History

Our founders grew up thousands of kilometers apart, but were united by a shared love of the country’s agriculture, culture, and heritage. Ammunition is part of Daylight Wine + Spirits and is presented as a tribute to the American spirit and the Western spirit. They describe an approach in which exceptional wines and whiskies require carefully cultivated ingredients and a heritage of craftsmanship, pride, and continuity in the American tradition. Ammunition speaks of being a true tribute to America’s heritage and the unadorned qualities of nature—from soil to glass.

Production / Manufacturing

The production and tasting experience of Ammunition links grain and wine production in a unique chain: grain fields in the American heartland, cooperage in Missouri, distillery and rickhouses in Kentucky. The whiskies are aged for three to four years in new, virgin Missouri oak, after which they are finished in French Bordeaux- and Burgundy-barrels, where the Ammunition wines (Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir) also mature. This extra step adds fruity layers, vanilla, chocolate, and mocha notes to the finish and gives a rich, mature style. The farm-to-finish philosophy and traditional American distillation are central to the entire process.

Products / Whisky Series

Ammunition Bourbon Cask Strength

A one-year, double-barrel bourbon at cask strength, delivering a purist bourbon experience. First aged in classic, golden caramelization tones and then finished in French Bordeaux Cabernet barrels for six months. Mash bill: 70% corn, 20% rye, 10% malted barley.

Ammunition Straight Bourbon Whiskey

This bourbon is a blend (aged 3–4 years) with a finish of at least six months in wine barrels that previously housed Ammunition Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley. The distinctive finish adds sweetness and tannin to a deeper bourbon experience. The color is dark amber, and the palate offers caramel and burnt sugar with vanilla and a hint of richness from Cabernet Sauvignon French oak barrels.

Ammunition Straight Rye Whiskey

A rye-based whiskey (95% rye, 5% malted barley) finished for at least six months in wine barrels that previously housed multiple vintages of Ammunition Sonoma Pinot Noir. The result is a finish characterized by sweetness and tannin, with notes of dark caramel and a hint of citrus, with endings of bakery and red berries from Pinot Noir French oak barrels.

Ammunition Pinot Noir Wine

The Pinot Noir wine comes from two leading sub-appellations in Sonoma County (Carneros and Russian River Valley). It highlights fruit aromas of blueberry, strawberry, and cherry with cinnamon and dried leaves, delivering a rich and balanced palate.

Ammunition Cabernet Sauvignon Wine

This Cabernet Sauvignon includes varietals such as Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc (about 10%), and is aged 18 months in French oak, of which 35% is new oak. Part of the wine was barrel-fermented separately to achieve a smooth and silky finish. Notes include blackberry, black cherry, baking spices, and vanilla. Alcohol by volume is around 14.5%.

Philosophy

Ammunition describes itself as a development of the American spirit through products that bind grains and grapes from the country’s fields. They market themselves with a focus on craftsmanship, quality, and a deep connection between agriculture, cooperage, and the history of rickhouses and distillation. The concept is to bring Western spirit and American pride into every bottle through a combination of North American ingredients and European finishing styles, resulting in a fruity, tannin-rich, and complex finish in both whiskey and wine. They also describe a forward-looking approach to uniting California’s wine regions with Kentucky’s bourbon tradition in an ecosystem born of American heritage and industry.