Blake
Kelleher, formerly of Seven Stills,
is the Head Distiller and has a philosophy of trial and error; he comes up with
an idea, and if it doesn’t pan out, he keeps tinkering with blending until it
meets his standards. He relishes the challenge of experimentation.
Their
California distillery was formerly the home of Half Moon Bay Distillery,
which relocated to a nearby venue. Jettywave is big on sustainability:
“Jettywave feels a responsibility to our oceanside community to act responsibly when it comes to operating a business. We commit to reducing our impact by consciously making decisions to support and engage our local community. Our spent grain from our whiskey production gets donated weekly to a local farmer who uses it to feed his cattle and pigs. Each run of our still recycles our heated water and cools it to be recycled and used again reducing our water use substantially.
Scattered throughout our outdoor dining space you'll find planters filled with edible plants and ingredients used in our cocktails and food. By growing our own ingredients we can be certain of their quality and alignment with our commitment to source locally.” – Jettywave Distillery
So
here’s the cool thing: you’d have to have the bottle in your hand to notice it.
The bottle labels are made from fabric! I’ve held thousands of bottles in my
hands over the years, and I can’t recall ever seeing that. KUDOS to Jettywave
for coming up with unique packaging!
Jettywave
makes a variety of spirits, including absinthe, vodka, gin, moonshine, a coffee
liqueur, and whiskeys. It also features an on-site restaurant called Gibraltar Gems,
with Executive Chef Jose Luis at the helm.
Today’s
adventure explores two of Jettywave’s whiskeys: a Bourbon and an American
Single Malt. Both are available from the distillery’s website. There are select local stores that carry
Jettywave’s most popular products.
Before
we get to the #DrinkCurious part, I must thank Jettywave Distillery for
providing me with these samples in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest
reviews.
Maritime
Single Malt Whiskey
This
American Single Malt is made from a sustainably-developed, dryland barley
strain developed by the University of California – Davis. Local floor malting
(germinating and drying the barley) is rare in the United States. Jettywave
gets it from Admiral
Maltings in Alameda, and distillation is
performed on-premises.
The
maritime environment influenced the whiskey while it matured six months in
former “Jetty Barrel” Bourbon barrels subjected to a #3 char. If you’re wondering
how a whiskey aged only six months could be palatable, my experience is that
under the right conditions, that’s plenty for an American Single Malt.
Maritime
Single Malt is packaged in 375ml bottles at 45% ABV (90°), with a suggested
price of $50.00.
Appearance: I
poured this whiskey into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. The liquid was the
color of straw, which is nice because that indicates Blake added nothing to
adulterate it. The fragile rim couldn’t hold its own weight; its tears fell
quickly with crooked lines.
Nose: The
aroma was quite fragrant. Smells of milk chocolate, citrus, caramel, and a
slight brininess wafted from the glass. Drawing the air through my lips added a
smoky quality.
Palate: I found
the texture oily, and the first things I tasted were chocolate, smoke, and salted
caramel. Orange zest, barley, and tobacco followed. The back offered clove,
leather, and allspice.
Finish: The long-lasting
finish featured clove, allspice, leather, tobacco, chocolate, and smoke.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: One of the
things I admire about American Single Malts is how each distillery produces
something unique. I would have been satisfied if the palate had begun and ended
with the front. The rest was a bonus. The charred oak produced its smoky taste;
it is not a peated whiskey.
Maritime Single Malt Whiskey
seems expensive when you do the math. Were this a 750ml, it would cost $100.00.
I appreciate that Jettywave packages it in 375mls because it is worth grabbing
a Bottle.
◊◊◊◊◊
Distiller’s Select Small
Batch Bourbon
The label says Small
Batch. For the record, that’s a marketing term with no legal definition. In
reality, Distiller’s Select is a batch of one barrel; in this case, it is from
Barrel #38.
Distilled on-site from a
mash of 80% California-grown corn and 20% California-malted barley, this
Bourbon carries no age statement. Legally, that suggests it is at least four
years old. However, considering the distillery was operational in 2021, it is
likely a two-year whiskey. I’ve seen many “oopsies” regarding age statements
(or a lack thereof) on labels; these somehow got past the TTB. This 375ml
package weighs a hefty 57.5% (115°) and sells for $60.00.
Appearance: Like
the Maritime Single Malt, I used my Glencairn glass to sip this Bourbon neat. The
thin-to-medium rim seemed to glue itself to the wall, eventually releasing
thick tears.
Nose: I
smelled corn, caramel, eucalyptus, and charred oak. Bringing the vapor into my
mouth brought an enhanced flavor of caramel.
Palate:
Distiller’s Select mouthfeel was thick and creamy. The front of my palate
plucked bold caramel and corn. At mid-palate, I found barrel char and honey-roasted
almonds, while the back tasted of cocoa powder, oak, and allspice.
Finish: This
Bourbon’s very long finish had plenty of allspice, along with caramel, mocha,
and barrel char.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Barrel
#38 was definitely different. I loved the caramel on the front, the
honey-roasted almonds at the middle, and the allspice on the back. There was
that tasty mocha on the finish. It didn’t taste young, likely due to the high
malted barley content and lack of rye. While I enjoyed that part, I was not fond
of the dominating eucalyptus on the nose. The rest of the sipping experience fell
somewhere in between. It is also pricey. It would still take my Bar
rating even if it was 750ml versus 375ml.
◊◊◊◊◊
Final Thoughts: I’m
impressed with what this young distilling team can do. The Bourbon, at least
Barrel #38, is imperfect; some of what’s lacking can likely be addressed with another
year or so in oak. The Maritime Single Malt is stunning. I see a great future
for Jettywave and hope to experience what rolls down the line. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy-to-Understand
Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages
you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.
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