Redemption Rye Rum Cask Finish (Batch 2)

Review #054 Type: rye whisky Proof: 47% Comments: NAS, 95% rye and 5% malted barley mash, finished in Plantation Caribbean Rum casks Tasted after: Pike Creek 10 Year Rum Barrel Finish Appearance (no score): Auburn color. Swirling reveals a thin line sticking to the side of the glass, legs are slow to form. Nose: 15/20 Very rye forward, but it’s got a subtle sweetness that rounds it out. Molasses, brown sugar, a generic citrus that I can’t quite pinpoint, and maybe graham crackers. Palate: 32/40 Sweet honey and brown sugar lead. There’s a subtle mint flavor that’s interwoven with black pepper, nutmeg, and vanilla. With the exception of these sweet flavors being amplified, it’s hard to discern any distinct influence from the rum barrels. Finish: 33/40 Medium long finish. Bold and spicy here with loads of rye and cinnamon, but more honey balances is out. Towards the end there’s a brief appearance of something that hints of being metallic, and reminds me of holding a nail in my mouth while working on some project. Then there’s a pop of milk chocolate sweetness in the last moments. With Water: A couple drops of water brings out vanilla on the nose. The palate has more spicy rye and oak flavors which nicely balance out the sweetness. On the finish I notice some caramel with mild salt and pepper throughout. The momentary pop of milk chocolate is gone unfortunately, and interestingly the new ending flavor reminds me of having just chewed through a green banana. Total: 80/100 Final thoughts: I rather enjoy how this rye has a comparatively minimal rum influence, as compared to some other “rum bombs” I’ve tried, like Pike Creek and Angel’s Envy. Rye is not among my favorite types of whisky, but this one is well balanced and enjoyable to sip. Price: $49 Would recommend: yes Would buy: maybe Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

It’s 2020. It’s December. Let’s shut this year down with a brand new whiskey every day. It’s my own personal whiskey advent calendar. +6! Dec. 1, 2020 2020 was a year of really good rum-finished whiskies for me. Blood Oath Pact 5, Jefferson’s, and Borough were all excellent. I picked up this whiskey knowing nothing of Redemption and caring less than I should for rye whiskey. It’s all about the rum, baby. Nose is pickle juice, burnt sugar, vanilla extract, mint. Body is pickle juice, vanilla, cedar, salt, perfume. I heard somebody say perfume as a flavor once and thought it was bull crap, but this one really does blur the scent/taste boundary in that way, reminiscent of a very pungent, floral smell. In a good way. Finish is very sweet. There’s sugar. Milk chocolate. Toffee. The transition to the finish is my favorite part of this drink. This reminds me of whistlepig juice, though with my minimal exposure to ryes that may just be a laypersons way to say that this is a fine whiskey, deserving to be held up next to other respected ryes. ‘Tis the season. I’m day-to-day on my whiskey selection, so if you’re reading this and there’s something readily available out there you’d like me to enjoy/suffer through this holiday season, leave it in the comments. Merry whiskey to all, and to all a beer flight!

I was really disappointed with this one. After thoroughly enjoying the Templeton Caribbean Rum Cask, and being a big fan of the Angel's Envy Rye - both of which are rum-finished MGP 95/5 rye, I figured I'd give this one a shot to see how it compares. In a word, it doesn't. The rum finish is almost non-existent, it just tastes like young MGP rye with a very faint hint of tropical notes at the tail end of the finish. Definitely not worth the 115% premium ($58 vs $27) over a standard bottle of Redemption Rye. You'd be better off just mixing a splash of rum into a glass of your favorite rye. UPDATE: After doing some digging I found out this is 2yr old rye finished for just 3 months in rum casks, no wonder it tastes so young and has very little influence from the rum casks. In comparison, the Templeton is 6yr rye finished for 6 months, and Angel's Envy Rye is 6-7 years old and finished for 18 months. The AE is definitely the best of the bunch, but the Templeton is a very close 2nd and a great value at nearly 1/2 the price of the AE.

I wonder if the official reviewer either had a bad day or committed reviewer treason and tried it while eating or following something else. This is a very pleasant rye. It has that natural bite you come to expect with Redemption, but it’s coated in a candy sweetness. Yes, it’s not a rum bomb. But do you always want that? To me, keeping the qualities of a good rye and adding a hint of barrel influence is preferable to tasting only the barrel. This one is incredibly balanced and flavorful. And at the price point, it’s a steal. And while it’s wonderful on its own, it makes an incredibly great old fashioned. I used peach bitters to muddle the sugar and lemon instead of orange. Fantastic. I strongly disagree with the Distiller review and suggest they get someone else to offer a new opinion. It’s not fair to disparage a quality offering with what feels like a rushed and unserious review.

NOSE Graham crackers, brown sugar, oak, copper, citrus, vanilla, herbal, spice and a touch of cooking oil. It’s lightly metallic graham crackers with a lightly sweet frosting covering and a touch of herbaceousness. Rum doesn’t really come through. PALATE Honey, graham, oak, brown sugar, dried fruit, cooking oil, nuts, herbal, copper, dried corn and some bits of baking spice. Palate on the Redemption Rum Cask Finish Rye comes through a bit drier but with a more pronounced sweetness and an extra nuttiness and spiciness, but still no big rum note. FINISH Medium-long -> Spice, fruit, copper, oak, herbal and a touch of “rum”. Finish slowly draws out to a warm oaky herbal note and right before it disappears the only concrete “rum” note pops up.

NOSE Graham crackers, brown sugar, oak, copper, citrus, vanilla, herbal, spice and a touch of cooking oil. It’s lightly metallic graham crackers with a lightly sweet frosting covering and a touch of herbaceousness. Rum doesn’t really come through. PALATE Honey, graham, oak, brown sugar, dried fruit, cooking oil, nuts, herbal, copper, dried corn and some bits of baking spice. Palate on the Redemption Rum Cask Finish Rye comes through a bit drier but with a more pronounced sweetness and an extra nuttiness and spiciness, but still no big rum note. FINISH Medium-long -> Spice, fruit, copper, oak, herbal and a touch of “rum”. Finish slowly draws out to a warm oaky herbal note and right before it disappears the only concrete “rum” note pops up.