Amador Whiskey Debuts Wine Barrel Finished Bourbon

The art of taking sourced Kentucky bourbon and double barreling them, otherwise known as finishing, in California wine barrels is already something we’ve seen with the release earlier this year of Straight Edge, a six year old whiskey that spent finishing time in former Cabernet Sauvignon barrels from the renowned Orin Swift Cellars. Now it is being joined by Trinchero Family Estates and the upcoming release of its new Amador Whiskey Co. Double Barrel Bourbon.

Amador Whiskey Company is one of the spirits brands under the Trinchero Family Estates operation, and already has out a straight malt/hop flavored hybrid out that was crafted by Charbay master distillers Miles and Marko Karakasevic as a limited edition expression.

The Double Barrel, meanwhile, is of a different nature, making use of 280 barrels of bourbon, aged from three-to-ten years in charred New American Oak, which were transported to California and then finished in the “Trinchero family’s Napa Valley estate wine barrels” for approximately six months before being bottled at 86.8 proof.

Plans call for this new bourbon to price around $40 per 750 ml bottle when it starts debuting this month at retail. Tasting notes from Amador indicate a whiskey that is “well-balanced with complex flavors of vanilla, oak, brown sugar and spice.” It is something one can enjoy either on its own or in cocktails.

“The cocktail culture and demand for quality spirits continues to grow,” said said Dave Derby, senior vice president of marketing for Trinchero Family Estates, in a statement. “There was such a high demand for the Amador Whiskey Co. Ten Barrels when it first launched in June, 2014. We listened to feedback from our buyers, and took a classic product that’s consumed around the world and created a distinctive blend that is on-trend, small-batch and uniquely-crafted. The timing was right and we are very proud of the quality in the bottle.”