Redneck Riviera Whiskey Review & Tasting Notes

Celebrity whiskeys. I should end this right here and say, ‘Nuff said. However, that goes completely against the entire #DrinkCurious lifestyle. But, what I mean by ‘Nuff said is that, as a rule of thumb, celebrity whiskeys are mediocre at best, and more often than not, worse. Sometimes, you’ll find an enjoyable one, but it seems like the only way some distilleries can unload bad whiskey is to find a famous person to endorse it.

 

Have you heard of John Rich? Sure you have! He’s the other half of the country music duo Big & Rich. Here’s the backstory…

 

“John assembled a legendary team with countless years of award-winning whiskey creation. The goal? To build the smoothest and most approachable whiskey on the planet that would rival ANY Domestic or Canadian blends.

Hundreds of samples (and a few hangovers) later, Redneck Riviera American Blended Whiskey was born.

The final test? Making sure that it could get past even the toughest whiskey critic, Granny Rich! We are proud to say that it’s certified #GrannyRichApproved.” – Redneck Riviera Whiskey

 

We have no clue who the legendary team was or who the distillery was. However, we know that the components consist of 95% American Light Whiskey aged at least three years and 5% American Malt Whiskey aged at least four. And either of those could have been distilled by any number of distilleries, including MGP, which, due to the volume of whiskey required for national distribution, would be my guess as to the origin.

 

Redneck Riviera is packaged at 86°, and you can pick up a 750ml bottle for about $22.00. For the record, I snagged a 375ml PET for $2.99 that I found in the clearance section of a random liquor store. Yeah, it was just begging to be reviewed!

 

Is this one of those rare, good celebrity whiskeys, or is this a typical one? Let’s get started and we’ll find out.

 

Appearance:  Poured neat in my Glencairn Glass, Redneck Riviera was the color of dull gold. It formed a thinner rim but generated thick, fast legs that crashed back to the pool.

 

Nose:  The aroma of buttered popcorn hit my olfactory sense before I got the glass anywhere near my nose. Upon closer inspection, the buttered popcorn turned to butterscotch, along with deeper caramel notes. As I drew the air into my mouth, I tasted French vanilla.

 

Palate:  The mouthfeel was creamy and full-bodied. That was a pleasant surprise. The palate was uncomplicated with butterscotch and vanilla on the front, more vanilla on the middle, and flavors of toasted marshmallow and oak on the back.

 

Finish:  Similar to the mouthfeel, the finish was creamy. It also lasted forever. Vanilla, butterscotch, black pepper, and a massive dose of clove rounded things out.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust:  Was it terrible? No. Was it great? Also, no. This is one of those whiskeys you can sip on around a campfire shooting the breeze with your friends. You can probably drink it straight from the bottle. Redneck Riviera does as advertised: It has a very smooth texture.

 

If I never had another sip of Redneck Riviera, I wouldn’t miss it. For me, it was much too sweet and lacked any depth. But, it is most definitely an easy sippin’ whiskey. For the $2.99, I can’t complain. At retail, I’d rate this one a Bar. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy to Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.