Tasting notes

nose

Walnut and roasted apricot lead, with toffee, caramel, worn leather and a thread of milk chocolate behind them

palate

Dense and creamy; pomegranate molasses and stewed apricot up front, then brown sugar, toffee and roasted nuts, with clove, cinnamon and allspice building over toasted oak at the back

finish

Long; clove, allspice and cinnamon ride on oak with toffee and toasted malt, the apricot recedes as dark chocolate and roasted coffee settle in, and a touch of vanilla cream comes at the very end

Mash bill

32% bourbon whiskey, 30% rye whiskey, 25% wheat whiskey, 13% single malt whiskey. Those four whiskeys draw on more than ten mash bills, and the grain recipes of the individual components are not published. The single malt, made from malted barley, is the share Redwood Empire distilled itself; the bourbon, rye and wheat whiskeys were distilled in Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Why it's craft

The Hyperion is the first of a planned annual series from Redwood Empire's master distiller Jeff Duckhorn and master blender Lauren Patz, and this batch marries straight bourbon, rye, wheat and single malt whiskeys from four states. Only the single malt was distilled by Redwood Empire, grain to glass in California; the bourbon, rye and wheat whiskeys were bought from distilleries in Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. The components range from 7 to 14 years old, drawn from 79 barrels, and the whiskey is bottled unfiltered. Redwood Empire is owned by Purple Brands.