Our Story
In 2016, Graeme Wallace left his home in Scotland and moved to Colorado to pursue a life long dream. That was when his Hogback Distillery was established and his goal to make Scotch style whisky in the US got underway. The name Hogback was inspired by the Dakota Hogback Ridge that runs along the entire length of the Colorado Rockies.
For over 20 years, Graeme had been reviewing and writing about his native spirit – Scotch whisky. During that time, Graeme gained experience at many of the world’s most famous distilleries and gradually built a comprehensive plan of how to make his own. This knowledge has proven invaluable in establishing Hogback Distillery’s Scottish style of whisky.
While American Bourbon, Rye and Malt whiskies must be matured in NEW charred oak barrels, Single Malt Scotch whisky can be aged in any oak barrel. As a result, most of the used Bourbon barrels end up in Scotland to be used for maturing Scotch. Hogback Distillery follows the same principal, re-using our once used barrels for whisky destined to become American Single Malt whisky in the Wallace Collection.
To quote the adage, “The sum is greater than it’s component parts.” Blending and finishing whisky is a masterful craft that has the aim of making a more balanced, approachable and complex whisky. Hogback has now released a range of blended and finished whiskies, each created to highlight and to compliment the characteristics of a particular grain or bring them into harmony.
When it comes to distilling, we are primarily using malt barely that is peated in Scotland to create a spirit comparable to some of Scotland’s best known Single Malts. Fruity and medium peated. In addition to the Scottish malt, using pure Colorado spring water is central to achieve a soft, great tasting whisky with a good mouth-feel. Mostly maturing in used rather than virgin barrels, our first 100% malt whiskey was released in 2020.