Redwood Empire Lost Monarch

In-Depth Review

Redwood Empire may not be a household name... yet. But this small distillery out of Northern California is looking to make its mark with an expanded core lineup of whiskies that range from finished bourbon, to rye and bourbon blends. And unlike many new distilleries who hide the components that go into making their whiskey, Redwood Empire has taken a much more transparent approach. In a refreshing change as compared to other craft distillers,  they state the mashbills, the ages, and the sources of the whiskies that go into their blending.  

For example, in Lost Monarch (their blend of straight whiskies) the blend features 60% rye whiskey (95% rye, 5% malted barley which was aged between 3-5 years) and 40% bourbon whiskey (75% corn, 21% raw rye and 4% malted barely that was aged between 5-12 years). Of course, with a relatively new distillery like Redwood Empire, it’s almost unheard to have 12 year old whiskey laying around, so they have turned to sourcing to provide the older whisky included here. But importantly, they also include their own distillate in the blend, and are expected to eventually wean themselves off sourced whiskies as their stock continues to age.

But until their completely in-house whiskies are finished, let’s take a dive into this interesting craft distillery and see if it’s worth picking up at its surprisingly competitive price point.

Age: A blend of 4 to 12-year-old Bourbon & 3 to 5-year-old Rye Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Cask: Charred New Oak (Likely)

MSRP: $40

Distillery Name: Redwood Empire (Mostly Sourced Whiskies)

Review Date: 1/19/21

Color: Toasted Caramel

Nose: The nose is soft and starts with raw cinnamon sticks, light vanilla, soft caramel, and a little twist of zest. As it settles in the glass, more aromas of pine and mint come through. But it all blends well together and creates a creamy, supple experience.

Palate: Strawberry. That’s the first thing that came to my mind after trying this. An odd flavor for a bourbon or rye whisky, but unless my mind was playing tricks on me, it was definitely there. After getting beyond the strawberry, there were notes of molasses, vanilla, orange and milk chocolate. The orange and vanilla together reminded me of a creamsicle from those hot Southern California days when we were kids. Soft, and a bit waxy, the palate is well rounded for a relatively young whisky. It drinks soft and easy for 90 proof. Comparing to the much older Eagle Rare expressions (also 90 proof) I have had recently; this is much more fruit forward and has significantly less oak than ER.

Finish: Lost Monarch has a surprisingly good finish for a younger, lower proof whiskey. While on the shorter side, it has a lovely lingering spice mixed with honey and white chocolate notes. A dash of mint that reminds you of the rye influence is there, but very subtle.

Final Thoughts: While this is hardly an extraordinary whiskey, I must admit I was impressed. This is an excellent, simple, easy drinking whiskey that provides some solid flavors and a lovely finish. It has more complexity than I expected from a new craft distillery at this competitive price point. Compared to my daily drinker - Eagle Rare - this provides a much fruitier, and rye forward experience compared to the more traditional oak and vanillas of Eagle Rare. I would happily drink Lost Monarch and I am glad I grabbed the bottle. But if I had to make the choice, I would still grab an Eagle Rare store pick over this. The age of ER is hard to argue with, and store picks in particular can be truly amazing values. But if Redwood Empire can continue improving on expressions like Lost Monarch, this is a distillery to keep an eye on.

I’m expecting great things.

Score: 87