Craft distillers continue to mine different avenues of the ever-expanding whiskey market. Rye whiskey has always been a bit of an afterthought to Scotch and bourbon, but Redemption Whiskey is looking to change that with three new limited-edition straight rye whiskey expressions – The Aged Barrel Proof Collection of straight rye whiskey: Aged 7 Years, 8 Years, and 10 Years.
The Redemption Aged Barrel Proof straight rye whiskey selections are distilled from a mash of 95 percent premium rye and 5 percent malted barley that has been aged between 6-10 years in charred new oak barrels. After being properly aged, each whiskey is minimally filtered and bottled immediately at full proof. The combination of high rye content and high proof allows each whiskey to gain significant flavor and ensures consistency bottle to bottle.
“Every so often, we’ll run into a barrel in the batching process that is so brilliant, we think it deserves a bottling of its own,” says Dave Schmier, founder of Redemption. “The Aged Barrel Proof expressions are thoughtfully aged in the sweet spot of six to ten years to give the final product character and the ‘right from the wood’ flavors of a big whiskey.”
The Redemption Aged Barrel Proof Collection includes:
Redemption Aged Barrel Proof Straight Rye: 7 Years ($80). The tasting notes state: Herbal essence, with subtle hints of pear and peach followed by cinnamon. The spicy finish is bold and warming, against a touch of fresh vanilla and nutmeg.
Redemption Aged Barrel Proof Straight Rye: 8 Years ($90). Tasting notes: Toasted bread, woody spices and honeyed nuts. The spicy finish is bold and warming, against a subtle touch of fresh vanilla, cream and citrus.
Redemption Aged Barrel Proof Straight Rye: 10 Years ($130). Tasting notes: Mingled from only six barrels (sourced from MGP), this 95 percent rye whiskey is hot on the nose with bitter rye spice, caramel and oak aromas. Sweeter than the 6-8 year old batches with a sharper rye flavor.
Redemption is distilled in Indiana and bottled in small batches in Bardstown, KY, with each batch and bottle number hand-written on every label.