[ OUR PROCESS ]
No Shortcuts. No Gimmicks. No Playlists for the Barrels.
OVERVIEW
Modern whisky has no shortage of creative ideas. Barrels are sent abroad to “mature.” Some are even played music to shape flavor. The barrels remain unimpressed.
At 10th Street, curiosity drives us to push single malt forward. We explore new techniques, tools, and ways of developing flavor, always grounded in real grain, copper stills, precise cuts, and San Jose’s dynamic climate.
We build forward from tradition, not away from it. Innovation without discipline is noise, and tradition without curiosity stands still. So we work with intention and patience, letting craft and climate do what no shortcut can.
Step 1 — Mashing
It begins with malted barley.
The grain is opened just enough to release what we need while preserving what we do not. Warm water and carefully controlled temperatures allow natural enzymes to unlock fermentable sugars. What emerges is a bright, sweet wort that sets the tone for everything that follows.
That balance is not explained. It is tasted.
Step 2 — Fermentation
Where time and place leave their mark.
Once cooled, the wort enters fermentation and begins a quiet transformation. Yeast works slowly, building alcohol and aroma over time. We allow the process to breathe and rest, letting subtle local character develop naturally.
This stage is unhurried, and never forced.
Step 3 — Double Distillation
Copper reveals what matters.
Each batch is distilled twice in our copper pot stills. Heat lifts the spirit, copper refines it, and careful judgment determines what is kept. Only the most expressive portion of the run is selected for maturation.
Everything else is left behind.
Step 4 — Aging
San Jose does something special here.
Our whiskies rest in carefully chosen barrels, shaped as much by climate as by oak. Warm, dry summers accelerate the interaction between spirit and wood, concentrating character year after year. Not all of it survives the journey. The angels have to take their share of course.
What remains is worth the wait.
Step 5 — Select Finishing
A second chapter, written in oak.
Some whiskies earn additional time in barrels previously used by wineries or breweries. These finishes are chosen with intention and applied sparingly, adding nuance rather than dominance.
Each one tells a different story.
Step 6 — Proofing & Bottling
As little interference as possible.
When a whisky is ready, it is bottled with care and restraint. We avoid unnecessary processing, choosing preservation over polish. The result is a whisky that remains expressive and uncompromised.
A little haze at cold temperatures is simply proof that nothing was taken away.
