Distilled in a rare Alambic pot still from Cognac, “First Run” by Wolves is a decadent and balanced blend of California whiskeys.  It is comprised of (1) whiskey distilled from craft Stout beer, aged in French Oak for 8 years, (2) whiskey distilled from craft Pilsner beer, aged in New American Oak for 5 years, and (3) a Rye selected for its spice to round out the back palate.

The full blend is lightly filtered with the mineral rich water of Sonoma County. Each label is hand-wrapped and made of Italian sheepskin leather.  The glass is heavy and French-Cut, allowing the sheepskin to lay flush against the glass – a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing,’ so to speak. The cork top is made of maple wood.  Only 898 bottles were produced.

Process:
The distillation process with an alambic still – mostly retired by the industry – is far less efficient than a column still, but the end result is whiskey with more body and richness. 13th generation Master Distiller, Marko Karakasevic, creates a small batch of distillate over a 10-day period, sleeping in four hour shifts. He personally decides where each cut is made and selects ‘the heart of hearts’ for double distillation.

The Wolves team tested more than 50 different barrels and made 19 different blends before landing on a dangerously smooth 106 proof expression for its initial release.