For day four of Seven Days of American Single Malt Whiskey, we’re headed to the woods. Not just any woods, but the Redwoods of Northern California.
The Redwood Forest stretches hundreds of miles along the northern California coast from the San Francisco Bay up into southeastern Oregon. Here you’ll find some of the tallest trees in the world, some extending as much as 380 feet from earth to sky.
This is ancient land, abundant in life and history. The massive trees once covered some two million acres, but intense logging in the 19th and 20th centuries destroyed most of the original forest. Loggers not only devastated the local ecosystem of the trees, but disrupted the lives of the indigenous people who had resided among the trees for centuries. Today, less than 5% of the once-expansive Redwood Forest remains. What is left is now fiercely protected, ensuring that these living giants can never again be cut down.
It was this landscape that inspired founder Derek Benham in 2013. According to the distillery’s website, Benham “saw potential in this region’s cool, temperate climate—perfect for aging whiskey slowly and evenly.” In 2015, he broke ground on a new distillery in Graton, California, filling the first barrels of Redwood Empire Whiskey that same year.
Graton is located in Sonoma County, in the heart of wine country. It may seem like a surprising place for a whiskey distillery, but it’s one deeply rooted in craft beverage tradition. Both Master Distiller Jeff Duckhorn and Master Blender Lauren Patz, come from wine families, bringing a unique heritage of patience and terroir to their whiskey-making.
In an article for Men’s Journal, Duckhorn described Redwood Empire’s whiskey as having a strong “sense of place.” For this distillery, that’s more than a poetic notion, but a responsibility. From the start Redwood Empire Distilling focused on making its spirits from local grains from the start, sourcing corn, barley, rye, and wheat from the nearby Sacramento Valley. Plus, through a partnership with Save the Redwoods League and Trees for the Future, they’re working to rebuild the forest around them. To date, more than 1.8 million trees have been planted.
In 2025, the distillery moved from their original facility in Graton to an expansive space on Mare Island, a narrow strip of land between the Napa River and the San Pablo Bay. They now occupy two historic buildings that once housed a naval base dating back to the mid 1800s. It was the first naval base on the West Coast and an important hub during World War II, where hundreds of naval ships (and a handful of submarines) were built and repaired.
Today, the waterfront campus houses a bar, restaurant, and all distillery operations. And, for the first time, it allows Redwood Empire to welcome visitors.
Big trees, waterfront views, and good whiskey? Sign me up.
Tasting Redwood Empire Foggy Burl 100% California Single Malt Whiskey (Batch 003, 2025 Release)
Many of Redwood Empire’s whiskeys are named for the giant trees of the Redwood Forest. Foggy Burl Single Malt Whiskey takes its name from a towering redwood located off the bank of Redwood Creek near Tall Trees Grove. The tree is known for its remarkable use of fog, drawing approximately 40% of its water needs from the coastal fog that often fills the woods.
Foggy Burl stands 347 feet tall and more than 13 feet in diameter, its magnificent height mirrored in the tall, slender bottle of whiskey.
Every batch of Foggy Burl Single Malt Whiskey is different, and each release an evolution in the distillery’s 10-year history of experimentation. There’s no age statement, no barrel information. But for Batch 003, released in 2025, the combined mash bill includes 12 different malt varieties, including distillers malt, munich, carabrown, chocolate, Maiden Voyage, and more. True to Redwood Empire’s founding principles, every ounce of barley comes from Northern California, making this spirit a uniquely Californian whiskey, from grain to glass.
On the nose, I get a bright blend of fruit and nuts, fresh and vibrant. Its legs are soft, not oily or coating the glass in a thick haze, yet slow to return to the body of the spirit below. It’s golden in color, described on the provided spec sheet as “24K Gold.”
The palate delivers beautifully on the promises of the nose. The fruity notes deepen, rounding into a richer flavor profile and balanced with an earthy, sweet undertone. There’s a last dance of luxury and a hint of oaky spice in the finish, which the distillery describes as “sinfully decadent.”
Ooh, la la.
I love a spirit that winks at you, and this is just such a whiskey. From the stunning linocut-styled label (mine in a limited-edition blue) to the fungus-adorned antlers of the regal buck it portrays, this whiskey is a vibe from start to finish. It is nature and luxury combined, a steady companion for any occasion, whether that’s an adventurous day spent on a forest trail or a cozy moment in laughter with good friends.
Some whiskeys rely on grandeur and spectacle, requiring a creative hook to pique interest and position the spirit in the wider whiskey world. In comparison, this whiskey feels understated. It’s stripped back and honest, presented without pretense to let the wonder and beauty of its home shine through every pour.
It makes me want to go to the woods.
(And I, as a general rule, do not go to the woods.)
But maybe I just haven’t found the right woods yet.
Slainte, y’all.
In My Glass
Foggy Burl Single Malt Whiskey
Redwood Empire Distilling – Sonoma County, California
47% ABV; No Age Statement
On My Desk
Grundig Triumph Personal typewriter
Read More from the Seven Days of American Single Malt Whiskey 2026
Day One: McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt Whiskey
Day Two: New Riff Sour Mash Single Malt
Day Three: Stranahan’s Mountain Angel 12 Year
A Note of Gratitude
This bottle of Foggy Burl Single Malt Whiskey was sent to me by the folks at Redwood Empire Distilling. Thank you to the team for send the bottle to sip and share!
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