Redwood Empire “Pipe Dream” Bourbon Whiskey
Redwood Empire is a Sonoma County, CA, distillery which produces 3 sourced products and 2 that are 100% made in house. I will be reviewing the “Pipe Dream”, which is one of the sourced whiskeys.
The Pipe Dream is a Straight Bourbon and is named after the 14th tallest tree on the planet. This is Redwood’s first release and is made from barrels aged from 4-12 years (although minimum of 4 years is what is on the label). The mash bill is 75% Corn, 21% Raw Rye, and 4% Barley, which is one of the two core MGPI bourbon distillates so it is safe to assume they sourced it from there. [UPDATE - Redwood Empire was kind enough to comment on my IG post and indicated that they are using some of their own distillate in the Pipe Dream blend. Thank you Redwood Empire for providing the additional details and for being transparent!]
ABV: 45%
How it smells..…vanilla, oak, baking spices…smells like a traditional bourbon should
How it tastes…..starts off smooth with sweet vanilla with a bit of oak in the middle. Ends in mild baking spices and a sweet honey finish. So basically, exactly how it smells.
Price….This was another birthday gift so not sure exactly, but from what I see online, $35 +/- $5
Rating…..🥃🥃🥃🥃
Final thoughts…This is a very straight forward and well balanced bourbon. The bottle label states that the temperate climate of Northern California allows for a slow and even aging process, producing a balanced and complex product. I get the balance, but I don’t get the complexity. However, there isn’t a bad note and it’s very drinkable and smooth. At 90% for a 4 year old, it drinks lighter than one would expect. If you like your bourbon on the rocks, I would recommend a large ice cube as anything that is quicker melting would render it too watery and weak, throwing off some of that balance. I gave it 4x 🥃 because I appreciate the price point they are selling this at. Newer craft distilleries are usually priced at a premium and Redwood has wisely limited that premium, at least for this sourced whiskey.
The other two sourced products are “Emerald Giant” and “Lost Monarch”. The Emerald Giant is a 3-5 year old rye made from 95% Rye and 5% Malted Barley while the Lost Monarch is a blend of 60% Rye (95% Rye & 5% Malted Barley) and 40% Bourbon (75% Corn, 21% Rye, and 4% Malted Barley). So basically, a blend of Pipe Dream and Emerald Giant at a 60/40 mix. I haven’t had either of these, but if they are similarly priced to the Pipe Dream I will check them out as it would be interesting to see how the Lost Monarch blend tastes against its two component whiskeys.
I am really interested in trying the two releases that Redwood 100% made in house, the Grizzly Beast and the Rocket Top. The Grizzly Beast is a 5 year old Bottled in Bond (50% ABV) made from 69% Corn, 22% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, and 4% Wheat. The Rocket Top is a 5 year old Bottled in Bond (50% ABV) made from 87% Rye, 7% Malted Barley, and 6% Wheat. HOWEVER, searches online show these priced at $80-$100 per bottle so that makes me less inclined to buy one of these as that is way overpriced for a 5 year old. For all of the reasons that I appreciated Empire not marking up outsourced whiskey for the Pipe Dream, they seem to have gone in the opposite direction for their own in-house made product. That’s a steep gamble for a consumer to make when there are plenty of great bourbons and ryes in the market for well under that price point.
One more thing that I would like to point out, Redwood Empire is planting a tree for every bottle that it sells. At the time of writing this review, their website claims to have planted 347,896 trees thus far, which is a commendable act. We all have seen many new labels create wonderful flowery stories about their brands, but Redwood seems to be backing up theirs and should be recognized for such.
