Maker Notes

CALI Whiskey is a unique California twist on a classic American sipping whiskey.   CALI is smoother than a frontier whiskey, but more complex and flavorful than a traditional Kentucky bourbon.   So pour a glass to sip while reading a good book or laughing with friends. Flavor is all about aroma and running a distillery is really about how to use raw high proof alcohol to pull the aromas and flavors out of cool stuff.  The flavors of CALI Whiskey arise organically from the interaction of the rich corn mash bourbon and spicy rye, mellowed by clean oak and then finished with our own signature blends of herbs, spices and botanicals. CALI starts with pure whiskey front notes and ends with subtle, complex, slightly sweet spice notes – just enough to have it finish with a delicious complexity.

Maker Notes

As you drive up the west slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains from our Etrog orchards in Lindcove Ranch California into the Sequoia National Forest you pass through the lovely town of Three Rivers California where three forks of the Kaweah River converge – the Middle or Main Fork, the North Fork and the South Fork. As the crystal clear waters flow down out of the mountains and into the farmland of the San Joaquin Valley they echo the three elements that we bring together to create whiskey:  wood, water and grain. Three Rivers is  our own expression of what we love in a rye whiskey.   Our rye starts with an almost pure rye mashbill (93% American Rye), but with an extra “handful” of malted barley to get a smoother fermentation and get away from the sour, bitter notes common to many rye whiskeys.   The extra barley adds just enough amylase to create a rich grain forward rye mash.    We then age in new American oak, and work our magic on purifying and smoothing out the whiskey base.  We then step Three Rivers through a series of toasted and smoked oak.    The toasted oak pulls bitterness from the spirit, and lends it sweet, light brown sugar and caramel notes.  Then the deep charred oak smooths off an “rough edges” and adds dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee and maple/spice notes to the finished whiskey. Every bottle of CALI Distillery Three Rivers Rye is bottled as a single barrel expression, so each is a little different,  but every bottle is delicious, and not quite like any other rye whiskey you’ve tasted.

Maker Notes

Rye Whiskey has deep roots in the story of American Whiskey.  When the colonists pushed out British Rum they didn’t give up drinking,  they just started making whiskey – Rye Whiskey.  Even George Washington had his own still at Mount Vernon, and made a Rye Whiskey for sale.  It was an unaged, unfiltered white lightning, but he double distilled it and sent it off to market. Early in his presidency, Washington imposed a tax on all whiskey made in the US.   The Rye Whiskey makers of western Pennsylvania objected to the tax and started the Whiskey Rebellion.   President Washington himself saddled up and led a Federal Militia into Pennsylvania to put down the insurrection.   Facing the Father of the Country backed by 12000 troops, the rebel farmers and distillers quietly dispersed. Not a shot was fired, and the rebellion came to an end.  The authority of the new national government was upheld, and Rye Whiskey – duly taxed – again flowed freely into pubs throughout country. Rye Whiskey remained popular until prohibition wiped out American Distilling.  Americans got used to the milder, simpler, lighter Canadian whiskey smuggled in during Prohibition.  After Repeal,  Rye Whiskey never reestablished itself.   Until now.  As the community has re-embraced bourbon and rich American Whiskeys over the past few years they have rediscovered Rye.  Rye is the fastest growing premium spirit in the world today.   Its complex flavors are easy to drink straight and add tremendous depth to cocktails.Riptide is CALI Distillery’s idea of a perfect small batch Rye Whiskey.   It is 93% rye with just enough malted barley to drive the fermentation process.  We are so enamored of this mash bill, that we do our best to bottle it as purely as it comes out of the single barrel.   Cask Strength, this 118 proof spirit has a beautiful amber color and an earthy overtone.  The rich butterscotch notes of oak complement the underlying spice of the Rye to make an incredibly smooth Rye Whiskey.

Maker Notes

The largest surf break off California is called Mavericks.  It was first conquered when a one-of-a-kind teenager paddled miles off shore to find the phantom giant waves of California.  Common wisdom was that California had no giant waves.   But when storm season hit,  one young man was certain that he could see giant waves breaking out on the horizon.   He grabbed his surfboard, and paddled, alone,  miles off shore, and proved that the monster waves were a reality.  He followed his vision, and discovered his dream. When Samuel Maverick, a Texas rancher, refused to brand his herd,  his cattle ran free on the range, independent, unclaimed and unbranded.   Those “Mavericks”  gave their name to a unique American archetype.   A Maverick is an independent individualist, a strong non-conformist who doesn’t follow the crowd.  When everyone else is branded with the mark of the herd, Mavericks stand alone.When we set out to create our own one-of-a-kind small batch finished whiskeys,  we just had to name them Mavericks.  Each expression is a unique California Original.  The Mavericks series is our chance share our vision of what whiskey can be.DoubleWood is our high rye bourbon shaped by exposure to two very different varieties of oak.  CALI Mavericks DoubleWood Whiskey starts out in charred new American Oak barrels, and finishes with toasted French Oak. Rich with coffee, caramel and cocoa aromas,  this is what Whiskey tastes like on the coast.

Maker Notes

Developed in collaboration with Country singer/songwriter Mark Taylor, Steel String Whiskey is a unique, limited edition spirit.

Steel String Whiskey is a California Bourbon Whiskey with the soft edges of Tennessee summer evening. Steel String Whiskey aged in New American Oak, finished in lightly toasted French oak with just a hint of honey. Layering a soft honey/butterscotch finish over deep intense dark chocolate, coffee and maple syrup, Steel String is a smooth and soulful luxury sipping whiskey.

Nashville recording artist KC Johns and Cali Distillery bring you a new taste in whiskey. It’s smooth with a boldness that matches the country rock music of KC Johns.  KC is a veteran of country music with her own unique sound honed from U.S. and  international touring, Dollywood stage productions and years of cruise line performances spiced up from her roots in Memphis, Tennessee. Thunder Whiskey is KC’s personal selection of the unique mesquite smoked taste distilled at Cali Distillery in Gardena, California.