Savage & Cooke “Second Glance” American Whiskey is produced by Dave Phinney — the winemaker behind Prisoner Wine — at a distillery on Mare Island, Vallejo, California. Sourced American whiskey finished in Japanese Mizunara oak barrels, bottled at 50% ABV. The Mizunara finish is the defining production choice: Japanese oak is slow-growing, low-yield, and notoriously difficult to work with as a cooperage wood, but it imparts a distinctive aromatic profile — sandalwood, incense, and Eastern spice — that American and European oak cannot replicate.
The base spirit is a well-aged blended American whiskey selected for its density and sweetness, which provides the foundation for the Mizunara finish to build on. On the nose, maple wood, cardamom, buttery toast, and black cherries. On the palate, honey, caramel, hazelnut, and baked dark fruits with the sandalwood and incense notes from the Japanese oak becoming more pronounced as the whiskey opens. The finish is long and layered, with the oak integration evident but not aggressive at 50% ABV.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Maple wood, cardamom, buttery toast, black cherry, and light incense. Palate: Honey, caramel, hazelnut, baked dark fruits, and sandalwood. Finish: Long and complex — Mizunara spice, dark fruit, and a warm oak fade.
Specs
Producer: Savage & Cooke — Distillery: Mare Island, Vallejo, California — Style: American Whiskey, Mizunara Oak Finish — ABV: 50% — Size: 750ml
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mizunara oak and why is it significant as a cask finish?
Mizunara (Quercus mongolica) is a Japanese oak species that grows slowly in the mountainous forests of Hokkaido, making it rare and expensive as a cooperage wood. It is notoriously difficult to work with: the wood is porous and prone to leaking, requires significantly longer stave-drying periods than American or European oak, and warps more easily. Distilleries that use it do so because Mizunara imparts a distinctive aromatic profile that no other wood produces — sandalwood, incense, coconut, and a quality Japanese whisky tasters often describe as “oku” (depth or profundity). In a finish application like Savage & Cooke Second Glance, where the whiskey spends additional time in Mizunara after its primary aging period, the result is a measurable addition of Eastern spice and wood complexity layered over the American whiskey base character.
Who is Dave Phinney and what is his background in spirits?
Dave Phinney is best known as the founder of Orin Swift Cellars in Napa Valley and the creator of The Prisoner Wine — a Zinfandel-dominant red blend that became one of the most commercially successful cult wines in American history before being sold to Constellation Brands in 2010. After the Prisoner sale, Phinney founded a new wine portfolio (Orin Swift) and expanded into spirits with Savage & Cooke, applying the same approach to whiskey that made his wine projects successful: sourcing high-quality existing spirit, finishing it in distinctive casks, and releasing it under a strong brand identity. The Mare Island distillery was chosen for its historic naval shipyard location, which Phinney has incorporated into the brand narrative.
