Redemption Rye Pre-Prohibition Style
Redemption was one of the first ryes I ever got to taste, and at the time I was impressed. It wasn’t so spicy that I couldn’t drink it, nor was it flavorless. Re-tasting it a few times, I’ve realized it’s not the top dog, but more an easy-to-find house rye.
Redemption - like many ryes - benefits from rye’s tendency to age faster than bourbon. Some ryes are mature at 2-4 years when a bourbon will still taste young and woody. I like MGP-sourced ryes more starting around 4-5 years, with 7-8 years the sweet spot for my palate (for example, the Barrell “Doctors Are Us” pick that was in my top ryes of the year contention).
At 2.5 years old on average, the basic Redemption Rye is fairly simple and straightforward - you know it’s an MGP 95/5 rye (the dill doesn’t lie), and it would slide into most cocktails smoothly. The knock against it is the age and the price: it’s not expensive, but at the same price point give or take $5 you can get Jack Daniel’s Rye, Rittenhouse, or Knob Creek Rye, all of which have more pop.
Redemption Rye: Specs
Classification: Rye Whiskey
Origin: MGPI
Mashbill: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
Age: NAS, Average Age 2..5 Years Old
Location: IN
Redemption Rye Price: $25-30
Redemption Rye Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Liquid gold. Very thin rims hold onto large droplets for only so long.
Nose: Cherry off the bat, cocoa beans. Some sweeter herbs are lurking in the background. Charred oak and toasting wood. A bit of oak spice.
Palate: Rye spice up front, still plenty of cherry on the back end following the nose. Dill becomes clearer as the predominant herb. The spice continues on the tip of the tongue. Clearly an MGP-style rye, but the youth shows more than I’d like in the oak profile, which comes off slightly woody yet also creamy. Mouthfeel is light-to-medium, heat focuses on the tip of the tongue and doesn’t let go.
Finish: Medium-length, sweet and spicy, fairly straightforward.
Overall: I like this recipe (if usually at a little higher proof), but I do think it needs more age. The flavors are there, and it’s not surprising that a rye at around 2.5 years old is already showing signs of maturity where a bourbon would be all youth. That being said, the oak is the giveaway - young oak tastes woody and green, and while it’s on it’s way out of this batch it hasn’t quite passed the doorframe. Give this another few years and it will be 10x better.
Final Rating: 5.6
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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