Production places
Connections to water sources, peat places, maltings, cooperages, warehouses and maturation sites. Uncertain connections are labelled.
No documented production places are linked to this distillery yet.
Sonoma Distilling Company
Overview of the Distillery
Sonoma Distilling Company in Sonoma, California, produces robust and full-bodied American whiskey, double-distilled in handcrafted copper pot stills. The distillery combines traditional Cognac- and Scottish pot still techniques with pre-industrial American methods under the leadership of Master Distiller Adam Spiegel. The grain is sourced locally within 100 miles, and the product line ranges from straight bourbons and ryes to wheat expressions and smoked specialties.
History
Adam Spiegel is the founder and Master Distiller of Sonoma Distilling Company, which is noted as a pioneer in the American craft whiskey movement and one of the first 200 craft distilleries in the USA. The distillery's development has been marked by a conscious preservation of older European pot still traditions supplemented with early American distillation techniques. These choices have shaped the company's profile and product direction under Spiegel's leadership.
Raw Materials and Production
The distillate is produced from locally sourced grain; the company emphasizes that all grain comes from suppliers within 100 miles to ensure traceability and local character. Handcrafted copper pot stills are used for double distillation, with construction and operation inspired by traditional Cognac and Scottish pot stills as well as older American methods. For the smoked variants, lightly house-smoked barley is used, specifically cherrywood-smoked barley. Production is driven with a focus on craft under a Master Distiller, and the chosen methods aim for character-driven, robust whiskies.
Maturation and Cask Types
There are no detailed details on the specified pages about specific cask types, aging periods, or storage conditions beyond the fact that the distillery offers both classic and limited releases. Information on maturation is therefore not specified further in the material.
Whiskies
The core range includes California Wheat, California Rye, and California Bourbon. In addition, there are smoked variants such as California Smoked Rye and California Smoked Bourbon, and limited releases are issued, including Cherrywood Smoked Whiskey. Special releases are often distributed first to members of the distillery's Inner Circle. The range spans from classic American whiskey types to experimental, smoked variants.
| Whiskey | Type / Series | Cask and Style | Flavor Profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CALIFORNIA WHEAT | Wheat Whiskey | Current; Core Range | ||
| CALIFORNIA RYE | Rye | Current; Core Range | ||
| CALIFORNIA SMOKED RYE | Smoked Rye | smoked/dried | Lightly house-smoked barley is used in the smoked variants | Current; Core Range |
| CALIFORNIA SMOKED BOURBON | Bourbon | smoked/dried | Cherrywood-smoked barley is used for the smoked bourbon releases | Current; Core Range |
| Cherrywood SMOKED WHISKEY | Smoked Whiskey; Limited / Special | smoked/dried | Light house-smoking of barley with cherrywood is used in Cherrywood Smoked Bourbon and Rye. | Limited; Released as a special/limited release via Inner Circle |
| LIMITED RELEASE WHISKEY (Inner Circle) | Limited / Inner Circle | Special limited-release whiskeys offered to members of the distillery's Inner Circle before public launch. | Limited; Limited, offered via Inner Circle |
Philosophy and Craft
The distillery's philosophy is based on preserving traditional distillation techniques from Cognac and Scotland, integrating early American methods, and using locally grown grain for traceability. The operation is led by a Master Distiller, and craft, traditional pot stills, and a local raw-material approach are highlighted as core values.