Redemption Straight Bourbon

I have to congratulate Redemption for putting information on the label. I most want to know the mash bill and the age, and both are on this label. Why other whiskies don't do this I have no clue - at least, I have no clue about why they don't openly tell you what the mash bill is, since knowing that won't help you steal their recipe. I can understand, perhaps, why a whisky doesn't have an age statement - there's the deal with Knob Creek when, due to demand, they couldn't guarantee that everything in the bottle would be at least 9 years old, so for a short time they omitted the age statement. But mostly it's a simple courtesy to the person buying the bottle to provide this basic information. But on to the whisky itself. It's 88 proof, which I've come to regard as pretty low for a bourbon; I want my whisky 90 proof or better. I suspect that what I saw below would be more complimentary if the proof were 90 or 100. The mash bill is 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% barley. This is a two year old whisky, the minimum age for a straight whisky under American law, and a fifth cost me $29.99 at Kelly Liquors. In the glass it's a golden copper color. NOSE: First I got just a sensation of grain. Then came honey with a faint sourness, a little mint, and an earthy note. Usually I can get more after a sip or two, but with this juice what I got from the beginning is all I ever got. MOUTHFEEL: Thin, but slightly creamy. TASTE: The first note was spicy honey, with next something that made me think of lemon cough drops, though when I tried to focus on it the note slithered away. There was definitely cinnamon, and a hint of dark chocolate. FINISH: All I got on the finish was honey and dark chocolate, and it was a remarkably short finish too. SUMMARY: This juice needs more proof and more time. For an 88 proof, 2 year old whisky it's good, but there's better stuff out there for $30. I like this bourbon, but there's better available, and I probably won't buy this again. RATING: My hick scale gives it a 4 (counting from the bottom), which is Okay. That equates to 2.5 stars, 50/100, or 5/10.

Overall: I grabbed this at a bargain of $20, but regularly see this at $27. It is an easy sipper, and offers some bright citrus notes that are welcome against common malty/dessert flavors. *It may be because the bottle has been half open for some time allowing more oxidization to occur, but this orange flavor was a welcome surprise* For the money I'm happy, but I don't think I'd regularly pay 28 bucks to keep this on hand. Nose: Inviting caramel, and toffee smells with a bit of vanilla. Faint lemon with some time Palate: A bright mandarin orange comes on from the beginning, and is like a flash of light that outshines everything else. With some more time it is subdued by more traditional caramel, but it is missed. I wish it would be there through out the sip more Finish: Short. That syrupy orange flavor carries on with a touch of spice, some more malty flavors poke their heads through but only briefly.

This is a decent every day, drink in a highball, type expression for me. Not a sipping bourbon. I'm not including much detail about flavor profiles, notes, and finish because as of right now, my Bourbon/Whiskey pallet is still pretty underdeveloped with more than 50 tracked tastings, but less than 100 as of 2022. (That's not all consumed, just all appreciated outside of shots and mixers)

Nose is sweet like an orangesicle. A bit of spice as well. Like a light pepper. That spice comes through on a neat sip, but it’s not harsh. Easy sipper. The heat and flavor lingers, but it’s pleasant. I’m surprised that the sweetness that I was smelling seems to be hidden. But with a bit of water/ice, it comes out nicely. It’s pretty good for a bottle that it aged about 2 years.

Bought this to mix with egg nog. I am surprised at how it disappeared so I tried to separately. Not a bad taste, just not super powerful. Nose is really great, sweet cinnamon. Flavor is vanilla and pretty smooth. There’s a little oak later on in the taste. It’s just mild and simple overall. Decent sipper, but will have to try in an old fashioned to see if it disappears again.

A light, Bourbon by Redemption distillery in Indiana made with a blend of 75% corn, 21% rye & barley aged for 2 years in new charred oak barrels. It has a delicate birth with notes of vanilla, caramel & spice; while a delicate life adds notes of wood, rye & spice; that leads to a short & balanced death. January / May 2017 / April 2019 / August 2022