Stephen Paul knows a thing or two about building. Today, Paul is known nationwide for building Tucson’s Whiskey Del Bac into one of the most lauded spirit brands in the Southwest. Prior to that, however, Paul was a builder in the literal sense.
“I worked for many years in furniture design; building custom pieces in particular,” says Paul. “Among my specialties was using mesquite wood in my designs; my aim being to showcase the Arizona desert tree in new and different ways.” The work was beautiful, and there was a nice bonus to using mesquite; its scraps made for excellent barbeque wood.
“In 2006, while minding our mesquite-fueled grill and drinking scotch—which most folks know is malt whiskey made in Scotland and oft-loved for its peaty notes—my wife Elaine wondered aloud what a whiskey from a mesquite-smoked malt with Southwestern flavors might taste like,” says Paul. Captivated by the notion of creating a single malt whiskey that is truly from the Great American Southwest, Stephen began the learning curve of how to make whiskey and malt barley.
“My daughter Amanda made it a family affair, first insisting I get legal, and then helping me actually found the company,” says Paul, noting they released several varieties of whiskey to the local Tucson marketplace by 2013. “We refer to our style as ‘mesquited, not peated’ to play on the way scotch is so often described.”
While developing the whiskies themselves, the family also decided on a name that would have great meaning for them as proud Baja Arizona residents, as they refer to themselves. First, it is meant to honor the nearby San Xavier del Bac Mission. “A National Historic Landmark today, the Mission was founded in the late 1600s, though the church onsite today was constructed in the late 1700s. It is not only the oldest European structure in Arizona, but to this day serves the needs of native Tohono O’odham community with grace and honor,” says Paul.
The name is also homage to the three predominant cultures in Tucson. “While ‘Whiskey’ is an American term, the word ‘Del’ is Spanish for ‘of the’ and ‘Bac’ comes from the Tohono O’odham tongue,” says Paul. “Taken together, Whiskey Del Bac essentially means ‘whiskey of the place where the river re-appears in the sand,’ and it was used to describe the surface water along the often-dry Santa Cruz River where the San Xavier Mission was founded.”
Name and perfected process in hand, Paul and his daughter began building Whiskey Del Bac, bottle by bottle. Today, Whiskey Del Bac is available in 16 states and readily available across Arizona at grocery stores, fine liquor stores and in more than 100 restaurants including Tarbell’s, Preston’s, Glai Baan, The Parlor, and Agustin Kitchen.
Currently, Whiskey Del Bac has three year-round offerings:
Dorado is the brainchild of the Del Bac experiment-turned-empire. This American Single Malt whiskey, which earned Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Championship and a 90 rating by Whiskey Advocate, is made from 100% barley that is malted and smoked over a velvet mesquite fire. It is never chill-filtered and has strong aromatics of tobacco and chocolate and a smokey flavor profile combined with sweeter notes on the finish.
Classic is the first thing Paul tackled to learn how to make whiskey. Modeled after scotches from the Speyside region, where no little or no peat is used to dry their malt, Wine Enthusiast named Whiskey Del Bac Classic among the Top 100 Spirits of 2021. The oak and stone fruits come through in an intoxicating way joined on the palate by rich caramel notes.
Old Pueblo is Del Bac’s white dog, an unaged, clear whiskey offering. The American Craft Spirits Association Gold Medal Winner is perfect in cocktails thanks to its nuanced minerality balanced with the underlying the mesquite smoke component.
In addition to its core offerings, Del Bac also crafts a seasonal Distiller’s Cut Whiskey three times a year. Each limited-edition varietal is unique from other blends and barrel finishes. The Distiller’s Cuts are only available online or at the distillery itself, and can be shipped within Arizona.
“The Fall 2022 release, for example, starts with our mesquited whiskey. It is aged in New American White Oak and then finished in casks from Pineau des Charentes,” says Paul. “Pineau des Charentes is French aperitif with a balance of sweetness and acid.” According to Paul, the resulting Distiller’s Cut features a nose of peanut brittle, campfire and tobacco and flavor profile offering burnt sugar, root vegetables, sugar-coated almonds, and toasted marshmallow.
There is also the Global Cask Collection, which is distributed annually beyond Arizona to the all the states in which Whiskey Del Bac is available. Frontera, released in late Spring, is a sherry-cask finished version of Del Bac’s Classic offering. Normandie, also with the Classic as the base, is finished in ex-Calvados casks and released in late summer. Traditionally bottled at the beginning of December, the distillery’s extra smokey Winter Release will now be released nationally as part of the Global Cask Collection.
Whiskey Del Bac, located at 2106 N. Forbes Blvd. in Tucson, offers tours to the public Friday through Sunday, each of which includes a guided tasting, and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for impromptu tastings. There is also a bottle shop at the distillery and a growing merchandise and retail component onsite. Make the trek to Tucson to experience Whiskey Del Bac at its origin, or grab a taste at a local bar and restaurant near you!
Written by Alison Bailin Batz
Photography by Luke Irvin