Redwood Empire Pipe Dream

A little background

Pipe Dream Bourbon Whiskey is named after the 14th largest tree on the planet. As the first bourbon whiskey coming from Redwood Empire Distillery, Pipe Dream sits at 90 proof and is a blend of barrels aged between 4 and 12 years. It is made from a high corn mashbill, and sells for an MSRP of around $44.

(Tasted neat from a Halo Glass)

Color

Yellow Gold

Nose

The nose is fairly sweet. It starts with notes of candied orange (almost like an orange marmalade), and transitions into a cherry syrup. Corn is very noticeable, but not in a way that typically denotes a young bourbon. There is a certain musty funk to it, likely from the older-aged barrels. It is a pretty nice, thick nose.

Palate

The palate is medium-thick. The very first thing that I pick up is corn. Sweet corn is present all throughout the palate. Next up are notes of orange marmalade, that stick to the mid-palate pretty well. This then transitions to that nice cherry syrup flavor on the back palate. There are some darker, almost grape-like flavors on the front of the palate that disappear after the whiskey is swallowed. This is a very nice palate for a lower-proof bourbon!

Finish

The finish is medium, and begins with orange marmalade notes on the mid palate. These transition to oak spice and bread notes, that eventually coat the entire palate, including the roof of the mouth. The finish is much longer than I was expecting, and is fairly viscous.

In closing

Wow, very impressive. I think the blending of the older barrels into the batched really elevated this whiskey to the next level. The depth of flavors was great, and it did not really leave anything to be desired (even for me, a barrel-proof purist). That being said, I would love to see what this tastes like when it is at barrel proof, as it is fantastic at 90 proof. I think this is one of the best 90 proof whiskies that you can buy for the price. If you see it, get it!