History

Whiskey Del Bac began in 2006 when Elaine and Stephen Paul sat outside on their terrace enjoying a Scotch. Elaine suggested making a single malt whisky with mesquite malt instead of peat malt. Stephen was captivated by the idea and began to learn how Scottish whiskies are made, including floor-malted barley and an unpeated style inspired by Speyside. Dorado was born as a mesquite-smoked (not peated) American single malt, reflecting the American Southwest. The name Whiskey Del Bac comes from Tucson and means, in a blended language, 'Whiskey of the Place Where the River Reappears in the Sand'. Amanda Paul joined the company in 2011 and, together with Stephen, launched the Whiskey Del Bac brand in Tucson. The brand seeks to define what an American single malt from the Great American Southwest can be, and has established a terroir-based profile to date.

Production / Manufacturing

Dorado starts with 2-row malted barley, which is dried and smoked over mesquite wood. We mash, ferment and distill in our 500-gallon pot still to achieve the most intense flavor. Thereafter it is aged, blended and bottled on site. Dorado is 92 proof (46% ABV) and is never sourced or chill-filtered. Classic is based on an unpeated style inspired by Speyside. The entire portfolio consists of 100% house-made whisky in Tucson, and there have been later releases such as Distiller’s Cut and Global Cask Collection (Frontera and Normandie) in 2022.

Products / Whisky Series

• Dorado Single Malt – Mesquite-smoked American Single Malt
• Classic Single Malt – Unpeated, Speyside-inspired style
• Sentinel Bourbon Whiskey
• Sentinel Rye Whiskey
• Frontera (Global Cask Collection)
• Normandie
• Ode (Batch 4)
• Distiller’s Cut (Summer 2025)

Visit / Experiences

• Distillery Hours: Monday–Tuesday 11am–2pm; Wednesday–Sunday 11am–6pm
• Tours: Wednesday–Sunday at 12:00, 3:00 and 6:00 PM. Reservations not required, but recommended.
• Address: 2106 Forbes Blvd #103, Tucson, AZ 85745

Philosophy

• American Single Malt whisky rooted in the Sonoran Desert; 100% house-made whiskies, weaving Southwestern heritage with traditional Scottish distillation methods. The core idea is terroir in whiskey and a Southwest-inspired profile.