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Now fully containing only their own distillate, we're finally getting to see what the art of enduring craft Our distillery is in the heart of the Russian River Valley wine region.

The name comes from the popular 16th century novel, about Califa, the mythical queen of an island that was then thought to be the Garden of Eden. This mythology is where the name California is derived. The bourbon and rye are named for Queen Califa’s army of 500 gryphons. A gryphon is a legendary creature. It has a body, tail, and hind legs of a lion, with a head, wings and talons of an eagle. The Gryphon was known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions. Enter stage left: Gryphon & Grain and their eye-catching, art deco, subway tile bottle. With a buttoned-on collar and a deep wax dip, the brand really spared no expenses on this presentation. It's a gorgeous bottle, hopefully designed to match the quality of the whiskey within, right? That's always the question when you see bottles like Weller Millenium sitting on the shelf for a cool $7,000+. Is the whiskey within any good? Luckily for you, this bottle retails for around $70, and brand manager Brian Kirby sent along a bottle for me to find out for you. This was part of a larger tasting group that got together to meet the brand owners, an event set up by Jason  and RoCo Wine & Spirits  as representatives of the California branch of the far-reaching but vibrant and cohesive whiskey community. Though we all received different single barrels, one sentiment was pretty common throughout the group: the rye was exceptional. That event was held at the beginning of this year, as you can see from the snow-laden background and bare branches from my amateur photography below, but I've stuck with this bottle month after month, introducing as many people as I could to it along the way. Without giving too much away in the introduction here, the review that follows is a summary of my 9 months spent getting to know Gryphon & Grain inside and out. Joe Wagner and Kyle Stroud took on the spirits world together starting in 2014, producing a brandy first, then eventually a bourbon, rye, and single malt after some trial and error. The two met through grapes—you might already recognize Wagner's name if you're familiar with Napa wines like Caymus, Quilt, and the thick red wax of Belle Glos, as he's the rockstar  behind those brands. The care and attention to detail Kyle and Joe brought to the wine world has translated handily to spirits. In my conversation with the two, it's clear that they are both characters. I see Joe as the outgoing leader, the face of a brand, and a powerhouse of energy and enthusiasm. Kyle is the details guy. You need both of them to produce great whiskey. Layer in a marketing guru like BK,  and you've certainly got a recipe for success. What sets Gryphon & Grain apart from the crowd is their interesting cooperage choices: their barrels are assembled with a combination of American oak and French oak staves—a pseudo-finish if you will. The looser-pore French oak definitely imparted some great character. The wood they use is also 3 year open-air seasoned, a fairly standard practice for producing good wines, and, as it turns out, it applies to whiskey too. 2 years or less is the industry standard for open-air seasoning in whiskey these days, so it's great to see producers leaning in on a more expensive process that produces whiskey with less of the harsh tannins that exist within younger oak. Translating the experience of effectively aging wine in oak barrels is an art form that the team didn't take lightly. Patiently waiting until the bourbon and rye were north of 4 years was another great move from Gryphon & Grain. Whiskey nerds should be nodding along with me at this point. Now that you know the brand, let's dive into a full review of my long journey with the whiskey within! Company on Label:  Gryphon & Grain (Isla de Califa, Modesto California, also known as Copper Cane Wines & Spirits —something will stick eventually!) Whiskey Type:  California Straight Rye Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages:  Undisclosed proportions of estate grown Merced rye, Mapes Ranch corn, and malted 2-row barley Proof:  96° Age:  4 years Further identification:  This is barrel # R-7, bottle # 109, batch # GR1 that was recently released at an MSRP of around $70 Nose:  Lemon frosting greets the nose with sweetness and poise right away. Bakery treats like scones, croissants, and doughnuts float up through the nose in confectionary delight. The glass offers a sweet Bazooka Joe tone alongside spring florals that is really nice. Subtle earthiness and a distinct oily characteristic give off the feel of a vintage whiskey with elegance and grace. It's a sweeter rye with hints of honey, marmalade, and a robust backbone of slightly smoky biscuits. Graham cracker develops well with time in the glass. Let's have a sip. Coming back, I find all this wonderful butterscotch has bloomed in the glass. I like it even more now. As it rests, more subtle floral tones proliferate. It's quite apparent that good wood has been used in the maturation process. The empty glass smells of cacao, confectioners sugar, coconut husk, and grape skins. Palate:  Mmm. This lands marvelously on the tongue with a distinct character that has likely never been produced before. Subtle smoky oak leads the way before rich graham cracker, honey, and freshly baked artisanal bread slide across the tongue in silky wonderment. Another sip offers lemon ginger tea loaded with oodles of honey. Mmmh. This soothing dram is proofed perfectly for an oily mouthfeel, as I find lemon frosting sitting in the mouth on a long linger. Sipping later in the glass reveals buttered dinner rolls, hints of clay, and lemon rind. The mouthfeel sticks around for quite some time with wintergreen and herbal tea. The overall profile reminds me of the scenery of a cranberry bog and crunching on a Granny Smith apple. My last sip is filled with frosted lemon biscotti and a hint of vintage funk. TL;DR: Flavorful, oily pot-distilled rye whiskey bottled at just the right proof for stellar quality Rating:  4.5/5 ( Absolutely delicious. Enthusiast grade pour. ) While this bottle did start to fall off in quality at low fill, high oxidation levels, most of the bottle was thoroughly enjoyed. I shared it with countless other whiskey enthusiasts, who all agreed that it is a wonderfully unique whiskey that deserves a spot on your bar shelf. I look forward to trying more from this brand moving forward, as regionalization once again takes hold in the era of the rye renaissance. NICK ANDERSON With nearly a decade of sipping experience, Nick Anderson brings a well-calibrated palate to his profound passion for the whiskey industry. Beginning in Irish whiskey before expanding into bourbon, rye, and beyond, he has long been taking the ephemeral observation of unspoken enjoyment and translating it into meaningful words. He is the owner and primary long-winded whiskey writer for AmongstTheWhiskey.com , and he hopes you find resonance in the patient conveyance of an honest whiskey review.

distilleries with the broader whiskey community. Two distillery locations and just about all the custom distilling equipment the world has to offer means With 15 distillery employees on her team, it is no surprise that the brand has continued to innovate Craft whiskey has been on a roll lately. Comparing this to my previous sip of Cedar Ridge bottled-in-bond rye, I'd give the nod to the Iowa distillery

distillery with you today. For the uninitiated, Kings County Distillery operates out of Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York & has been One of the preeminent craft distilleries in the United States, the American Distilling Institute named Kings County Distillery of the Year in 2016. Social Wine Pick - Kings County Single Barrel Barrel Strength Bourbon Company on Label: Kings County Distillery

Anyone who is anyone in the whiskey world, which is you, me, and a few others, likely loves it when a distillery Defintions aside, distilleries that use cask strength on their labels seem to adhere to the same guidelines Apart from the distillery team (if you haven't checked out Still Austin's story, I cover it briefly  here ), Still Austin is also quite notable for its low-age statements compared to other distilleries anyone looking to diversify their rye and/or craft selection.  

bourbon in their state and a rising star in the expanding category of American single malt, Cedar Ridge Distillery During a two-day visit at the distillery located in Swisher, Iowa, the Amongst the Whiskey team met with With bottled-in-bond and straight rye whiskey already in solid rotation at the distillery, Cedar Ridge you to the folks at Cedar Ridge for the opportunity to spend two days learning and experiencing the distillery A distinct craft funk quickly follows, something I know well about Cedar Ridge expressions: think sticky

group of whiskey enthusiasts from all over the US descend into the marvelous land of corn to visit a distillery This influence is a massive lever that distilleries can pull on these days to produce nuanced, differentiated Keep your eyes peeled for more from this incredible Iowa distillery.

The linger stands tall like the redwood tree it is named after, showing off a whiskey that is well crafted

The nose is funky as can be with some really deep craft character coming across in a peculiar way.

What makes a modern distillery stand out from the crowd? Things that run common through many of those mentioned distilleries are low barrel entry proof, copper Wondering what makes Liberty Pole so unique as a Pennsylvania craft whiskey producer? We are an 8 year old family owned distillery. facility, a colonial themed Meetinghouse where we serve craft cocktails and small bites, and a 3,600

I've been given a great opportunity to both be introduced to and introduce you to Powerscourt Distillery , an Irish whiskey distillery that is producing its own spirits today in the heart of Ireland. It is a classic 3 pot still distillery, allowing Powerscourt to distill, malt and pot distill whiskey At full capacity the distillery has the potential to distil over 3 million of bottles of whiskey per produced right here in the heart of Wicklow and the team at Powerscourt are dedicated to creating and crafting

I've got an interesting new distillery to put on your whiskey radar. Middle West Spirits out of Columbus, Ohio is serving up well-aged craft whiskey with few frills and full The bottle is adorned with all the marketing accoutrements you would expect, such as "small batch craft