Andalusia

Andalusia is an artisanal American whiskey that hails for the Lone Star state of Texas. The distillery is in the Texas Hill Country, which is said to resemble the Andalucia region of Spain. This inspired the name. They produce a true 'grain to glass' whiskey with full traceability and control from the field to bottling.

The core range consists of three whiskeys. The Stryker was their first ever release. It is a smoked single malt. They use mesquite (a genus of small bushy trees found in dry areas throughout the Americas), oak and apple wood to dry the barley. 

The Revenant Oak is another smoky expression made from 100% barley. This uses traditional peat and has been lightly peated. This has been created in a classic Scotch Island whisky style.

The Andalusia Triple Distilled is an American single malt that has been distilled one extra time following the Irish whiskey model. The three whiskeys are all released at 50% ABV (100 Proof).

There are also a series of limited edition and small batch cask finished whiskies. These have included various wine, rum and sherry barrels, with some as distillery only exclusives. These are joined by Andalusia White, a triple distilled new make spirit designed for mixing in cocktails.

Andalusia use a mix of Scottish and Texan barley to produce their single malts. They also use rainwater throughout the production process. Most of the spirits are double distillation through a 250-gallon (940 litres) copper pot still. They also practice triple distillation for shorter periods. The maturation time in barrel is short due to the climate in Texas.

The Andalusia Whiskey Co. was established in the town of Blanco, Texas. It was founded by Tommy Erwin and Ty Phelps in 2016. The pair met while both working at the Real Ale Brewing Co. - Tommy as a microbiologist and Ty as Head Brewer.

The name makes one think of Spain, but it derives from the land upon which the distillery was built. This was formerly known as Andalusia Ranch - a name inspired by the surrounding rolling hills and countryside, which are reminiscent of Andalucia in Spain.

Their aim was to take American whiskey away from bourbon and show the development of a spirit from grain in the field right through to bottling. They source local Texan barley and use this alongside imported barley. They are pushing the boundaries of American single malt and producing some of the only peated and smoky expressions available.