Redemption 9 year Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch #3 2019

Bottle no 3750 Noss: slight pine, vanilla, nutty Palette: no burn, candied nuts, caramel, vanilla in the finish, good oaky backbone, very approachable.

Big amber. Big spicy nose. Much MGP. Loads of cedar, cinnamon, “dill,” burnt brown sugar, cherry wood. Palate is mildly viscous and leads with complex spice, prickly cedar, dill, clove, touch of tobacco, cherry, brown sugar, candy corn, almond and leather. Altogether this is a solid MGP expression. I think I slightly prefer the 10 year barrel strength rye. This lacks some of the fresh herbs and in place highlights more candy corn and slightly toasted almond notes that border on being slightly bitter. It’s not out of balance but does hang in during the long, spicy finish. A winner for sure but a bit pricy. Probably a step up in complexity from Belle Meade NAS cask strength for $20-30 more and reminiscent of 10y SAOS.

Carmel, slow burn

NOSE Rich dark fruit, oak, leather, complex baking spice, pepper, dark sweets, oil, nuts and cocoa. It’s dense and filled with layers of dark fruit, dark sweets and leathery-oaky profiles – it’s a dark, velvety and alluring aroma. PALATE Oak, rich dark fruit, vanilla, complex baking spice, dark sweets, pepper, leather, oily nuts and cocoa. The palate of the Redemption 9 Year Barrel Proof Bourbon is even darker and oakier than the aroma without losing any of the nice baking and sweet notes. If anything, they’ve been kicked up a bit more here. FINISH Long -> Oak, dark fruit, vanilla, corn sweetness. It starts dark and heavy but fades out to lighter vanilla and corn-fueled sweetness without losing any of the oak.