Within the realm of non-distilling producers, Redemption has constructed its status on taking MGP juice and bottling it into accessibly priced fundamentals, quite a lot of cask finishes, and ultra-rare halo releases (together with an oft-heralded 18 12 months rye).
Round 2022, Redemption started selling a brand new addition to its core lineup: Redemption Sur Lee Straight Rye Whiskey. The discharge took a prototypical 95% rye from MGP and added yeast-rich backset to the getting old barrels. The barrels had been then periodically rotated to advertise contact between the getting old whiskey and backset. Based on the model, this “first-of-its-kind whiskey whiskey attracts inspiration from the French winemaking course of, referred to as Sur Lie, to create a richer, deeper and extra complicated profile.”
Quickly thereafter, the whiskey was faraway from the marketplace for an organization rebrand and repackaging. In 2024, Redemption Sur Lee hit the market as soon as once more. (To be truthful, right this moment, Redemption isn’t the one model experimenting with the addition of backset to distilled whiskey.)
Let’s see how the ensuing rye whiskey — bottled at 94 proof and non-age said — stacks up.
The aroma is attribute of many 95/5 rye whiskeys out of MGP: natural and a bit dill-forward (although not on the extremes of what this mashbill is able to), with extra notes of hay bales and hemp twine. Very gentle caramel, candy inexperienced mint jelly, and wintergreen chewing gum waft in after, which punctuate the vegetal character with a contact of welcome sweetness. I additionally received a little bit of birch bark on the very finish of deeper sniffs. General, I’d name this a superbly in-the-wheelhouse 95/5 nostril with probably extra bark and wooden tone, although I don’t suppose it differs from customary Redemption Rye all that a lot right here.
However that first style is actually totally different. Far nuttier than most 95/5 rye, the primary sip is hefty on almond, vanilla extract, and buttered bread; the mouthfeel is thick and fatty, bordering on syrupy. Up subsequent is an enormous pop of cinnamon spice, pronounced however a bit one-note. Expressed lemon peel carries the flag for citrus, and I might have welcomed much more in that realm to assist break up the fatty components. Notably, pine oil persists throughout most elements of the palate, which pairs effectively with another flavors (the citrus and cinnamon spice) whereas throttling these sweeter notes a bit prematurely.
The end leans towards semi-sweet, semi-sour grapes, maybe the largest mark but of the yeasty affect of backset added to the barrels. From there, finely dusted cinnamon leads on a medium-length end that evokes extra baking and rye spice than barrel affect.
Redemption’s Sur Lee provides an fascinating twist to their conventional rye providing, and I give the expression particular credit score for a very memorable mouthfeel. The midpalate particularly can get slightly crowded; one wonders if extra time within the barrel might have introduced out extra wooden sugars whereas nonetheless honoring the backset’s affect. Maybe we’ll discover out in future batches. Within the meantime, that is actually a enjoyable one to have readily available to match to plain 95/5 rye, or so as to add a yeast-forward, tangy factor to rye cocktails.
94 proof.
B / $60 / redemptionwhiskey.com [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]
Redemption Sur Lee Rye
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