Cedar Ridge "Anniversary Edition" Bourbon Review

 

Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery is a grain-to-glass craft distillery located in Swisher, Iowa. Founded in 2005 by Jeff Quint, Cedar Ridge is the first Iowa-licensed distillery since Prohibition. He came from a long line of farmers and is an eighth-generation distiller. He began his operation to realize that it was time for Iowa to earn its way onto the Bourbon distilling map.

 

Jeff and his son, Murphy, the Master Blender, have made quite a name for themselves. Murphy cut his teeth at Stranahan's in Colorado. Here they both are, 20 years later, and Cedar Ridge celebrates this milestone with its Anniversary Edition Bourbon.

 

“To mark our 20th anniversary, I wanted to create a whiskey that honors our beginnings while also representing what we’ve evolved into. This release unites two cornerstones of our history—Iowa bourbon and wine—with the craft we’ve mastered in recent years: blending cask-finished whiskeys. The result is a wine-cask finished bourbon, a truly special release that brings our journey full circle.” -  Murphy Quint, Master Blender

 

It has been a few years since I’ve tried a Bourbon from this distillery that wasn’t an independent bottling. Mostly, I’ve been enjoying The QuintEssential line of American Single Malts. As such, this #DrinkCurious opportunity will be kind of a trip down memory lane.

 

What makes Anniversary Edition special is that it goes beyond their classic Bourbon; this one went through a complex finishing cycle, using vintage Tokaji, Ruby Port, and Amontillado Sherry casks along with 2nd New American Oak barrels.

 

I’ll admit that when I first read about this Bourbon, I saw Tokaji casks and smiled. Tokaji is a wine from Hungary; it must come from the Tokaji region of Hungary. Neighboring Slovakia may also legally use the term, but only if it follows the established Hungarian methods. Six varietals of grapes are used in the production of Tokaji: Furmint, Hárslevelű, Yellow Muscat, Zéta, Kövérszőlő, and Kabar. While there are several types of Tokaji wines, the most famous and revered is Aszú. Aszú is made from grapes subjected to noble rot. Yup, you read that right. Rot. It is a fungus that grows on the grape and creates a sweet, luxurious wine.

 

The reason my seeing Tokaji casks caused me to smile is that, five years ago, I tasted a Tokaji-finished whiskey for the first time. I was so enamored with it that I had to find and buy a bottle of Tokaji wine to experience what that was like! In all my years of reviewing whiskey and all the different types of barrel finishing I’ve encountered, I’ve never done that before (and haven’t since).

 

I’m grateful to Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery for providing me with a sample of its Anniversary Edition Bourbon in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s crack her open and taste for ourselves what this is all about.

 

Oh, one last thing. As this is a limited-edition Bourbon, it is available at the distillery, select Iowa retailers, and from its online store (Update: it was released yesterday and already sold out online).

 

• Whiskey Type: Iowa Straight Bourbon
• Distiller: Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery
• Age: NAS
• Mashbill: 74% corn, 14% rye, 12% malted barley
• Cooperage: 53-gallon, new charred oak barrels, then finished in Tokaji, Ruby Port, and Amontillado Sherry casks along with 2nd New American Oak barrels.
• Alcohol Content: 55% ABV (110°)
• Price per 750mL: $59.99

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to sip this Bourbon neat. The whiskey had a deep orange color and created a fragile rim with thick, widely spaced, slow tears.

 

Nose: After allowing about ten minutes for it to acclimate, I brought the glass of Bourbon to my nose and began sniffing. The wines’ influence on the aroma was unmistakable, with notes of ripe plums, plantains, dried apricots, honey, and leather. Despite those components, I was able to discern sweet corn. When I pulled the air into my mouth, I found honey and plantains.   

 

Palate: The Anniversary Edition had a unique texture. On one hand, it was dense and filled the entirety of my mouth. On the other hand, it was airy. As I’m writing that down, it makes no sense, but that’s what’s going on. With the second sip, the airy sensation went away and took on a more expected weight.

 

On the front, I tasted caramel, plantains, and corn. My mid-palate encountered apricots, honey-roasted almonds, and plums. The back featured cinnamon spice, rich chocolate, and French oak. 

 

Finish: Cocoa, plantains, plums, roasted almonds, French oak, and cinnamon spiraled around one another. The warmth was even; there was no build-up or drop-off. It ended mildly, gently fading into the background. Just as I thought everyone was done, there was a brief kiss of dried apricots. I timed its duration at 0:57, keeping it in medium territory.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: While the wines dominated the nose, the Bourbon took control on the palate. The mouthfeel was wild. The fruit and spice notes seemed to dance a tango. The finish was enchanting.

 

Quint has proven repeatedly that he is a risk-taker and a blending maestro. That’s experienced often with his bold American Single Malt releases.

 

Cedar Ridge’s Anniversary Edition Bourbon is unlike any I’ve tried from this category. It commanded my entire attention as I attempted to keep up with the action. It is easily worth the price of admission – if you can find a Bottle. 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.