Rock the Barrel is produced in association with John Petrucci, the electric Guitar legend who picked the barrels to be blended into the whiskey.
“The name Rock the Barrel is perfect because it gives you a sense of the experience you will have when this smoky goodness slides over your taste buds. Being from New York myself, I love how they go to family farms to get ingredients and age their bourbon in barrels from our great state,” Petrucci said.
Iron Smoke is based in Fairport, N.Y., outside Rochester.
Wonderland’s whiskeys are blended using the traditional Canadian method, with each grain—corn, wheat and rye—distilled on its own. By distilling, barreling and aging them separately, then blending them after maturation, Wonderland whiskey is blended with purpose to create a consistent flavor profile.
“We are handcrafting other spirits as well, including gin and vodka, but overall Wonderland is a whiskey distillery, and our cocktail bar is a whiskey bar,” said Mark Gongalski, Wonderland’s CEOWomder. “For the serious whiskey drinkers, we’re kicking it up a few notches with this release that’s not proofed down, which really showcases the intense depth of flavors in our blending process.”
Both of Wonderland’s first whiskey releases are created primarily from individually aged, Michigan-distilled rye and wheat whiskeys from partnering distilleries across the state, hand-blended with purpose to create a specific taste profile. Wonderland also began distilling its own whiskey in 2020.
“Now that we’ve had some time to settle into our space and experiment a bit with flavor profiles and new aging techniques for our spirits, our customers can expect to see some more interesting releases coming later this year,” said Allen Serio, chief marketing officer. “We want to continue innovating and pushing the limits, to ensure we’re bottling the very best of what Michigan has to offer. This whiskey will truly be a collector’s item for any whiskey lover.”