Out
in Cal-I-For-Nigh-Ay, a distillery called Graton Distilling Company with a
brand named Redwood Empire exists. The spirits arm of Purple Wine & Spirits was founded in 2015, and it came up with its own
schtick. The brand says for every bottle sold, they'll plant a tree. At the
time of my penning this review, Redwood Empire has planted roughly 1.02 million
trees. That's a lot of bottles sold!
“The Redwood Empire stretches from San Francisco to Humbolt Bay and on to the Oregon border. It is a rugged, sparsely populated area still dominated by forest, including the protected groves of Muir Woods and the massive forests of the Humboldt Redwoods. A redwood forest is a perfectly balanced ecosystem where every element works in harmony. The grandeur of the redwoods can be experienced throughout our Northern California backyard here in Sonoma County.” – Redwood Empire
The
distillery is housed in a former apple canning and processing facility called
Redwood Empire and sold apple products under that brand name. Fast-forward to
the present, Redwood's product lines are all named after iconic redwood trees
in the area.
Redwood
Empire has been distilling for almost eight years; before that, it was sourced
from MGP. Today I’m reviewing three releases: Pipe Dream Cask Strength Bourbon, Lost Monarch
Cask Strength American Whiskey,
and Emerald Giant Cask Strength
Rye. As the Bourbon components range
between 3 and 14 years, it stands to reason that at least a portion of MGP
distillate was used. Each whiskey was uncut and unfiltered.
I’ll
explore each, one at a time, sipping them neat from a Glencairn glass. I’ll
begin with the Bourbon, then the Rye, and finally, the blend. While waiting for
these whiskeys to breathe, the air in my whiskey library smelled of thick, rich
vanilla.
In
full disclosure, Redwood Empire gave me these samples in exchange for my
no-strings-attached, honest reviews. Now, let’s #DrinkCurious.
Pipe
Dream Cask Strength Bourbon
Pipe Dream Bourbon is named after the 14th tallest tree in the world, which stands 367 feet tall and is an estimated 1340 years old! It starts with a mash of 74% corn, 20% raw rye, 4.5% malted barley, and 1.5% wheat. It aged in new 53-gallon, #3 charred oak barrels ranging from 4 to 14 years. Bottled at 58.4% ABV (116.8°), it carries a suggested price of $79.99.
Appearance: Pipe
Dream appeared as the color of cedar. It formed a microthin rim that held
sticky droplets in place. Eventually, syrupy tears fell back toward the pool.
Nose: The rye
component stood out the most as I sniffed my glass. I encountered both floral
and spicy notes. Beneath the rye, I smelled cherries, tobacco leaves, vanilla,
and toasted oak. Drawing the air through my lips revealed cherry vanilla.
Palate: The
mouthfeel was thin and oily. It also drank at slightly higher than it stated proof.
The front suggested butterscotch, plums, and cherries. I tasted tobacco, raw
almond, and honey at mid-palate. In contrast, the back tasted of cinnamon, freshly-cracked
black pepper, and oak.
Finish: The
finish consisted of cinnamon spice, vanilla, cherry, oak, butterscotch, black
pepper, and clove. It stuck around for what seemed to be eons.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: If rich,
spicy Bourbons are your jam, Pipe Dream will be pleasing. The butterscotch at
the front, as was the clove on the finish, were intense. Everything, however,
was well-balanced throughout the entire experience. Is it worth $80.00? That
might be a smidge high, but I wouldn’t frown at it, either. Pipe Dream is a
solid pour and well worth picking up a Bottle.
Emerald
Giant Cask Strength Rye
Emerald Giant Rye is named the fastest-growing redwood in the world. It is 359 feet tall and estimated to be 1180 years old! This whiskey is distilled from a mash of 94% rye, 5% malted barley, and 1% wheat. Aged in new, #3 charred oak 53-gallon barrels for 4 to 7 years, it is bottled at 58.2% ABV (116.4°). Its suggested price is $79.99 for a 750ml package.
Appearance: Emerald
Giant was a definitive orange amber. A fragile rim formed slow, straight tears.
Nose: The
aroma was seductive. That always concerns me because when I pick barrels, the
ones that smell the best often have less attractive palates. The scent was that
of a fresh 3 Musketeers candy bar. I found milk chocolate, nougat, and
vanilla cream. There was also toasted oak, orange zest, and a kiss of mint. Pulling
the air into my mouth exposed me to roasted almonds.
Palate: The
texture was creamy but not overly weighty. The front tasted herbal, with tea
and mint. Midway through, I found cinnamon spice, caramel, and nutmeg. The back
offered oak and wintergreen.
Finish: Medium
in duration, the finish had vanilla to the very end. The tea, caramel, and
cinnamon remained but didn’t keep up with the vanilla.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Emerald
Giant is a relatively uncomplicated whiskey. There’s nothing MGP-ish about it,
which further convinces me this is strictly Redwood Empire’s distillate. There
was something sour with this Rye. I cleansed my palate twice, and nothing
changed each time I returned to it. Is it bad? No. However, I can see this one
being polarizing, and because of that, it earns my Bar rating.
Lost
Monarch Cask Strength American Whiskey
Lost
Monarch is named for the world’s most giant coastal redwood tree, which is 321
feet tall. There is no estimate of its age. The whiskey is a blend of straight
Bourbons and Ryes ranging in age from 3 to 14 years. The mashbills of Pipe
Dream and Emerald Giant were used. Lost Monarch was packaged at 58.6% ABV
(117.2°) and has a suggested price of $79.99 for a 750ml bottle.
Appearance: Lost
Monarch was identical in color to Emerald Giant. The rim was thick and released
wide, crooked tears.
Nose: The
aroma consisted of minty vanilla, plum, oak, and ethanol. The ethanol was not
overbearing, but it also wasn’t muted. Inhaling the vapor into my mouth, I
found leather and tobacco leaf.
Palate: This
whiskey’s texture was slightly oily and medium-bodied. Peach, pear, and menthol
flavors hit the front of my palate. Midway through, I tasted the Emerald Giant’s
herbal-like quality and black tea. The back possessed clove, floral rye, and
white pepper.
Finish: The
black tea and white pepper notes remained and almost drowned out the other
flavors, but I could still pick out floral rye, peach, pear, and caramel notes.
Its duration was slightly longer than Emerald Giant's.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The
influence of Emerald Giant was unmistakable. I could still find evidence of
Pipe Dream, which toned down the herbal and sour qualities. I think Emerald Giant
still had a stranglehold on Pipe Dream’s flavors. Because of that, I’m tossing
a Bar rating at it.
Final Thoughts: Of the
three, Pipe Dream was the slam-dunk winner of this tasting. I’ll give Lost
Monarch the second slot, as it wasn’t as off as Emerald Giant. 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 to do so responsibly.
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