Alley 6 Rye Whiskey Rises Out of California Craft Scene

The number of California craft distillers either based in Napa/Sonoma wine country or somehow tied to the wine industry has been on a recent uptick. Examples of whiskey makers hanging their hats in this category include Spirit Works, Lost Republic, Splinter Group Spirits, and Sonoma County Distilling. Another recent entry into this crowd is little Alley 6, a distillery out of Healdsburg making a splash with its self-named rye expression.

The Alley 6 Rye Whiskey is a young bottling, clocking in at rather mild 86 proof, with a mash bill of 78% rye and 22% malted barley. It is aged in new, heavy char American white oak barrels after having been distilled on a 500 liter Alembic copper still that is cutely named Horton.

Alley 6, helmed by Krystle and Jason Jorgensen, is described as a small batch operation in which everything, and I do mean everything, is done by them on site. This includes milling the grain, mashing, distilling, barreling and bottling. It definitely doesn’t get much more hands-on than that.

In learning their craft, the Jorgensens attended various whiskey tastings and shows, toured distilleries, and eventually had what is described as “a life-changing trip to Scotland.” They released their first batch of rye whiskey last summer, producing a spirit whose limited tasting notes are described as boasting “flavors of honey and oak” and imparting “hints of vanilla, spice of rye, and a nice subtle caramel note on the palate.”

Should you want to track down a bottle of Alley 6 Rye Whiskey, expect to pay around $55 a bottle.