. After tasting the Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Bourbon, I’ve made an exception that breaks my own long-standing rule. This is my first-ever California bourbon offering, and it’s only happening because the quality and price aligned so perfectly that I couldn’t ignore it.
Pipe Dream gets its name from a massive redwood tree (the world’s 14th largest?? – I had no clue they kept track of those things) near the Graton Distilling Company in Sonoma County. While the bottle contains some of their own distillate, it’s actually a masterful blend of bourbons from Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, and California, ranging anywhere from 4 to 12 years old. This approach gives them the best of all worlds – the heritage of traditional bourbon regions combined with California’s innovative spirit.