Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested for about 15 minutes.
Distillery: Redwood Empire.
Proof: 100.
Age: 5 years.
Batch#: 002.
Lot size: Blended from 70 barrels, using 7 different barrel lots from the spring 2017 season. Bottled summer 2022.
Mash bill: 66% Corn/23% Rye/7%Wheat/4% Barley.
Price: $89.95.
Appearance: Light orange gold.
Nose
Caramel, brown sugar, berries, apple, peach, plum, orange citrus, roasted peanut, cinnamon spice, and charred oak. There’s also a very nice, sweet “breadiness” that I sometimes find in wheated bourbons but with a much higher wheat content than this one. Overall, I like this nose and balance. With some swirling and time, more fruit and brighter notes shine through.
Palate
With a medium mouthfeel, caramel, plum, berries, orange peel, a hint of nuttiness, and charred oak transfer from the nose to the palate. A good amount of cinnamon spice kicks in, covering the palate and lingering in the cheeks. There’s more spice than I was expecting from the nose, but it’s not too much or overwhelming. The overall balance of fruit, citrus, spice, and oak is very well done.
Finish
Cinnamon spice lingers while subtle oak tannins turn into leather and a bit of tobacco on the mid and back palate. As the spice settles down, caramel, stone fruits, and wheat bread come more into focus underneath it all to the end. I would say this is a very good, medium-length finish.
Conclusion
The team at Redwood Empire did a very good job of blending on this batch. I’ve had four pours from this bottle over the last week, and it’s improved significantly since the first pour. As time went on, I even became more satisfied with the proof point. Although, the mouthfeel could be more viscous. Overall, this is a good bottle when you’re in the mood for an easy drinking pour that checks a lot of boxes. I’ve read that Redwood Empire is expanding its distillery to increase production and is holding back as many barrels as it can to bring older expressions to market in the coming years. If this is what their flagship bourbon aged for only 5 years is like, I can imagine what they could do with a 7 or 8-year expression. This distillery is one to watch.
Rating: 6.7/10.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
