Review: Spirits of Griffo Distillery, 2024 Releases
Northern California’s Griffo Distillery enticed us with its recent release of whiskey distilled from Lagunitas’ The Waldos beer, so we’re diving back into the distillery’s offerings with a deeper dive into some of its more mainstream, permanent releases.
Let’s not sit on ceremony as we delve into a collection that spans vodka, gin, whiskey, and even a liqueur.
Griffo Distillery Vodka – Made from 100% corn, copper pot distilled. A bold, Old World medicinal attack leads off on the nose, creating a bracing, lightly minty character, with a black pepper edge. If you told me this was from Eastern Europe, I would totally believe you. Increasingly bright and lightly lemony as it opens up with a little airtime. The palate is equally sharp at first, though here the black pepper fades more to white as the aggressive punch finds some tempering. The initial bite retreats to make way for a creamier body, now showing a clearer lemon note and a touch of vanilla to sweeten things up. It remains plenty sharp on the finish, though, with more of a lemon peel note abutting grains of paradise and a pinch of nutmeg. Versatile and excellent. 80 proof. Reviewed: Batch #12. A- / $24
Griffo Distillery Scott Street Gin – A “crisp and fresh twist on the traditional English gin,” this is a London Dry style offering flavored with wild juniper, Meyer lemons, grains of paradise, and coriander (and presumably more that are undisclosed), proofed with Russian River water. An immediate burst of citrus fills the air when the gin is poured, but this is tempered with air time, and the spirit eventually reveals an earthier, slightly leathery character. A touch of charcoal provides a somewhat gravelly quality to the proceedings. The palate is heavy with peppery spice, the citrus notes fading quickly and, for this taster, a bit disappointingly. What clings to the back end is a fruit quality more akin to lime leaf, with exotic coriander making a significant showing. Touches of incense ring the edges of the gin, continuing the exotic, eastern theme. The finish is tight but earthy, with a mineral kick. Again, a versatile gin that should work well enough in just about anything without drawing too much attention to itself. 92 proof. Reviewed: Batch #26. B+ / $34
Griffo Distillery Stony Point Whiskey – Organic corn, rye, and barley mash, aged in “local barrels with both American and French oak” — the latter of which is probably why this isn’t billed as a bourbon. Boldly malty on the nose, the whiskey sees elements of corn and almonds backed up by a gentle quality of green grass, fortunately not quite coming across as weedy. The nutty palate strikes a good balance between silky almond and peanut, plus a lightly spiced popcorn character. Quite creamy as it develops on the tongue, there’s a pop of peppery rye on the back end that adds an additional kick to the proceedings. The finish is loaded with mocha, dark chocolate, anise, and some ruddy, gravelly notes. Seductive yet austere at the same time. And yeah, I guess it doesn’t present itself much like a bourbon in the end. 94 proof. Reviewed: Batch #17. B+ / $45
Griffo Distillery Stout Barreled Whiskey – Something of a baby brother to Still Waldows, this is whiskey made from a bourbon mash, finished in stout barrels from Lagunitas. No age information. On the nose, the whiskey is oaky and herbal and lightly hoppy, though I doubt there is much in the way of actual hops in the barrel here, with a big, racy note of citrus peel that comes as something of a surprise. When it hits the tongue, the whiskey reveals a very drying quality, built around dill, coffee, and dark chocolate, and the experience is quite warming as it moves into more of a festive gingerbread character later down the road. The finish spices things up with notes of red pepper followed by a big shift into softer, sweeter fare: honey grahams, caramel sauce, and ample vanilla. The fade-out reminds me of well-frosted cinnamon rolls. This is a whiskey that really needs time in glass to grow into its own — and it does, eventually. 90 proof. Reviewed: Batch #14. A- / $48
Griffo Distillery Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur – Griffo’s vodka is paired with Equator Coffees’ Mocha Java Blend to create a liqueur that is brisk on the nose, nutty with the appropriate level of medium-roast coffee notes. Light mocha notes become surprisingly fruity on the palate, with a clear raspberry note emerging. Sweetness is courtesy of a light brown sugar quality that perseveres for a significant amount of time. The finish sees some light bitterness emerging and enduring with an expressive earthiness. Overall this is milder in body than some recent top-shelf coffee liqueurs, but its expressive fruitiness gives it a decidedly unique spin. 50 proof. Reviewed: Batch #19. A- / $32
Griffo Distillery Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
$32
