Golden Beaver Pacific Fly Way Straight Whiskey and Single Barrel Bourbon Reviews

 

1948 doesn’t seem like it is so long ago. The California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation, at its Rice Experiment Station near Biggs, has been working to develop high, stable, and quality rice grains that minimally impact the environment for California rice growers. It was in 1948 when the CCRRF originated and distributed a varietal called Calrose.

 

Calrose is a medium-sized grain that was extremely popular until the 1970s, when it was put in storage. Calrose was improved upon and then mingled with the original. Today, Calrose is the market's most prominent California rice grain and is now grown worldwide. It is a soft, sticky grain popular with sushi makers once cooked. In Korea, it is considered exotic, and smuggling shipments of Calrose is not unusual.

 

What does Calrose have to do with whiskey? I’m glad you asked! It is the base grain used by Golden Beaver Distillery in the production of its spirits and one of the few in the United States to do so.

 

Founded in Chico, California, by Kris Keonig, Golden Beaver Distillery was conceived in 2010 when he was stuck in Edinburgh while presenting for PBS at the Edinburgh Science Festival. The reason? The volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupted, which canceled air travel and extended his stay. He met Charlie Maclean, a prominent Scotch whisky writer and authority; they became friendly. Charlie’s niece, who managed the festival, enrolled Kris in two of Uncle Charlie’s whisky masterclasses on Scotch. At that point, the hook was set.

 

“I was thirsty to figure out the science of distilling. Twenty years later, I’m still thirsty for that knowledge- every day you learn something new.” – Kris Koenig

Kris later obtained his education from Moonshine University in Louisville. His wife, Marianne, bought him his first still and was soon making whiskey in his garage. As the dream of opening his distillery continued to develop, he toyed with the name Beaver Likker. To put it nicely, Marianne wasn’t overly approving.

 

What Kris and Marianne understood was that beavers are a keystone species vital to the well-being of the planet and have a direct impact on maintaining wetlands.

 

“The genesis of [the North and Central California] wetlands can be directly attributed to the Golden Beavers until their demise in the 1800s by the Hudson Bay Company to make hats. Rice farmers have taken over the role of wetland keepers in Northern California.” – Golden Beaver Distillery

 

The Koenigs purchased a 500-gallon Triton pot still from Liberty Pole Spirits they named Harold. Then, during COVID, they added a 730-gallon DYE pot still monikered Maude. Maude is used for three stripping runs before Harold takes over for the spirits run.

 

That leads us to today’s reviews of Pacific Fly Way Whiskey and Pacific Fly Way Single Barrel Bourbon. Golden Beaver was kind enough to send me samples of each in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and discover what these are all about!

 

Pacific Fly Way Whiskey

 

• Mashbill: 80% rice, 20% malted rice
• Cooperage: 50% 53-gallon new, #1 and #2 charred oak barrels from Independent Stave Company, 50% first-fill 53-gallon MGP Bourbon barrels
• Age: NAS
• Alcohol Content: 45% ABV (90°)
• Price per 750ml: $59.00
• Batch No: 6

 

Appearance: A neat pour into my Glencairn glass revealed a golden-colored whiskey. A thick rim shed thick, medium-spaced, slow tears.

 

Nose: Bringing the glass beneath my nostrils, I smelled raw honey and beeswax. There was something fruity but so muted that I couldn’t give more information than that. Drawing the air through my lips brought more beeswax.

 

Palate: I encountered a silky mouthfeel. The front of my palate found Honeycrisp apples and pears. Mild cinnamon and oats greeted my mid-palate; the back tasted clove and oak.  

 

Finish: Black pepper, honey, cinnamon, and oak tannins remained in my mouth and throat. The finish started very light and slowly built into those spice notes. I timed it at 1:13, making it on the shorter end of the medium scale.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I readily admit I struggled with the nose. I handed the glass to Mrs. Whiskeyfellow. She agreed it lacked depth. That being said, the palate was much easier to ascertain. The first sip didn’t offer much, but the second and subsequent sips fixed that. The more I sipped, the more flavors I could pull from it.

 

Pacific Fly Way Straight Whiskey drank a few points higher than the stated proof. It left the roof of my mouth with a light tingle. It is an unusual whiskey that grew on me as I continued to explore it.

 

For $59.00, you’re getting an experience. American rice whiskeys are few and far between, and I appreciate Golden Beaver’s approach with both the new and vintage cooperage. I can’t help but wonder what this distillate tastes like with one or the other (and I suspect Kris and Marianne have tried that). Experiences are worth gold to me, so Pacific Fly Way Straight Whiskey takes my Bottle rating.

 

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Pacific Fly Way Single Barrel Bourbon

 

• Mashbill: 51% corn, 25% rice, 14% rye, 10% malted barley. All grains come from California.
• Cooperage: 53-gallon, new charred oak from Independent Stave Company
• Age: At least two years
• Alcohol Content: 57% ABV (114°)
• Price per 750ml: $90.00
• Cask No.: 42

 

Appearance: The Bourbon was one of the darkest whiskeys I’ve encountered. It was deep, dark, and brown. There was little, if any, translucence. The medium rim produced crazed tears; they were thick, wild, and slow.

 

Nose: My olfactory sense discerned oak – and plenty of it. Beneath it were cherries, toffee, nutmeg, and vanilla. Drawing the air into my mouth allowed me to experience milk chocolate.

 

Palate: The Bourbon’s texture was creamy. The first sip was filled with the taste of old leather and tobacco. The second sip revealed dried cherries, leather, and vanilla on the front. Flavors of tobacco, toffee, and roasted almonds teased my mid-palate. The back featured oak, dark chocolate, and clove.

 

Finish: The arid finish included leather, tobacco, dark chocolate, and clove. It weighed in at 2:13, starting slowly before building to its crescendo. That makes for a long finish.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The Pacific Fly Way Bourbon is one of those whiskeys with pucker power. That means it sucked any moisture from my mouth and throat, leaving me smacking my tongue against the roof of my mouth.

 

Rice is such an unusual ingredient with Bourbon that I’m unsure of its impact. I can say that, as a whole, this is a tasty whiskey that’s not one of those “me too” products. It is an easy sipper that drinks slightly below its stated proof while being a long-lasting affair.

 

Some will balk at a two-year Bourbon costing $90.00; that’s a valid concern. Because of that, I suggest you try this one first, which means it earns my Bar rating.

 

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Final Thoughts: Kris proves he knows what he is doing, and I value his desire to think outside the box. I’m not sure that I could write a review of something called Beaver Likker, or at least not a serious one, so I’m happy that Marianne put her foot down (shhh, the little boy in me still wanted it to happen). 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.