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.
Heritage Distilling Co.
A Brief Overview of the Distillery
Heritage Distilling Co. is located in Gig Harbor, Washington, and is known for award-winning spirits and a range of collector editions. The distillery ranges from single-barrel rye and bourbon releases to blended straight whiskeys and distinctive flavored products like Cocoa Bomb Chocolate Whiskey®. Salute Series™ functions as a continuing line of tribute releases, often tied to donations.
History
Organization and Position
Heritage Distilling is operated by IP Strategy Holdings, Inc. (formerly Heritage Distilling Holding Company, Inc.) and is described as one of North America's most award-winning independent craft distilleries. The company has over time built a portfolio of brands and collections, including Salute Series™, Batch No. 12® and Stiefel's Select™.
IP Strategy and Financial Focus
After more than a decade of brand-building, the company launched a strategy around intellectual property by establishing a publicly accessible IP treasury to gain exposure to Story Network's infrastructure for registering and commercializing IP.
Award-winning Profile
The company highlights that for ten years running it has been the 'Most Awarded Craft Distillery in North America' from the American Distilling Institute and shows numerous competition awards for individual products.
Raw Materials and Production
Production is based on classic American mashbills with corn, rye, barley, and occasionally wheat. Some Salute Series™ Kentucky Straight Bourbons are mashed, fermented, distilled, and aged in Kentucky, while several straight whiskey components are produced on-site in Washington. HDC works with single-barrel releases, small-batch blends, and naturally flavored bottles. Processes such as single-barrel bottlings and subsequent blending of separately aged components are central to the portfolio construction.
Maturation and Cask Types
Several releases are aged in new, re-charred American oak casks with medium to heavy char; some products also indicate the use of Spanish oak and 'extra heavy' char. Some tribute releases have concrete aging periods (e.g., 5 or 6 years), while details about storage conditions and any finishes vary from product to product.
Whiskies
The lineup ranges from tribute and collector releases in the Salute Series™ to single-barrel releases under Stiefel's Select™ and blended straight whiskeys like Batch No. 12®. Additionally, flavored and spirit products such as Cocoa Bomb and several flavored vodkas are part of the company's overall program. Many releases are marketed in limited editions with accompanying artwork prints or tubes.
| Whisky | Type / Series | Alcohol | Age | Cask and Style | Flavor Profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service to America Salute™ Whiskey - Law Dogs K-9 Flash | Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Salute Series™ | 49.3 % | 5 Years | A 5-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey bottled in a keepsake bottle as a tribute to police K-9s. Mashbill: 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% barley. $10 per bottle donated to Project K-9 Hero. Mashed, fermented, distilled and aged in KY.; Nose: Apricot, walnut, and palm sugar; Taste: Smooth and warm with fresh thyme, lemon pith, early season blackberry, and raw cinnamon husk | Available to shipping nationwide to 45 states. | |
| Service to America Salute™ Whiskey - War Dogs™ | Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Salute Series™ | 49.3 % | 5 Years | A 5-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey released as a tribute to military working dogs. Mashbill: 78% corn, 12% rye, 10% barley. Mashed, fermented, distilled and aged in KY.; Nose: Vanilla, honey, caramel, and oak; Taste: Caramel, cinnamon, and nutmeg with a slight oaky sweetness and peppery spice | Available to shipping nationwide to 45 states. | |
| Special Operations Salute™ Whiskey - De Oppresso Liber Edition (Green Beret) | Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | 61 % | 5+ Years | New medium charred American Oak | Limited, barrel-strength 5-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon at 61% ABV released in tribute to the Green Berets. Includes an art print, and $20 per bottle donated to the Green Beret Foundation.; Nose: Brown sugar, toasted plantain, honey; Taste: Tart black cherry, baked oatmeal, thyme | Limited; Available to shipping nationwide to 45 states. |
| Special Operations Salute™ Whiskey - Army SOF Edition (With Tube) | Blend of Straight Whiskeys | 52.5 % | 6+ Years | New heavy and extra heavy charred American and Spanish Oak and New heavy charred American Oak | Keepsake edition consisting of several straight whiskey components mashed, fermented, distilled and aged in house in Washington for some components. Includes a lithograph and tube; a portion of proceeds donated to SOF-related organizations.; Nose: Tobacco, smoke, caramel, honey, pear; Taste: Vanilla, chocolate, floral bee pollen, clove, sweet malt | Available to shipping nationwide to 45 states. |
| Service to America Salute™ USA 250th Birthday | Blend of Straight Whiskeys; Salute Series™ | 56.5 % | 6 Years | Limited tribute edition for USA's 250th anniversary; blend of straight whiskeys aged 6 years and bottled at 56.5% ABV. Batch size: 1,776 bottles; 10% of the purchase price donated to USO over a specified period or until sold out.; Nose: Caramel, stone fruit, candied orange peel, rooibos; Taste: Toasted sugar, lemon zest, marjoram, cedar | Limited; Batch size: 1,776 bottles; available to shipping nationwide to 45 states.; 1776 bottles | |
| Cocoa Bomb Chocolate Whiskey® | Flavored Whiskey | 37.5 % | Naturally flavored chocolate whiskey bottled at 75 proof, developed to reflect the Cocoa Bomb hot-chocolate experience with notes of cocoa, dark chocolate and a hint of marshmallow. | Available to shipping nationwide to 45 states. | ||
| Batch No. 12® Blended Whiskey | Blended Whiskey | 42 % | A proprietary blend of bourbon- and rye-components, each aged separately and then blended to create a light, spicy profile with soft caramel notes. | Available to shipping nationwide to 45 states. | ||
| Stiefel's Select™ Single Barrel: Straight Rye Whiskey (100% Rye) | Straight Rye Whiskey | 47 % | 4 years, 9 months | New heavy charred American Oak | A single-barrel straight rye whiskey made exclusively from rye, bottled in a limited run of 276 bottles. Maturation: 4 years, 9 months.; Nose: Apricot, Plum, Figs, Banana Chips, Melted Butter; Taste: Floral and spicy notes, rye dough and crust, slight wood smoke | Limited; Total bottled: 276. Available to shipping nationwide to 45 states.; 276 bottles |
| Stiefel's Select™ Single Barrel: Four Grain Bourbon | Single Barrel Bourbon | 47 % | 4 Years | New heavy charred American Oak | Four-grain single-barrel bourbon from the Stiefel's Select line with a limited bottling (260 bottles). Maturation: 4 years.; Nose: Toasted Oak, Vanilla, Hazelnut; Taste: Tobacco, Toffee, Dried Apricot | Limited; Total bottled: 260. Available to shipping nationwide to 45 states.; 260 bottles |
| Dual Barrel (Vanilla) Bourbon Whiskey | Bourbon | 46 % | Dual Barrel (Vanilla) Bourbon described as sweet and salty with pronounced layers of wood and vanilla and a smooth finish.; Nose: Caramelized nougat; Taste: Chocolate, brandied cherry, vanilla; Finish: Quaint vanilla finish | Available to shipping nationwide to 45 states. |
Styles and Flavor Profiles of the Whiskies
Three common directions emerge in the descriptions: fruity notes (apricot, plum, candied orange peel), warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper from rye- and bourbon-components) and sweeter, dessert-like elements (caramel, honey, vanilla and chocolate in flavored releases). These elements recur in single-barrel releases, blends and flavored bottles.
Philosophy and Craft
Heritage Distilling combines craft and storytelling: each product is tied to a story or tribute, several releases support charitable causes, and the company integrates a strategically IP-focused approach while also pushing limited editions, membership programs, and collectibles.
Prizes and Recognitions
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World's Best Flavored Whiskey (2025, Winner, Cocoa Bomb Chocolate Whiskey®)
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U.S. Best Flavored Whiskey (2026, Category Winner / Gold Medal, Cocoa Bomb Chocolate Whiskey®)
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Gold Medal (2024, Gold, Cocoa Bomb Chocolate Whiskey®)
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Silver Medal (2022, Silver, Batch No. 12® Blended Whiskey)
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Silver Medal (2018, Silver, Dual Barrel (Vanilla) Bourbon Whiskey)