🎙️ Redwood Empire: The building of whiskey flavor in California's wine country

Episode 144: REDWOOD EMPIRE (Jeff Duckhorn and Lauren Patz) What happens when a California whiskey maker approaches Bourbon, rye, and single malt with the mindset of a winemaker? Drew Hannush welcomes Redwood Empire Master Distiller Jeff Duckhorn and Head Distiller and Master Blender Lauren Patz for a conversation about the distillery's evolution from a small operation in Sonoma County to a growing American whiskey producer. They explore the advantages of sourcing and blending whiskey from multiple distilleries, the influence of Northern California's climate on maturation, and why Redwood Empire favors a softer, more nuanced approach to American whiskey. Along the way, Jeff and Lauren explain the stories behind their tree-inspired whiskey names, including Pipe Dream, Emerald Giant, Lost Monarch, and the new wheated Bourbon, Colonel Armstrong. They also discuss the growing American Single Malt category and their experiments with specialty malts. The conversation culminates in a tasting of Hyperion, Redwood Empire's ambitious new blend of Bourbon, rye, wheat whiskey, and American Single Malt. Named for the world's tallest known living tree, Hyperion brings together some of the distillery's oldest sourced and self-produced whiskeys in a release designed to showcase the possibilities of blending. In This Episode How Redwood Empire grew out of a Northern California wine business Jeff Duckhorn and Lauren Patz's different paths into whiskey production Why Redwood Empire embraced sourcing whiskey from the beginning The transition from its original Headframe still to a larger Vendome column still How California's relatively temperate climate affects whiskey maturation Why the distillery favors complexity, balance, and a softer drinking experience The living redwood trees behind the names Pipe Dream, Emerald Giant, Lost Monarch, and Colonel Armstrong How a four-state, four-grain blend creates the flavor of Pipe Dream Bourbon Why Colonel Armstrong uses 30% wheat in its Bourbon mash bill The role of wheat in softening and balancing Emerald Giant Rye How specialty malts are helping define American Single Malt whiskey Tasting Hyperion, a blend of four different American whiskey styles Redwood Empire's plans for tours, tastings, and educational experiences on Mare Island Go Deeper with the Whiskey Lore Speakeasy Enjoy the complete 73-minute conversation with Jeff and Lauren, including additional discussions about maritime influence on maturation, barrel char and stave seasoning, and the role of wheat in whiskey. The extended interview is available to Whiskey Lore Speakeasy members, with a seven-day free trial at Patreon.com/whiskeylore. Visit Redwood Empire 📍 Redwood Empire Mare Island, Vallejo, California Learn more about Redwood Empire's whiskeys and current visitor experiences at RedwoodEmpireWhiskey.com.