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Is there anything quite as good as the taste of whiskey in the afternoon? I never thought I’d be asking that, as my husband is the whiskey drinker around these parts, but thanks to a little gift from my co-workers, we embarked on our first-ever whiskey tasting adventure one fine summer afternoon in Sonoma County with North Bay Brewery Tours.
Actually, to be clear, this wasn’t exclusively a whiskey tour, nor was it just a beer tour. The “Taste Sonoma County” tour was meant to to give you a little taste of different beverage companies from the North Bay, which included a stop at a whiskey distillery, a local spot for cider tasting, and finally, a brewery.
Group Size
Our group ended up being pretty small (6 total) as two other parties ended up not showing up for their tour. Who does that?! Okay, maybe they had some sort of emergency excuse. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. It was nice to have a small group though.
I am terribly shy when it comes to meeting new people and it is always hard for me to open up! Thanks to those first drops of whiskey courage, we made friends with another couple on the tour and also a father/daughter enjoying the tour together.
Beer on the Bus
One of the best parts of the tour with North Bay was that they drove us around on small bus, which meant we could enjoy all the drinks without having to worry about driving.
A second bonus was that they had a keg on the bus with unlimited refills (well, as much as they feel like pouring for you) of their beer selection to enjoy for the duration of your journey. On our tour, they had a keg of porter which is not typically my favorite beer, but it was decent enough to sip while enjoying the ride from stop to stop. And when I say sip, I mean throw back like 3 or 4 beers.
Beer & Whiskey Tour Stops
Stop 1: Sonoma County Distilling
Our first stop on the tour was at Sonoma County Distilling. Neither one of us had ever been to a whiskey distillery (but have been to a vodka distillery on Maui) but it’s always a cool experience to be able to have a walk-through of the distilling process.
There was quite a lot of information to take in on our tour and it sounds like a complex process! Sonoma County Distilling really takes care and pride in what they do at their little facility. I am sure they will see a lot of growth in the near future!
I will say that we thought the distillery tour was a smidge too long. It was quite warm (summer time in California) and I think we were all a little antsy to get to the most important part of the tour, the tasting! This of course is no fault of North Bay Brewery Tours. We just happened to get a really talkative guide from Sonoma Distilling who was filled with a wealth of information.
Below is my favorite piece of distilling equipment – the onion head dome still, which is good for distilling cognac and whiskey. Why is it my favorite? It just looks cool.
When it came time for the tasting, I was both excited and a little nervous. Micah’s drink of choice is whiskey, but I’m not quite as brave and usually have mixed drinks when it comes to hard alcohol. However, for the sake of being adventurous and trying new things, I opted for my very own tasting.
Note: The Taste Sonoma County Tour did not include tasting fees. We paid roughly $10 per tasting at each location (per person).
We tried six different whiskeys, which all started by tasting a little straight up to get the full flavor profile. Then, they had us dilute it with a few drops of water to change the intensity of it. Some were a little easier to drink than others, but all in all, I was pleasantly surprised.
I now totally get that feeling of satisfaction when that whiskey coats your throat and warms you up. I’ll give it a go this winter to see if it will help beat the freeze!
Of all the ones we tasted, I enjoyed the Bourbon Whiskey and Cherry Wood Rye the most, and we ended up going home with a bottle of the Cherry Wood since Micah also approved. Leave it to us not to go home empty handed…
If you want to learn more about Sonoma County Distilling, check out their website here.
Stop 2: Cider at Flo
Our second stop was at a little place called FLO in Healdsburg, just north of Santa Rosa, for some hard cider tasting. These are not just your run of the mill hard apple ciders. These are like craft brews infused with all kinds of different flavors!
Our favorites were the bourbon-flavored Anvil and The Hatchet, both from Sonoma Cider, and our least favorite was probably the pineapple from ACE as it was a bit too sweet for our tastes, though it did have a nice flavor.
Stop 3: Cooperage Brewing
Our last stop was my favorite, not only because we love our craft beer, but because this beer was damn good! Actually, I would even go as far as saying they have some of the best IPAs out there. I’m only sad that we live so far away from them. Cooperage – please bottle your beer and distribute it far and wide!
As hop heads, we were super satisfied with the IPA lineup of the Fizzle Dance, Keg Slayer, and their double IPA, Coopchella.
The ambiance here is industrial (it’s in an industrial warehouse park), very open, and LOUD! This place fills up, so you are probably pretty lucky if you can snag a table there (we were among the lucky ones).
Tip: Eat before you embark on this tour. It was pretty late by the time we were done at Cooperage and there were no good food options near our hotel!
They do have the occasional food truck in the parking lot of the brewery. That night, it was Croques & Toques, serving up savory and sweet croquette bites. I was a little too engrossed in conversation (and my beer) to really enjoy the shrimp and grits ones we tried. And, the portion size really is more for snacking and sharing versus having a meal.
Tour Recap
We went into this tour with an open mind. We had to remember this was not just a beer or whiskey tour, but a tour to give you a taste of a variety interesting beverages in the North Bay! I read a few reviews online from others who I think did not quite understand the concept of this particular tour and didn’t know what they were getting into.
There was no tour guide. The driver of our tour was just that – a driver (and a beer pourer). And she was great! But we didn’t have an actual tour guide. I think we got the budget-friendly tour, lol.
They did, however, make arrangements for the tour of the distillery, and reservations at the cider place and the beer place for tables for us. However, since we were running a little behind due to the the amount of time spent at the whiskey distillery, Cooperage couldn’t hold the table for us. Thankfully, we were lucky to snag one. Despite this fact, we still had a great time, but I could see how a tour guide might be able to elevate the experience a little.
We had to pay for the tasting fees. As I mentioned above, tasting fees are not included with this tour
Eat first. Or, at least bring a snack along with you.
Stay overnight nearby. Call up North Bay and ask them what your last stop of the day will be (locations on the tour do vary). I recommend booking a hotel close to it so you can either walk or take Uber back to your room. Be safe, as always!
Final Verdict?
We had a really good time! I’d definitely take another tour similar to this in the future. Tours can be really fun to meet new people and try out new foods or beverages that you might not necessary be used to, or even think you want to try!
And to answer my question – is there anything quite as good as the taste of whiskey in the afternoon? For me, YES…the taste of a hoppy IPA after an alcohol tour on a hot summer day. Sorry whiskey, you come in a close second though.
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