Distillery: Woodinville Whiskey Co.
Proof: 90.0 (45.0% ABV)
Age: 6 Years
Mashbill: 72% Corn, 22% Rye, 6% Malted Barley
MSRP: $40
A Washington bourbon ready to compete beyond the craft category
Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey is not offered up as a promising craft release that should be judged with allowances for where it is made. Instead, Woodinville appears intent on producing a Washington-state bourbon capable of competing directly with the traditional Kentucky expressions. Its grains are grown less than 5 miles from the distillery. The whiskey is transported across the Cascade Mountains and matured in Central Washington. An area where temperature changes occur similar to the swings experienced in Kentucky.
Carrying a six-year age statement and at 90 proof, Woodinville seems intent on pursuing broad drinkability. But the question is whether it retains enough flavor, texture, and identity to satisfy more experienced bourbon drinkers.
It does. Sweet corn and toasted grain give the expression a clear foundation, while vanilla, restrained rye spice, and toasted oak emerge in progression. Enthusiasts may wonder what additional age or a proof between 101 and 104 might reveal, but that curiosity speaks more to the quality of the underlying whiskey than to a failure of this expression.
Woodinville has produced an approachable flagship that no longer needs the qualifier of being good for a craft bourbon. It is simply good bourbon.
Woodinville 6YO Straight Bourbon Review Review: Tasting Notes
Nose – 4.3/5
Creamy caramel. Sweet corn. Brown sugar and vanilla. Toasted oak. Almond.
Strengths: Improves considerably with time in the glass. Initial caramel and corn notes develop into a combination of vanilla, brown sugar, toasted grain, toasted oak, and almond, with slight honey, rye spice, and cocoa adding depth.
Why It’s Not Higher: Alcohol is noticeable on the first pass. Needs time and air before revealing its best qualities.
Rating Justification: Inviting and rewarding. Its strength lies in development rather than immediate brute force. Continues to open as the alcohol recedes. Encourages you to return and explore.
Palate – 4.3/5
Sweet corn and vanilla. Toasted cereal grain. Baked bread and malt. Rye spice. Toasted oak.
Strengths: Soft creamy. Sweet, grain-forward entry moves into restrained rye spice and toasted oak. That transition is easy to recognize. Becomes more interesting as it develops.
Why It’s Not Higher: Flavors hold steady once the rye spice and oak arrive but don’t deepen or expand. 90 proof favors accessibility over the greater intensity some enthusiasts may prefer.
Rating Justification: Balanced. Sweeter notes gradually give way to spice and oak without losing the underlying sweetness or creamy texture. The proof serves the bourbon’s intended purpose well, even if may leave enthusiasts curious about what a greater strength might reveal.
Finish – 3.7/5
Sweet corn fade. Toasted grain and malt. Slight rye spice. Toasted oak. Lingering creamy sweetness.
Strengths: Remains pleasant. Consistent with the identity that was established on the Nose and Palate. Grain and light sweetness settle on the back palate with only slight proof warmth. No bitterness, harsh tannin, or distracting heat.
Why It’s Not Higher: Short. Relatively simple. Does not evolve. Holds briefly before fading quietly, limiting a lasting impression.
Rating Justification: Length. Does not collapse or turn unpleasant. Completes the earlier progression established by the Nose and Palate.
Value – 4.7/5
At $40, Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey represents significantly strong Value. It offers a six-year age statement, a controlled grain-to-glass production story, deliberately prepared barrels, polished presentation, and an experience complete enough to stand beside more established Kentucky bourbons.
Newer drinkers should find the 90 proof welcoming. Enthusiasts can appreciate its grain identity and flavor progressions, although some will naturally wish for a higher-proof version with greater intensity. Even with that limitation, the quality delivered at this price makes Woodinville well worth picking up.
Woodinville 6YO Straight Bourbon Review: The Verdict
Woodinville set out to produce more than an interesting Washington craft bourbon. It sought to create an approachable, mature flagship whiskey that can compete in the same space as the traditional Kentucky bourbons that define the mainstream market. It succeeds.
More age might add depth and length, while higher proof could amplify the pleasant flavor profile. Neither is necessary, however, for Woodinville to accomplish what this particular expression appears designed to do. At 90 proof and $40, it is polished, approachable, flavorful, and complete. A high-quality flagship that deserves to be judged alongside Kentucky bourbon without stamping the “craft” qualification on it.
Verdict – 4.3/5
We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.
Scoring System:
- Platinum – 4.5 – 5
- Gold – 4 – 4.5
- Silver – 3 – 4
- Bronze – <3
Mike Long is a staff writer at Bourbon Inspector and has an Executive Bourbon Steward designation from the Stave and Thief Society. He’s a former “wine guy” who discovered his love for bourbon years back at a spur-of-the-moment bourbon tasting he attended. He also loves traveling throughout America with his wife of over 37 years, Debby.