As you drive up the west slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains from our Etrog orchards in Lindcove Ranch California into the Sequoia National Forest you pass through the lovely town of Three Rivers California where where three forks of the Kaweah River converge – the Middle or Main Fork, the North Fork and the South Fork.
As the crystal clear waters flow down out of the mountains and into the farmland of the San Joaquin valley they echo the three elements that we bring together to create whiskey: wood, water and grain.
Three Rivers is our own expression of what we love in a rye whiskey. Our rye starts with an almost pure rye mashbill (93% American Rye), but with an extra “handful” of malted barley to get a smoother fermentation and get away from the sour, bitter notes common to many rye whiskeys. The extra barley adds just enough amylase to create a rich grain forward rye mash. We then age in new American oak, and work our magic on purifying and smoothing out the whiskey base. We then step Three Rivers through a series of toasted and smoked oak. The toasted oak pulls bitterness from the spirit, and lends it sweet, light brown sugar and caramel notes. Then the deep charred oak smooths off an “rough edges” and adds dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee and maple/spice notes to the finished whiskey.
Every bottle of CALI Distillery Three Rivers Rye is bottled as a single barrel expression, so each is a little different, but every bottle is delicious, and not quite like any other rye whiskey you’ve tasted.
Enjoy.
