Yesterday's backdrop was the World Cup and tonight's pour is accompanied by the other football as the Buccaneers of Tampa Bay host the Saints of New Orleans. Today's whiskey marks the very first example that I did not have an immediate thought as to what it is. Let's settle in, let young Thomas Brady entertain us, and see what this whiskey has to offer.
Initial sniffs have confused me: incense, sandalwood, and various exotic aromas with no distinct underlying grains to detect. There is a fairly potent ethanol punch on the nose, but pushing past the burn and I am starting to detect some vanilla and corn.
The alcohol punch carries over to the taste. The taste has an interesting evolution - alcohol punch, vanilla/caramel sweetness, toasted oak, and finishing with a sweetness reminiscent of cornbread.
The finish is medium length with the alcohol punch leading the way. As the alcohol fades, vanilla appears, but the alcohol prickle never fully subsides.
With time, I am settling in and becoming comfortable with this sample. The perplexing nose initially threw me, but the more I sniff and sip, the more I feel I am dealing with a bourbon whiskey here. The most dominate note is the ethanol, but with time and a bit of water, some of bourbon's hallmark characteristics emerge - vanilla, toasted oak, corn pudding.
I am pondering the proof of this whiskey - there is substantial prickle which could indicate a higher than standard proof or a whiskey that has not spent all that much time in a barrel. I am going to put my guess at 47% ABV, but part of me wants to bump that up to 50%. Because I don't think the proof is greater than 50% ABV, I will attribute the alcohol prickle to this being a youthful bourbon, no more than 8 years, but I'd wager we're talking 4-5 years old here. I do not have a great guess as to the producer. The bourbon is not overly sweet nor overly spicy, but it absolutely has a very unique, exotic incense aroma. My hunch is that this is a sourced bourbon from an entity like Jefferson's.
My Guess
Type/Style: Bourbon Whiskey
Region: United States of America
Age: 4 to 5 years old
Maturation: New Oak
Strength: 47% ABV
Producer: Wild guess: Jefferson's
Sip, Mix, or Skip?: Sip (leaning towards Skip however)
Reveal
Name: Redemption Wheated Bourbon
Type/Style: Bourbon Whiskey
Region: North America (USA)
Age: Non-age stated (estimated 4 years old)
Maturation: New charred oak
Strength: 48% ABV
Producer: Redemption (sourced from MGP)Price: $45
Official Tasting Notes
Redemption Wheated Bourbon has a mash bill of 51% corn, 45% winter wheat, and 4% malted barley. It sits on the knife-edge between Bourbon and Wheat Whiskey. And this approach is definitely NOT typical. Most Wheated Bourbons have roughly equal parts wheat and rye. This 94 point award winner is aged four years in new oak and bottled at a very pleasant 48% ABV.
Final Thoughts
Whoa, what a fun tasting. It's no wonder this bourbon had an unusual smell, 51% corn, 45% wheat, and 4% malted barley is a very unique mashbill. My guesses were fairly accurate for this pour - bourbon whiskey (check), sourced whiskey (check), strength (check minus 1%), and age (check). Redemption sourced this whiskey from MGP and I was unaware that MGP made a whiskey with such a mashbill. Regardless, the end result is unique and enjoyable enough to merit at least a sample pour.
It's not all sunshine and rainbows for Redemption's Wheated Bourbon however. I suspected this bourbon was quite youthful, and its meager four years is indeed this whiskey's weakest link. The alcohol prickle was so pronounced, it dominated each aspect of the experience. I found myself having to tolerate the alcohol punch to uncover this whiskey's character. Personally I would love to see how this whiskey would present itself after eight years, but alas, we'll have to make do with the four years that Redemption is giving us. I marked this whiskey down as a 'Sip' which implies I'd consider purchasing a bottle, but there are plenty of interesting bourbon offerings at the $45 price point. I do applaud Redemption and MGP for producing a whiskey with such a unique mashbill, the resulting aroma really was quite memorable. With a bit more TLC, the taste and finish of this bourbon could join the stellar nose in impressing the masses.
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