Redwood Empire - Lost Monarch (2022)
$40
Redwood Empire – Lost Monarch (2022)
Proof: 90
Age: Blend of at least 3+ Years
Distillery: Sourced from Granton Distilling and Others / Bottled by Redwood Empire Distilling
Type: Blend of Straight Whiskeys (Rye and Bourbons) – (60% Rye Whiskey, 40% Bourbon)
Mash: Unknown – Blended
Website: Redwood Empire
*Disclaimer: A score of 5 is the midpoint for my reviews. Above 5 I like it. Below 5 I didn’t for some reason. Most of my reviews are between 4-7. It takes something really really special to go above 7 or below 4. See the methodologies for rating at the end of the article
Nose: This comes off as light and fruity on the nose similar to a standard Canadian Rye. Apricots, Pears, and Peaches. Simple Syrup, Damp Oak, All Spice, and Vanilla.
Taste/Palate: The palate starts off slightly harsh, grainy, and spicy. The youthful portion of the blend shows it’s colors early. After this dram calms down a little the light fruits – Orange Zest and Peach come out. There’s pepper spice lingers into the finish.
Finish: It calms down and transitions sweeter with a splash of Oak. Brown Sugar and Vanilla.
Verdict: The nose and palate give different impressions. On the nose I was expecting a calm Canadian rye type dram. The palate came with some heat, but finished more down to earth. I enjoyed this, especially for the price. I put it head to head with High West – Bourye that was more than double the price of Lost Monarch, but has a little more age. Minus the youthful initial hit on the palate Lost Monarch keeps pace with the Bourye and gets my overall pick when price is factored in.
The Story: Redwood Empire follows the same path as High West. Their heart is in Ryes and they like to Blend. From what I can find Redwood Empire has a go to Rye that’s distilled by Granton Distilling. It’s possible that it is distilled under Redwood Specs, but that’s speculation. The “house” rye is the younger part of the bottle clocking in at 3-5 years and makes up 60%. The remaining 40% of Lost Monarch is made up of Bourbons (75% Corn, 21% Raw Rye, 4% Malted Barley) aging from 4-12 Years.
Lost Monarch, at face value, appears to be similar to the now discontinued Bourye by Highwest. Could this be a readily and less expense replacement? The answer is… It’s not an exact replacement, but the profiles are similar. If you like High West products, especially the Bourye I would encourage you to have a go with Lost Monarch.
So I have had Redwood Empire before. Pipe Dream was recommended to one of my friends and I tried it on a sampling (not reviewing) night. Sampling nights tend to get a little crazy and the focus is on trying a lot of different drams, not focusing on one or two. From what I “remember” about Pipe Dream it was pretty solid, but didn’t stand out in the line up that night. I’ll revisit in the future for a full review, but today I’m focusing on Lost Monarch. I put my sights on this one because out of the 3 standard Redwood Empire versions, this one seems to be the most talked about, in a good way.
The Distillery’s Story: (Directly from their site) The Redwood Empire stretches from San Francisco to Humbolt Bay and on to the Oregon border. It is a rugged, sparsley populated area still dominated by forest, including the protected groves of Muir Woods and the massive forests of the Humboldt Redwoods. A redwood forest is a perfectly balanced ecosystem where every element works in harmony. The grandeur of the redwoods can be experienced throughout our Northern California backyard here in Sonoma County.
Their distillery operates on the “Man and Nature” concept by John Muir where there’s a balance and union between the two. Printed on the Lost Monarch bottle is a stamp for Trees.Org. For each bottle sold they will plant a tree. Fun and sustainable concept.
Methodologies for Rating:
1. Dump it down the drain or regift it to someone you don’t care for.
2. This doesn’t even belong in a mixed drink. Use in case of an emergency.
3. It’s really not for me, but I heard some people like it.
4. Its only good when I’ve had too many and it’s decent in a mixer.
5. Solid. It hit all of what’s expected.
6. Above average. Good to bring to an event and you wouldn’t expect any guff from it.
7. Buy two if you see it to make sure you have one on reserve.
8. Very Very good. Constantly a GREAT POUR.
9. Superb. If I were to drink this and only this from now on I’d be a happy person.
10. Perfection is impossible. But this really comes as close as you can possibly get.
Reviewer: David S
Click Image for About Us Page