Redwood Empire Whiskey announces the release of its first collection of Bottled in Bond whiskeys: Redwood Empire Rocket Top Straight Rye Whiskey and Redwood Empire Grizzly Beast Straight Bourbon Whiskey. These unique Bottled in Bond expressions continue to define Redwood Empire as a notable whiskey producer in the long-standing tradition of American spirits.
Both Rocket Top Rye and Grizzly Beast Bourbon were produced under the strict tenets of the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 and distilled in the spring of 2016 at Redwood Empire’s West Sonoma County distillery by master distiller Jeff Duckhorn. Both whiskeys were aged for five years and bottled at 100 proof. Only 500 cases of each expression were produced. These limited offerings have a suggested retail price of $79.99/750 ml.
“We’re thrilled to introduce our first Bonded Bourbon (Grizzly Giant) and Rye (Rocket Top),” said founder and proprietor Derek Benham in a press release. “We started the Redwood Empire Whiskey project in 2011, first introducing our blended straight whiskey (Lost Monarch), then our Rye (Emerald Giant), and finally our Bourbon (Pipe Dream) in 2019. We are careful and patient with the way we make and age our whiskeys. The first release of our Redwood Empire Bonded Bourbon and Rye is ten years in the making, a testimony to the adage that many good things take time. We craft all our whiskeys with that in mind, hopefully providing a moment of pleasure for those who choose to have them in their lives.”
Redwood Empire controlled production from grain-to-glass for these two distinctive whiskeys. Duckhorn and his team delivered complexity and character through careful and thoughtful decisions from the selection of grains and unique mash bills to the significant cuts of heads and tails during distillation. The temperate weather conditions of Northern California allow a slow, even flavor extraction from the barrels throughout the year which imbues Redwood Empire whiskeys with their signature style.
“A Bottled in Bond-designated whiskey shares the most important information about its origins with whiskey lovers,” explains Master Distiller Jeff Duckhorn. “The ‘who’, the ‘what’, the ‘how old’ and the ‘where.’
These whiskeys are a time capsule back to 2016 and the culmination of our team’s hard work, patience and dedication. I am thrilled to finally get to share them with whiskey aficionados.”
AT A GLANCE
Redwood Empire Bottled in Bond Rocket Top Straight Rye Whiskey
87% rye, 7% malted barley, 6% wheat
Straight rye, aged minimum five years in 53-gallon American White Oak barrels, primarily toasted and charred to level 3. With a high percentage of rye, the result are aromas of sandalwood, cloves, parsnip, and dry leaves with a savory palate of rich malt, black pepper, coffee grounds, and leather. Rocket Top is named for the 365-foot coastal redwood in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.
Redwood Empire Bottled in Bond Grizzly Beast Straight Bourbon Whiskey
69% corn, 22% rye, 5% malted barley, 4% wheat
Straight Bourbon whiskey, aged minimum five years in 53-gallon American White Oak barrels, primarily toasted and charred to level 3. Aromas of plump raspberry, brown sugar and cinnamon-spiced walnuts open into a rich, full mouth of salted caramel, buttermilk, and orange zest. Grizzly Beast gets its name from two giants: Grizzly Giant, a giant Sequoia in Yosemite National Park, and Mattole Beast, a massive 375-foot coastal redwood in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.