Redwood Empire Batch 02

The first batch of this series was an unnoticed gem. Not in the 'it didn't receive quite the acclaim it deserved' sense. It's underrated in the 'so underappreciated that they stopped this line after two batches' way. Which is a real shame considering the first batch was excellent. I thought that was all they ever produced, but I managed to find a single bottle that proved the second batch exists. The recipe appears to be the same as Batch 01. Bourbons aged 4, 5, and 11 years, and ryes aged 2 and 3 years make up the blend. Bottled 7/18/2018, 45% ABV. Nose: Orange and tangerine citrus. Mint chocolate and pistachio. Vanilla, caramel, and toffee. Black cherry. Date and fig. Vick’s Vapor Rub. Golden raisin. Cinnamon, white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: More of the mint chocolate and pistachio. Almond as well. Caramel, honey, vanilla, and toffee. Lemon-flavored candy. Orange and tangerine citrus. Cola. Fig and date. Nougat. Graham cracker and vanilla frosting. Sweet potato. Dried apricot. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Lemon candy again. Orange and tangerine citrus. Cherry and gala apple. Pistachio and mint chocolate. Red hot tamale. Cocoa and pipe smoke. Cinnamon, white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Moderate length. This lives up to my memory of Batch 1. It has such a unique profile. The bourbon-rye blend truly offers the best of both worlds. It's a tremendous shame that this was discontinued. At $40, this was well worth the liquid. It's actually $10 less than I paid for the first batch. I gave that one a 4.5, and I believe that's the correct score for this one too. A certain brand has revamped its line, and I'm eager to explore it in the future. That said, I think they should seriously consider revisiting this line. Well done.