Redwood Empire Van Duzen Straight Rye Whiskey 750mL

Redwood Empire Van Duzen Straight Rye Whiskey is a grain-to-glass small lot rye from Redwood Empire Whiskey in Graton, Sonoma County, Northern California — named for the Van Duzen River tributary of the Eel River in Humboldt County, using a high malted barley content mash bill that makes it technically both a rye whiskey and a malt whiskey, aged in the temperate coastal Northern California climate that allows slower, more even barrel maturation than inland regions.

Redwood Empire Whiskey, founded in 2016 in Graton, operates a true grain-to-grain distillery in Sonoma County's wine country, producing whiskey with the same attention to terroir and ingredient sourcing that defines the region's wine production. The Van Duzen expression in the Small Lot Series uses a higher proportion of malted barley than standard rye whiskeys — malted barley contributes different fermentation character than unmalted grains, adding complexity and depth that standard high-rye mash bills don't produce. The Northern California coastal climate provides cool, foggy conditions with less seasonal temperature variation than Kentucky or Tennessee warehouses — barrels expand and contract more gently, producing a slower extraction profile and a different wood interaction than warmer climates.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Rye spice and grain complexity with the malted barley's depth — more layered than standard rye whiskey aromatics
• Palate: Rich and well-balanced — the high malted barley content contributing complexity alongside the rye character, with the coastal California aging providing a different wood integration than inland American rye
• Finish: Clean and satisfying — the grain-to-glass production quality evident in a refined close

Specs

• Distillery: Redwood Empire Whiskey, Graton, Sonoma County, California (est. 2016)
• Style: Straight Rye Whiskey — Small Lot Series
• Mash bill: High malted barley content rye mash bill
• Climate: Northern California temperate coastal aging
• Size: 750ml

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