OXNARD, CA (APRIL 14, 2025) – Notably irreverent Oxnard, California-based Sespe Creek Distillery raised eyebrows in late 2024 when it announced the appointment of Scotch distilling icon John Campbell as Master Distiller and Chief Operating Officer. Now, just six months removed from that bombshell, the Central Coast upstart throws another curveball with the release of Warbringer Big Cockerel Aguardiente, an unaged whiskey, as Campbell’s first release in his new role.
“Having the freedom to innovate was very important to me – and I knew Sespe Creek was different,” says Campbell. “For my first release, it was clear that I had to strip back what I knew, and start from the foundations up. Big Cockerel Aqaudente is just that, the first spirit of my tenure – and where better to start than at the very beginning of what’s required to make good whiskey. Linking into local heritage with this liquid is something that we are very proud to be able to do. Big Cockerel is a bold drink, and I’m excited to share it with everyone. This is just the beginning at Sespe Creek, there is so much more to come.”
History:
Aguardiente, which translates, roughly, to “fiery water,” has deep roots in the histories of both Mexico and California. In California’s Gold Rush of the mid-20th century, the liquid was made from distilled grapes. But reaching back to colonial Mexico, aguardiente was and remains a general term for pretty much any type of locally distilled beverage. It was also a fixture of life in early Los Angeles where abundant agriculture allowed for local recipes to flourish.
The liquid:
Warbringer Big Cockerel is twice distilled in copper pots and made from a mash bill of 60% mesquite smoked corn, 15% fire toasted corn, and 25% malted rye. Weighing in at 98 proof/49% ABV, this is one cockerel not to be crossed. And at $35/750ml bottle, it’s a proper tribute to Alta California’s original spirit without the “alta” price tag.
Tasting notes:
- Nose: Toasted pumpkin seed, graham cracker, mesquite
- Palate: Soft and velvety texture upfront, with notes of molé, mezcal, mesquite grilled chicken, sweet potato
- Finish: Dry and long, with lingering notes of smoked peanut brittle, flan
Said Sespe Creek Distillery CEO Alfred English, “Every product we make represents a California that is often obscured by the bright lights and glitz of Hollywood or forgotten altogether. When people drink this whiskey, we want it to take them somewhere back in time.”
English continued, “It’s the rough and tumble mining towns with four saloons to every church where laws were mere suggestions. It’s the restless adventurers and the wagon trains arriving full of optimism over the Sierras; the dusty roads and the coastlines, sandy and craggy alike; the hustlers; the bare-knuckle brawlers; the farmworkers; and everything in between. Unlikely as it may seem, John’s very involvement in the creation of Warbringer Big Cockerel Aguardiente is a tip of the cap to the Scottish diaspora of the mid-19th century when roughly 3000 Scotsmen arrived in California for the Gold Rush.”
How to get it:
Beginning in April, 2000 initial 6-pack cases ot Warbringer Big Cockerel Aguardiente will be available at brick and mortar retail outlets in California as well as nationwide through the distillery’s website at Warbringerbourbon.com.
About Sespe Creek Distillery
At Sespe Creek Distillery, we pay homage to Americana heritage. Each brand is a passageway to places and moments in time that we revere. The liquor inside each bottle showcases our obsession with the craft and our belief that going the extra mile results in a sip worth every extra step.
