those sweeter top notes, hints of Demerara sugar and faint mesquite smoke emerge with time in the glass.

Taste: The entry is full-bodied with rich toffee and milk chocolate, quickly joined by baking spice and dark berries at mid-palate. The 35% rye asserts itself through spice candy and cinnamon warmth, while charred oak and dried mango add depth. At 100 proof, it carries weight without becoming hot.

Finish: Long and warming with lingering toffee sweetness, nutmeg spice, and dry oak tannins that slowly fade. A touch of caramel nougat lingers well after the sip.

How to Drink Woodinville 9 Year

At 100 proof and nine years of age, this bourbon rewards patient sipping — neat or with a few drops of water to open the toasted oak and fruit layers. It also holds its own on a single large ice cube, which tempers the proof while amplifying the caramel and vanilla notes. For cocktails, the high-rye backbone and rich body make it a versatile choice: an Old Fashioned benefits from the toffee sweetness playing against bitters; a Boulevardier gains extra spice and structure from the rye-forward profile; and a Whiskey Sour balances beautifully, where the dark fruit and caramel cut through citrus without getting lost.

Best For

• Gifting a bourbon enthusiast who appreciates craft distilling and extended aging
• Side-by-side tastings comparing Pacific Northwest whiskey against Kentucky benchmarks
• After-dinner sipping alongside dessert or a cigar
• Building a collection of age-stated craft American bourbons

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Woodinville 9 Year taste like? It delivers rich toffee, milk chocolate, and baking spice on a full-bodied palate, with dark fruit and charred oak layered beneath, finishing long with lingering sweetness and nutmeg.

How does Woodinville 9 Year compare to Knob Creek 9 Year? Both are 100-proof, 9-year-old straight bourbons, but they differ in origin and barrel treatment — Knob Creek uses a traditional Kentucky approach with standard charred barrels, while Woodinville's heavily toasted, lightly charred, open-air seasoned cooperage and Pacific Northwest aging climate produce a distinctly different oak and fruit profile. Woodinville also runs a higher rye percentage (35% versus Knob Creek's estimated 25-30%), contributing more spice complexity.

Is Woodinville 9 Year good for sipping neat? Yes — at 100 proof it has enough concentration to reveal its barrel character without excessive heat, and the nine years of aging have smoothed the spirit considerably. A few drops of water can further open up the dried fruit and toasted oak aromatics.

Where is Woodinville 9 Year made? It is distilled at Woodinville Whiskey Co. in Woodinville, Washington, located in the state's wine country east of Seattle. After distillation, barrels are transported east of the Cascade Mountains to the distillery's private warehouses, where they mature under the region's extreme seasonal temperature variation.

What foods pair well with Woodinville 9 Year? Smoked brisket or pulled pork complements the charred oak and toffee notes; dark chocolate truffles echo the milk chocolate mid-palate; aged cheddar or Gruyère plays against the caramel sweetness; pecan pie mirrors the nutty, spiced finish; and stone fruit desserts like grilled peach cobbler amplify the dried apricot and peach aromatics.

What sizes does Woodinville 9 Year come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle at 100 proof.

Is Woodinville 9 Year worth the price? It positions as a premium craft bourbon with a genuine nine-year age statement, high-rye mashbill, and specialty cooperage — factors that place it above entry-level bourbons while competing directly with established age-stated expressions from major Kentucky distilleries. The unique barrel specification and limited production scale provide clear differentiation for the price tier.

Why Woodinville 9 Year?

The defining advantage of this bourbon is its barrel program. The 24-month open-air seasoned, heavily toasted, lightly charred cooperage is an uncommon and expensive approach that scientific analysis has shown yields significantly higher concentrations of vanillin and phenolic compounds than standard bourbon barrels. Combined with nine years of maturation in the temperature-extreme climate east of the Cascades and a 35% rye mashbill that pushes well above most bourbon grain bills, this expression occupies a genuinely distinctive position in the American whiskey landscape. The Woodinville Straight Bourbon line has earned Double Gold recognition and the title of Best Straight Bourbon Whiskey at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, validating that the distillery's approach to cooperage and climate-driven aging translates into competition-level quality.