Hinterhaus Tasting with the Founders - Nate and Bonnie Randall

When our lovely Ana Hinz introduces me to a brand, I know I better listen! Needless to say, I’ve been waiting for this tasting for months! We had to wait for the 21 year rye to be ready and some of the other really fun expressions to be bottled!

Based in Arnold, CA, Hinterhaus is putting out various whiskies, vodka, and gin. Winning awards left and right. This will likely be the best distillery that no one has heard of!

I'm excited to have the founders join us on a zoom call to tell us all about the brand and to taste us on a fantastic lineup showcasing some of their best spirits.

I hope you’re ready!

Here is what we’re going to taste:

• American Single Malt - Discovery Series #5
• American Single Malt - Singularity Series #1
• Trapper's Oath Rye - 21yr
• Bourbon - Calaveras Cask Finish #22
• Bourbon - Single Barrel Cask Strength - Calaveras Cask Finish #21
• Bourbon - Single Barrel Cask Strength - Calaveras Cask Finish #25

We also have some cool swag to raffle off on the night of the tasting so please join us live, on zoom, for a chance to win!

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ABOUT THE BRAND:

Hinterhaus Distilling is named in honor of the hinterland at our doorstep - the vast Sierra Nevada wilderness that has long beckoned brave explorers and adventurers to this breathtaking and rugged mountain range. Our spirits are born and aged at our 4000 ft elevation, where four distinctive seasons greet us (sometimes in a single day).

We are proudly 100% family owned and operated by the Randall family. Every spirit we produce reflects the pristine region we call home, and we collaborate with our neighbors to source local ingredients and casks. From gins and vodka that we distill from 100% California wine, to our American Single Malt program which we believe reflects our region better than any other, we are committed to spotlighting our area and utilizing what exists nearby.

We have been humbled to receive numerous awards, including the American Craft Spirits Association ‘Innovation Award’ (2024), World Vodka Awards ‘Best Vodka of USA’, ADI’s ‘Best of Vodka Category’ (2021), and SUNSET Magazine’s ‘Best of Gin’. We have had the pleasure of telling their bootstrapped story to audiences around the country, on industry podcasts and publications, and on PBS.

Each weekend, our family and staff welcomes hundreds of visitors to our tasting room and bottle shop where patrons enjoy our alpine-inspired lounge, tasting flights, and seasonal cocktails. In addition to our distillery’s bottle shop, our spirits are also available at a growing list of California and Colorado retailers. National shipping is offered on our website: HinterhausDistilling.com.

DETAILS ON SAMPLED SPIRITS:

1) American Single Malt Whiskey - Discovery Series Batch 5. Crafting American Single Malt has helped define what we do at Hinterhaus and how we do it since day one. We produce our single malt - from fermentation to bottling - entirely in-’Haus’ at our distillery. Our approach to the Discovery Series of our single malt program is an exploration in differing maltbills and cask aging. Eager to add creativity and craftsmanship to the growing segment of American single malts, we work with California-grown barley and carefully select our malt (most of which is floor-malted at Admiral Maltings in Alameda, CA).

Utilizing unique maltbills allows us to discover the many nuances of single malt, which in turn lends itself to comparing and contrasting batches. Each bottle of our Hinterhaus American Single Malt details the entire lineage including malts and barrels used on the backside label- offering a measure of transparency seldom seen in the whiskey industry.

Batch 5 of the Discovery Series American Single Malt features malt entirely floor-malted at Admiral Maltings. 63% Maiden Voyage | 33% California Spirit | 4% Kilnsmith. Aged at our 4000ft elevation non-temp controlled barrel warehouse in Kelvin Cooperage (KY) New Medium Toast #3 casks at least 21 months, and finished 26% in first fill ex-Rye whiskey Americans Oak casks and 74% in ex-bourbon and ex-Zinfandel casks. Always non chill-filtered | Never color added. 92 Proof.

*You can read all of the details about this and all bottles on our website’s SPIRITS tab under Batch Listings: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.hinterhausdistilling.com/_files/ugd/fa4dca_3b51af592e9a4df980945ca95a61dab8.pdf

2) American Single Malt Whiskey - Singularity Series Batch 1 Port Finished. Only our rarest and most unique single malt whiskey casks bear the Singularity badge. These barrels of our American Single Malt tell a story unique to themselves and represent our endeavor to produce a single malt that truly reflects the terroir and people of our rugged part of eastern California.

The very 1st batch of our Singularity Series American Single Malt features Admiral Malting’s California Spirit 32% Kilnsmith 21% and Maiden Voyage 12% in addition to Great Western’s Superior Pilsen 18% and Pure California 17%. We aged this single malt at our 4000 ft elevation non-temp controlled barrel warehouse in 65% ex-American Single Malt Oak as well as 35% new medium #3 char American oak before finishing it in an 11 yr California Port wine French Oak barrel.

Full transparency of the maltbill can be found on the backside label of each bottle, as well as on our website’s SPIRITS tab under Batch Listings.

Always non chill filtered | Never color added. Cask Strength 108 Proof.

3) 21 Year Trapper’s Oath Rye Whiskey. Four years ago, we embarked on a whiskey aging and blending adventure. Working with extra-aged Canadian Rye Whiskey from Quebec (53%Rye 47%Corn), we moved the whiskey into our own ex-bourbon barrels which we lent out to a nearby award-winning brewery who aged their Stout in. The result is a 21 year age statement rye whiskey unlike any other we’ve had the pleasure of sipping.

The latest iteration of Trapper’s Oath is the 4th and (projected) final batch. A beautiful saffron color greets the senses while orange peel and cinnamon bears greet the palate. Subtle rye spice lingers alongside rich dark chocolate and espresso notes.

It is available as inventory lasts on our website for national shipping, but is seldom found on retail shelves. Non chill filtered | Never color added. 98 Proof. Full details can be found on our website’s SPIRITS tab under Batch Listings.

4) Calaveras Cask Finish Bourbon Whiskey Batch 22. When we opened our distillery five years ago, our intention was to craft a variety of spirits that reflect our region. By sourcing unique bourbons with differing mashbills from around the country, we age the barrels in our non-temp controlled barrel warehouse at 4000ft for a minimum of 36 months before finishing them for up to an additional year in locally-sourced wine barrels. The result is a bourbon that speaks to the depth and variety of character that exists in the industry, as well as represents our aging, finishing and blending techniques.

For our 22nd batch of this bourbon, we blended a 99% corn bourbon (Lawrenceberg, IN) with a Bardstown bourbon that had a mashbill of 70%Corn 22%Rye 8%Malted Barley from (Bardstown, KY). Spending between 46 and 52 months in new charred oak barrels (Kelvin Cooperage, KY), we finished the blend in a combination of ex-Barbera and ex-Malbec barrels from the Sierra Foothills wine region.

Non-chill filtered | Never color added | 92 Proof. Available at retailers in CA and CO and on our website for shipping nationwide.

5) Calaveras Cask Strength Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon Whiskey Batch 21. As agers and blenders of unique bourbons from around the country, we encounter casks of bourbon that beg us to bottle them individually as opposed to blending. We give these casks additional aging time in charred oak at our non-temp controlled barrel warehouse before selecting just the right local wine barrel to finish it in.

Batch 21 of our Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon was a ‘crown jewelry’ for many of our patrons. Distilled in Lawrenceburg IN of a very unique mashbill: 51%Corn 45%Wheat 4%Malted Barley, we aged this barrel 46 months and then finished it in an ex-Syrah wine barrel for 10 months.

Non chill filtered | Never color added | Cask Strength 121 Proof.

This bottle may be available at retailers in CA and CO but it is sold out on our website.

6) Calaveras Cask Strength Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon Whiskey Batch 25. As agers and blenders of unique bourbons from around the country, we encounter casks of bourbon that beg us to bottle them individually as opposed to blending. We give these casks additional aging time in charred oak at our non-temp controlled barrel warehouse before selecting just the right local wine barrel to finish it in.

Batch 25 is our latest iteration of our single barrel bourbon program at Hinterhaus. Distilled in Columbus OH from a 4-grain mashbill of 75%Corn 15%Wheat 5%Rye 5%Malted Barely, we aged this at our non-temp controlled barrel warehouse for 46 months and finished it for an additional year in an ex-Grenache wine barrel.

Non chill filtered | Never color added | Cash Strength 121 Proof.

May be available as inventory lasts on our website for shipping.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Led by a passion to roll up their sleeves and create something they had long envisioned for themselves, husband/wife duo Nate and Bonnie Randall founded Hinterhaus Distilling in 2020 in the small Sierra town of Arnold, California. Fueled by their enthusiasm in spotlighting their unique location in the context of spirits, the couple’s can-do attitude inspires them to think beyond the box in everything they create.

Nate presides over all production including distilling and blending, while Bonnie directs company operations, the distillery’s popular tasting lounge/shop, communications, and management of its Alpine Club membership. In the years since its founding, they have more than quadrupled the distillery’s production and tripled its floor space while remaining 100% owned and operated by the Randalls. The small Hinterhaus crew, including the couple’s son and daughter-in-law, ferments, distills, ages, blends and bottles on-site.

Prior to founding Hinterhaus, Nate worked for Fortune 500s and Silicon Valley, while Bonnie honed the craft of beverage production and brand communications in the California wine industry. Both Nate and Bonnie are passionate personalities who eagerly explore the world of distilling while solidifying their place within the global distilled spirits landscape.

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As always, the samples are complementary when you sign up for the experience.

Must be 21 or older to participate.

In person handoff/pickups are encouraged.

We have pickup locations in:

• Burbank, CA
• Culver City, CA
• Bellflower, CA

If you select "Local Pickup" please reach out to us so we can connect you with with your local group.

Shipping is possible but we are not responsible for loss, damage or delays once packages are tendered to the shipping service or its designated representative. Tasting kits are shipped the week of the tasting and are expected to arrive within 1-2 days of the event.

International shipping is not available at this time.

*We may share your contact information with the brand. The tasting is recorded and may be used for marketing purposes by the Virtual Tasting Society. By signing up for this event you agree to allow us to do that*