After a small breaking news interruption to review the new Glen Scotia 12, it is time to get back to my usual schedule and look at another whisky category for the next few weeks. It is time to look at Rye Whisky. I must admit that between Rye and Bourbon. I have to admit that between the two, my preference almost always goes to the more complex and less sweet Rye – a very personal preference clearly.I will never argue with anyone who prefers Bourbon instead. But I might have a bit of a soft spot, which could be apparent in the upcoming reviews. Maybe. Meanwhile, let me get things rolling with today’s review of the Redwood Empire Emerald Giant.
TL:DR: If only it were as nice to drink as it is to look at
Score: 4.5 It shows some promise, and maybe a bit more
A brief introduction to Rye whisky
If you are familiar with Rye, feel free to skip ahead; the text below is aimed at those of you who have had no exposure to this grain and the whisky it produces.
Rye whisky is arguably the most divisive kind of whiskey out there. I rarely find drinkers who find it just OK: people either enjoy it or actively avoid it. Where bourbon leans sweet and full thanks to corn, rye shows off a spicier, drier side — think pepper, cinnamon, clove, and very often green herbal notes of mint or dill. I am definitely in the lovers’ camp. Given the option of a Rye or a Bourbon of similar quality, I will go with the Rye 9 times out of 10.
This bold character is why rye was the go-to base for classic cocktails like the Manhattan and the Sazerac, where its sharpness cuts through sweetness and brings everything into balance. Unfortunately, many bars today go with the prevailing sweeter taste and substitute Bourbon in their recipes, which, to my taste, does not work as well.
In production, it is not the easiest grain to work with. Rye has a reputation for being sticky in the mash tun, creating thick, gluey textures that can gum up the works and foam during fermentation. All worth it for a whisky that feels punchier, livelier, and often more complex even when it’s relatively young. It might require more effort — but it has a lot more personality than Bourbon.
Redwood Empire in a nutshell.
Redwood Empire and the distillery behind it, Graton Distilling Co., established in 2015 in Sonoma County, California. The whisky brand was inspired by California’s redwood forest and aims to emphasise its dedication to sustainability.
The whiskies sold under this brand contain both sourced and distillery-made spirit, with a declared aim to progressively increase the proportion of spirit made at the distillery as time goes on. As with other smaller independent brands in the US, there is some lack of transparency about what is sourced.
Redwood Empire released its core lineup of products, the Pipe Dream (bourbon), the Emerald Giant (rye), which I am about to review, and Lost Monarch (a blend of bourbon & rye, aka bourye) in 2019. These initial releases were followed by cask strength versions of the same, then bottled in bond expressions of the bourbon and rye, plus some more limited releases, including an American Single Malt.
If you are interested in finding out more about their whisky range, the lovely guys at SLB Drinks on YouTube did a great tasting of most of their range.
I am not usually swayed by fancy labels, but I must admit that I love Redwood Empire’s labels. They always catch my attention in shops and they are pieces of art in their own right. Does the quality of the packaging match the quality in the bottle? Time to review Redwood Empire’s Emerald Giant and find out.
Redwood Empire Emerald Giant Rye Whiskey
Specs
Price paid: $32.49
ABV: 45%
Natural colour: Yes
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Mashbill: A blend of barrels between 4 and 7 years of age, 92% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, 3% Wheat. Made with a blend of the distillery’s own distillate and sourced whiskies – Indiana (likely MGP) and Kentucky.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Burnished gold, uncharacteristically quite pale for a Rye whiskey
Nose: The first impression is not great: there is a noticeable whiff of acetone, which luckily disappears quickly… mostly but not entirely. Then the typical green notes of rye show up, dill and cut grass, some pepper and rich caramel. In the background, I get a hint of beef stock cube. As the whiskey breathes, there is a hit of citrus, orange and lime peel.
Taste: It manages to be both thin and slightly hot at the same time. Which is a feat. The taste immediately makes me think of berries in grappa, fruity yet sharp. There is some spice, baking spices rather than pepper, I noticed on the nose, caramel and again some orange, fry orange slices.
The finish is medium-short. It is oaky with baking spice, some caramel and orange peel, leaving a slightly tannic, drying sensation on the palate.
Score: 4.5 It shows some promise, and maybe a bit more
It’s been a while since I gave a low score to a whisky. I had to go back in time and look at all my reviews to find my only other one below 5, or what would be average (in a good way). It was the Auchentoshan 12-year-old, if you are curious. I would probably score that one lower today, even lower than 4. Even putting today’s score in perspective, I cannot get past the issues which cover some nice traits and make this a frustrating whiskey.
There are things to like here, if Rye is your thing. Both the nose and mouth aromas, with their mix of green rye notes, spices, caramel and citrus. And if you are in the US, the price is certainly competitive.
Regrettably, the negatives overshadow the positives. The acetone note on the nose is not appealing, and while that might be minor by itself, the palate makes it worse. Being both thin and hot (at 45%) is quite an achievement. And clearly not a good one. Even on the taste the alcohol atse remains quite prominent.
As much as the artwork on the label made me want to like this, this is not a whisky I would buy again. But I seem to be alone in this, other eviewers are definitely more positive about this one: I picked just a couple which you’ll find, linked as usual, at the end of this post.
* Scores are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
After writing my tasting notes, I always find it interesting to look at other opinions. Here are a few other reviews of the Redwood Empire Emerald Giant I enjoyed:
Interested in my take on a specific whisky style? Check the full Journey here and jump to the relevant Chapter.
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