Wildwood Spirits Co.
About the Distillery
Wildwood Spirits Co. is a craft distillery in Washington State, established in 2014, producing bourbon, rye, wheat whiskeys as well as gin, vodka and liqueurs in small batches. The distillery is built on a farm-to-distillery principle with locally grown ingredients, often organic, and a focus on sommelier-inspired barrel selection. The tasting room is attached to Beardslee Public House in Bothell, where many of the products are presented.
History
The idea for Wildwood sprang from the collaboration between restaurateur John Howie and sommelier Erik Liedholm. Erik began as a hobby making grappa and wished to bring wine-professional care into distillation; John Howie contributed with restaurant and distribution channels, including Beardslee Public House in Bothell, which houses the distillery's tasting room. Since the founding in 2014, Wildwood has expanded a range consisting of The Dark Door bourbon, Rendition rye and The Professor wheat, complemented by gins, vodkas and liqueurs. Grappa (Arande) is released periodically in very limited quantities, and in 2023 Rendition Rye received a Double Gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, marking a significant milestone in the distillery's recognition.
Raw Materials and Production
Wildwood bases its spirits on local ingredients: corn, barley, wheat and local wheat varieties for the whiskies as well as neutral grain for gin and vodka. Many botanicals for the gins are locally grown, including Douglas fir and Braeburn apples from the co-founder’s garden. The Kur gin is produced in London Dry style via fractional distillation, and each botanical is distilled separately to preserve individual aromas. The Professor is triple distilled, giving a lighter and silkier texture. Water is used via reverse osmosis. Rye for Rendition is harvested in Indiana and aged initially in the Midwest, before finishing in Wildwood’s bourbon barrels. Small-batch production, individualized botanical treatment, and wine-focused barrel choices characterize the production.
Finishing and Barrel Types
Barrel selection is central to Wildwood's approach. American bourbon barrels are used both for primary aging and as finish barrels for rye and wheat editions. The company also uses wine barrels and sherry finishes for special releases: French Cabernet barrels from Passing Time Winery have been used for a micro-release of The Dark Door, while Oloroso sherry barrels from Jerez have been used to condition a special edition of The Professor. Likewise, liqueurs are briefly conditioned in used bourbon barrels to add extra depth. These combinations connect the character of the raw distillate with secondary, barrel-based nuances.
Whiskies
The core of the whisky portfolio consists of three lines: The Dark Door (bourbon, including a five-year single-barrel and a Cabernet-finish), Rendition (straight rye in variants such as ~5 years, 10 years and cask strength) and The Professor (wheat editions, including a triple-distilled three-year and an Oloroso-conditioned special). In addition to whisky, Wildwood produces gins such as Kur and Läka, vodka Stark Vatten, liqueur Solgud and occasional grappa releases. Many bottles are small-batch or single-barrel, and the portfolio combines core releases with experimental finishes.
| Whisky | Type / Series | Alcohol | Age | Barrel and Style | Flavor Profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Dark Door – Bourbon (Aged 5 Years) | Bourbon | 45 % | 5 years | American oak bourbon barrel | A five-year-old, small-batch single-barrel bourbon, highlighted as a limited release with focus on specialty oak and extended aging.; Nose: Vanilla, pralines and white flowers.; Finish: Long and rich finish as a result of five years of aging in special oak. | Current; Core range; In Stock |
| The Dark Door – Passing Time (Cabernet Cask Finish) | Bourbon with wine finish | 45 % | 5 years | French oak (Cabernet Sauvignon barrel); finish: Aged in Cabernet barrels to impart dark cherries, leather and tannin structure. | An elite micro-release where the five-year bourbon is finish-aged in French Cabernet barrels from Passing Time Winery; single-barrel and very limited.; Nose: Vanilla and roasted pralines with darker vinous nuances in the finish edition.; Finish: Softer and more complex due to Cabernet-finish. | Current; In Stock (Limited) |
| Rendition – Rye (Aged ~5 Years) | Straight Rye Whiskey | 45 % | ca. 5 years | American oak bourbon barrels (previous The Dark Door); finish: Rendition is matured in the Midwest for almost five years and afterfinishes in Wildwood's bourbon barrels to soften and enrich the rye character. | A straight rye whiskey where the grain is harvested in Indiana; the spirit is aged in the Midwest for several years before finish in Wildwood's bourbon barrels.; Nose: Citrus, cinnamon and baking spices.; Taste: White pepper, moka and vanilla.; Finish: Long and rich finish, softened by bourbon finish. | Current; Core range; In Stock |
| Rendition – Aged 10 Years | Straight Rye Whiskey | 45 % | 10 years | American oak bourbon barrels (previous The Dark Door); finish: After 10 years of maturation in the Midwest, this Rye is finished in the distillery's bourbon barrels before bottling. | A ten-year straight rye, fully aged in the Midwest and finish-aged in Wildwood's bourbon barrels before release.; Nose: Citrus, cinnamon and baking spices.; Taste: White pepper, moka and vanilla.; Finish: Long and rich finish. | Current; In Stock |
| Rendition – Cask Strength | Straight Rye Whiskey (Cask Strength) | 45 % | ca. 5 years | American oak bourbon barrels (previous The Dark Door); finish: Cask Strength edition rests on the same principle of finishing in Dark Door barrels. | A cask strength variant in the Rendition series, based on finishing in the distillery's bourbon barrels.; Nose: Citrus, cinnamon and baking spices.; Taste: White pepper, moka and vanilla.; Finish: Long and rich finish. | Current; In Stock |
| The Professor – Wheat (Irish-style, 3 years) | Wheat / Irish-style whiskey | 45 % | 3 years | American oak barrels (previous The Dark Door); finish: Three years of aging in used bourbon barrels from The Dark Door. | A light, triple-distilled, Irish-inspired wheat-whiskey, aged three years in used American bourbon barrels.; Taste: Hints of caramel and marzipan around a floral backbone. | Current; Core range; In Stock |
| The Professor – Oloroso Cask | Wheat / Oloroso-sherry conditioned | 45 % | Oloroso sherry cask (Jerez); finish: Two extra months of post-maturation in an Oloroso-sherry cask to add dried fruit and nutty notes. | A special edition of The Professor, finished in an Oloroso sherry cask from Jerez to lift character.; Finish: Added notes of dried fruit and nuts after Oloroso-conditioning. | Current; In Stock |
Whiskies’ Style and Flavor Profile
The Rendition series is consistently described with citrus and spice notes (cinnamon, baking spices) as well as white pepper and moka on the palate. The Dark Door bourbon is highlighted with vanilla, roasted pralines and white flowers. The Professor (wheat) carries caramel- and marzipan-like traits with a floral backbone. Wine- and sherry-finishes — for example Cabernet- and Oloroso-barrels — add darker fruit notes, tannin structure and dried fruit and nut elements in the selected micro-releases.
Visit the Distillery
Visitors can sample Wildwood's products in the tasting room, which is located beneath Beardslee Public House in Bothell. The products are also represented at a large number of restaurants and retailers in the Pacific Northwest, and Wildwood sells online to most of the United States with a specified list of states where shipping is not offered. The tasting room serves as a local showroom for the distillery's range and cocktails based on its own spirits.
Philosophy and Craft
Wildwood's workflow is rooted in a farm-to-distillery principle: nearly all ingredients are sourced locally and often organic. The craft is small-scale and sommelier-inspired, with individual botanical treatment, careful barrel selection and enological considerations used to shape each bottling.
Awards and Recognitions
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Best Straight Rye Whiskey – Double Gold Medal (2023, Rendition)
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American Distilling Institute / Los Angeles International Spirits Competition (noted on product page) — Solgud (listed under Awards on the product page)
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American Distilling Institute / New York World Wine & Spirits Competition (noted on product page) — Stark Vatten (listed under Awards on the product page)