Baking chocolate | Ruby red grapefruit juice | Whoppers candy | Raisins | Red fruits | Light caramel | Balanced

Rich chocolate | Malt | Aged oak | Stone fruit | Green peppercorns | Faint honey | Grounded

Rush of rye spice | Chocolate malt | Chewy oak | Raisins | Dry

Old Potrero California Cellar Series is a nod to the shared heritage of whiskey and wine in the state of California. Master Distiller Bruce Joseph states, “Old Potrero has always been influenced by its home state’s exceptional wine – including in our choice of 24-month air-dried, extra-fine grain barrels, which we’ve used since the first batch was released. It was a natural evolution to bring our exceptional rye whiskey together with some of California’s finest wine producers to further influence the rich flavors of the spirit.”

Old Potrero California Cellar Series #001 was created by taking the company’s standard straight rye that has been aged for just shy of 7 years and finishing it in Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon American oak barrels for 5 months. The company states that “these are the first two Old Potrero collaborations with California wineries, with more planned for the future. Additional collaborations with white wine and beer barrel finishes will launch in 2025 as part of Old Potrero’s Golden State program, celebrating and aligning the state’s original rye whiskey with other California producers.”

The whiskey opens with rich scents of baking chocolate that are balanced out by pleasing scents of fruit, raisins, and Whoppers candy. The midpoint brings a combination of light spice, chocolate, and stone fruits, along with a grounding oak resting on top of a layer of malt. The finish displays some of the barrel finish influence as a dry note permeates, and raisins, chewy oak, and a rush of spice lead the charge. Old Potrero California Cellar Series #001 is a well done barrel finished whiskey that allows the company’s malted rye to be enhanced by the wine finish without ever being overpowered by it.