Redemption Bourbon Review

Redemption Bourbon was launched in 2010, making it 12 years old this year. The brand was inspired by pre-Prohibition recipes that are designed to bring the rye notes in the bourbon forward. And this brand is all about rye. Redemption sources rye and rye-forward whiskeys.

Redemption is made by Master Blender Dave Carpenter, a native Kentuckian who grew up surrounded by all things whiskey. He had his beginnings working at Jim Beam and Jeptha Creed before joining Redemption.  In 2015, Deutsch Family Wines & Spirits purchased Redemption from Bardstown Barrel Selections. Deutsch Family is a mass producer; their other labels include Yellow Tail and Josh Cellars.

Redemption is made in Lawrenceburg, Indiana at the old Seagram’s Distillery. They source their grains from the Midwest Grain Products Company (MGP). (Actually, just about every top whiskey spirits producer in the market sources rye from MGP.)  Using the old Seagram’s facility allows them to make the spirit in larger productions. After that, it’s bottled in small batches in Bardstown, Kentucky. Each batch and bottle number on every label is hand-written.

Redemption Bourbon is composed of 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and 4 percent barley. All the brand’s whiskeys are aged in charred new oak barrels and filtered minimally before being bottled at full proof. Redemption Bourbon is aged for two and a half years.

The family of Redemption whiskeys includes more than just the bourbon (which we are reviewing here). There’s also a Straight Rye, High Rye Bourbon, and Wheated Bourbon. They also have some limited-edition selections that come out periodically.

Considering that the owner of Redemption is a big-name, big-bottling company, they are really putting their hopes in Master Blender Dave Carpenter. Has he risen to the challenge? Or is this just another bourbon? Read on to learn more!

Quick stats:

• About 84 proof
• Made from 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and 4 percent barley.
• Redemption Whiskey Website
• Owned by Deutsch Family Wines & Spirits
• Distilled in Lawrenceburg, IN, and bottled in Bardstown, KY.
• Price: About $25 USD
• Awards: Gold, 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition; Gold, 2022 Fred Ascot Award; 95 Points at the 2021 New York International Spirits Competition; 93 Points, 2020 New York International Spirits Competition; 91 Points, 2020 San Diego Wine and Spirits Challenge

Appearance

Redemption Bourbon has a mesmerizing, golden hue. When you pour it into a glass, it beads and slowly forms tears.

The Nose

When you give your glass a swirl, this bourbon releases hints of caramel, charred oak, and warm autumn spices. This isn’t a subtle bourbon—this spirit will knock you over the head with its flavor profile. If you swirl and sniff again, you might catch a brief sour note. As it opens up in the glass, you’ll catch greater hints of oak, malted barley, and those same warm autumn spices. This is a great bourbon to decant.

The Palate

The flavor profile is youthful. It’s young, feisty, and fun. It has toffee, hazelnut, and baking spice notes at first. But the flavors don’t stop there—they take you on a journey to something a little more earthy. The taste evolves to highlight the rye spices, black pepper, and some mushroom and oak flavors.

The Finish

The Redemption Bourbon has a medium finish, meaning that it doesn’t linger too long, but it doesn’t disappear immediately, either. It sticks around for a few minutes, with lingering cracked pepper flavors. (The finish pairs really well with a cigar. If you want to try a pairing, consider a Punch cigar Maduro. The two have complementary oak, vanilla, and caramel flavors.)

Consider using an ice cube with your second round of this bourbon. The ice cube tones down the youthful vigor of the drink. However, because this bourbon packs a powerful punch, the flavors aren’t lost if you add a little ice. So give it a whirl and see what you think.

Final Thoughts

This bourbon is a loud, youthful bourbon. Normally, we’d say that’s a bad quality—to be “young”—but in this case, it just makes the Redemption Bourbon a lot of fun. There’s a lot here to enjoy and to work with. And having a versatile bourbon that you can decant, ice, or mix up has a lot of value on any liquor shelf. This bourbon makes an excellent Old Fashioned as well as bourbon on display in a decanter. You’ll enjoy the aroma and the flavor profile, and you should definitely consider trying this spirit with a cigar.