Redemption Wheated Bourbon

As a wheated bourbon, this recipe 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 detect is smoky wood, followed by some spice. After I began sipping, I also detected 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 I notice. With further tasting, I also detect 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 have made it not a bourbon at all - and it shows. This doesn't present itself like any other bourbon I have 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 personal 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 aroma on this was dominated by vanilla and spice. After searching for a moment, you can also detect candied ginger and a faint note of pepper. Tasting this was an equally pleasant experience. 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 approachable and welcoming going down as its aroma was. Vanilla dominated the palate here (no surprise) and although this leans slightly sweet 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.

The nose has a slightly subdued sweetness, reminiscent of vanilla extract, along with an earthy, woody aroma. I enjoy wheated bourbon and was anticipating a more pronounced sweet scent. That muted sweetness carries over to the palate, but there's also a more noticeable peppery kick. This is then followed by a more bitter quality on the finish, similar to eating a lightly seasoned bowl of corn. I do appreciate the mouthfeel; it's somewhat oilier and smooth as it goes down. Overall, I find this to be an enjoyable daily sipper wheated bourbon, but it doesn't blow me away, and there are superior wheated options available at a comparable price.

A light, Straight Bourbon Whiskey from Redemption Distillery in Indiana. The mash bill consists of 51% corn, 45% winter wheat, and 4% malted barley. It was aged for 4 years in new oak barrels. It presents an aromatic beginning with hints of brittle toffee, stewed pears, bay leaf & ginger. Its bold character adds notes of Nutella, espresso, smoked toffee, pepper, roasted cereal grain, oak, coffee bean, hazelnut & a touch of mint. The long & warm conclusion features notes of green leaves & spices. July 2020 / August / December 2022 / August 2023

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

As someone who prefers wheated whiskey, I really enjoyed this! It had a good warmth. Some sweetness, like pecan pie but not excessively so. It tastes how whiskey should, with mild flavors. The aftertaste is a bit thin and doesn't linger long.