Redemption Wheated Bourbon

As a wheated bourbon, this uses wheat instead of rye as the secondary grain - and it's a high wheat mash bill. It's 51% corn, 45% wheat, and 4% sprouted barley. In the glass it's copper colored, it's 96 proof, and according to the label it's aged at least 4 years. A fifth cost me $46.99 at the Total Wine in Uptown. NOSE: The first thing I get is smoky wood, and then some spice. After I began sipping I also got a note that seemed to be either grain or vegetal, or perhaps both, and then a musty earth note. MOUTHFEEL: Creamy. TASTE: Cinnamon and butter are the first notes to strike me. With more testing I also get honey, and a slight generic fruitiness. FINISH: Short, beginning with some gentle spice, which then turns to honey water and ends with a little red pepper. SUMMARY: This is a barely legal bourbon - just one percentage point down in the corn would've made it not a bourbon at all - and it shows. This doesn't present itself like any other bourbon I've ever had. It's gentle and mild, without the assertiveness of a higher corn mash bill. But it's more definite than the lightness of Scottish or Irish whisky, and I like it. RATING: My hick scale rates it at 6, Fine, which is near the top since my scale starts at the bottom with 1. This is 3.75 stars, 75/100, or 7.5/10.

Wow this was smooth. The nose on this one was dominated by vanilla and spice. After hunting around for a moment, you can also pick up candied ginger and a faint note of pepper. Tasting this was equally as nice a pleasure. I was intrigued to find none of the harshness typically associated with a bourbon but a warmth that lingered about twice as long as expected. New oak barrels instead of charred left me thinking about the noticeably absent but not really missed smokiness as well. As approachable and welcoming going down as it's aroma was. Vanilla dominated the palette here (no surprise) and although this falls slightly on the sweet side for what I'd probably prefer, I find myself wanting another glass. Espresso and a bit of toffee were unexpected here but a welcome surprise. Going to need a bottle of this one.

A bit of a muted sweetness on the nose like a vanilla extract, and also bit of an earthy, woody nose to it. I'm a fan of wheated bourbon and was hoping for a bit more of that sweet scent to hit me in the face. On the palate that muted sweetness continues but there is also a bit more of a peppery bite to it. This is then followed by more of a bitter note on the backend almost as if you were eating a lightly seasoned bowl of corn. I do like the mouth-feel, a little oilier and smooth on the way down. Overall, I enjoy this as a daily sipper wheated bourbon but it doesn't knock my scoks off and there are better wheated options out there for similar price.

A light, Straight Bourbon Whiskey by Redemption Distillery in Indiana made with a mash bill of 51% corn, 45% winter wheat, and 4% malted barley; aged for 4 years in new oak barrels. It has an aromatic birth with notes of brittle toffee, stewed pears, bay leaf & ginger; while a bold life adds notes of Nutella, espresso, smoked toffee, pepper, roasted cereal grain, oak, coffee bean, hazelnut & a hint of mint; that leads to a long & warm death with hints of green leaves & spices. July 2020 / August / December 2022 / August 2023

Not bad, not great. Not as sweet as I would have expected from a wheated. Lots of spice and heat on the back end. This was a Flaviar dram. I am glad I didn't commit to an entire bottle, because I will not be buying this as a result of this tasting.

I’m partial to wheated whiskey, so I really liked it! Gave off some good heat. Some sweetness, pecan pie but not overly sweet. Tastes like whiskey should, whiskey with the flavors mild. Is a little thin on the aftertaste, didn’t last long.