When two longtime friends cashed out their retirement accounts to chase a dream, few could have guessed they’d build what some call one of the best craft whiskey brands in America. Today, Woodinville Whiskey is celebrating its 15th anniversary with its most mature release yet: Woodinville Straight Bourbon Aged 9 Years.
This isn’t just another bottle on the shelf. It’s the product of more than a decade of experimentation, patience, and a stubborn belief that the best whiskey starts with the best barrel.
A Gamble That Paid Off
Back in the mid-2000s, Brett Carlile and Orlin Sorensen weren’t distillers. They were friends with a wild idea and a willingness to risk it all. With guidance from the late David Pickerell—known for his work at Maker’s Mark—they founded Woodinville Whiskey in Washington State. At the time, Washington wasn’t exactly a bourbon hotbed, but that didn’t stop them.
They wanted to do more than just make whiskey. They wanted to redefine it.
The Barrel Experiment
Most distilleries buy standard barrels, charred to industry specs, and get on with it. Brett and Orlin went a different route. They teamed up with Independent Stave Company, the biggest name in barrel making, and set out to test which barrel would truly bring out the best in bourbon.
Eight types of barrels were crafted, from standard kiln-dried staves with common chars to experimental open-air seasoned staves with varying toasts and chars. The standout? A barrel built from wood seasoned for 24 months in the elements—rain, sun, wind, snow—then heavily toasted and lightly charred.
Image credit: Woodinville Whiskey
That process breaks down the wood’s tough polymers into smaller molecules that unlock deeper flavors during toasting and charring. The heavy toast caramelizes natural sugars, giving bourbon its signature vanilla, caramel, and toffee notes. The light char filters the spirit while adding spice and oak.
The whiskey aged in these barrels came back packed with compounds whiskey lovers crave: furfural for sweetness, vanillin for creaminess, and smoky phenols that add depth. The only catch was a touch of “graininess” from the lighter char. The solution? More time. Years more.
The Long Wait
That decision meant waiting a total of nearly 12 years—two for stave seasoning, over four aging the test barrels, and another five-plus for refinement. The gamble worked. The bourbon that came out was rich, balanced, and layered with flavor in a way only time can achieve.
What’s in the Bottle
The new Woodinville Straight Bourbon Aged 9 Years is bottled at 100 proof, with a mashbill of 55% corn, 35% rye, and 10% malted barley. That high rye content gives it spice, balanced by corn sweetness and malt complexity.
Image credit: Woodinville Whiskey
Tasting notes highlight a nose of butter cookies and citrus, a palate filled with dried mango, milk chocolate, spiced candies, and caramel nougat, finishing with toffee and a touch of nutmeg.
Retailing at $129.99, only 500 cases have been produced, making it a limited and highly sought-after release. The first 500 numbered bottles sold out at the distillery’s Harvest Release event in August, where fans camped out for days to get a chance at one.
Looking Ahead
Woodinville isn’t stopping here. Last year saw an 8-year release. Now comes the 9-year. And in 2026, a 10-year version will arrive, giving whiskey collectors a rare chance to build a vertical set from a single experiment that started more than a decade ago.
For Brett Carlile, the reward is finally sharing what he and Sorensen have been tasting all these years as the bourbon slowly matured in their Quincy, Washington barrelhouses. “It’s incredible to see the impact of the unique barrel toast/char finish,” he says. “It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.”
More Than a Bottle
What makes this bourbon special isn’t just the flavor. It’s the story behind it. Two men, a mentor, and a belief that great whiskey takes time, risk, and relentless patience. From experimenting with barrels no one else dared to try, to waiting over a decade for results, this release is more than just a drink—it’s proof that sometimes the long way around is the only way to get where you want to go.
Woodinville Straight Bourbon Aged 9 Years is available now nationwide and online through the distillery’s website. For those who appreciate not just bourbon, but the journey behind it, this release may be the crown jewel of an already impressive 15-year run.
