Tastes

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, and a hint of toffee. Palate: Cinnamon and baking spice with a bit of oaky dryness on the end. Finish: Medium length with medium heat. Splash: Some clove notes appear in the palate. Overall: 8/10 - This is a fantastic pour for its proof, but really should be priced under $40. There is too much competition at the $40-50 level.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, some dark fruit. Palate: Some cinnamon and clove wirh a bit of oak dryness at the end. Finish: Medium heat, but surprisingly long for 90 proof. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 8/10 - This is an outstanding bourbon at its price point. The proof may not hold up in a cocktail, but it's a fine sipper neat.

Received a blind sample.from a friend. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Caramel, cherries, other dark fruits. Palate: Cinnamon red hots. Finish: Medium heat, but lingering and thick. Splash: A few drops calms the cinnamon spice, allowing a dry oakiness through. Overall: 9.5/10 - This is classic bourbon, and I expect that it's been in oak for quite a while. It's nearly perfect with just a few drops of water.

Batch 175C Bottled on March 20, 2023 115.4 proof Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Vanilla, caramel, a nice butterscotch note. Palate: Cinnamon red hots with more butterscotch on the back end. Finish: Not as hot as I'd expect, medium length. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 7.5/10 - Between the light color and the lack of heat in the finish, this drinks like a young bourbon. The butterscotch notes were interesting, but I had hoped for a little more depth for the price.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Light-medium amber. Nose: Red apples and pears, with some honey and graham crackers. Palate: Clove and baking spices. Not sweet at all. Finish: Decent length but not overly hot. Splash: No new fñavors are revealed. Overall: 7/10 - This is a good rye for its price, but not as impressive as some other Redwood Empire expressions. A little more time in oak would probably help this quite a bit.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Light amber. Nose: Floral with notes of pear and smoke. Palate: Some interesting oak, a little spice, and a whole lot of smoke. Finish: Smoky notes linger, but finish is not particularly hot. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 7.5/10 - I had tried the old recipe in a bar years ago. This is different that what I remember, but the smoke makes it seem almost like a smoky scotch. I can't find fault with it, but it doesn't really stand out either.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Strong floral and fruit notes. Palate: Oak tannins and some cinnamon. Finish: Long with medium heat. Splash: A pleasant minty note appears. Overall: 8.5/10 - This is a fantastic rye without being too bold. The oak shows up in the palate but in a pleasant way. The spice is somewhat muted in the palate and a few drops of water open up the mint. The finish is long for only 92 proof. Would definitely buy again.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Caramel and fruit with some oaky notes. Palate: Cinnamon and baking spice. Finish: Long with medium heat. Splash: A bit of sweetness overtakes the spicier notes. Overall: 8/10 - This is a classic wheated barrel-proof bourbon. The "oaky" note in the nose was almost like cardboard so I need to try this again once it's had some time to breathe.

Received a sample from a friend. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Dark amber. Nose: Dark fruits and some minty notes. Palate: Thick mouthfeel with cinnamon and baking spice. Finish: Long and very warm. Splash: A strong minty note appears. Overall: 9.5/10 - This is a winner of a rye. All of the classic notes are present and this would stand up to ice or a mixer. A strong contender for my favorite rye, period.

Received a sample from a friend. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, dark fruit. Palate: Cinnamon and baking spices, with some mild fruit notes. Finish: Long with medium heat. Splash: A slight nutty note appears that wasn't there before. Overall: 8.5/10 - Everything about this is classic bourbon and the proof doesn't really show until the finish. The nutty note that opens with a few drops of water is a nice bonus. Too bad it's too expensive and rare to be a daily.