Tequila and Bourbon together was a pairing Woodinville co-founder and head distiller Brett Carlile could not wrap his mind around. Until he could.

“It’s something I always wanted to try but was afraid to take a stab at,” Carlile said in a news release. “Eventually, curiosity got the best of me. So, I went for it and was blown away by how well Tequila and Bourbon play together.”

Brett’s experimentation landed on what he and partner Orlin Sorensen see as a real winner: Tequila Finish Woodinville Flagship Bourbon (MSRP $69.99, 100 proof). 

It’s a Bourbon that’s made quite the trek. It started with grains grown in Quincy, WA where the Omlin family has farmed for four generations. Then those grains headed across the Cascade mountains to the distillery in Woodinville, WA, to be distilled in this Western Washington town where nearby wineries and breweries send their wild yeasts into the air— lending a distinct terroir to the whiskey.  

That new-make whiskey heads back across the mountain pass, again, where it’s placed in new American Oak barrels built from wood that seasoned in the elements for 18-24 months. 

Carlisle tasted that Bourbon, and once it reached nearly 6 years, he deemed it ready for a fun project in the top-secret Warehouse 1. (It’s an original barrelhouse on the farm that’s home to numerous experiments.) 

Carlisle sourced some Extra Anejo Tequila barrels, and the team filled those emptied barrels with Woodinville Bourbon. And there it sat. Sorensen and Carlile revisited it during the sweltering summers and frigid winters of Central Washington. And, a few months back, they tasted it and knew their tequila finish bourbon was ready to release.

Less than 2,000 bottles are available. The first 500 bottles will be released at the distillery Saturday, May 3, at 10 a.m. Additional bottles will be released exclusively online at woodinvillewhiskeyco.com on May 5.

Read more: Woodinville to Release Two New Whiskeys at Harvest Release