Bainbridge Organic Distillers: Washington Whiskey and Visitor Guide
Bainbridge Organic Distillers builds its whiskey identity around organic Washington grain and its own island still house. Wheat is especially prominent, but the range also includes rye and an unusual unmalted-barley single grain. Its oak choices provide a second point of comparison: American white oak, French oak and Japanese Mizunara appear in distinctly different releases. The bottle’s full name matters as much as the Battle Point or Two Islands family name.
Information checked on 27 October 2026.
At a glance
At a glance | Bainbridge Organic Distillers |
|---|---|
Country | United States |
State | Washington |
Location | Bainbridge Island |
Address | 9727 Coppertop Loop NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 |
Founded | 2009 |
Founder and master distiller | Keith Barnes |
Ownership | Independent family-owned and operated, according to producer |
Status | Operating distillery and tasting room |
Grain focus | Organic heritage varieties grown in Washington |
Whiskey families | Battle Point, Two Islands and Yama |
In this guide
AI summary: key points
Keith Barnes founded the independent family distillery in 2009. The producer says it has distilled every drop of whiskey, gin and vodka it has bottled.
Battle Point includes organic wheat and rye expressions, while specialist releases explore French oak and Mizunara maturation or finishing.
The tasting room is at 9727 Coppertop Loop NE on Bainbridge Island. Contact the distillery for current tour arrangements and available bottles.
Summarise this guide with AI
Keith Barnes and an organic starting point
Keith Barnes established Bainbridge in 2009 after experimenting with whether organic grain could produce the whiskey he wanted to make. The current producer history describes an independent, family-owned operation. It also makes a clear own-production statement, saying that every drop of its bottled whiskey, vodka and gin has been distilled by the business.
That claim provides a useful foundation for reading the range. A Japanese cask reference on a Bainbridge bottle concerns the wood or the cask’s origin; it does not turn the whiskey into Japanese-distilled spirit. Equally, a Washington producer can make wheat whiskey, rye and single grain without those terms being interchangeable.
An island distillery in Puget Sound
Bainbridge Island gives the business its name and its physical setting. The producer places its premises close to Puget Sound and describes the maritime environment as part of its maturation philosophy. That is a producer explanation of character, not evidence that every coastal flavour in a tasting note has a single measurable cause.
The tasting-room address is on Coppertop Loop NE. If arriving by ferry, plan the onward journey to the distillery as a separate part of the visit. The island setting is an attraction in itself, but ferry travel time alone should not be treated as the door-to-door journey from Seattle.
Grain varieties before flavour shorthand
Bainbridge says it works directly with small Washington farms to grow selected organic heritage grains. Its organic-production account describes grain, yeast and processing choices made without genetically engineered inputs or agents intended to artificially increase output. The practical point for whiskey drinkers is the emphasis on raw material and a traceable production approach, rather than an assumption that an organic label guarantees a particular flavour.
Battle Point Wheat 100 Proof uses heritage soft white wheat and is distilled twice. The corresponding Rye 100 Proof uses rye grown in Washington’s Palouse region. Those single-grain recipes make an instructive comparison with mixed-grain bourbons. Maturation then creates further differences, so grain, wood, age and strength should be considered together.
Battle Point wheat and rye
The selected Battle Point Wheat is the seven-year bottled-in-bond version at 50% ABV. Its producer page specifies new 53-gallon American white-oak barrels with a No. 3 char. Other Battle Point strengths and editions also exist, so this age statement should not be applied to the whole family.
Battle Point Rye 100 Proof is also bottled in bond. Its description says maturation lasted just under six years, which is not the same as a six-year age statement. French Oak is another distinct Battle Point edition: the producer describes seven to eight years in custom 59-gallon French-oak barrels with a No. 3+ char and toasted heads, followed by bottling without chill filtration. This is extended French-oak maturation, not simply a brief finishing treatment.
Battle Point Organic Wheat Whiskey 100 Proof Battle Point Organic Rye Whiskey 100 Proof Battle Point French Oak Whiskey
The tasting descriptions below paraphrase the producer’s notes. They are not Whisky Clan tasting scores.
Battle Point Organic Wheat Whiskey 100 Proof
Style: Bottled-in-bond straight wheat whiskey
Age: 7 years
Strength: 50% ABV (100 US proof)
Cask or maturation: New 53-gallon American white oak, No. 3 char
Nose: Caramel, vanilla and orange zest.
Palate: Eucalyptus, sherry-like fruit, baking spice and char.
Finish: Lingering, with a lightly briny character.
Battle Point Organic Rye Whiskey 100 Proof
Style: Bottled-in-bond straight rye whiskey
Age: Producer describes just under 6 years
Strength: 50% ABV (100 US proof)
Cask or maturation: New 53-gallon American oak, No. 3 char
Nose: Rye grain, coffee, grass and spice.
Palate: Sweet grain, red berries and vanilla caramel with citrus.
Finish: Coffee and cooling eucalyptus, of medium length.
Battle Point French Oak Whiskey
Style: Bottled-in-bond wheat whiskey
Age: Producer describes 7–8 years
Strength: 50% ABV (100 US proof)
Cask or maturation: 59-gallon French oak, No. 3+ char and toasted heads
Nose: Cinnamon, cedar and brandied cherry.
Palate: Dark chocolate, rose and red fruit.
Finish: Menthol and eucalyptus with warm spice.
Mizunara: two different approaches
Two Islands Hokkaido Mizunara Cask starts with mature Battle Point whiskey and adds eight to twelve months in 66-gallon Mizunara casks. The regular version checked for this guide is 43% ABV. A separately named barrel-proof bottling should be researched as its own release rather than inheriting that strength.
Yama takes a different route. Its recipe uses unmalted organic Alba and Full Pint barley, with at least five years spent entirely in virgin Mizunara casks. The producer calls it single grain, not single malt. Its online listing was sold out when checked, so the existence of a product page is not a promise of immediate availability. These releases illustrate why primary maturation and a later cask finish deserve separate descriptions.
Tastings and tour enquiries
The current contact page advertises a tasting room and directs tour and visit enquiries to the distillery. It lists opening days from Wednesday to Sunday, with Monday and Tuesday closed. Confirm the live hours before travelling, particularly around holidays or if a ferry journey is involved.
Ask which Battle Point and specialist releases are available for tasting on your intended date. Some online listings show both catalogue text and stock controls, so a broad range page should not be read as a guarantee that every bottle is on the shelf. Arrange a tour directly if seeing production is central to the visit; the contact page does not promise an unrestricted walk-in tour schedule.
Other distilleries in Washington and neighbouring Oregon
These guides are suggestions for further reading. Check locations, travel distances and current bookings when planning a visit.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Bainbridge an independent distillery?
Its current producer history describes it as independently family-owned and operated, founded by Keith Barnes in 2009.
Is Battle Point Wheat bourbon?
The selected expression is a wheat whiskey made from a 100% wheat grain bill. It should not be relabelled as bourbon.
Is Yama a Japanese whisky?
No. It is Bainbridge whiskey matured in Japanese Mizunara oak. Its unmalted-barley recipe is described by the producer as single grain.
Does every Battle Point bottle have a seven-year age statement?
No. Seven years applies to the Wheat 100 Proof bottled-in-bond version selected here. Rye, French Oak and other editions have their own specifications.
Sources and image credits
View sources and image credits
Featured image: Bainbridge Organic Distillers.
Battle Point Organic Wheat Whiskey 100 Proof image: Bainbridge Organic Distillers.
Battle Point Organic Rye Whiskey 100 Proof image: Bainbridge Organic Distillers.
Battle Point French Oak Whiskey image: Bainbridge Organic Distillers.
Research checked on 27 October 2026. Tour arrangements, releases and availability can change.
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