A Taste of the Unexpected
California isn’t where most people go looking for their next great bourbon. But maybe it should be. In Oxnard, Sespe Creek Distillery has been quietly reimagining what American whiskey can taste like smoky, soulful, and entirely its own thing.
Their newest release, Batch 22, is the kind of bourbon that doesn’t chase trends or bourbon mania. It’s made for people who actually drink the stuff, people who care about what’s in the glass, not what’s on the shelf behind it.
The Campbell Effect
The man behind this bottle isn’t some marketing figurehead. John Campbell, the legendary Scottish distiller who spent decades at Laphroaig, now calls California home. His fingerprints are all over Batch 22, from its mesquite-smoked corn to its unexpected depth of flavor.
John Campbell
Campbell didn’t just want a bourbon with smoke, he wanted one with structure. “The main aim for Batch 22 was to increase the mouthfeel and the way it engaged with the drinker’s palate,” he explains. The result is a whiskey that feels alive in the mouth, bigger, rounder, more muscular, with layers that build long after the first sip.
The Whiskey
Batch 22 is built on a mash bill of mesquite-smoked Bloody Butcher heirloom corn, roasted corn, and malted rye, and the flavors play like a well-rehearsed band: cherry and dark chocolate on the nose, carrot cake and maple bacon on the palate, and a finish that just doesn’t quit, peanut brittle, tobacco, mesquite, and pepper hanging around like the final notes of a blues riff.
Only 726 cases exist, and that scarcity isn’t hype, it’s a byproduct of real craft. Campbell used some of the distillery’s oldest bourbon, blending in red corn and experimental sour mash to fine-tune balance and texture. The result feels less like a product and more like a conversation between old-world skill and new-world fire.
Q&A with Master Distiller John Campbell
Before the release of Batch 22, we spoke with master distiller John Campbell to talk more about craft, heritage, and why this bourbon represents a defining moment for Sespe Creek Distillery and California whiskey.
LA’s The Place: What inspired Batch 22, and why was this the right project to begin your California chapter?
John Campbell: Batch 22 was a chance to bring my background together with Sespe Creek’s identity. I wanted to make a bourbon with presence and character—something that respected tradition but didn’t feel tied down by it. California gives you the freedom to explore, and this release reflects that creative space.
LA’s The Place: You’ve mentioned wanting to enhance the mouthfeel. What does that mean from your perspective as a distiller?
John Campbell: Mouthfeel is the emotional and physical experience of the whiskey as it moves across the palate. It’s weight, texture, and progression. I wanted Batch 22 to build in layers and hold the drinker’s attention. Incorporating older bourbon stocks helped achieve that depth and length.
LA’s The Place: Coming from Laphroaig, how did your Scotch background influence the way you approached this bourbon?
John Campbell: My time at Laphroaig shaped my respect for balance and precision. Those values come with me everywhere. But California also encouraged me to step into new territory—experiment with grains, combinations, and ideas that wouldn’t fit as naturally in a traditional Scotch or Kentucky bourbon environment.
LA’s The Place: The mash bill includes Bloody Butcher heirloom corn and roasted corn. What drew you to those grains?
John Campbell: They bring a depth of character you can’t replicate with commodity grains. Bloody Butcher corn has an earthy richness, while roasted corn adds warmth and dimension. Together with malted rye, they create a foundation that’s both bold and balanced.
LA’s The Place: You also used some of the oldest bourbon at the distillery in this blend. How did those barrels shape the final liquid?
John Campbell: Older barrels add maturity, softness, and length. They help round out the structure and give the bourbon a sense of history and depth. They’re essential for creating a whiskey that feels complete.
LA’s The Place: California isn’t usually the first place people think of when they think of bourbon. What makes Oxnard an interesting home for this spirit?
John Campbell: Oxnard has a climate that brings its own influence to the aging process. The coastal air, temperature shifts, and overall environment give the barrels a different conversation compared to traditional regions. It results in a bourbon with a unique sense of place.
LA’s The Place: What do you think will surprise traditional bourbon drinkers the most about Batch 22?
John Campbell: I think they’ll notice the balance first. It’s bold, but not overwhelming. It’s layered, but not chaotic. It’s familiar enough for seasoned bourbon drinkers, yet different enough to feel exciting.
LA’s The Place: How do you balance innovation with respecting the expectations bourbon lovers have for the category?
John Campbell: By staying true to the fundamentals. Innovation should add to the experience, not distract from it. If the whiskey doesn’t taste good or feel honest, nothing else matters.
LA’s The Place: What’s your preferred way to drink Batch 22?
John Campbell: Neat, to understand its full shape and texture. A drop of water can be interesting too—it opens up certain notes and allows the layers to show themselves differently.
LA’s The Place: What’s next for Sespe Creek now that Batch 22 has set the tone?
John Campbell: We have several experimental ideas and grain combinations we’re exploring. Batch 22 is just the beginning. There’s a lot more to discover in California whiskey, and we’re only starting to tap into that potential.
The Spirit of the West
There’s a rugged elegance to Sespe Creek’s approach, an Americana spirit that values authenticity over polish. Every release pays homage to history without pretending to be a museum piece. Batch 22 fits right in: it’s modern, but it could’ve been born around a desert campfire.
For $55, it’s a bottle that easily overperforms its price tag. And while collectors might rush to grab it from Total Wine, Bristol Farms, or WarbringerBourbon.com, the real magic is in sharing it, preferably neat, at the end of a long day, when the smoke in the glass starts to feel like part of the story.
