Tastes

First off, I have to say when I first opened this one, I didn't like it. I thought it was a high proof but youthful bourbon. But given some time to open up and then I revisited this on a cool night next, listening to some good chill music, with a fire and I couldn't think of a better bourbon. It has a rich, heavy char to the taste, but is balanced out with some sweet and jammy tones. Lots of wood on the nose and some great spice on the palate (think pretty much the entire spice cabinet). The finish continues with the spices and move to a slightly bitter dry finish. Literally, if you have this, take it outside and drink it by a fire and tell me I'm wrong.

Batch 7CC Nose is Caramel and Maple syrup which is a great start. Then thing develop into peaches and toasted oak. Taking a deep breathe in a hint of spice and baking spice come through. The palate has more of the sweet, burnt caramel and candied nuts. You quickly get hit with the spice that came at the end of the nose. Later it turns more dry and bitter but not off-putting, more like a black tea. After taking a few sips and then taking in some air, you start to get more hints of citrus and peaches. The finish does linger with the tea, spice and fruit flavors. Definitively a great bourbon all the way through. Nothing is crazy amazing, but everything is just slightly above average that makes this a pretty memorable sip.

On the nose I get corn/grain followed by a light floral scent. You can definitely smell some of the rose. After a while things move into almost a raw cookie dough, where the raw flour and brown and white sugars come through. The vanilla starts to creaps in more which makes me think even more about that raw cookie dough vibe. First sip, I almost immediately taste a light bourbon (grain/oak/vanilla) and sweet strawberry. I am not sure if that was my mind or not, but an real initial hit of strawberry. Eventually the flavors fade and i have to search a little more for the fruity flavor. There is a little spice but at 94 proof, the spice definitely falls off quickly. Finally, I am left with more strawberry but it is more an under/unripe strawberry where you get more earthy/grassy elements of the fruit. It is pretty thin and the finish is short. I think some of that is the fact that this seems to be more of a delicate flavor profile and it is a lower proof. Also, the finish is almost like a light rose wine, which in normally a bad thing for bourbon; but in this case, seems appropriate.

A nice sweet and oaky nose that roles into some cinnamon and spice where you start to notice the barrel proof. Letting is sit for a while, I start to get a rich caramel and even some mesquite notes like gints of a BBQ sauce. Just like the nose, on first sip, you get some sweet oak flavors that develop into a nice spice. Towards the end it moves to more of a leather or black tea. The finish lingers for a good while as you get a nice warm hug from the spice and proof on this one.

On the nose I get some earthiness which is probably part of the sherry cask and part the fact this is wheated bourbon. You also get some dark and dried fruits, like cherries, figs or cranberries. On the first sip I am hit with a little spice, some slight earthiness and the very ripe fruit, like a raspberry or strawberry jam that is a little sweet and a little tart. After a little bit more, some vanilla notes sneak in. Finally a few sips more I am getting a raspberry ice cream as the fruits and vanilla mix. The finish is somewhat short and drying. However, after more sips, the raspberry ice cream flavor seems to linger. Overall this is a great, tasty bourbon especially if you like some big fruit notes.

Nose: Toasted wood and apple on the nose. Its a sweet and tangy apple. After a while I start to get almost a BBQ sauce vibe with the sweet and smoky vibe. Taste: sweet apple and oak, similar to the nose but i feel the nose is softer and the tastes smacks a little harder. You definitely get the apple brandy influence. Then there is some nice spice and cinnamon that lingers. Then the fruits turns more bitter then sweet, but not in a bad way. Finish: short on the apple and sweetness, but the spice is what lingers. Has a decent moth feel at first and then starts to dry out after a while. I keep going back and there is some development, but it is mostly the same notes.

Spice and grass on the nose. It reminds me when you cut the stems on fresh flowers. Subtle maple at the end. Taste is oily and starts with a sweet, woody flavor and the switches to bitterness (like dark chocolate bitterness)and spice. The grass notes comes back in at the end. The bitterness and spice round out the finish but it seems to fade quickly.

Caramel and orange peel on the nose. Going back I get peaches and oak. Finally there is a herbal/earthy note (there is some earthy spice from my spice cabinet, but I can't pinpoint which one). Taste is more of that sweet caramel, orange and chocolate. There is a little cinnamon in the middle but nothing crazy. Stepping away and then come back, I am getting peaches and cream oatmeal. It has a medium finish with some darker chocolate and subtle spice. Again if you wait a while between sips, you start to get some of that peaches and cream. Overall this is a great addition from Bardstown. I would highly recommend getting this if you are out and you see this one.

Oak and vanilla on the initial nose. I know it may be weird but I get a Sharpie marker smell from the French Oak. Palette is sweet vanilla cream and then wood and spice. Both the nose and taste are not like a seasoned, antique wood but like going to home depot and standing in the lumber department and you are chewing on a toothpick. So a younger, cleaner wood. It finishes with that sweet vanilla and then fades to a flat wood note (again like you've been chewing on a wooden toothpick for a while) Not bad, but I don't think I am a fan of a bourbon with this much French Oak. But if you like it, then you will probably like this one.

Smoky oak and maple syrup on the nose. Well balanced on the palette between sweet and spice. Some light cherry comes through after a while. Some of the sweetness and spice linger, but overall a thin mouthfeel and finish. Overall, a good and basic bourbon. Great entry into the craft bourbon market from Redwood.