Mark Nesheim has been handcrafting highly sought after Bourbon in small batches since 2010. After outgrowing his existing space in Woodinville, Mark and his wife Jennifer moved J.P. Trodden Distillery to the unincorporated town of Maltby. It’s part of a collective of tasting rooms in Snohomish County known as The Vault. “We have begun quadrupling our production to try to catch up with demand,” says Mark.
Nesheim got his start in the food and beverage industry after running a restaurant for years, but eventually decided to follow his dream of starting a distillery. He gained experience at Dry Fly Distilling, Washington’s very first distillery. Since then, Mark has devoted his time to producing Bourbon, an American whiskey produced predominately from corn, which he sources from a family farm in Quincy.
Paying homage to his grandfather, Mark named the distillery after Grandpa Trodden, who was a mail carrier in Okanagan County. During Prohibition, Trodden was known for picking up whiskey on his route that went back and forth between the U.S. and Canada, bringing it home for his friends in the states to enjoy.
“Our new tasting room captures the spirit of our former Woodinville warehouse location but with a lot more elbow room,” says Mark. “The biggest difference is our ability to provide in-depth tours in our production and barrel storage areas, followed by guided tastings in our new Bourbon Lounge.”
The Bourbon is the real deal here. So too is their barrel-aged maple syrup, which transforms ordinary pancakes into a heavenly treat.
The tasting room is located at 9206 200th St SE, Suite #A-1 in Snohomish (located next door to Flower World on Broadway Avenue in the town of Maltby). Open Thur-Sat 12-6pm and Sun 12-5pm. Phone 206-399-6291 or visit online at www.jptrodden.com.
J.P. Trodden Blue Label 6 Year Reserve Bourbon, $109.
95 pts. – Extraordinary
Aged six and a half years in Kentucky oak barrels, this 96-proof reserve whiskey is smooth and rich. Carefully crafted from Washington-grown corn and winter wheat, the nose touts aromas of toffee, honey, vanilla and macadamia nut leading to smooth harmonized flavors of maple, butterscotch and floral rose petal that carry into the long finish, nuanced with honey and sweet corn accents.