Distiller: Redwood Empire
Release: 2022
Whiskey: Straight Rye Whiskey Bottled in Bond
Region: Sonoma County California
Price: $79.00
Proof: 100
Age: 5 years
The Barrel Cellar Score: 88 Points
Review Date: 08/19/2023
Redwood Empire’s “The Rocket Top” Rye Whiskey is distilled and blended in Sonoma California. The mash bill consists of 87% rye, 5% wheat, 5% malted barley, and 3% Corn. It is distilled and aged in Northern California, where a moderate climate creates some contrast from the hot summer heat of Kentucky where competitor whiskies age.
Color: Honey
Nose: Apricot, fruit cocktail, green apple dipped in honey
Palate: Honey suckle and sweet citrus. Drop a couple of cubes in and notes of smoke and vanilla emerge.
Finish: Sustained with notes of dried herbs, black pepper, and plentiful floral notes.
Assessment: This stuff is mild and sweet on the front of the palate. In fact, it’s mild enough to forget that it’s a rye. Perhaps it’s the other grains in the mash bill that soften the dram and produce the mild demeanor of the juice in the bottle. It’s not until the whiskey has had a chance to coat your palate that spicy rye notes kick in, then they hang around for a while on the finish.
Rocket Top manages to present itself almost as a “cigar blend” bourbon. The fruitiness and mildness of the palate drinks like it’s been aged in a few different barrels previously used to age other types of alcohol, such as wine, liquor, or rum. It’s a nice change of pace, and it would be in fact the perfect complement to a cigar, or simply lounging by the fireplace.
Overall, Rocket Top Rye drinks like a craft finished whiskey and still manages to offer a nice spicy kick on the finish. The Barrel Cellar gives it 88 points.
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