Whiskey Wednesday – Calwise Spirits + Firestone Walker Axe Hole Single Malt Whiskey

In life, many things are better in pairs. This holds true when imbibing and there’s nothing better than pairing together beer and whiskey. It may be that the whiskey begins as a beer before it rests and ages for multiple years, or maybe its all of the malts and barrel characteristics the bring out so many different flavors.

Over the past decade or so, a handful of craft brewers have gotten their feet wet in producing whiskies. The latest brewer to join this trend is one of our favorite breweries, Firestone Walker Brewing, as it has partnered with a fellow Paso Robles distiller, Calwise Spirits, on Axe Hole Single Malt Whiskey. This isn’t the first collaboration project between the two, back in late 2022 they released Old Tom Big Sure Gin.

On creating the new Axe Hole Single Malt Whiskey, Aaron Bergh, Master Distiller at Calwise Spirits, worked with the brew team led by Matt Brynildson at Firestone Walker to create a unique all-barley sour mash using native yeasts and bacteria. This mash was fermented at Firestone Walker prior to being transferred about 1.5 miles down the frontage road along Hiighway 101 to Calwise Spirits.

In keeping with the requirements of American single malt whiskey, Axe Hole Single Malt Whiskey was aged in all-new American oak barrels for three years prior to blending and bottling at 94 proof. Bergh also held some additional barrels back for a second bottling to come in 2025 for a special four year aged release.

“A lot of people associate single malts with the peaty character of traditional Scotch, but ours is closer to a bourbon with these vanilla and caramel notes that you get from the charred American oak,” Bergh said. “I love how smooth and unique it turned out, with these beautiful fruit and cola notes that can only come from the sour barley mash provided by Firestone Walker.”

Bergh added, “The brew side often gets overlooked when it comes to distilling, but it’s foundational. It was fun to get out of the way and let the masters of brewing handle that side of things, and it’s why this whiskey tastes so good.”

“These collaborations are another way for us to deepen our artisanal roots and share what we do with a friend and neighbor,” said Nick Firestone. “We’ve been working with spirits barrels for nearly 20 years to create our barrel-aged strong ales, and we see this as an extension of that tradition.”

Upon sampling the newly released Axe Hole Single Malt Whiskey, it pours a dark amber color. Notes of baking spices, fruit and chocolate come through on the nose of the whiskey. The 42% alcohol is also a bit forward on the nose, but after it opens up for a bit, it settles down. Flavors of green apple and berries are first noticed. There is some maltiness that also comes through before the finish that leans more on the herbal side, maybe a bit of licorice but not overwhelming. In all, a great well rounded American Single Malt that has lots of potential, especially when the duo hopefully releases the four year aged version next year!

Calwise Spirits recommends serving Axe Hole Single Malt Whiskey neat or in cocktails such as an Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Boulevardier, Paper Plane, or Sazerac.

Axe Hole Single Malt Whiskey is priced at $75 for a 750mL and $45 for a 375mL bottle. Only 100 cases of the single malt whiskey were produced from a total of three barrels. It is available at the Calwise Spirits tasting room in Paso Robles as well as online at CalwiseSpirits.com.