Redwood Empire the Lost Monarch

The Lost Monarch is a bourbon from Redwood Empire. The details on file give only the category and producer, so the profile below describes what bourbon in this style typically offers. It is not a measured tasting profile for this bottle. Bourbon is made from a mash bill of at least 51 percent corn and aged in new charred oak. That gives the style its usual shape: corn sweetness up front, then vanilla, caramel and toasted oak from the barrel. Expect some baking-spice warmth from the rye or wheat in the recipe, with a touch of char on the finish. Check the label for proof and any age statement, since those change how the bottle behaves in the glass and in a shaker. To start, pour a measure neat in a Glencairn glass. The tapered bowl gathers the aromas, so you can pick out vanilla, oak and grain before tasting. If the alcohol feels sharp on the first sip, add a few drops of room-temperature water. Dilution tends to loosen the sweeter, rounder notes and quiet the heat. A rocks glass with one large cube suits slower sipping, because a big cube melts gradually and chills the pour without watering it down quickly. Very cold serving mutes the vanilla and caramel, so use ice sparingly if you want the flavor. In cocktails, bourbon's sweetness suits stirred drinks. For an Old Fashioned, muddle a sugar cube with two dashes of Angostura bitters, add about two ounces of bourbon, stir over ice and finish with an orange peel. For a Manhattan, stir two ounces of bourbon with an ounce of sweet vermouth and a couple of dashes of bitters, then strain and garnish with a cherry. The oak and spice stand up to the vermouth. For a Whiskey Sour, shake two ounces of bourbon with three-quarters of an ounce each of fresh lemon juice and simple syrup. The corn sweetness balances the acidity. For a simple highball, pour one part bourbon over ice and top with two to three parts ginger ale or soda water, then add a lemon wedge. For food, bourbon works with smoked or grilled meats, aged cheddar, and desserts built on caramel, pecans or dark chocolate.