In
Graton, California, there was a distillery called Graton Distilling Co,
founded in 2014 by Derek
Benhem and Master Distiller Jeff Duckhorn.
It was a small operation, and while the duo was crafting whiskey, they were
also seeking mature spirits to offer. From that came Redwood Empire Whiskey, the spirits arm of Purple Wine & Spirits.
With
a production capacity of just four barrels each day, Redwood Empire stated that
for every bottle sold, they’ll plant a tree. When I first reviewed Redwood
Empire in 2023, they planted 1.02 million trees. At the end of 2025, that
number jumped to 1.7 million. That’s a lot of bottles sold!
The
Graton Distilling Co has since been shuttered, but Redwood Empire Whiskey lives
on. Benham and Duckworth outgrew what that small operation could produce and,
in 2025, moved everything to Mare Island, just north of San Francisco. They’ve
brought in Master Blender Lauren
Patz, formerly of Spirit Works Distillery.
While
Redwood Empire Whiskey has more than tripled its capacity, it isn’t what you’d
consider production at industrial levels; the current capacity is now 14
barrels a day.
“Driven by a commitment to bold, expressive California whiskey, we’ve built the largest inventory of aging whiskey in the state—despite being limited to producing just four barrels a day. In 2025, a decade after laying down our first barrel, we moved operations to Mare Island, north of San Francisco, where we’ve tripled capacity to 14 barrels a day. Still small by industry standards—where many distilleries produce well over 300 barrels daily—we choose to go slow, with intent. We pride ourselves in our Northern California regionality and each choice we make is deliberating made to craft a distinct whiskey that is smooth, complex and full of grain character.” – Redwood Empire Whiskey
Redwood’s
product lines are all named after iconic redwood trees in the area. Today I’m
reviewing three of Redwood Empire’s core releases: Pipe Dream, Lost Monarch,
and Emerald Giant.
Before
I #DrinkCurious, however, I need to get some housekeeping out of the way. First
and foremost, I am grateful to Redwood Empire Whiskey for providing me with samples
in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews.
Secondly,
as I indicated earlier, this is a pretty much a revisit of the whiskeys I reviewed in 2023. Beyond time, there
are some significant differences between then and now – the mashbills have
changed, as has the time in oak. Also, the previously reviewed whiskeys were
all cask strength, while today’s are all at 90°.
Finally,
to avoid repetition, I used a fresh Glencairn glass for each, sipped the
whiskeys neat, and waited about 15 minutes from the time I poured the whiskey
until nosing them.
Let’s
get started!
◊◊◊◊◊
Pipe
Dream Bourbon Whiskey
- Whiskey Type: Bourbon
- Distiller(s): Redwood Empire Whiskey and undisclosed distilleries in Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky
- Age: A 100-barrel blend of Rye whiskeys aged between 3 and 14 years
- Mashbill: 72% Corn, 18% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, 5% Wheat
- Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
- Alcohol Content: 45% ABV (90°)
- Price per 750mL: $40.00
Appearance: Pipe
Dream’s color was somewhere between amber and golden amber. A medium rim
created very slow, tiny, compact tears.
Nose: I detected
aromas of corn, light oak, maple, vanilla, and nutmeg. When I took the vapor
into my mouth, I discovered more vanilla.
Palate: The
thick, creamy texture offers corn, vanilla, and toffee on the front of my
palate. Midway through, there were toasted pecans, cinnamon, and roasted
almonds. The back featured flavors of charred oak, clove, and black pepper. It
lacked any sort of palate shock.
Finish: Cinnamon,
oak, roasted almonds, clove, toffee, and pecans started the journey, with
caramel and black pepper ending it. I found an even-keeled finish that lasted
1:52, making it long.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Pipe
Dream is named for the 14th largest tree on the planet and is the
distillery’s first craft whiskey. I enjoyed what was in my glass; it isn’t just
another “me too” Bourbon, it has its own unique characteristics and seemed
expertly blended. It was correctly proofed and well-balanced; there’s nothing
not to like here. As such, it takes my Bottle rating.
◊◊◊◊◊
Emerald
Giant Rye Whiskey
- Whiskey Type: American Rye
- Distiller(s): Redwood Empire Whiskey and undisclosed distilleries in Indiana and Kentucky
- Age: A 100-barrel blend of Rye whiskeys aged between 3 and 8 years
- Mashbill: 92% rye, 3% wheat, 5% malted barley
- Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
- Alcohol Content: 45% ABV (90°)
- Price per 750mL: $40.00
Appearance: Emerald
Giant was the color of honey, forming a thick rim, with medium, crazed tears
that flowed back into the pool of whiskey.
Nose: The
aroma was classic, with dill, mint, rye spice, caramel, and orange zest.
Drawing the air through my open lips offered a sensation of oak and vanilla.
Palate: There
was a buttery mouthfeel, one that lacked any palate shock. On the front, I
tasted honey, cinnamon, and a hint of dill. I discerned rye spice, mint, and orange
peel with my mid-palate. The back featured black tea, clove, and oak.
Finish: The
long finish left flavors of black tea, mint, cinnamon, honey, and black pepper
in my mouth and throat. It started at medium intensity and ramped up, which
somewhat surprised me given its stated proof. Overall, the duration ran 2:07.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Emerald
Giant is named for the fastest-growing Redwood in the world. There were so many
things that reminded me of MGP Rye, which I’ll gamble is the Indiana component
whiskey. It drank slightly above its stated proof, yet was a captivating
sipper. For the money, it is almost a bargain. It earns my Bottle rating.
◊◊◊◊◊
Lost
Monarch Small Batch American Whiskey
- Whiskey Type: American Whiskey
- Distiller: Undisclosed
- Age: A 100-barrel blend of whiskeys aged between 3 and 14 years
- Mashbill: 55% Rye whiskey, 45% Bourbon whiskey
- Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
- Alcohol Content: 45% ABV (90°)
- Price per 750mL: $40.00
Appearance: The
gold-amber-colored whiskey created a thick rim with even thicker tears. They
were tightly packed, with some running faster than others.
Nose: Dill
was the first thing I smelled, followed by clove, lemon and orange zests,
vanilla, and a kiss of cinnamon. When I took the aroma into my mouth, I found more
orange zest.
Palate: Lost
Monarch’s texture was soft and velvety, and that first sip revealed a punch of newish
leather. With the second, I tasted caramel, blanched almonds, and English toffee
on the front of my palate. The middle offered notes of orange peel, floral rye,
and leather, while the back included oak, clove, and cinnamon.
Finish: Oak,
clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg held in my mouth, yet not my throat. It started
softly and gradually grew in intensity, but never got hot. As it hit its
crescendo, it suddenly vanished. The entire duration was 1:31, placing it at
the transition between medium and long.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Lost
Monarch is named for the largest coastal redwood tree by volume. I had expected
the dill from the nose to carry through to my palate, or at least the finish,
but neither occurred. I thought the finish was the most interesting aspect.
Lost Monarch was a
relatively easy sipper, one that is proofed correctly and tilted in favor of
the Rye influence from start to finish. I liked it, but I can’t say that I
loved it. Hence, my Bar rating seems appropriate.
◊◊◊◊◊
Final Thoughts: I didn’t
look at my 2023 review until I had already jotted down my tasting notes, as I
didn’t want to influence my thoughts unduly. For the 2026 releases, my
preference order is: Pipe Dream, Emerald Giant, and then Lost Monarch. 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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