Redwood Empire Whiskey

Redwood Empire Whiskey reminds me a ton of the High West Distillery Bourye (How do you personally pronounce it? Boo-Rye? Bour-ee? Bour-eye? Bjork?) which is a blend of Bourbon and Rye whiskey and made our list of Top 10 Whiskeys of 2017.

Tilt on the Kentucky Double

Distillery: Graton Distilling Company.
Proof: 90
Price: $45-$55
Blend: 40% Bourbon (11 year-old, 5 year-old and 4 year-old), 60% Rye (3 year-old and 2 year-old)
Cask: New Charred Oak and Port
Batch: 1
The Label: “Select lots of eleven, Five and Four-year-old bourbon blended with Three and Two-year-old Rye. Ultra-smooth with unrivaled complexity and character. Redwood Empire American Whiskey is Barrel Aged in Sonoma County, California.“

The combination of 60% Rye and 40% Bourbon, rested in port, wine and American oak barrels produces an uncommon and dramatically unique whiskey profile. The color has a bright golden amber hue. Pleasant aromas of vanilla-caramel balance with rich, full-flavors of almond, dark fruit and toasted oak. The finish is silky and smooth. – Graton Distilling Website

Nose: Red fruit, vanilla, oak, spice, grapefruit
Palate: Red fruit, nuts, caramel, vanilla, tart, cinnamon, grapefruit
Finish: Medium length, grapefruit, earthy and dry. The dry finish (like a wine) leaves you wanting to take another sip to taste the fruit again.

Redwood Empire Whiskey is surprisingly easy to drink and is a great change of pace when you’ve been sippin’ a lot of barrel proof bourbon. There are so many great sourced products on the market that I think we’ll see a surge of blended whiskeys over the next few years, which I’m eager to try. If you’re a fan of the High West Bourye, you should pick up a bottle of the Redwood Empire American Whiskey for half the price and tell us what you think.

So, what’s the takeaway? For a brand you’re probably not familiar with, they are doing a heck of a job with Redwood Empire Whiskey and we’re excited to see what else they may come up with. At $45-$55 it’s worth it to try in order to see if this should be a staple in your cabinet.