Woodinville Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Toasted Applewood Staves

Woodinville Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Toasted Applewood Staves is a polished, autumn-leaning take on classic American bourbon—layering orchard-fruit lift and gentle toast over a core of caramel, cocoa, vanilla, and oak. It drinks like a premium seasonal release: familiar enough for bourbon purists, but distinctive and food-friendly thanks to the applewood finish.

Origins & Craftsmanship
Produced in Washington State, this expression starts with Woodinville’s straight bourbon foundation and then gains its signature character through finishing with toasted applewood staves. The mashbill is 72% corn, 22% rye, and 6% malted barley, built for a balanced profile where sweetness and spice can both show through. After full maturation, the distillery adds toasted applewood staves to deepen the whiskey’s aromatic range and add a warm, subtly woodsy fruit dimension that feels tailor-made for fall sipping and elevated cocktails. This bottling has been positioned as a limited, nationally available release in the brand’s specialty lineup.

Critics Reviews
As of the most widely available professional coverage, Whisky Advocate has featured Woodinville Finished with Toasted Applewood Staves in its New Releases reporting, noting its concept and positioning as a limited national release, but without publishing a numeric score in that coverage. No broadly published, verifiable numeric ratings from major professional spirits reviewers were found for this specific applewood-stave-finished expression in the accessible sources reviewed.

Tasting Profile
Nose: Bright baked-apple and red-berry aromas rise first, followed by vanilla bean, toasted oak, and a gentle cocoa note that reads like dark chocolate shavings.

Palate: Medium-full and satin-textured, opening with caramel and vanilla, then moving into orchard fruit (apple skin, baked apple) and a soft rye-driven spice. The applewood finish adds a toasted sweetness and a faint, cozy smokiness that amplifies the bourbon’s richness without pushing it into “flavored” territory.

Finish: Sweet and lingering—caramel, cocoa, vanilla, and a final echo of apple-and-toast warmth.

Quick Overview

Cocktail Recipes

Applewood Old Fashioned (House Style)

• 2 oz Woodinville Applewood Finished Bourbon

• 0.25 oz demerara syrup (1:1)

• 2 dashes aromatic bitters

• 1 dash orange bitters (optional)

• Orange peel + thin apple slice (garnish)
  Method: Stir with ice until silky-chilled. Strain over a large cube in a rocks glass. Express orange peel, garnish with apple.

Orchard Manhattan

• 2 oz Woodinville Applewood Finished Bourbon

• 1 oz sweet vermouth

• 1 dash aromatic bitters

• 1 dash cocoa bitters (optional, excellent here)
  Method: Stir with ice, strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora. Garnish with a brandied cherry.

Applewood Highball

• 2 oz Woodinville Applewood Finished Bourbon

• 4–5 oz premium soda water

• Lemon twist (garnish)
  Method: Build over ice in a tall glass, add soda, give one gentle lift. Express lemon twist over the top.